NEW YORK – The Board of Directors of the Classical American Homes Preservation Trust (CAHPT) is pleased to name Benjamin Prosky as its new President. With an endowment of about $100 million, the nonprofit is poised to expand its impact by providing direct support to architectural and land preservation work in addition to sponsoring investigative and research opportunities through scholarships, grants, residencies, and artisan apprenticeships.
Founded by American businessman and philanthropist Richard Jenrette, CAHPT’s historic sites were acquired and lovingly restored by Jenrette over the course of half a century. Jenrette served as President until his passing in 2018, and his quote from The Contrarian Manager captures the heart of CAHPT’s mission: “I believe in building for the ages, even though I won’t be around forever. In my life I have enjoyed beautiful things built by those who came before—beautiful houses, great institutions. I feel obligated to help pass on some of these beautiful things to future generations.”
Since 1993, CAHPT has been dedicated to preserving and protecting extraordinary works of architecture, landscape design, and decorative and fine arts from the early 19th century. CAHPT’s sites in Dutchess County, NY, Charleston, SC, Sumter County, SC and Hillsborough, NC, invite the public to come and experience American homes that represented advancements in architecture for that day and age, and captured the essence of art from this era.
“As someone who has spent the past two decades working to promote and celebrate architecture and its adjacent fields, I have a great appreciation for the legacies of designers, patrons and collectors and the historic sites and artifacts they leave behind,” says Prosky. “I am excited to work with CAHPT’s board and staff to expand our role as not just stewards of important sites but as visionaries who will activate the Trust for learning and discovery. I look forward to building on Dick Jenrette’s trailblazing legacy by developing new programs to explore preservation issues and expand access, audiences, and engagement.”