The American Express Partners in Preservation program is designed to help preserve historic places that reflect the Bay Area's rich and diverse cultural heritage while building community pride, spurring economic development and driving tourism.

"We are delighted to select the San Francisco Bay Area to receive the first major U.S. grant from the American Express Partners in Preservation program," said Alfred F. Kelly, Jr., group president, American Express Company. "The Bay Area was a natural choice for us because of its incredibly rich history and many historic sites, the community-minded spirit of its residents and the fact that it's a top destination for travelers from around the world."

“Because the Bay Area has such a rich, diverse collection of historic places, it's a great place to launch this new chapter in the National Trust's partnership with American Express,” said David Brown, executive vice president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “We're very proud of this partnership, and I'm confident that it will help ensure that historic places throughout the Bay Area are preserved for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations.”

In addition to supporting economic development and tourism, American Express and the National Trust developed the slate of 25 sites in an effort to raise awareness of some of the region's most important, but often not widely recognized “hidden” gems. The public's participation in the grant selection process will ensure that this remains a community-centered initiative.

Sites on the slate reflect the diversity of the Bay Area's heritage, encompassing courthouses and daycare centers, windmills and swimming pools and lighthouses and chapels. The scope of the preservation needs at these sites ranges from fixing leaking roofs to restoring original building signage to adapting buildings for further use as assets in the community.

Vote to Preserve
American Express is encouraging all Bay Area residents, and people who care about the Bay Area, to cast their vote from September 18 to October 31, 2006 through a dedicated website, www.partnersinpreservation.com, or in person at voting kiosks located at select Peet's Coffee & Tea outlets across the Bay Area. Consumers can vote once daily through October 31. American Express, the National Trust and a special Advisory Committee comprised of local Bay Area dignitaries will review the public's votes along with each site's monetary needs to determine how the $1 million in preservation grants will be awarded. The site that receives the highest number of popular votes is guaranteed to receive funding. The sites being awarded American Express Partners in Preservation grants will be announced to the public in November 2006.

American Express is partnering with its wide network of Bay Area merchants to help raise awareness of the American Express Partners in Preservation program and the voting process by offering point-of-purchase materials in addition to the voting kiosks. American Express will also run a number of local advertisements to help drive traffic to the website.

Historic San Francisco Bay Area Sites on the Slate
Criteria that were used for selecting the 25 sites on the slate included their historic, architectural and cultural significance, demonstrated community support for the sites, ability to complete a preservation project by June 2008, and potential to contribute to tourism or community development. The 25 sites are as follows:

San Francisco County
Bayview Opera House
Fallon Building
Haas-Lilienthal House
Japanese YWCA Building
Murphy Windmill
Roxie Film Center
San Francisco Streetcar #798
Spreckels Temple of Music
Tenderloin Façade and Neon Sign Improvement

Alameda County
Berkeley City Club
Cleveland Cascade Park
First Church of Christ, Scientist
Fox Oakland Theater
Tilden Park Carousel

Contra Costa County
Richmond Municipal Natatorium (‘The Plunge')
Maritime Child Care Center

Marin County
Angel Island Immigration Station
Lyford House, Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary
The Outdoor Art Club
Tomales Town Hall

San Mateo County
Old San Mateo County Courthouse
Pigeon Point Lighthouse Station

Santa Clara County
Casa Grande
Hakone

Solano County
Saint Peter's Chapel

More information about each of these sites can be found at www.partnersinpreservation.com.

"The sites that have been selected for this program are all integral to the fabric of San Francisco as a diverse and historic destination,” said Joe D'Alessandro, president and CEO of the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We are grateful that our city is a part of this project which will help preserve these landmarks for the enjoyment of visitors and local residents alike."

About American Express
American Express Company is a leading global payments, network and travel company founded in 1850.

Historic preservation has long been the hallmark of American Express' involvement in the community, reflecting its recognition of the contribution of sites and monuments to a sense of national and local identity and the role that their preservation can play in attracting visitors and revitalizing neighborhoods. As early as 1983, American Express launched a cause-related marketing effort that raised $1.7 million for the preservation of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. From 1996 to 2005, American Express contributed more than $10 million to help preserve 119 historic sites in 59 countries from the World Monuments Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites. In June 2006, the company announced the American Express Partners in Preservation initiative, with the National Trust for Historic Preservation as its partner in the U.S. and the World Monuments Fund as its partner internationally.

About the National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation (www.nationaltrust.org) is a private, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to saving historic places and revitalizing America's communities. Recipient of the National Humanities Medal, the Trust was founded in 1949 and provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to protect the irreplaceable places that tell America's story. Staff at the Washington, D.C. headquarters, six regional offices and 28 historic sites work with the Trust's 270,000 members and thousands of preservation groups in all 50 states.

Contacts:
Desiree Fish
212.640.4761
Desiree.C.Fish@aexp.com