Historic Preservation in Lowell Lowell has proven that historic
preservation and urban economic development can work hand-in-
hand for the betterment of a community. Urban disinvestment and
decline were a familiar sight in America’s older cities in the
mid-twentieth century. Lowell was no exception to this phenomena
as the collapse of Lowell's once-thriving textile industry in
the 1920s and 1930s resulted in empty mill buildings and a
decaying central business district. During the 1950s and 1960s,
federal urban renewal funding became available to Lowell.
Unfortunately, these efforts did not stimulate economic renewal
and resulted in the demolition of some of the city's most
significant millyards and tore apart several ethnic
neighborhoods. However, some in the community saw the city's
history as a means to its revitalization. In the early 1970s,
city planning efforts began to focus on preservation as a core
element of its revitalization strategy. The establishment of the
Lowell Heritage State Park in 1974 adde