Press Release
Thirteen San Franciso Bay Area Historic Sites to Receive American Express Partners in Preservation Grants
Thousands of Bay Area Residents Participated in Selecting Local Grant-Winning Sites
SAN FRANCISCO (November 15, 2006) – American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced last night at an award celebration in San Francisco that 13 San Francisco Bay Area historic sites were selected as winners of American Express Partners in Preservation grants and will share the $1 million committed by American Express for preservation efforts in the Bay Area. The grant awards were selected after a six week public voting period during which thousands of people voted for their favorite Bay Area site out of a slate of 25 grant candidates.
The top award winner was Berkeley’s First Church of Christ, Scientist, a masterwork designed by famed architect Bernard Maybeck that received a remarkable outpouring of public support since the launch of the Partners in Preservation Bay Area initiative in September, 2006. The Friends of First Church will receive a Popular Vote award of $118,000 to complete a seismic upgrade of the 250-seat Sunday School.
The other 12 American Express Partners in Preservation grant award winners are:
- Angel Island Immigration Station, Angel Island: granted $84,000 for WWII mess hall roof structure repair
- Casa Grande, New Almaden: granted $75,000 for interior and exterior restoration
- Cleveland Cascade Park, Oakland: granted $50,000 for cascade reconstruction and restoration
- Fallon Building (LGBT Center), San Francisco: granted $50,000 for exterior repair and repainting
- Fox Oakland Theater, Oakland: granted $75,000 for theater rehabilitation project
- Haas-Lilienthal House, San Francisco: granted $75,000 for seismic strengthening and repair of the roof
- Japanese YWCA Building, San Francisco: granted $62,000 for exterior repair and repainting
- Pigeon Point Lighthouse Station, Pescadero: granted $54,000 for window restoration
- Richmond Municipal Natatorium (The Plunge), Richmond: granted $75,000 for seismic retrofitting
- Spreckels Temple of Music (Golden Gate Bandshell), San Francisco: granted $75,000 for exterior restoration and waterproofing
- Tilden Park Carousel, Berkeley: granted $97,000 for floor and band organ restoration
- Tomales Town Hall, Tomales: granted $50,000 for foundation and exterior repairs
In addition, American Express and the National Trust announced a Recognition Award, in the amount of $5,000 each, to 12 additional sites in recognition of their participation in the initiative and their commitment to preservation efforts.
The 13 grant recipients were determined in early November by an Advisory Committee comprised of local community and business leaders. Factors for selecting the grant recipients included public voting results, the preservation needs of the site, historic significance and the role the site plays in the community. The Advisory Committee also sought to assure that the final slate of funded projects included diverse sites from throughout the Bay Area.
In September 2006, American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced an historic preservation initiative supporting the San Francisco Bay Area as part of the global American Express Partners in Preservation program. American Express committed $1 million in preservation grants to the Bay Area and, in partnership with the National Trust, identified 25 historic sites in the Bay Area that reflect the region’s rich and diverse cultural heritage as candidates for preservation grants.
American Express launched the Partners in Preservation website (www.partnersinpreservation.com) and encouraged Bay Area residents, and others who had an affinity for the Bay Area, to go online to learn more about each site, submit personal photos and stories and cast their vote throughout the six-week period ending October 31. During the voting period, nearly 200,000 unique visitors flocked to the website.
Thousands of Bay Area American Express merchants helped raise awareness of the program and the voting process through point-of-purchase materials in their locations and Peet’s Coffee & Tea outlets housed in-person voting kiosks at many of their Bay Area locations.
"The citizens of the Bay Area have always been noted for their strong community spirit and local pride, but the level of interest and excitement that surrounded the Partners in Preservation campaign far exceeded our expectations," said Bill Glenn, president of Establishment Services North America and Global Merchant Network Group, American Express Company. "Through the Partners in Preservation initiative we were able to engage our merchant network to help us raise community awareness about the historic significance of these Bay Area sites and their need for preservation. We are delighted to be able to provide the winning sites grants that will help preserve them for people to enjoy for many years to come."
"We are thrilled that the community embraced this program and came to learn more about the Bay Area's rich, diverse collection of historic places,” said David Brown, executive vice president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “The community support for preservation of the National Historic Landmark, First Church of Christ Scientist in Berkeley, was tremendous and we are happy to present the Friends of First Church with the Popular Vote prize to support their efforts to help fully restore this unique treasure. This Arts and Crafts-style church complex has stood in the heart of Berkeley for more than 90 years and we are pleased that the grant will help preserve its rich history and beautiful design – it is truly a shining example of Bernard Maybeck’s extraordinary talent."
"We are delighted that the First Church of Christ, Scientist won the popular vote," said Fred Porta, Friends of First Church, Berkeley. "It’s wonderful that so many people showed their support for the preservation of Maybeck's masterpiece -- and grant funds could not have come at a better time. We're very grateful to all the people who voted for us and to American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation for sponsoring this wonderful program that will provide needed funds to help preserve some of the great historic sites in the Bay Area."
This American Express Partners in Preservation program was developed to help preserve historic places that reflect the Bay Area’s rich and diverse cultural heritage while building community pride, spurring economic development and driving tourism to the area. Beginning today online, American Express Travel will promote travel to the Bay Area via its highly-trafficked web site, www.americanexpress.com/travel, encouraging travelers and residents alike to discover the 25 Partners in Preservation historic sites as well as the other treasures the Bay Area offers.
More information about the American Express Partners in Preservation program and each site can be found at www.partnersinpreservation.com.