About Us

Preservation is about more than just a building or landscape - it is about relationships, making the old new and relevant again and connecting people to places. It is about recycling, up-cycling, sustainability, breathing life back into our community centers and neighborhoods and activating an appreciation and pride in the places we call home.  

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Preservation Massachusetts (PM) is the statewide non-profit historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving the Commonwealth’s historic and cultural heritage. We are an advocacy and education organization, who work with everyone, from individuals to organizations and businesses striving to revitalize their communities, historic buildings and landscapes through preservation while making a real economic impact, creating jobs and investing in our existing resources to enhance our collective quality of life. 

Preservation Massachusetts: An Introduction

Watch and learn about PM, our work and programs!

Preservation Massachusetts was established in 1985 as Historic Massachusetts, Inc. We are the statewide non-profit organization that actively promotes the preservation of historic buildings and landscapes as a positive force for economic development and the retention of community character. The organization is supported entirely by grants, fundraising events and the support of our membership. In keeping with our mission, we work in partnership with national, state and local organizations and individuals across the Commonwealth to advance and understanding, appreciation and utilization of our historic built and natural landscapes.  

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So what does Preservation Massachusetts do? 

• We Educate – We develop programming and resources that are accessible and relevant to a wide audience, from individuals to businesses. Our e-communications provide important information, trends, insightful stories in an effort to learn from each other. We are the organizer of the biennial Massachusetts Historic Preservation Conference in addition to partnering with local organizations and communities to offer trending topic presentations. We are always looking to bring more learning opportunities to people and places across Massachusetts, in addition to housing important resources on our website like our Preservation Directory. We also seek to continually educate our leaders, both in Massachusetts and Washington, about the importance and benefit of historic preservation in our communities. 

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• We Advocate –  We work daily to support preservation in Massachusetts communities, from state and federal programs and policy to local projects and challenges. Advocacy takes the form of programs, like our Massachusetts Most Endangered Historic Resources Program to legislative advocacy in support of the state and federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits and the Community Preservation Act. Our professional full-time staff handles numerous individual advocacy calls daily that assist and support preservation at all levels.

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• We Empower – Preservation can be very personal and we work to empower individuals, groups and communities to preserve, reuse and restore the places that matter to them. Our Preservation Circuit Riders deliver mentoring support, education, resources and technical assistance to those facing preservation challenges or projects. Empowering and educating "preservationists" from the ground is critical to fostering a broader understanding of preservation, its uses and benefits and where it fits in our communities. We are always looking to strengthen our efforts, by forging partnerships across a wide array of industries and working to give preservation a strong voice through our Massachusetts Preservation Coalition and our involvement with the National Preservation Partners Network. ​

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Our mission is brought to life by our programs and daily work. By joining as a member, you educate, you advocate and you empower preservation efforts in cities and towns across Massachusetts!