America’s historic buildings, engineering works and landscapes have a documentary home at the Library of Congress. The Department of the Interior describes the combined records of three federal heritage programs as the nation’s largest archive of historic architectural, engineering and landscape documentation. The programs are the Historic American Buildings Survey, the Historic American Engineering Record and the Historic American Landscapes Survey. Together, their names identify three distinct parts of the built environment: buildings, engineering works and landscapes. The Historic American Buildings Survey is the federal government’s oldest preservation program, according to Interior’s historic preservation resource page. It operates alongside its two companion surveys under Heritage Documentation Programs. Their combined collection is housed at the Library of Congress. Interior’s account also shows how preservation extends into scientific research. The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, based at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, works with government agencies, academic institutions and nonprofit organizations to develop preservation technologies and techniques. Documentation and technical research represent complementary parts of this work. One creates an enduring record of historic places; the other develops methods for caring for cultural resources. Together, they reveal a less visible side of preservation beyond the buildings and landscapes themselves.
