“There are two aspects to a building: its use and its beauty. Its use is up to its owner, but its beauty belongs to everyone.” So wrote Victor Hugo in 1825, lamenting the fact that many of France’s architectural treasures were being torn down. The notion that architectural value transcends ownership is a central tenet of the French Heritage Society (FHS), which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
    The organization was the brainchild of Michèle le Menestrel-Ullrich, a Frenchwoman who saw an opportunity to link her fondness for the United States with her interest in historic preservation. Working with an American women’s group in Paris, she founded Friends of Vieilles Maisons Françaises in New York in 1982. From the beginning, its purpose was to restore buildings in France as well as American buildings with French connections.
    The organization’s first major effort targeted the tiny fortified village of Châtillon-sur-Saône (population 160) in the Vosges. Tracing its origins back to an 11th-century castle, the hamlet features a cluster of well-preserved Renaissance houses at its center. “Working with local preservationists, The Florence Gould Foundation and the World Monument Fund, we managed to thwart developers intent on destroying this charming village by having six of its buildings classified as historic monuments,” recalls George Martin, FHS General Counsel and Board Director.
    Since those early days, the organization—which changed its name to French Heritage Society in 2002—has grown to include 2,000 members. They make up 15 chapters, 14 of them based in the United States and one in Paris. “Most were started by Americans who had lived in France then returned to the States, energized and wanting to do something locally,” explains Martin. To date, FHS has awarded some 450 grants totaling more than $10 million including matching funds; about 80 percent has gone to French projects, the remainder to U.S. endeavors.

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