Save America's Treasures facts for kids

Save America's Treasures is a special program in the U.S. government. Its main goal is to help save and protect important historic buildings, artworks, and old books or documents. Think of it as a team effort! It's a partnership between the U.S. National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Other groups like the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services also help out.

How Save America's Treasures Started

Hillary Clinton in front of the Star Spangled Banner, one of the first Save America's Treasures Projects, 1998

The Save America's Treasures (SAT) program began in February 1998. It was started by President Bill Clinton with a special order. Hillary Clinton, who was the First Lady at the time, was very important in getting the program going.

The First Lady of the United States usually serves as the program's honorary leader. To get help from the program, a project must be very important to the whole country. It also needs to show that it urgently needs to be saved. Plus, it should be something that helps educate people or benefits the public in other ways. Projects also need to show they can get money from other sources, not just the government. This encourages states, towns, companies, and people to donate.

On December 9, 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama spoke about the program. She said it helps save "our nation's irreplaceable legacy of buildings, documents, collections and artistic works." She added that it helps communities restore this "priceless heritage." This makes sure future generations can learn from the past.

However, the program was later stopped for a while. In 2010, President Barack Obama suggested ending it. He said the program needed better ways to measure if it was working well. So, funding stopped after 2010. But good news! The program started getting money again in 2017.

The money for Save America's Treasures comes from the Historic Preservation Fund. This fund gets its money from federal oil leases, not from taxpayer dollars. This means it doesn't use the money you pay in taxes.

What the Program Has Achieved

From 1999 to 2010, the program gave out over $318 million. Other groups and people matched this with over $400 million more! This money helped save more than 1,200 important historic places and cultural collections. By 2012, the program had also helped create about 16,000 jobs.

Some Amazing Projects Saved

Many incredible places and items across the United States have been saved thanks to this program. Here are just a few examples:

Projects During Hillary Clinton's Time (1999-2002)

Edith Wharton's home, The Mount, Lenox, MA, 1999 Awardee

• The Mount: This was the home of famous writer Edith Wharton in Lenox, Massachusetts.
• Fallingwater: A very famous house designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in Pennsylvania.
• Louis Armstrong House and Archives: The home and collection of the legendary jazz musician Louis Armstrong in New York.
• USS Missouri (BB-63): A historic battleship in Honolulu, Hawaii.
• Angel Island Immigration Station: A place where many immigrants entered the U.S. in California.
• Harriet Tubman National Historical Park: A site honoring the brave abolitionist Harriet Tubman in New York.
• 1838 Peter Augustus Jay House: A historic house in Rye, New York.
• Bronx Zoo Lion House: A historic building at the famous zoo in New York.

Projects During Laura Bush's Time (2003-2008)

• Diaries of John Quincy Adams: Important historical documents at the Massachusetts Historical Society.
• Ernest Hemingway's Papers: The writings of the famous author at the Kennedy Library.
• Sixteenth Street Baptist Church: A historic church in Birmingham, Alabama, important to the Civil Rights Movement.
• Alcatraz Island Gardens: The beautiful gardens on the famous Alcatraz Island in California.
• Joffrey Ballet Video Archives: Recordings of performances by the famous ballet company in Chicago.
• World Trade Center/September 11, 2001 Collection: Items related to the tragic events of 9/11, preserved in New York.

Projects During Michelle Obama's Time (2009-2011)

• Hollyhock House: Another famous house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Los Angeles, California.
• Temple University - William Still Collection: Papers, photos, and pamphlets from an important abolitionist.
• Norman Rockwell Museum: The works of the beloved American artist Norman Rockwell in Massachusetts.
• R. Buckminster Fuller and Anne Hewlett Dome Home: A unique dome-shaped house in Illinois.
• Washington National Cathedral: A grand and historic church in Washington, D.C.
• National Museum of the American Indian - Heye Foundation Collection: A collection of Native American artifacts.
• L A Dunton schooner: A historic sailing ship at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut.