APVA
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| Founded | 1889 |
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| Focus | Historic Preservation |
| Location |
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Area served
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Commonwealth of Virginia |
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Key people
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Archaeologist William Kelso |
| Website | http://www.preservationvirginia.org/ |
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Formerly called
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Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities; APVA Preservation Virginia; APVA |
Founded in 1889, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities was the United States' first statewide historic preservation group. In 2003 the organization adopted the new name APVA Preservation Virginia to reflect a broader focus on statewide Preservation and in 2009 it shortened its name to Preservation Virginia. Preservation Virginia owns historic sites across Virginia including Historic Jamestowne, located at Jamestown, Virginia, site of the first permanent English settlement in North America, and the Cape Henry Light, one of the first public works projects of the United States of America.
Preservation Virginia has helped preserve several key historic properties and items. Its 1889 rescue of the Powder Magazine in Williamsburg came decades before Colonial Williamsburg's creation. Its mission is similar to organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the U.S. and The National Trust in Britain, however Preservation Virginia also seeks to cultivate an awareness of the importance of Virginia's heritage as an "economic asset".
The organization's branches represent Preservation Virginia across the state; in Richmond, Preservation Virginia's self-governing affiliate is Historic Richmond Foundation, which merged in July 2005 with Preservation Virginia's William Byrd Branch.
Preservation Virginia also operates the statewide revolving fund, which protects historic properties with easements before placing them on the market, and organizes an annual Preservation Conference. Starting in 1994, a major archaeological campaign conducted by Preservation Virginia at Jamestown known as Jamestown Rediscovery has discovered the remains of the original 1607 settlement, and greatly increased the knowledge of Jamestown.
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Wikipedia