WHEREAS, Virginians are proud of the Commonwealth’s rich and diverse history; and

WHEREAS, Virginia, the birthplace of American democracy, has led the nation in preparing for the semiquincentennial in 2026 and is poised to welcome visitors from throughout the world; and

CONSIDERANDO QUE, este legado dio origen a una de las primeras sociedades históricas estatales de 1831; el primer movimiento nacional de conservación en los 1850197; una de las primeras organizaciones privadas de preservación a nivel estatal en 1889; y el primer programa de marcadores de carreteras históricas de la nación en 1927; y

WHEREAS, the vast legacy propelled the creation of the Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission in 1966, predecessor of today’s Department of Historic Resources (DHR), and the Commonwealth’s preservation easement program and the Virginia Landmarks Register; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places now list nearly 3,500 individual sites and nearly 670 districts, highlighting the significant contributions of many diverse populations to the storied tapestry of the Commonwealth’s and the nation’s history; and 

CONSIDERANDO QUE, desde 1966, los propietarios de Virginia han donado al Estado más de 700 servidumbres de preservación y han conservado más de 46000 acres en Virginia afiliados a casas históricas, edificios, sitios arqueológicos y campos de batalla, mientras mantienen estas tierras en propiedad privada; y

WHEREAS, since 1927, the Commonwealth has erected over 3.000 historical highway markers and 12 Green Book plaques that highlight people, places, or events important at the regional, state, or national level; and

WHEREAS, Virginia ranks fifth in the nation for National Historic Landmarks, with 132 historic properties so designated; and

WHEREAS, tax credit rehabilitation of Virginia’s historic buildings has leveraged more than $7.1 billion in private investments, resulting in tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation spending that ripple across the state’s economy; and

WHEREAS, more than 11 million overnight visitors to Virginia—over 26% of all overnight travelers—visited a historical site during their trip, demonstrating the significant role heritage tourism plays in attracting travelers to the Commonwealth; and

CONSIDERANDO QUE, la preservación histórica fomenta el orgullo de la comunidad sobre la historia en los "lugares que importan" donde vivimos, trabajamos y jugamos en Virginia; por lo tanto, es importante celebrar la historia de Virginia y su impacto en nuestras vidas y comunidades;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize May 2025, as NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION MONTH in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all of our citizens.