{"value"=>"<p>The American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society (ASHPS), originally called the Society for the Preservation of Scenic and Historic Places and Objects, was founded in 1895 by Andrew Haswell Green (1820-1903), New York City civic leader and conservationist. Active largely in New York State, with headquarters in New York City, the Society's purpose was to protect scenic and historic sites. Its chief method was to act as custodian for scenic areas and historic sites, acquiring them, maintaining them, and keeping them open to the public free of charge. Such sites included John Boyd Thacher Park, near Albany; Battle Island Park, between Fulton and Oswego; Stony Point Battlefield Reservation, on the Hudson; Fort Brewerton, on the Oswego River; Letchworth Park, on the Genesee River; Watkins Glen, near Seneca Lake; Philipse Manor Hall, Yonkers; Hamilton Grange, New York City; and John William Draper Memorial Park, Hastings-on-Hudson. Some of these sites, all of which were located in New York State, were eventually put into the care of the state or federal government.</p> <p>In addition, the Society worked on behalf of numerous sites not specifically under its care, supporting or opposing legislation; working on behalf of endangered sites; acting as an advisor; working for the improvement of cities through the protection of parks and historica buildings and districts; erecting monuments and plaques; helping to establish parks; and pushing for the creation of the New York State Conservation Department. While most of this concerned sites in New York State, the Society was also active on behalf of sites throughout the United States and in Europe. Some sites that benefitted from these efforts include: Niagara Falls; Palisades Interstate Park; the Octagon House, Washington, D.C.; Storm King Mountain in the Hudson Highlands, where Consolidated Edison planned to build a power plant; Washington Square, Inwood Park, Fort Washington, Fraunces Tavern, and the Morris-Jumel Mansion, all in New York City; reconstruction efforts in France after World War I; cemeteries in France for American soldiers, following World War I; and many others.</p> <p>Presidents of the Society included Andrew H. Green, Walter S. Logan, George Frederick Kunz, George McAneny, and Maj. Gen. Alexander Hamilton.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p>Collection includes minutes of trustees' monthly meetings, and of annual meetings of the Society, 1911-1971; annual reports, 1898-1926; record books, 1898-1926, containing additional minutes, correspondence of secretaries and presidents, reports, New York State legislative documents, clippings, printed material, blueprints, maps, and photographs; minutes, reports, correspondence, and other records, 1911-1939, of committees that administered sites under the Society's custodianship; miscellaneous financial documents, 1930s-1960s; general files, 1930s-1960s, consisting largely of correspondence; issues of the Society's bulletin, Scenic and Historic America, 1929-1938; two books, A Narrative of the Life of Mary Jemison, and Philipse Manor Hall at Yonkers, N.Y., published by the Society, containing heavy annotations for the 1925 editions; and minutes, correspondence and other documents, 1924-1939, of the State Council of Parks (N.Y.), on which the Society was represented. Robert Moses was chairman of the Council and some of his correspondence is included. Scenic and historic sites treated include Letchworth Park, Stony Point Battlefield Reservation, John Boyd Thatcher Park, John William Draper Park, Hamilton Grange, and Philipse Manor Hall, all located in New York State and under the custodianship of the Society.|||Also discussed are Niagara Falls, Palisades Interstate Park, the Octagon House in Washington, D.C., the Morris-Jumel Mansion in New York City, Storm King Mountain (site of the Consolidated Edison power plant in upstate New York), and post-World War I reconstruction in France.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society records are arranged in eleven series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/91#c180076'>Series I. Minutes</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1911-1971</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>Five boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Minutes, 1911-1971 (typed, with published minutes for 1911-1927), of regular monthly meetings of the Society's Board of Trustees and annual meetings of the Society. Minutes of various committees are included.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/91#c180082'>Series II. Record Books</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1898-1926</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>Nine boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The series consists of seventeen record books, numbered one through eighteen. There is no gap in the records although volume 18 is missing. The volumes contain minutes of trustees' monthly meetings, annual meetings, and meetings of various committees; lists of officers and trustees; by-laws and charters; correspondence of secretaries and presidents (including the founder and first president, Andrew H. Green); reports; New York State legislative documents; clippings; circulars; brochures; dues and membership forms; blueprints, maps, photographs showing scenic and historic sites with which the Society was concerned; and accounts. These relate to the administration of sites under the Society's custodianship, sites not under its custodianship, but with which it was concerned, and a wide variety of other Society matters.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/91#c180092'>Series III. Committee Records</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1900-1939</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>Four boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Committees were charged with the oversight of the administration of scenic and historic sites for which the Society was acting as custodian. Records consists of committee minutes; monthly reports form park directors, superintendents, or caretakers; and related correspondence, photographs, maps, blueprints, visitor statistics, legal documents, and printed material. Generally, these relate to the maintenance and operation of the sites and, to a lesser extent, to the acquisition of sites. Some records from other, similar, committees can be found scattered throughout the collection.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/91#c180100'>Series IV. General Files</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1930s-1960s</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>Six boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>These files are arranged alphabetically by subject and consist largely of correspondence. Clippings, printed materials, and miscellaneous documents are also included. The files concern a wide variety of topics of concern to the Society.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/91#c180107'>Series V. Reserve Files</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1951-1968</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>One box</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series consists of files found with the heading \"reserve\" on the folders. These files contain basically the same types of documents on the same general range of topics as the general files.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/91#c180109'>Series VI. Financial Records</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1930s-1960s</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>Four boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains auditors' reports, drafts of financial statements, ca. 1959-1960s; and miscellaneous correspondence, accounts, notes, tax documents, bills, and invoices, ca. 1930s-1960s. These relate to contributions to the Society, purchases made by and from the Society, taxes, city and federal tax-exempt status, and general financial matters. Two mailing books, listing recipients of insured mail, 1965-1966, are also included.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/91#c180113'>Series VII. Annual Reports</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1895-1927</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>Five boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The series includes published annual reports, 1896-1925; typescript annual reports, 1926-1927. The report form 1922 is missing. More annual reports can be found scattered throughout the collection. At the front of the first volume is material from 1895 including a memorial to the New York State legislature from the Society's trustees; act of incorporation; by-laws; minutes of an April 6, 1895 meeting at which the first president, Andrew H. Green, and officers were elected.</p> <p>A complete run of the annual reports is available in the Library on microfilm *ZAN-H349 [1st]-30th; [1896]-1930.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/91#c180119'>Series VIII. Scenic and Historic America</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1929-1938</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>One box</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Nine issues of the Society's bulletin, which came out several times a year, 1929-1938.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/91#c180121'>Series IX. Books</a></div>\n<div class='series-extent'>One box</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The series contains two books: A Narrative of the Life of Mary Jemison: the white woman of the Genessee, by James Everett Seaver (New York: American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society, 1918) and Philipse Manor Hall at Yonkers, N.Y. : the site, the building, and its occupants by Edward Hagaman Hall (New York: American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society, 1912). Both volumes contain many revisions made in preparation for their 1925 editions. The 1925 edition would be the 22nd edition of the Mary Jemison book and the second edition of the Philipse Manor Hall book.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/91#c180124'>Series X. State Council of Parks (N.Y.)</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1924-1930</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>Two boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The State Council of Parks, a New York State body, was composed of representatives of New York State park commissions, the State Historian's office, the Conservation Commission, and the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society. Robert Moses, as President of the Long Island Park Commission, was chairman of the Council during the period of these records.</p> <p>Included are minutes, with related correspondence (including letters to and from Moses), reports, New York State legislative documents, clippings, accounts, and printed material.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/91#c180127'>Series XI. Artifacts and Oversized Material</a></div>\n<div class='series-extent'>One box and one oversized folder</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The series consists of an embosser, a plate from a framed portrait of Andrew H. Green, and a copy of a photographic portrait of Green.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}