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President's Message: President's Message-September 7, 2008

Sunday, September 7, 2008

President's Message-September 7, 2008

It has been a busy summer for the APTA! In addition to the four historic markings featured on the historic markings page on this site, I have visited many existing APTA sites and I plan to visit them all before the year is out. As I have said to many members during these site visits, I am simply amazed about the beauty and history that permeates all of the APTA sites. I have also realized that the need for the APTA continues to grow. Daily, historic homes and buildings are being destroyed and there are very few nonprofit agencies or entities willing to actually own, operate and preserve historic properties. The APTA's work in not done, it is really just beginning!

I would like mention a few happenings at APTA sites. The Smithsonian Museum on Mainstreet continues at the APTA's Little Courthouse Museum in Bolivar throughSeptember 21, 2008. The Buchanan Log House in Nashville is celebrating its 200th birthday this year. The Memphis APTA chapter and the APTA have been working to ensure that the historic Lee House in Memphis is preserved. The marking of the Dome Building in Chattanooga was a fantasic event and will both give the APTA a presence again in Hamilton County while, at the same time, it will promote public interest in that grand commercial building. I also wanted to mention that a unique program, the Three Stars of Tennessee exhibition in Jackson, will take place from November 1 through 16, 2008. This will be a unique display of Tennessee artifacts and art to beneift the West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation.

The APTA is now accepting nominations for the 2009 marking program and will continue to accept them through March 1, 2009. The nomination form is on this site. We need the assistance of all our members in carrying out our goals and objectives and I would love to have volunteers with grants skills contact myself or Martha Sloan about forming a grants committee to assist chapters and other sites to obtain financing assistance. Finally, the APTA will continue to seek opportunities to preserve historic properties through acquisition, by gift or by preparing and recording historic conservation easements. If we can be of assistance in any of these areas just contact us.