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Created by act of City Council in 1992, the Fairmount Park Historic Preservation
Trust was initially developed to address the critical state of the significant historic resources
owned by the City of Philadelphia in Fairmount Park. The Trust addressed these needs by providing
support in matters of historic preservation to the Fairmount Park Commission, the city agency
responsible for the maintenance of the Park and its resources. The Trust sought to preserve the
historic resources of the Park by providing investment opportunities for vacant and underutilized
Fairmount Park properties through the implementation of long-term leases, and identification of
public/private organizations able to invest in the restoration and maintenance of the structures.
This model has resulted in the restoration of several properties and the financial self-sufficiency
of each.
In continuously striving to fulfill its mission, the Trust developed a Conservation Program in 1997.
The stewarding organizations of the historic properties of the Park lamented the lack of knowledge
of historic building materials and techniques by local contractors, a lack of respect for
the historic fabric of the buildings, and a dearth of qualified, affordable contractors.
In response, the Trust created a fee-for-service program in which architectural conservators
assess the conservation, maintenance, and repair needs of the historic properties as requested by
the stewarding organizations. The conservators then design appropriate treatments, to be
implemented by either the Trust conservation staff or by contractors pre-qualified to work on the
historic properties of the Park. In its four years of existence, the program has flourished,
expanding to meet the growing needs of the aging properties. Its clients include not only the
stewarding organizations of individual historic properties, but also the building maintenance
division of the Fairmount Park Commission, the City of Philadelphia's Public Art Office, and the
Philadelphia Museum of Art. The needs of these organizations are accommodated by a staff of
professional architectural conservators, conservation technicians, and interns.
In collaboration with the Fairmount Park Commission and the Natural Lands Restoration and
Environmental Education Program, the Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust has designed a
GIS based inventory of the cultural resources of Fairmount Park, the Fairmount Park Cultural
Resource Inventory (FPCRI). For the first time, the Fairmount Park Commission has a comprehensive
inventory of its properties, sculptures, and man-made landscape features, and the ability to manipulate
this data to assess the needs of the resources. Using GIS software, it is possible to prioritize the
needs of the buildings, allowing for the most effective allocation of limited resources.
The Trust provides these services in an effort to benefit the Fairmount Park community. This
community is extensive, totaling approximately two million annually, and includes people from
all over the world. The Park community includes the stewards of the historic properties; members
of the residential communities surrounding the Park; all who regularly use the roads, trails,
and green spaces; and those who attend large events such as the First Union bike race, the Dad
Vail and Head of the Schuylkill regattas, the Greek Picnic, and the Yuletide Tours.
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