In 1949, on the eve of the mid-century, there was no national register of historic places, there were no state historic preservation officers, there were only a handful of historic districts, all locally designated. The National Trust for Historic Preservation had just been created, to receive and hold historic properties for the benefit of the public. In 1949, historic preservation was synonymous with House Museums. In 1999, on the eve of the millennium, there is a federal register of historic places listing more that a hundred thousand buildings.
Every state has a historic preservation officer.
There are hundreds of historic districts, designated at the federal, state and local levels. There are also designated heritage areas, cultural landscapes, industrial corridors, scenic rivers and scenic highways. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is 50 years old and focused on supporting this huge network of preservation initiatives and involving the American public in the activity of historic preservation. It has a collection of 20 historic properties, but they aren t all houses and they are referred to as historic sites. In 1999, historic preservation is not synonymous with House Museums.