The Katrina Heritage Rescue Fund
Storm Damaged Chateau
Adopt A Tree
Mississippi Floods
THE KATRINA HERITAGE RESCUE FUND
The world watched in shock as the tropical hurricane known as Katrina hit the American gulf coast in August 2005 causing appalling loss of life and unprecedented devastation. For New Orleans, the American city with the largest concentration of historic French architectural treasures, the disaster was compounded when the Mississippi levees broke, inundating many quarters. In the aftermath of this catastrophe, French Heritage Society immediately assumed a specific role by establishing the Katrina Heritage Rescue Fund. Contributions from France and the United States are being used for restoration projects to preserve the unique architectural legacy of a region that combines a diversity of influences – French, African, Caribbean, and Spanish. French Heritage Society is working in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation to lend support to one of the largest and most critical interventions to save cultural patrimony ever undertaken in the United States. To date, French Heritage Society has raised approximately $200,000, including a grant from Vieilles Maisons Françaises, with the goal of announcing a total of $250,000 for the organization’s 25th Anniversary celebrations in France this October.
STORM DAMAGED CHATEAU INITIATIVE 1999
Violent wind storms raged across France in the winter of 1999 causing unprecedented damage both to the natural environment and to historic structures. Thousands of trees were uprooted and ancient allées and groves destroyed. Innumerable châteaux lost roof tiles or chimneys and suffered structural damage as the cyclone passed by. In its wake, there was great need for urgent intervention. Water damage was extensive, menacing fragile interiors, and gardens and parks needed clearing and replanting. French Heritage Society was in the vanguard of the effort to repair and restore and contributed $130,000 for Storm Damaged Châteaux.
ADOPT A TREE CAMPAIGN FOR VERSAILLES
During the intense storms of December 1999, the Château de Versailles suffered considerable damage to its park with the uprooting of over 10 000 trees, many of which were over 100 years old.
French Heritage Society, through its Adopt-a-Tree Campaign, raised over $ 200 000 to contribute to the replanting of the trees in the park of the Château de Versailles. Generous support was provided by foundations, corporations and individuals, in particular the Florence Gould Foundation and American Express. Numerous individuals from across the United States and abroad purchased commemorative trees that were planted throughout the grounds. With the assistance of detailed maps of the replanting, those donors have been able to visit their own trees at Versailles, many of which bear a commemorative plaque.
THE BOLDUC HOUSE, SAINTE GENEVIEVE, MISSOURI 1993
In 1993, massive flooding of the Mississippi River menaced towns along its banks, including the village of Sainte Geneviève, Missouri, founded in 1735. The emergency drew attention to the greatest concentration of 18th-century French colonial architecture in North America. In the years since, French Heritage Society has developed a long-term interest in this unique French cultural site, awarding grants for the restoration of five significant buildings and establishing a chapter there. French Heritage Society has also joined local organizations to support ongoing scholarship on the French presence in the upper Mississippi region, including the annual Sainte Geneviève Conference.