November, traditionally a month of gratitude, is a time when we gather with friends and family to appreciate what we have while also remembering what we may have lost. This year, we are especially thankful for our members and supporters, who continue to stand up for historic preservation as we face great threats to our nation’s history.

In the spirit of the season, last month we asked readers of the National Trust’s weekly email newsletter to share their favorite preservation successes. We received great responses from readers across the country, a sampling of which we share below.

What is a preservation success you are thankful for?

"First lady Jacqueline Kennedy leading the preservation efforts to preserve residential architecture and scale of Lafayette Square across the street from the White House in Washington, DC and saving Grand Central Terminal in New York." – Anonymous

“My pick for a preservation success that I am thankful for is the Eldorado Ball Room, which I read about in the magazine earlier this year. When my husband and I had a recent trip to Houston, Texas, we made it a point to go to the Eldorado and look around. It is amazing! I love how some of the spaces have been updated and repurposed and the upstairs has been restored for event space. We had been to Houston several times in the past, but we did not know about this wonderful historical site until I read about it in the magazine.” – Jane B.

“I am thankful that the veterans in my community formed a group called Cemetery Troopers to clean and repair gravestones. They held workshops, learned the practices required to repair and reconstruct gravestones. They have worked in almost all of the 23 cemeteries in town and have made an incredible difference.” – Alison G.

“The saving and full restoration of the B. Harley Bradley Residence and Carriage House in Kankakee, Illinois. This house dates to 1900 and is one of, if not the first, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie Style Design. The house has almost been lost several times over the years. In 2005, local architect Gaines Hall and his wife, Sharon purchased the house and restored it to its 1900 condition. They won the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award for the restoration of the carriage house which was the first portion completed of the complete restoration. Over its 126 years the house has been a private residence, a bird sanctuary, a factory, a wildly popular restaurant, an office building for a group of attorneys, and finally a restoration project for the Halls.” – Bill B.

"I've been a member for many years and the BEST news I received from you a number of years ago was when Brent Leggs wrote to say that there would be a focus on African American places that had been overlooked for so long. So, it is not one place but an idea, a commitment to the recognition that all cultures, peoples from across our nation deserve to 'preserved.' An example, when I visited Savannah and entered one of the beautiful houses through the slave quarters. It was impossible after that experience to look at the furnishings, architecture, [and] way of life in the house without knowing how and by whom it was made possible." – Madelon S.

What is a preservation success you are thankful for? (Continued)

"In 2023, I partnered with the tiny community of Bovill, Idaho, as a grad student to write their application for a NPS Paul Bruhn sub-grant via the Idaho Heritage Trust. The award was specifically for historic theatres in rural areas of the state, and I knew that the Bovill Opera House deserved a chance. Together, we were awarded $100,000 to begin necessary rehabilitation and repairs to the building’s deteriorating exterior. Over 2024, the project faced several delays and hiccups, and in late 2025 we weren’t sure if it would continue at all. The staffing/funding crisis at NPS threatened all active grants, and the Idaho Heritage Trust instructed all grantees to prepare for the worst. I was convinced that our dreams for the opera house were dead. But in August 2026, the work we applied for was finally completed. The building is nowhere near complete—I would love to see the treasure trove of original 1900s theatre seats, carbon arc projectors, and other miscellaneous film equipment left inside get some TLC from expert restorationists, too. But for now, this is a huge win and shows the small community of <300 people that their little theater is more than a relic." – Kate H.

"I am grateful for the work that you all have done in Madison, Indiana. It is my hometown." – Rose S.

“We are thankful for the progress we at NAPAS: TEAMS Institute have made to preserve a 19th century farmhouse, school, and three cemeteries in the Moore Flatwoods Community in Holladay, Tennessee.” – Sheila W.

“The Esselen Tribe of Monterey County regained ownership of nearly 1,200 acres of ancestral land in Big Sur in 2020 through a $4.5 million grant from the California Natural Resources Agency and a partnership with the Western Rivers Conservancy. They later expanded their holdings in January 2025 by acquiring an additional 327-acre property at Pico Blanco on the Little Sur River.” – Krissy H.

“Thank you for the preservation grant that helped restore the Historic Washington Chapel CME Church in Parkville, Missouri. Our congregation is now worshiping in our sanctuary after 2.5 years of renovation.”  – Pearl S.

"I am thankful for the certified rehabilitation of the Skirvin Hotel [at] 1 Park Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. After more than twenty years of decline and multiple ownership changes, our landmark hotel in downtown OKC reopened to the public in 2007 and remains one of the most popular hotels in the city." – Melvena H.

“I am thankful for the successful work we did in saving and repurposing the Lord-Higel House in Venice, Florida.  Venice Heritage raised over $1 million to restore the 1896 home built by Joseph Lord and occupied by George Higel. The City of Venice (owner of the home) completed renovation work to convert the house interior for modern use. Black Gold Coffee Roasters became the tenant, turning the house with a wraparound porch into not just a coffee house, but a social gathering space for the community. Finally, my division provided the interpretation of the home, the people, and the time period with exhibits throughout.” – Harry K.

"I'm grateful to see the [preservation of] Gay St [and] the historical preservation of the Ellen Hotel here in Lancaster County, South Carolina." – Leon H.

"Several of the synagogues in metro Baltimore, Maryland [were] converted to churches with architecture preserved!" – Anonymous

“On October 21, 2026, structural stabilization was completed at the Navajo [site] known as The Citadel [or] Bee Holdzil in Rio Arriba County, northwestern New Mexico. Perched on an isolated boulder, the site is constructed of sandstone masonry and consists of two two-story rooms connected by a covered passageway and two small rooms at the base of the boulder. Structural repairs include stabilization of the most deteriorated sections of the architectural fabric including relaying sections of a collapsed wall, replacement of deteriorating masonry in critical basal wall areas, and repointing with native soil mortar in feature areas around a unique sealed doorway. The project was conducted by a group of experienced Navajo stonemasons under the employ of the SJCMA/DCA, based at the Salmon Ruins Museum in Bloomfield, New Mexico.” – Larry B.

"So happy that our very own Chautauqua Hall in Pacific Grove, California has been added to the National Registry. Funds from private donors have raised an amount over $700,000 to refurbish this historical treasure in our community." – Colleen G.

“The city of Boise has updated our 1979 (you read that date right) Historic Preservation Plan to better reflect today’s community values, challenges, and opportunities. Since the 1979 plan was adopted, Boise has experienced significant growth and change, making it important to take a fresh look at how historic preservation works in Boise. The old plan was a foundational document for historic preservation in the city as it is now very outdated.  It was completed in September and will be adopted by City Council in early 2027.” – Richard J.

“The restoration of the steeple/belfry and interior wall (using pressed metal) of the Vang Church (built in 1897) near Dennison, Minnesota.” – Margaret A.