David Brown: The Period of Significance is Now

“The Period of Significance is Now: Historic Preservation and the Building of a New Conservation Ethic”

The Graduate Program in Historic Preservation is pleased to welcome David Brown, Chief Preservation Officer, National Trust for Historic Preservation.

In this conversation with University of Pennsylvania students and faculty, I plan to touch on key elements important to the future of preservation. Places change as they are imbued with meaning, memory and stories.  Preservation in the 21st century, if it is to be successful, has to show how people and places in the past have shaped us, but these connections must also provide relevancy in the present day and hope for the future. Putting people at the forefront of preservation demonstrates that we must embrace continuity and change to do our work in the 21st century. The presentation will include significant time for conversation between the speaker and the audience, to gather perspectives beyond that of a national advocacy organization.

David J. Brown leads the National Trust’s comprehensive preservation efforts, with four decades of experience in working to save historic places and build thriving, livable communities. He oversees the Trust’s National Treasure campaigns which help protect some of America’s most significant and threatened historic places. David also guides the Trust’s advocacy work, oversees support for local preservation leadership, promotes preservation's role in environmental sustainability through the Preservation Green Lab, and is leading the exploration of new models of preservation at National Trust Historic Sites.  From 1999 – 2003, David successfully led the organization’s $135 million Campaign for America’s Historic Places.

Prior to joining the Trust, David served as the founding Executive Director of the Preservation Alliance of Virginia, where he produced one of the nation’s first studies on the economic impact of preservation.  The study allowed the Alliance to successfully campaign for state rehabilitation tax credits, eventually leading to nearly $1 billion in credits, $3 billion in private investment, and the rehabilitation of more than 2,300 buildings in Virginia since 1997. David served as the chairman of the Governor’s Commission to Study Historic Preservation in Virginia and on the board of The Corporation for Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, which rescued and restored Thomas Jefferson’s retreat.  Today, he serves on the executive committee of the International National Trusts Organisation (INTO) and represents the National Trust on the Board of Trustees of the National Main Street Center.