WHEREAS, Virginians are proud of the Commonwealth’s rich and diverse history; and

WHEREAS, Virginia, the birthplace of American democracy, has led the nation in preparing for the semiquincentennial in 2026 and is poised to welcome visitors from throughout the world; and

WHEREAS, this legacy gave rise to one of the earliest state historical societies in 1831; the first national preservation movement in the 1850s; one of the earliest statewide private preservation organizations in 1889; and the nation’s first historical highway marker program in 1927; and

WHEREAS, the vast legacy propelled the creation of the Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission in 1966, predecessor of today’s Department of Historic Resources (DHR), and the Commonwealth’s preservation easement program and the Virginia Landmarks Register; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places now list nearly 3,500 individual sites and nearly 670 districts, highlighting the significant contributions of many diverse populations to the storied tapestry of the Commonwealth’s and the nation’s history; and 

WHEREAS, since 1966, Virginia property owners have donated to the Commonwealth more than 700 preservation easements and have preserved more than 46,000 acres in Virginia affiliated with historic houses, buildings, archaeological sites, and battlefields, while keeping these lands in private ownership; and

WHEREAS, since 1927, the Commonwealth has erected over 3.000 historical highway markers and 12 Green Book plaques that highlight people, places, or events important at the regional, state, or national level; and

WHEREAS, Virginia ranks fifth in the nation for National Historic Landmarks, with 132 historic properties so designated; and

WHEREAS, tax credit rehabilitation of Virginia’s historic buildings has leveraged more than $7.1 billion in private investments, resulting in tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation spending that ripple across the state’s economy; and

WHEREAS, more than 11 million overnight visitors to Virginia—over 26% of all overnight travelers—visited a historical site during their trip, demonstrating the significant role heritage tourism plays in attracting travelers to the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, historic preservation fosters community pride about history in the “places that matter” where we live, work, and play in Virginia; thus, it is important to celebrate Virginia’s history and its impact on our lives and communities;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize May 2025, as NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION MONTH in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all of our citizens.