  |
Town of Friday Harbor
|
|
60 Second Street
|
NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMENTS"Good afternoon. My name is Elaine Stiles and I am a Program Officer at the Western Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a national, nonprofit, membership organization that provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations, and local communities committed to saving places, connecting us to our history, and collectively shaping the future of America’s stories. I’m joined this morning by Michael Sullivan, our Washington Advisor, and Jennifer Meisner, Executive Director of the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, our statewide partner in Washington. We are pleased to be in Friday Harbor today to announce that the National Trust for Historic Preservation has named Friday Harbor, Washington one of its 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations. Each year since 2000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has selected 12 vacation destinations across the United States that offer an authentic visitor experience by combining dynamic downtowns, cultural diversity, attractive architecture, cultural landscapes, and a strong commitment to historic preservation and revitalization. Friday Harbor embodies these traits well, with more than 150 historic buildings reflecting the community’s civic, commercial and residential history; six sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places; a beautiful, walkable historic downtown; and the gateway community to the San Juan Island National Historical Park. The surrounding rural character, pristine marine environment, and stunning wildlife communities of the San Juan Islands form a distinctive cultural and natural landscape that both shaped, and was shaped by local human history. Friday Harbor has an astounding array of experiences to offer travelers who want to delve into places, artifacts, and activities that genuinely represent the stories and people of the past and present. We also acknowledge with this designation that Friday Harbor shares with the National Trust for Historic Preservation a commitment to historic preservation as a way to enrich communities and foster economic growth. Preserving what is unique about your community will continue to sustain Friday Harbor as a beautiful, livable, and highly desired place to visit and live. Historic preservation enriches our lives and the places that matter to us by saving the places where great moments from history – and the important moments of our everyday lives – took place. Historic places create tangible connections to our heritage and help us understand our past, appreciate our triumphs, and learn from our mistakes. By reinvesting in neighborhoods and business districts and reusing existing structures to meet contemporary needs, we help maintain the diversity and authenticity of a place, create stronger communities, good places to live and visit, and spark economic activity. Today we recognize that in the face of ever-increasing tourism pressure, Friday Harbor is preserving and adaptively reusing its historic fabric and safeguarding its natural environment as an investment in its future.As a small town, Friday Harbor provides a model for other rural communities across the nation to preserve their historic fabric and sense of place. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is proud to recognize your accomplishments and commitment to historic preservation with this award." For more information contact: Sandy Strehlou, Historic Preservation Coordinator, 360.378-2810 02/25/2008 |
|
|
Neither the Town of Friday Harbor nor any agency, officer, or employee of the
Town warrants the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information
presented here, and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by such
reliance on the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of such information. |
