Partners for Sacred Places, Philadelphia, PA
Award Type: Honor Award
It’s almost impossible to overstate the importance of historic houses of worship as identifiers and anchors of a neighborhood. And it’s equally hard to overstate the exemplary vision of the organization that works to help these landmarks retain a viable role in community life.
Across the country, hundreds of historic houses of worship are in crisis. Whether churches, synagogues, meetinghouses or mosques, these architectural landmarks and community anchors are falling victim to dwindling memberships, limited budgets and deferred maintenance. Thanks to the unwavering commitment and innovative services of Partners for Sacred Places (PSP), the only national, non-denominational organization dedicated to the preservation and effective use of historic religious buildings, these embattled national treasures now have the tools they need to keep the wrecking ball at bay.
Founded in 1989, Partners for Sacred Places has become the premier source of information and training for stewards of historic religious buildings. PSP's pioneering methods have introduced the preservation ethic to congregations in every state, while promoting a new understanding of how religious properties can sustain the communities they serve. Guidance from PSP, including an innovative workshop series called New Dollars/New Partners, has enabled thousands of congregations to develop new resources, find uses for their underutilized spaces and restore the original craftsmanship to their historic buildings.
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