General

Notes from the Field: New Orleans

Posted on: November 20th, 2007 by Walter Gallas 1 Comment

 

Mrs. Mildred Bennett, seated, her daughter behind her and her grandaughter giving her a kiss on move-in day, October 3.Mildred Bennett’s extended family came together on Friday for a joyous celebration of her life and influence. I was asked to say a few words at the funeral service on behalf of the National Trust and the Preservation Resource Center. After the funeral service, the hearse and the procession slowly passed her house on Dauphine on the way to the cemetery.

That afternoon and into the evening the house was filled with family and friends and kids underfoot, the backyard was jammed with tables and chairs, and the kitchen was filled with food.

Sharing the Vision: Best Practices to Preserve Our Future

Posted on: November 20th, 2007 by National Trust for Historic Preservation 2 Comments

 

(Editor's Note: the Cleveland Restoration Society is a member of the State and Local Partners program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.)

Northeast Ohio is rich in historic assets. Like many American cities that thrived during the industrial revolution, Cleveland and its surrounding region built a remarkable architectural landscape on the foundation of businesses and factories that at one time drove the regional economy. This architectural and cultural heritage now needs our help, and the time is right for change. According to the Brookings Institution, despite the hardships that have plagued them, “the moment - demographic, economic, environmental, social - is ripe for revival” in our older, industrial cities. The Cleveland Restoration Society agrees.

Today, Tuesday, November 20, 2007, the Society held its 35th Annual Community Luncheon to share its vision of a vibrant Northeast Ohio and to start the process of envisioning the ways in which historic preservation can make this a reality. A panel of experts in real estate, tax credits, and architecture shared their best practices, experiences and recommendations for strengthening our commercial districts and neighborhoods emphasizing the use of historic preservation to create a sustainable region and a brighter future.

We’ve heard from the experts - now it’s your turn. How can we recreate the vibrant urban centers that once thrived in older industrial cities?

-- Erin Dorsey, Cleveland Restoration Society

National Trust for Historic Preservation

National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded non-profit organization, works to save America's historic places.

Press Coverage Raises Awareness of Threat to Tomb

Posted on: November 16th, 2007 by National Trust for Historic Preservation

 

Here at the National Trust, we are very pleased that the Army's plan to discard the Tomb Monument has received considerable recent attention from the media.

National Public Radio covered the threatened Tomb on November 11, interviewing Bob Loftur-Thun, a former Sentinel guard at the Tomb who strongly supports restoration rather than replacement.

The New York Times published an article and on-line video on the Tomb on November 12. The Times article was picked up as the cover story on AOL's webpage on November 12. More than 100,000 votes were cast in AOL's on-line poll, with 86 percent favoring repair of the original monument.

Earlier, the Army's replacement plan was covered by the Washington Post and the Washington Times.

-- Robert Nieweg

National Trust for Historic Preservation

National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded non-profit organization, works to save America's historic places.

Emergency Reprieve for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers Stalled in Congress

Posted on: November 15th, 2007 by National Trust for Historic Preservation

 

A temporary reprieve for the endangered Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers may be delayed as Congress debates the National Defense Authorization Bill:

An informal House-Senate conference committee was at a standstill late Wednesday on the annual defense authorization bill, amid a dispute over a domestic policy provision.

The sticking point was a Senate-passed provision that would expand race-based hate-crime laws ...

With no resolution late Wednesday on whether to keep the provision in the draft conference report, the goal of clearing the bill for the president’s signature by week’s end was at risk.

Congressional Quarterly, November 14, 2008
[subscription required]

Senators Daniel Akaka and Jim Webb have championed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Bill that would require much-needed study and a report to Congress before the Army could proceed with its misguided plan to replace the historic Tomb Monument. Although the Akaka-Webb amendment was unanimously adopted by the Senate, the National Defense Authorization Bill is now tied up in conference.

Thanks to the passionate grassroots outcry and pressure from Congress, the Army let pass its own September 29 deadline for replacing the monument. However, unfortunately, there is no indication that the Army has reversed its decision to replace.

We're continuing to press decision-makers to save the Tomb. We urge concerned Americans to contact John C. Metzler, Superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery.

-- Robert Nieweg

National Trust for Historic Preservation

National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded non-profit organization, works to save America's historic places.

Notes from the Field: New Orleans

Posted on: November 15th, 2007 by Walter Gallas 1 Comment

 

Baton Rouge High SchoolI spoke at a community meeting in Baton Rouge called by a neighborhood organization to hear about the Baton Rouge school board’s plans for Baton Rouge High School, built in 1926 and individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to the Trust, the preservation side was very ably represented by the Foundation for Historical Louisiana, and the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation, two long-time Trust partners.

The school board has appointed a sub-committee, which is charged with making a recommendation by early next year on the school’s future. There is plenty of support in the community and among alumni and students to save the school, but financing the school’s renovation will be a challenge. Many communities around the country have dealt with similar situations, and the National Trust will continue to be a resource and advocate for historic preservation and creative renovation of the school.

Walter Gallas is director of the New Orleans Field Office.