Martin County, City of Stuart, and Many Others Join Hands as Partners in Preservation To Celebrate OurSpecial Places and Unique History

In October, Martin County, the City of Stuart, and many community organizations will join hands as Partners in Preservation to host Historic Preservation Month. On September 22nd, the Martin County Commission issued a Proclamation declaring October Historic Preservation Month and called on the community to participate in this special observance. The Historic Preservation Board (HPB) has planned a series of public events in the month of October to increase awareness and the need to preserve our local treasures. The HPB encourages local residents, organizations, and businesses to become Partners in Preservation as Martin County celebrates our special places.

According to Linda Prange, the HPB Chair, "Historic Preservation Month will celebrate our special places and the heritage of our community. We believe the more people learn about our unique history, the more they will want to preserve its treasures. We want to show that preservation is in progress in Martin County, and that history can even be fun."

The HPB has planned a month of public activities to acquaint the community with historic preservation. On October 1st, the Friends of the Historic Golden Gate Community, Inc., will host a kick-off reception at the Cassidy Center at 6 PM, as well as a tour of an historical home. The month will include visits to historic churches and buildings (including a house in the process of being preserved); an archeological tour and lecture; Martin County History Lectures at the Cummings Library each Wednesday; Stuart Heritage Tours each Thursday; nd a reception at the Fish House Art Gallery.

Some fun highlights of the month include a scavenger hunt and a costume ball. The Stuart News will publish clues to help find historic properties in the paper each Sunday and Thursday. The HPB is asking participants to take a photo in front of the historic property and submit them. The month will end on the evening of October 30th with a Meet Me at the USO Historic Costume Ball hosted by the City of Stuart at the Flagler Recreation Center. Attendees are asked to wear costumes denoting a historical period or person. Prizes will be awarded to the winners of the scavenger hunt, and for the best costume, at the ball.

Bonnie Landry of the Martin County Community Development Department explains: "In establishing this special month, the Commissioners recognize that historic preservation is an important tool for fostering local pride and maintaining community character. By conducting a full month of activities, the Board hopes the residents of Martin County will embrace historic preservation as an important link both to our past and our future."

A calendar of events can be viewed at www.martin.fl.us. For more information, or to become a Partner in Preservation, contact Bonnie Landry at 772-288-5456 or blandry@martin.fl.us.

Submitted by Joette Lorion Rice, Vice-Chair of the Historic Preservation Board