Every May since 1971, preservationists around the country have joined together to celebrate National Historic Preservation Month. Preservation Month was designed to raise awareness about the power historic preservation has to protect and enhance our homes, neighborhoods and communities – the places that really matter to us. It provides an opportunity to celebrate the diverse and unique heritage of our country’s cities and towns, and enables all of us to become involved in the growing preservation movement. Preservation Month helps bring historic preservation to the forefront of Americans’ daily lives by emphasizing the vital importance of protecting our nation’s history. And what city in America has more history to celebrate than Savannah? Preservation is not just about saving individual landmark buildings, but about improving our quality of life through neighborhood revitalization and protection of our irreplaceable resources such as our world-famous historic squares, canopy trees, and coastal landscape.

Poster Contest

As part of this special month, HSF holds an annual Preservation Month Poster Contest, open to all elementary, middle, and high school students in Savannah and Chatham County. The contest encourages students to highlight local treasures that have been saved. Contestants are encouraged to submit creative and original posters with vibrant images that celebrate our community’s important historic places (i.e., buildings, streetscapes, squares). Every year a different theme is chosen by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and must be incorporated into the poster design. The theme for 2011 was “Celebrating America’s Treasures.” Contest winners receive cash prizes and the posters are exhibited for the duration of the month.