Cartersville a 'Preserve America' Community

Cartersville was designated one of the nation’s newest Preserve America Communities by First Lady Michelle Obama.

“President Obama and I want to congratulate all of the Preserve America Communities and thank them for their commitment to protecting and strengthening America’s cultural and natural heritage,” Obama said in a press release.

Mayor Matt Santini received a notification letter dated May 12, 2011, and will receive a certificate of designation signed by the First Lady announcing that Cartersville is now a Preserve America Community.

Communities designated through the program receive national recognition for their accomplishments in preserving our special places and telling the nation’s story. Benefits include use of the Preserve America logo on educational and promotional materials; a community sign; a listing in an Internet-based directory that showcases Cartersville’s preservation efforts and heritage tourism destinations; and other support.

Many Preserve America Communities are featured in “Discover Our Shared Heritage” National Register Travel Itineraries, as well as in the “Teaching with Historic Places” curricular materials created by the National Park Service.

Each community applying for Preserve America Community designation must submit a community project for consideration. Cartersville’s project was the renovation of the 1869 Courthouse, believed to be Georgia’s last remaining Italianate-style courthouse in existence.

Located in the downtown historic district, the courthouse project was completed in December and is home to the Bartow History Museum.

The application on the city’s behalf was a joint project of the , the Cartersville Historic Preservation Commission and the Cartersville Downtown Development Authority, with the support of the Cartersville City Council.

The Preserve America program became an authorized part of the national historic preservation program when President Barack Obama signed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 on March 30, 2009. More than 850 Preserve America Communities have been designated in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and two U.S. territories, including historic neighborhoods within large cities and tribal communities.

The Preserve America program is a federal effort to encourage and support community efforts to preserve and enjoy America’s priceless cultural and natural heritage. The goals of the initiative include a greater shared knowledge about the nation’s past; strengthened regional identities and local pride; increased local participation in preserving the country’s cultural and natural heritage assets; and support for the economic vitality of our communities.