Congressman Blumenauer to Retire
Mar. 14, 2024
Forward by: Peggy Moretti
Congressman Earl Blumenauer, who is retiring at the end of this term, has been a champion of preservation his entire career. We appreciate his articulate and consistent advocacy.
From Congressman Blumenauer’s Newsletter:
Dear Friends,
I have dedicated my career to making the federal government a better partner for livable communities. These are places where families are safe, healthy, and economically secure. One of the most important tools in making a community livable is the promotion of historic preservation. It is more than just putting up plaques. Historic preservation helps us understand who we are, where we were, and what we might be.
In our own community, that means protecting our most treasured landmarks for generations to come. One of my greatest honors as your representative has been working to add several of these treasured places to the National Register of Historic Places. From Darcelle XV Showplace, Portland’s oldest drag club and first LGBTQ+ landmark in Oregon, to Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, home of one of state’s oldest Black congregations, to the Jim Pepper House, the first property in the Pacific Northwest to be designated specifically for contemporary Indigenous history. It is gratifying to know these places will be protected and preserved.
Across the country, the historic preservation movement saved more than 45,000 historic buildings, helping to celebrate and inform our history. Not only do these places give definition and character to our communities, they are a powerful boost to the local economy. For instance, the federal historic tax credit has produced more than three million jobs since its creation and generated billions of dollars in private investment. The tax credit is one those rare programs that actually makes the federal government more money than it costs. It is a net positive. It’s hard to think of another federal program that makes such a strong contribution to the sense of place, revitalizing local economies, promoting tourism, and encouraging other investment.
This issue has such a profound effect on the livability of our communities. We will continue fighting to protect and expand this incentive for rehabilitation and reuse of historic buildings.
Courage,
Earl Blumenauer
Member of Congress