Amidst all of the uncertainty in our world today, we wanted to share some good news—an overview of all that we accomplished as a preservation community in 2020.
We’re proud to debut the 2020 Washington Trust Annual Report, which details our activities throughout the past year, including public policy successes, grassroots advocacy efforts, Washington Main Street updates, new additions to our Most Endangered list, Stimson-Green Mansion projects, and more. This Annual Report demonstrates what can be accomplished when the preservation community comes together around places that matter, despite the challenges we face.
2020 saw us weathering a pandemic, a recession, and racial and economic injustice. Yet despite the turbulence, we also witnessed unity and empathy and community like never before. Messages of hope comforted us from their cheerful painted colors on boarded-up storefronts. Communities across our Main Street network and beyond rallied to support their local businesses, pivoting in a hundred ways from sharing PPE to building “streateries” to marshaling new funding resources. And you—our members, donors, and sponsors—stood by us, even though it meant showing up virtually instead of in person.
Now, in 2021, we at the Washington Trust feel a renewed sense of purpose. This year, we will help rebuild Washington’s communities. We will continue to advocate for our state’s historic resources which are so critical to our history and sense of place. We will support our Main Streets, ensuring that thousands of small businesses across the state get the resources they need. We will celebrate and elevate diverse stories in preservation, acknowledging that our movement is strongest when all voices are heard. As soon as in-person gatherings are safe again, we’ll be there with you in your town or city, fighting to save the places that matter.
We hope that you will take a moment to peruse our 2020 Annual Report and to celebrate the past year’s wins with us. If you’re heartened by what you see, if it renews in you the passion for preservation that informs our work every day, consider a donation to the Washington Trust. We’re here fighting for the places that matter, so that during this time of uncertainty and after it comes to an end, our historic and cultural spaces are there for our communities.
