Places That Count: Traditional Cultural Properties in Cultural Resource Management

by Thomas F. King

Places That Count offers professionals within the field of cultural resource management (CRM) valuable practical advice on dealing with traditional cultural properties (TCPs). Responsible for coining the term to describe places of community-based cultural importance, Thomas King now revisits this subject to instruct readers in TCP site identification, documentation, and management. With more than 30 years of experience at working with communities on such sites, he identifies common issues of contention and methods of resolving them through consultation and other means. Through the extensive use of examples, from urban ghettos to Polynesian ponds to Mount Shasta, TCPs are shown not to be limited simply to American Indian burial and religious sites, but include a wide array of valued locations and landscapes―the United States and worldwide. This is a must-read for anyone involved in historical preservation, cultural resource management, or community development.

Genres: History, Archaeology, Anthropology, Nonfiction

350 pages, Paperback

First published September 16, 2003

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the honesty of this book. It is refreshing because King is one of the bureaucrats who authored an important National Register of Historic Places bulletin -- yet he has also been on the other side, running into the red tape that he helped create... and he learned something from his experiences! The book has a very "if I knew then what I know now" feel. King's explanation of TCPs encourages us to think outside of the preservation box and not automatically reach for the National Register nomination form whenever someone comes calling. His approach to evaluating TCPs in the context of the people for whom the site has meaning gave me hope that preservation does not always have to be the bloated bureaucratic system the NRHP has turned it into.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this although it is definitely aimed at people who work in the field of Cultural Resource Management or Lands Management or Development or various things like that. It had some very thought provoking and interesting ideas on working with people from different cultures, what makes places important to various groups and how those can be worked with and around. Overall recommended if you're in those fields or interested in how places get defined as important, but it's definitely a practical guide not an overview.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The whole concept of Traditional Cultural Properties is a vexing one for historic preservation but King's book provides background, examples, and discussion. My students have always liked readings from this work and appreciate both King's expertise & accessible writing.