Brockport named a 'Preserve America' community

The Village of Brockport keeps garnering historic accolades for its historic Victorian downtown. The last designation Brockport received came in the form of being designated a federal "Preserve America" community, an honor bestowed by First Lady Laura Bush.

Brockport's Historian Emeritus Bill Andrews said the designation was one the village had to apply for. "We were encouraged by the State Historic Preservation office to apply and they supported our application," he said.

A letter from Bush read, "Preserve America communities demonstrate that they are committed to preserving America's heritage while ensuring a future filled with opportunities for learning and enjoyment. This new community designation program provides incentives for continued preservation of our cultural and natural heritage resources."

The Preserve America initiative is a new White House effort to encourage and support community efforts to share knowledge about the nation's past; strengthen regional identities and local pride; increase local participation in preserving the country's cultural and natural heritage assets; and support the economic vitality of communities.

Andrews said the designation was welcome because it offers official recognition by the national government and because it enhances the village's chances of acquiring federal funding support for historic preservation initiatives.

"The designation gives credence to the amount of preservation work the village has undertaken," he said.

The release of any funds hinges on the approval of federal budget and the $10 million that has been earmarked for the initiative.

Andrews said that until the funds are allocated, the details of the initiative have not been finalized. "Likely it would be a program that would be a collaboration between public and private sectors like the facade improvement program," he said.

Designated communities receive national recognition for their efforts. Other benefits include the ability to use the Preserve America logo; notification to state tourism offices and visitors bureaus; listing in a web-based directory among others. If the $10 million initiative is approved, communities meeting the Preserve America criteria will be eligible to apply for matching grant funds of $50,000 to $250,000 to promote heritage tourism and other economic revitalization projects.