People of Preservation – This Place Matters 2019 Campaign

Published on April 30, 2019

It’s the year of Alabama’s Bicentennial and Huntsville is celebrating the state’s 200 ^th birthday with gusto. As part of this celebratory year, Huntsville is featuring its historic treasures as part of the City’s 4 ^th annual “This Place Matters” campaign.

Mayor Tommy Battle and preservation leaders gathered on the East Side Square in Downtown Huntsville to proclaim the month of May as Huntsville Preservation Month and to kick-off the 2019 social media campaign to highlight the “People of Preservation.”

“Huntsville recognizes that people are the reason preservation is successful. This year we want to honor the contributions of those who work hard to preserve our local history,” said Mayor Battle. “We want to recognize the people who’ve been instrumental in preserving our historic spaces and heritage for future generations to enjoy.”

A key driver in this effort since 1972 is the Huntsville Historic Preservation Commission.  Led by the City’s Long Range Planner, Dennis Madsen, and Preservationist Katie Stamps, the HHPC is looking forward to a robust month of recognition.

“We are encouraging people across Huntsville to use the hashtag #ThisPlaceMatters and share photos of the places they hold dear,” said Katie Stamps, City of Huntsville Preservationist. “By sharing images and stories, our This Place Matters campaign can encourage and inspire an ongoing dialogue about the importance of place and preservation in all our lives.”

“The history of Huntsville isn’t just what happened in 1819. It’s what’s happened in the 200 years since Alabama became a state,” said Julian Butler, co-chair of the Huntsville/Madison County Bicentennial Committee.

#ThisPlaceMatters 2019

• Digital Features
  Huntsville’s People of Preservation will be featured throughout the month of May on City Blog (HuntsvilleAL.gov/CityBlog) and through the City’s social media accounts.
• Histories in the Making: A Passion to Preserve – May 30 at 6 p.m. at Stovehouse
  An evening of intimate storytelling to celebrate the people who are dedicated to the preservation of Huntsville’s history. Guest speakers have a passion for preserving historic architecture and heritage and have significantly invested in our community’s legacy. Admission for this event is free and open to the public
• April 30 News Conference
  The 2019 “This Place Matters” news conference took place on the east side of the courthouse square in downtown Huntsville. The Huntsville Madison County Historical Society coordinated the renewal of the mid-1800s brick walkway as a Bicentennial project, in partnership with the Historic Huntsville Foundation. The owners, attorneys Mitch Howie and nephew Mitchell J. Howie, purchased the early 1900s building in 2017 and plan to maintain the historical integrity of the building while updating it for modern uses.

City of Huntsville Proclamation

WHEREAS, National Historic Preservation Month has been observed every May since 1973, and;

WHEREAS, Historic Preservation is an effective tool for economic development, tourism promotion, neighborhood revitalization, and fostering community pride and livability; and

WHEREAS, the City of Huntsville believes in the importance of celebrating its rich history, and the role that history and historic places have played in the growth and progress of our city; and

WHEREAS, the City of Huntsville would like to recognize the individuals and organizations dedicated to the preservation of our city’s past; and

WHEREAS, “This Place Matters” has been designated as the theme for National Preservation Month 2019 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation,

NOW THEREFORE, We, the City of Huntsville, do proclaim May 2019 as National Historic Preservation Month and call upon the citizens of Huntsville to join their fellow citizens across the United States in recognizing and participating in this special observance.

Dated this 1st day of May, 2019.

Tommy BattleMayor