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On the Federal Front
On November 14, Cultural Heritage Partners, its founders Greg and Marion Werkheiser, and the D.C. Preservation League filed suit against President Trump, the General Services Administration, and the National Park Service to prevent damage to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB) from painting, repointing, and power cleaning the National Historic Landmark without required historic preservation and environmental review.
They presented evidence to the court that painting the building’s polished granite and porous slate surfaces will trap moisture and deteriorate the building, and preparing polished granite for painting requires abrading its surface, inflicting harm that cannot be reversed. The threat of permanent harm and visual effects to the building and adjacent landmarks triggers requirements for a public process under the National Historic Preservation Act and National Environmental Policy Act.
A preliminary injunction request is before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Cultural Heritage Partners has a petition opposing changes to the building without completing required reviews here.
They also are reaching out.
—If you are an expert in architectural history, landscape architecture, masonry, or historic preservation, sign up to provide historical expertise, either on background or as part of the support for our lawsuit. Send this request along to any potential experts you know!
—Contact your Congressional representatives to explain why painting a historically unpainted building is so harmful, why the integrity of historic buildings and districts matters, and how this decision has ripple effects for historic places across the Nation.
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