NEW ORLEANS — The Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation (LTHP) has been recognized with one of the nation’s top honors in preservation, the Trustees’ Award for Organizational Excellence, from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The award was presented Sept. 16 during the 2025 PastForward Conference in Milwaukee, an annual gathering of preservation leaders, advocates, and policymakers.
While based in Baton Rouge, the Trust’s work spans all 64 parishes, including New Orleans and the surrounding region. For decades, LTHP has advocated for preservation across Louisiana, often partnering with New Orleans–based groups to protect historic neighborhoods, train preservation professionals, and help communities recover cultural assets after natural disasters.
“This award reflects the Trust’s ability to make preservation relevant statewide,” said Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “By strengthening community engagement, nurturing culture, and supporting economic resilience, their work demonstrates how historic preservation can serve the public good.”
Founded in 1979, LTHP has built a track record of empowering local leaders and communities to identify and protect their historic assets. The organization dispels misconceptions about preservation as a barrier to growth, positioning it instead as a driver of economic opportunity, cultural identity, and disaster resilience. Its projects range from rural courthouse restorations to city partnerships that keep commercial districts viable.
The 2025 National Preservation Award Winners
The recognition comes as part of the 2025 National Preservation Awards, which spotlight outstanding projects and leadership nationwide. This year’s eight honorees reflected the broad reach of preservation:
Marsh Davis of Indiana Landmarks earned the John H. Chafee Trustees’ Award for Excellence in Public Policy for nearly two decades of leadership in statewide preservation.
Althemese Pemberton Barnes of Tallahassee, Florida, received the Louise du Pont Crowninshield Award for advancing African American cultural heritage preservation.
The Battery in Philadelphia was honored with a Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Award for its adaptive reuse of a Beaux-Arts industrial landmark into a mixed-use community hub.
Lawson House in Chicago earned a Driehaus Award for its $128 million rehabilitation of a historic YMCA into affordable housing.
The Orange Mound Library & Genealogy Center in Memphis was recognized with a Driehaus Award for transforming the long-vacant Melrose School into a cultural and civic anchor.
Zoar Village in Ohio received the Federal Partnerships in Historic Preservation Award for a $14 million levee repair project protecting the 19th-century settlement.
Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation in Baton Rouge, the only Louisiana honoree this year, was recognized with the Trustees’ Award for Organizational Excellence. The Trust’s work spans all 64 parishes, including New Orleans, where it has long partnered with local groups to protect historic neighborhoods and support recovery after natural disasters.
The O’Connor House in Tempe, Arizona, was presented with the Trustees’ Emeritus Award for its relocation and reuse as a civic engagement center.
Preservation as an Economic Driver
For Louisiana, the award highlights the significant role preservation plays in economic development and cultural identity. Historic preservation has long been more than a cultural concern in the state; it has been a driver of business growth and community stability.
Louisiana’s $19 billion tourism industry is closely tied to its historic assets. In New Orleans, landmarks such as the French Quarter and Garden District define the city’s international brand.
Preservation projects also generate significant construction employment. Historic rehabilitation often supports more local jobs per dollar than new construction because it is labor-intensive and depends on skilled trades and local suppliers. A study by PlaceEconomics via the “Status of Historic Trades” project found that annual historic building rehabilitation activity in the U.S. creates close to 166,000 direct jobs, and that for every 10 direct jobs in historic rehabilitation, another 1.8 to 2.4 jobs are supported in related sectors.
The Role of Tax Credits
Louisiana’s state historic rehabilitation tax credit, created in 2002, has been one of the most powerful tools supporting this work. According to the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, the program has leveraged more than $5 billion in private investment and supported thousands of jobs through nearly 1,600 certified projects.
Federal historic tax credits have added further impact, financing hundreds of millions of dollars in development in New Orleans alone. These programs have been especially vital in bringing storm-damaged and underutilized buildings back into commerce.
Neighborhood and Small Business Growth
In New Orleans, historic districts like Bywater, Tremé, and Mid-City have shown how preservation can stabilize property values and attract reinvestment. Commercial corridors such as Magazine Street and Freret Street illustrate how historic architecture supports small-business growth and neighborhood revitalization.
A Record of National Recognition for New Orleans
New Orleans has a history of being recognized at the national level for its preservation leadership. In 2014, the National Trust honored the revitalization of St. Roch Market, a project that attracted millions in investment and became a model of how adaptive reuse can anchor neighborhood recovery in a post-Katrina landscape.
In 2016, the rehabilitation of the Saenger Theatre was cited as a model of public-private partnership. That $53 million restoration not only revived a cultural landmark but also helped reestablish Canal Street as a hub for the city’s entertainment economy, generating new streams of visitor spending and creating jobs tied to the hospitality and performance sectors.
The French Quarter, one of the first designated historic districts in the United States, continues to serve as a national symbol of how preservation safeguards cultural identity while driving tourism and investment.
