Author Archive

[Video] Gathering Space for the Creative Economy at Oakland, CA’s Starline Social Club

Posted on: July 18th, 2012 by David Garber

"People need spaces. People need spaces that are well-intentioned and designed, and that think about people and how they interact in them. And I feel like as long as we do that on the inside of the space, people will need to keep coming back." -- Sam Strand, co-founder, Starline Social Club

The mingling crowd seen from behind the bar counter.

The Starline Social Club -- which began about a year ago in Oakland, California's Uptown neighborhood in a dusty old c. 1893 building that once housed an Oddfellows Hall, Social Club for the Deaf, and the old Starline janitorial supply store -- has become a meeting point for creative people doing creative things across their neighborhood and city: musicians looking for a space to perform; artists looking for a place to exhibit; chefs looking for a place to host meals (like the French Caribbean community meal shown in the slideshow above); and performers, entrepreneurs, and even yogis looking for a place to learn, teach, and collaborate.

Video credit: Irene Florez, Oakland Local

As you can see in the above video (filmed late last year), the Starline building is still a work in progress. Although there are plans drawn up for a full-scale restoration of both the exterior and interior, money is still being raised, and the club is happily using the building while making small improvements -- both artistic and structural -- around the premises.

Are there similar social clubs in your city or town, or places where you think this idea could work? If so, let us know in the comments! We're always on the lookout for great ideas that involve great old buildings.

David Garber

David Garber is the Coordinator of Blog Content & Outreach at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. He is a native of Washington, DC, and loves the intersection of preservation, innovation, and sustainability.

Preservation Round-Up: Summer Reading Edition

Posted on: July 16th, 2012 by David Garber

Preservation Pop Quiz: The A/C Question -- Preservation in Pink

"Architectural integrity aside, when has an air conditioning unit ever been attractive? [...] Obviously, this is a preservation pet peeve of mine. It might be one of yours now, too."

Abandoned Walmart Transformed Into A Functioning Library -- PSFK

"The International Interior Design Association recently selected the McAllen Public Library as the winner of their 2012 Library Interior Design Competition. The city inherited the former Wal-Mart after the retailer closed the store [which was built in 1991] and abandoned it."

St. Louis County Library Seeks to Demolish Historic Lewis & Clark Branch -- Modern STL

"Designed by prominent architect Frederick Dunn, FAIA, with Emil Frei Stained Glass windows by artist Robert Harmon, it was completed in 1963 at 9909 Lewis-Clark Boulevard. After nearly 50 years in use, the building’s architectural integrity is unparalleled amongst its peers, and it functions as a vibrant hub for the surrounding North St. Louis County community."

Why All Philly Schools Look the Same -- Hidden City Philadelphia

"Standardization did not mean that all schools shared an identical look. Dimensions might be common among Catharine-built schools, but style and ornamentation vary widely. Many schools incorporated common Philadelphia architectural styles such as Second Empire and Georgian Revival. Still others bore styles scarcely seen in the conservative Quaker city."

What I Learned on Martha's Vineyard -- The Craftsman

"Recently I had the opportunity to visit Martha’s Vineyard. For those of you unfamiliar with the name, it’s an island off the southern coast of Massachusetts that has a rich history dating all the way back to 1602. Full of colonial era and mid 19th century buildings built by the captains of the then booming whaling industry I was like a kid in a historic candy store! But the incredible architecture was only the tip of the iceberg."

David Garber

[Interview] Allison Wottawa of the “Ally Quest” Travel Series

Posted on: July 12th, 2012 by David Garber 4 Comments

Allison Wottawa is exactly the kind of person you want telling you about interesting places and the histories and stories that made them that way. She's energetic, smart, and glows on camera. As you'll read in our interview below and see in the below videos, Allison is the creator and host of an online travel series called Ally Quest.

Her show, which is produced to accommodate a future on television but is broken into easily digestible YouTube segments, is described on her website as "the ultimate show for anyone who has ever wanted to travel in time." Which is, for me at least, the ultimate dream. (And probably why I enjoy watching her show so much.)

I had a chance to talk with Allison about her background, her inspiration, and where the show is headed. And judging by her groundedness, passion, and quality of product, it's easy to see that Allison's star is on its way up.

Tell me a little about your background leading up to this series.

My college adviser said to me, "Allison, do you know the secret of happiness?" Of course, I didn't.

"The secret of happiness," he continued, " is doing what you love and getting someone to pay you for it." This is how I live my life.

I've been an actor and a producer for as long as I can remember, starting in theatre when I was six, coupled with a tremendous fascination for history. History is, after all, a story that examines who we are, where we came from, how we got here.

I graduated from The George Washington University with a major in Political Communications and minors in Theatre and History, then followed my passion across the Atlantic and attended graduate school at Drama Studio London, receiving the English equivalent of an MFA.

What inspired you to create this series?

After graduation, I promptly moved to Los Angeles to pursue my career in acting. Los Angeles is a great city with so much opportunity and fabulous weather. But I felt that something was lacking. I wasn't feeling the "passion" and my career seemed somewhat empty. I couldn't figure out how my career in acting was helping anyone.

I thought of my college adviser. What do I love? Easy. Travel, history, communicating to an audience. That's when Ally Quest was born.

Allison filming a golf cart driving segment on Catalina Island.

I know this sounds cliche, but I have always wanted to make a difference in a positive way. Of course, I am also completely selfish and want to travel the world. I have a yearning to learn as much as I can about places and the people that live there. My natural gift is communication.

So, traveling the world while researching a point in history, and relaying that information through the lens of the camera -- well, that's just me. If I can do anything in the world, I'm going to do that! My Mom always said, "You can do anything you put your mind to." And I believe her. ... Read More →

David Garber

[Slideshow] Detroit’s Valentine Distilling Co.

Posted on: July 6th, 2012 by David Garber 6 Comments

Last week I spent a few days in the preservationist mecca of Detroit, Michigan. I'll touch on some of my other preservation-related visits on the blog next week, but first -- a photo tour of Valentine Distilling Co., a company we highlighted last year because of owner Rifino Valentine's decision to locate his business in an old building.

The exterior of the Valentine Distilling Co., which has had a number of auto and industrial uses over the past 80 years.

So, like any good reporter, I figured I should stop in for a follow-up -- mostly, I'll admit, because I thought it was a cool company in a cool building, and I wanted to learn more about the distilling process. When I got there, I was greeted by Rifino and his dog, Sherbet, both of whom led me on a tour of the building.

The last user of the c. 1928 one-story brick building was a pool table manufacturing company, so turning it into a distillery was kind of keeping it in the family. And although records of previous tenants are thin, there's evidence that the building was used as an automobile repair shop before that.

What a shipment of Valentine Vodka looks like all ready to head out the door.

The building's industrial feel is carried into the interior decor. Even where walls didn't exist previously, Rifino was careful to use bricks, blocks, and windows salvaged from demolished Detroit buildings.

Check out the above slideshow for more of my tour through Valentine Distilling Co., and if they don't already, ask your local bars to consider stocking the preservation-friendly Valentine Vodka. Remember, preservation is just as much about keeping sustainable uses in old and historic buildings as much as it is the process of saving those places in the first place. Cheers!

David Garber

[Slideshow] The Coolest Restored and Adapted Fire Station in Houston, Texas

Posted on: July 3rd, 2012 by David Garber 7 Comments

It's the week of the Fourth of July, which means that we're dreaming in red, white, and blue, and thinking about flags, fireworks, and freedom. And maybe it's the fire engine red, or their symbol of civic heroism, but there's just something about fire houses that screams America. Add in a "rising from the ashes" story line and it's kind of the American preservation/restoration/rebuilding dream. Enter Fire Station No. 6 in Houston, Texas.

A peek inside what the old fire station looked like before it was restored.

Built in 1903 (see "before" pictures above), No. 6 is located on Washington Avenue in Houston's Sixth Ward neighborhood -- a story of regeneration in itself, but still dotted with auto lots, empty storefronts, and untended buildings. When Tom Hair, founder of communications and marketing firm Axiom, was looking to buy a property to house his growing company, he wanted a space that reflected Axiom's creativity and energy. He found it in the then-dilapidated Fire Station No. 6.

Although the brick exterior was still in decent shape and structurally sound, the windows were rotten and the building needed a full roof replacement, as well as restoration work on the metal shingles and cornices.

Overall, the building is a fantastic restoration and a model for civic building reuse.

Today, Fire Station No. 6 is a beacon for historic adaptation done right. The exterior gleams, and the interior feels fresh but still retains elements of the historic building -- like a brass fire pole that's available for use by the firm's employees. The building has marks of of the past -- exposed bricks, restored columns, and old photos splashed across the walls -- while still accommodating the needs and styles of a modern work space.

Owner Tom Hair is rightfully proud of his work: "We have one of the few buildings that has been restored to its original presence on Washington Avenue." Kudos on a job well done, and let's hope that as the neighborhood develops, the number of restorations only continues to grow.