Author Archive

Cleveland’s PlayhouseSquare Theaters Set Stage for World’s Largest Theater Restoration Project

Posted on: April 29th, 2013 by Guest Writer 3 Comments

 

By Linda Feagler, senior editor of Ohio Magazine

Ohio Auditorium restored. Credit: PlayhouseSquare Archives
Ohio Auditorium restored

Critics called him crazy.

Even well-wishers who offered Ray Shepardson sincere support couldn’t believe the school administrator’s crusade to preserve four historic theaters in Cleveland, Ohio, could possibly succeed.

But it did -- and then some.

Today, Shepardson’s once improbable effort is Cleveland’s crown jewel: His rescue not only initiated the world’s largest theater restoration project (totaling some $100 million), it transformed that quartet of crumbling venues into a revitalized PlayhouseSquare, one of the largest performing-arts complexes in the country (second only to New York’s Lincoln Center).... Read More →

Guest Writer

Although we're always on the lookout for blog content, we encourage readers to submit story ideas or let us know if you've seen something that might be interesting and engaging for a national audience. Email us at editorial@savingplaces.org.

[Slideshow] Bridges of Yosemite Valley: A Photographer’s Personal Account

Posted on: April 15th, 2013 by Guest Writer 2 Comments

 

North side of Sugar Pine Bridge. Half Dome is viewed through the trees at left rear.
North side of Sugar Pine Bridge. Half Dome is viewed through the trees at left rear.

Last year we added the bridges of Yosemite Valley to our 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list and our National Treasures portfolio out of concern for how the National Park Service’s plan to manage the Merced River would impact the historic Rustic-style stone bridges that span the river. Despite our ongoing advocacy efforts, earlier this year the National Park Service released a draft plan calling for the demolition of the beloved Sugar Pine Bridge and 100 other historic structures in the Yosemite Valley Historic District.

Photographer Brian Grogan generously agreed to share with us some of his gorgeous photos of Yosemite’s bridges and his thoughts about their importance to the park’s landscape. Take a minute to be dazzled by these bridges’ rustic simplicity, and then send a message to the National Park Service that urges their stewardship of these precious structures.... Read More →

Guest Writer

Although we're always on the lookout for blog content, we encourage readers to submit story ideas or let us know if you've seen something that might be interesting and engaging for a national audience. Email us at editorial@savingplaces.org.

The Sherburne Inn: How One Community is Keeping a Local Landmark Alive

Posted on: April 10th, 2013 by Guest Writer 1 Comment

 

The Sherburne Inn in 1917. Credit: Sherburne Public Library
The Sherburne Inn in 1917

Written by Kathleen Yasas, President, Save The Sherburne Inn Restoration Project, Inc.

Her lights have been dark for almost a decade now. She has stood vacant and endured rain and snow, falling bricks, and gatherings of not people, but pigeons. Still, when you step inside the Sherburne Inn, you can almost feel the souls who have passed through her doors since she first opened in 1917.

For eighty-plus years, people of this community -- and those from well beyond -- celebrated life's moments within these walls. Sisters and brothers, mothers and fathers, grandparents and children, aunts and uncles and friends crossed the threshold to gather and make merry, whether at dinner or for a glass of wine, or for weddings, reunions, and milestone birthdays.

The Inn's two fireplaces, cold now for years, once warmed the hands of those huddled inside away from our town's legendary snow. And on brilliant summer days in June, when Sherburne's Pageant of Bands brought streets to bursting, glasses were raised from the Inn’s porches to hail a village known for its generosity and love of rural sensibilities.

The Sherburne Inn is located at the only four-corner intersection of Sherburne, a small village nestled in the Chenango Valley of central New York. Settled in 1791, Sherburne was once a key stopping point between Albany and a booming westward industry. Since 1803, a tavern, rooming house, or hotel has stood at what is now the intersection of Routes 12 and 80.

All previous structures burned to the ground, including that which stood on the property until 1915, when village philanthropists joined together and erected a building made of brick and poured concrete. The “new” building, which opened in June 1917, was to be known as the Sherburne Inn, and for the next eighty-four years would be a vital part of the Sherburne community.

Nearly 100 years later, in October 2012, the Inn again became a threatened property, not by fire, but by development.... Read More →

Guest Writer

Although we're always on the lookout for blog content, we encourage readers to submit story ideas or let us know if you've seen something that might be interesting and engaging for a national audience. Email us at editorial@savingplaces.org.

Twitter Mashup: Global #Cityheritage Chat on Reusing Cities and Urban Spaces

Posted on: March 1st, 2013 by Guest Writer

 

Written by Kayla Jonas, heritage planner and blogger at Adventures in Heritage

London's Big Ben at dusk. Credit: Stuck in Customs, flickr
London's Big Ben at dusk

The #builtheritage chat, which focuses on heritage and preservation issues, is celebrating its two-year anniversary in March. The chat started with an idea, some Twitter conversation, and finally emails -- and a plan -- between the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the USA, and myself, a heritage consultant in Ontario, Canada.

The spirit of the chat has always been communication and collaboration. We’ve had several chats focused on partners' programs, such as one with Habitat for Humanity on their rehabilitation projects. So to celebrate our second anniversary, we’re partnering with our Twitter chat neighbor #citytalk, which focuses on broad urban issues and sustainability. Since this is a special chat, both because of our anniversary and our amazing partner, we’ve decided to revisit our very first topic: adaptive reuse.... Read More →

Guest Writer

Although we're always on the lookout for blog content, we encourage readers to submit story ideas or let us know if you've seen something that might be interesting and engaging for a national audience. Email us at editorial@savingplaces.org.

Human Energy (and Historic Tax Credits) Help “Re-Boott” Historic New England Mill

Posted on: March 1st, 2013 by Guest Writer

 

By Robert Verrier, FAIA, NCARB

Boott Mills, before and after its adaptive reuse. Credit: Lowell Historical Society; Bruce T. Martin/The Architectural Team
Boott Mills, before and after its adaptive reuse

Human energy is the force behind successful economic development -- even when that energy began centuries ago. Along with my partner Michael Binette, I saw the power of this fact unfold around Boott Mills in Lowell, Massachusetts, one of the oldest surviving cotton textile mill yards in the United States -- and an engine of the city’s rebirth.

Tax credit incentives were a key to the city’s success, helping restore one of America’s most dramatic historic sites while also injecting vitality and pride into a now-flourishing neighborhood and tourist attractions. It’s also a good case study in what a community can achieve with tax incentives, foresight, and positive energy.... Read More →

Guest Writer

Although we're always on the lookout for blog content, we encourage readers to submit story ideas or let us know if you've seen something that might be interesting and engaging for a national audience. Email us at editorial@savingplaces.org.