Jim Kern, Executive Director of Brucemore, a National Trust Historic Site in Cedar Rapids, Iowa issued the following statement on June 17:
“First, I want to assure the community that Brucemore is safe and secure. We fully realize that most of the cultural centers, museums, and historic attractions have been affected by the flood. Brucemore is one of only a handful of remaining cultural organizations that is not compromised in any way from the disaster, and we take seriously this opportunity to help and provide leadership.
“Brucemore will focus first on assisting museums, cultural attractions, community organizations with archival materials, and owners of buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Working closely with our parent organization, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Trust’s Midwest Regional Office in Chicago, and the Midwest Art Conservation Center in Minneapolis, we are beginning to assemble a team of curators, conservators, and architects and engineers who all specialize in disaster recovery.
“The Brucemore Garden House, located at 224 Crescent Street SE is being set up as a preservation headquarters for the teams of out-of-town professionals who will be coming in as soon as we have had an opportunity to assess the extent of the damage and needs. The Garden House will also be provided as a meeting and conference space for our cultural partners. As soon as the preservation headquarters at the Brucemore Garden House is fully operational, we will supply basic contact information to the media.
“In the interim, citizens are encouraged to go directly to the National Trust for Historic Preservation website, www.preservationnation.org to receive excellent professional advice on a variety of issues related to flood disasters. The National Trust has played a prominent role in the Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts, and their experiences and research has proved to be a valuable resource for disaster recovery efforts around the nation.”
