2016 marks a golden milestone for both Dallas Heritage Village and preservation across the nation
Dallas Heritage Village and Preservation Dallas present “Fifty Years of Preservation: A Panel Discussion” with Evelyn Montgomery, curator of Dallas Heritage Village; Evan Thompson, executive director of Preservation Texas; and Beth Wiedower, National Trust for Historic Preservation, on Sunday, May 15, at 2 p.m., at Dallas Heritage Village, Browder Springs Hall, 1515 S. Harwood. This is a free event, open to the public. The three panelists, moderated by David Preziosi, executive director of Preservation Dallas, will hold a conversation regarding 50 years of historic preservation at the local, state and national levels. This event is part of a long roster of events planned for Preservation Month.
In 1966, Dallas Heritage Village was founded to preserve the Millermore home, a historic antebellum plantation home built between 1855 and 1862, which was saved from the wrecking ball by a newly formed group of citizens called the Dallas County Heritage Society. Disassembled and reassembled on the grounds of Old City Park, Dallas’ oldest park established in 1876, the Millermore home was the first historic structure of Dallas Heritage Village and remains the museum’s focal point today.
Also in 1966, the National Historic Preservation Act was signed into law. This legislation intended to preserve historical and archaeological sites in the United States of America. The act created the National Register of Historic Places, the list of National Historic Landmarks, and the State Historic Preservation Offices. It is the most far-reaching preservation legislation ever enacted in the United States.
“This panel will talk about what was happening in historic preservation that led to these two events and explore where we are today as we continue to fight to preserve the past,” added Melissa Prycer, president and executive director, Dallas Heritage Village. “We hope the community will take advantage of this unique opportunity to hear from such knowledgeable preservation experts all in one place and during such a meaningful anniversary year.”
Please RSVP by Friday, May 13, on the Dallas Heritage Village website’s event calendar RSVP form on May 15: https://www.dallasheritagevillage.org/event/fifty-years-of-preservation-a-panel-discussion/ or call Mandy Olsen at 214-413-3669.
ABOUT THE PANELISTS:
EVELYN MONTGOMERY, CURATOR, DALLAS HERITAGE VILLAGE
Originally from Connecticut, Montgomery came to North Texas at 17 to attend Texas Christian University, where she majored in interior design. She later got a master’s in architecture from University of Texas in Arlington and a Ph.D. in history from University of Texas Dallas. She began working at Dallas Heritage Village in 2001 as a tour guide, later becoming curator of collections and then director of collections, exhibits and preservation. Montgomery oversees repair work of the Village’s historic structures as well as takes care of artifact collections, creates exhibits, and does public speaking on historical topics. In addition to speaking to local groups, she has presented four times at the Dallas History Conference and at state and national conferences. Active on her neighborhood association board of directors and vice president of the Dallas Homeowners League, Montgomery also serves on the Dallas Landmark Commission and is a volunteer with Preservation Dallas. Presently, she is writing and editing a collaborative book for Texas A&M University Press called “The Historic Villages of Texas” about the historic structures preserved in six village-style museums across the state, including Dallas Heritage Village.
EVAN R. THOMPSON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF PRESERVATION TEXAS
Evan R. Thompson is the executive director of Preservation Texas, the statewide advocate for preserving the historic resources of Texas. Prior to joining PT earlier this year, he served for four years as executive director of the Preservation Society of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina, and served for six years as executive director of Historic Beaufort Foundation, a National Historic Landmark town in South Carolina. He is a graduate of The University of Texas School of Law and the University of Richmond. In 2011, he was the inaugural recipient of the National Trust for Historic Preservations’ American Express Aspire Award, recognizing an emerging national leader in the preservation field.
BETH WIEDOWER, SENIOR FIELD OFFICER AND DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON FIELD OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Beth Wiedower is a preservationist with experience in the fields of community revitalization, economic development, and cultural heritage conservation. She currently serves as a senior field officer and director of the Houston Field Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In this capacity, she is responsible for identifying and implementing the Trust’s National Treasures program in Texas and beyond, seeking nationally significant and highly threatened historic resources in need. Prior to her work with the Trust in Texas, she directed the Rural Heritage Development Initiative of the National Trust in the Arkansas Delta. Wiedower has been working in the field of historic preservation for almost 15 years, including completing her graduate studies in the discipline at the University of South Carolina.