By Glyn T. Davies
May is Preservation Month, a good time to take stock of how the Department of State is meeting its mandate to care for its culturally, historically, and architecturally significant properties. Between and after the world wars, the United States rapidly bought and built abroad, especially in Europe. The U.S. assisted several European countries in repairing damaged buildings and putting them to diplomatic use. In areas where no suitable buildings could be found, noted American architects designed mid-century structures. Generations later, hard use has taken a toll on historic and purpose-built buildings alike.
The Department has begun confronting the need to document its conservation challenges. In 2015, the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations’ Office of Cultural Heritage launched systematic studies of key properties. These Historic Structures and Cultural Significance studies examine each property’s history, analyze its condition, and assess its significance. Compiled in consultation with host-country experts, they are also cultural diplomacy exercises.
Two recent examples in Italy illustrate the studies’ value.
The 2022 Historic Structures Report on Palazzo Canevaro—the site of the U.S. Consulate General in Florence since 1947—details challenges from compromised wooden elements to cracks in frescoes. Once these problems are addressed, the 19th century Neo-Renaissance structure––located in a UNESCO World Heritage site––will be in good shape.
In 2023, a Cultural Heritage team prioritized conservation efforts in a Cultural Significance Study of the U.S. Consulate General in Naples. The purpose-built 1953 Modernist building hosted visits by Presidents Harry S Truman and John F. Kennedy and is protected under Italian and U.S. law. In a twist, conservationists found a time-capsule note written 40 years ago. It was tucked away in an antique desk by the son of Consul General Charles Stewart “Stu” Kennedy, Jr. Kennedy, who later founded the Department’s oral history program, sadly passed away in January 2022.
Ambassador Glyn T. Davies is the senior program advisor to the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations’ Office of Cultural Heritage.
