NCDC
Preserve America Initiative

Preserve America is a federal initiative in cooperation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; the U.S. Departments of Defense, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, and Education; the National Endowment for the Humanities; the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities; and the President's Council on Environmental Quality. The initiative encourages and supports community efforts to preserve and enjoy our priceless cultural and natural heritage. The goals of the program include a greater shared knowledge about the nation's past, strengthened regional identities and local pride, increased local participation in preserving the country's cultural and natural heritage assets, and support for the economic vitality of our communities. Detailed information on all aspects of this initiative can be found at www.preserveamerica.gov.

Read the Preserve America fact sheet.

NOAA has in its care a wealth of resources that recall the agency's proud history and dedicated service to the nation.

NOAA's goals for the Preserve America initiative are:

Power Point Presentations

• Final Report: Documenting the History and Heritage of US Weather Bureau Buildings 1898-1913
• Life in the Weather Bureau at the Turn of the Century

From summer refuge for Carolina low country gentry to rehabilitation destination for tuberculosis patients, Asheville has long been an oasis for those seeking its gentle mountain climate. Since World War II, Asheville has emerged as a focal point for climate and environmental information.

This project seeks to highlight these prominent threads in Asheville's history through the development of displays and resource materials that can be used by the listed external partners, who collectively interface with hundreds of thousands of regional visitors annually. The materials will raise awareness of the climate-related heritage of the area, and will serve as an invitation for citizens to become more climate literate.

The City of Asheville (population 69,308) is nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Smokies of Appalachia, at the confluence of the French Broad and the Swannanoa Rivers. Established by the state legislature in 1797 as the seat of newly created Buncombe County, the city was named in honor of Governor Samuel Ashe.

Since 1857, dedicated volunteer citizens have made weather observations in Asheville, North Carolina. Initially, data was recorded at a monthly scale. Sustained daily weather readings began by 1892. Observers' reports often documented weather phenomena such as floods, blizzards, wind storms, heat waves, cold snaps, tropical cyclones, and tornadoes. This project will highlight observing locations throughout downtown Asheville using professional displays of historic and current images, focusing on long-serving or well-known individuals who provided weather observer support to the area. It will provide an enhanced understanding and appreciation of weather observers' dedication and Asheville's rich climate and weather history as well insight on the cultural history of Western North Carolina relative to weather and climate.