History of Save America's Treasures in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: February 13, 2026

Save America's Treasures is a U.S. federal government initiative dedicated to preserving historic buildings, arts, and published works. It operates as a public-private partnership between the National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Other key partners include the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Previously, Heritage Preservation and the National Park Foundation contributed to the program.

February 1998: Establishment of Save America's Treasures

In February 1998, Save America's Treasures (SAT) was established by Executive Order 13072 by President Bill Clinton, in conjunction with the White House Millennium Council's activities. Hillary Rodham Clinton was instrumental in its founding.

1999: Funding and Preservation Efforts Begin

Beginning in 1999, over $318 million was awarded to Save America's Treasures and matched by over $400 million from other sources.

December 9, 2009: Michelle Obama's Endorsement

On December 9, 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama endorsed the Save America's Treasures program, highlighting its importance in preserving the nation's heritage and empowering communities to restore priceless buildings, documents, collections, and artistic works.

January 30, 2010: Obama's Budget Proposal to Eliminate Funding

On January 30, 2010, President Barack Obama proposed eliminating the Save America's Treasures and Preserve America grant programs in his FY 2011 Budget, citing a lack of rigorous performance metrics and evaluation efforts to demonstrate clear benefits.

2010: Ongoing Projects in 2010

In 2010, according to the American Architectural Foundation, there were 175 ongoing Save America's Treasures projects.

2010: Funding Ceases

In 2010, funding for the Save America's Treasures program ceased due to concerns about adequate performance metrics and evaluation efforts.

2011: National Trust Elimination of SAT office

In 2011, the National Trust for Historic Preservation eliminated its Save America's Treasures office during a reorganization.

2012: Job Creation and Preservation Achievements

As of 2012, the Save America's Treasures program had been responsible for the creation of about 16,000 jobs and resulted in the preservation of over 1200 significant historic structures and repositories of cultural heritage.