Citizens in Redmond will join thousands of individuals across the country to celebrate National Historic Preservation Month this May. “Old is the New Green” is the theme of the month-long celebration sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Historic preservation is inherently green. The construction, operation and demolition of buildings accounts for 48 percent of the United States’ greenhouse gas emissions. Historic preservation can reduce these emissions dramatically through the reuse of existing buildings, reinvestments in older and historic communities and retrofitting existing building stock to meet current needs.

Here in Redmond, Historic Preservation Month 2010 will include the Historic Walking Tour of the Downtown area at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 16, sponsored by the Redmond Historical Society (see www.redmondhistoricalsociety.org/RHS/index.php); a proclamation at the Tuesday, May 18 City Council meeting at 7:30 p.m.; and a poster and brochure highlighting five downtown Redmond landmarks.

These five landmarks were once the Bill Brown Saloon, Brown’s Garage, Redmond Hardware, the Wiley Home and the (Fraternal Order of) Odd Fellows Hall. Today they have been remade into the Matador Restaurant, Redmond Liquor Store, Gerk’s Ski and Cycle, Stone House Restaurant and Oddfellow’s Grill. The building owners have furthered the city’s vision for preservation and sustainability by making improvements to these historic resources.

Brochures about the historic buildings can be picked up at Redmond City Hall, the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center, Gerk’s Ski and Cycle and the Matador, Oddfellow’s and Stone House. Visit each of these landmarks to support Redmond’s heritage and local economy.

Since the National Trust for Historic Preservation created Preservation Week in 1971, it has grown into an annual celebration observed by small towns and big cities with events ranging from architectural tours and award ceremonies, to educational programs and heritage travel opportunities. Due to its overwhelming popularity, in 2005, the National Trust extended the celebration to the entire month of May to provide an even longer opportunity to celebrate the country’s diverse and unique heritage.

Learn more about Redmond’s activities at www.redmond.gov/insidecityhall/planning/preservation/preservationmonth and National Preservation Month at www.PreservationNation.org/PreservationMonth.