DCCHP Annual Symposium

The annual symposia are designed to bring individuals and organizations in the community together, to talk about the issues surrounding historic preservation, and outline new projects and goals. The participants in the first conference (2005) began with the idea that the power, resources, and leadership of preservation efforts should be in the hands of community residents; a principle that continues to guide the symposia.

Subsequent conferences were dedicated to defining the mission of the project. In 2006, community preservation leaders met to discuss research techniques and methods of presentation. By 2007, the project’s directors and participants had settled on the name “DC Community Heritage Project”, and were excited about the first round of grants.

In the past several years, the symposia have continued to bring together community leaders who want to see increased primacy of collective memory within the historical narrative. Topics discussed include: community heritage tours, green preservation, getting the most out of a small budget, and historic landmark nominations.