The Secretary of State's Register of Culturally Significant Property as a tool for historic preservation and diplomacy

Abstract

In 2000 the United States Department of State created a tool to aid in the recognition and protection of its historically, culturally, and architecturally significant buildings overseas. This inventory, the Secretary of State’s Register of Culturally Significant Property, numbers embassies, residences, offices, and a museum among its twenty sites. The Register does not prevent the sale or destruction of its designated properties, but rather emphasizes government and public awareness of the cultural fabric. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the effects of designation on sites on the Register in order to determine how the nomination and designation process can be improved to effect greater diplomacy, awareness, and preservation of the properties on a local, national, and international scale. The ideas developed in this thesis are based primarily on discussions with Department of State professional staff and firsthand travel to some of the sites described.