American Express gives money for Route 66 preservation

American Express, in conjunction with the World Monuments Fund, announced today it was giving $150,000 for an economic study to help sustain historic Route 66.

Excerpts from the news release:

This initiative, which is part of the American Express Partners in Preservation initiative launched in 2006, is focused on sustaining historic sites in the face of increased visitor activities and environmental impacts, and preserving them for future generations to enjoy. […]

“As members of a global community, we need to understand the impact that our collective footprint has on the wear and tear of heritage sites. Preservation and public education go hand-in-hand,” said Bonnie Burnham, president of the World Monuments Fund. “We are delighted to be working with our longtime partner American Express, and helping, through the Partners in Preservation program, not only to preserve these sites but also to educate both tourists and the local communities about the role they can play in conserving their irreplaceable heritage.” […]

The grant distribution is as follows:

Historic Route 66, cities, towns and villages between Chicago and Los Angeles – $150,000 for an in-depth economic study of this long-distance historic corridor. The study will provide information for communities that can be used to stimulate heritage tourism at local, state and national levels in the effort to preserve the corridor in its entirety and ensure its long-term sustainability. Funding will also contribute to a comprehensive survey of the many different buildings and attractions that make up this unique landscape and the impact that environmental factors and modern travel have had on them. This effort will include a conservation assessment of the historic Santo Domingo Trading Post site on Route 66 in New Mexico. Once a trading center for Native American arts and crafts and a popular stopping point for travelers, the Trading Post was damaged by fire in the early 2000’s and is now left vacant. The project will make recommendations on the building’s restoration and future use. Route 66 was placed on World Monuments Fund’s Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites in 2008. 

Other grant recipients were St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Delhi Heritage City in India, and the Mexico City Historical Center.

This is an encouraging development. As American Express notes: “During the first ten years of the Watch program, American Express contributed more than $10 million to help preserve 126 historic sites in 62 countries from the World Monuments Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites.”

So the World Monuments Fund’s listing of Route 66 as an endangered historical site already has paid dividends. And when one big corporation kicks in money, others usually follow.