Collaborative Capacity Building for African-American Historic Sites

Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia

2009
$56,350

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Heritage site leaders in New York City on an educational field trip to visit the Weeksville Heritage Center and the Louis Armstrong House to explore respective best practices in interpretation, programming and marketing. Philadelphia-based museum consultants Talbott & Remer, LLC were retained to assist the group discussion. Photo courtesy of the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia.

The Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia worked with African-American historic churches and historic house museums to develop capacity at these significant, but often under-resourced sites in Philadelphia. Building on the Preservation Alliance's successful Neighborhood Preservation Program, these projects provided opportunities for important collaboration among these sites. Training, offered in partnership with Partners for Sacred Places, offered congregations resources for capital fundraising and the development of new community partnerships. The Preservation Alliance also worked with the growing number of African-American historic sites to assess and develop collaborative interpretation and marketing efforts.