General

How We Threaten Our Own Legacy: Guest Post from Knute “Mossback” Berger

Posted on: August 28th, 2012 by National Trust for Historic Preservation 1 Comment

 

Knute Berger (aka "Mossback") covers heritage issues for Crosscut in Seattle. He is also is editor-at-large and columnist for Seattle magazine and a regular guest of Weekday with Steve Scher on NPR affiliate KUOW-FM (94.9). Knute will lead a wide-ranging discussion on sustainability and preservation at the Closing Plenary Luncheon of the National Preservation Conference on Saturday, November 3, 2012. Register and buy tickets at the conference website.

Every year for the last two decades, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation has issued its Most Endangered list of historic structures. It's a useful exercise for raising public awareness before the wrecking ball has swung. The properties are nominated and their endangered status decided on an individual basis, but sometimes the list carries a general message.

Scanning 2012's listees, it's clear that while private development can pose a threat to historic properties -- see the recent Capitol Hill outcry over the Bauhaus block and old homes being knocked down for apartments --  the trouble is often caused by government, public entities, and public projects.

There are many reasons for this. One is that such entities often believe that their will embodies an unquestioned public good, and the bulldozers should roll because they are serving a higher purpose. It's a kind of institutional arrogance that often loses sight of other values.

Another problem is that sometimes government departments are simply overwhelmed by responsibility because they are underfunded by the public. They have a duty to protect historic properties under their care, but lack the means to do so.

That last point is made very clearly on this year's endangered list, which breaks a bit with its usual custom to generally designate the "Resources of Washington’s State Park System" as endangered, instead of a single property. But such trendspotting is useful. The parks system has more than 600 historic properties under its care, ranging from lighthouses to WPA picnic shelters.

According to the Trust, the state parks department "is the single largest owner of historic buildings in the state. Recent economic woes, however, have made it increasingly challenging for the agency to sustain the needed level of maintenance at parks statewide, let alone address mounting capital needs."

Parks funding has been cut by two-thirds since the 2007-09 biennium. The parks budget is being slashed and off-loaded by the state legislature, and parks pass sales are coming in under projection. Washington is faced with converting to a pay-for-use system for parks (most states already do this). Like toll roads, it's a shift in public expectation. But the fact is, with staff and budget cuts, hundreds of historic buildings are threatened with neglect, deferred maintenance, increased vandalism, and decay unless solutions to the state parks' collapse are found.

Another endangered site: the King County-owned Harborview Hall, the fabulous Art Deco former nursing school on First Hill. Harborview Medical Center has a master plan which calls for knocking the building down for a plaza, but preservationists are fighting that and King County Executive Dow Constantine has rightly jumped in and asked for an assessment of redevelopment scenarios that save the historic structure.

Haborview Hall is not the only structure on the hill jeopardized by hospital development: a number of wonderful old apartment houses are at risk from Virginia-Mason's master plan process. They include The Baroness, the Cassel Crag, the Chasselton, and the Rhododendron, which the Trust says "comprise a cluster of historic apartment buildings along Boren Street near Madison Avenue significant for their architectural styles and their association with multi-family residential development."

Yes, single-family dominant Seattle also has a wonderful multi-family housing tradition, of which these fine buildings are all a part and they add much to the heritage of what is one of the city's densest neighborhoods. Density advocates would be wise to get on the preservation bandwagon here, because the success of these buildings and their character could do much to sell the concept to a city that is skeptical.

The list also has an example of a historic hospital building threatened by a major public highway project: The Post Hospital at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Reserve. This wonderful old structure sits empty right along I-5, and locals hope to convert it into an arts center. While it is not slated for demolition, the Columbia River Crossing project is slated to widen I-5 and would bring the freeway from the hospital's front yard to four-to-six feet from its doorstep. Noise, fumes, and structural challenges would all worsen.

Yet another project on the list with a public threat: Washington State University's decision to sell the historic Jensen-Byrd warehouse in Spokane to a private developer that intends to destroy it. Local preservationists are fighting hard still for a last-minute reconsideration; the building is slated for demolition in 2013. A delay has offered a sliver of hope.

This year's list brings to mind the Pogo line, "We have met the enemy and he is us." On the one hand, public policy has enshrined heritage concerns into law; on the other, public purpose often chooses to ignore the spirit, and often the letter, of historic preservation. The good news is that with the help of groups like the Trust, we can also meet the saviors in these situations. He or she is us, too.

A version of this blog post first appeared on Crosscut.com on May 29, 2012.

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.

Preservation in Action: North Amherst Residents Aim for Local Historic Designation

Posted on: August 24th, 2012 by National Trust for Historic Preservation

 

Written by Laura Wainman, Editorial Intern


North Congregational Church in North Amherst, Mass.

Here at the National Trust, we spend our days championing preservation movements and ensuring that the public is aware of historic places in need of saving. And across the country groups of dedicated citizens, like the people of North Amherst, Mass., are preserving their own heritage places proactively by establishing local historic districts.

But what exactly does it take? In North Amherst's case, it's requiring local leadership, teamwork, and a lot of patience.

Led by resident Louis Greenbaum, locals aim to protect North Amherst Village from future threats by designating it a local historic district. This would ensure that changes to the exterior features of homes and barns in the selected area must be approved by the District Commission. Currently, there is no immediate danger to the area, as the annual town meeting rejected rezoning efforts and mixed-use development plans for a second time.

“The [Historical] Commission had already been discussing whether it should pursue historic district designation for North Amherst when residents officially brought it to the commission. There is a strong possibility that the commission will move this forward,” says Nathaniel Malloy, associate planner for the town of Amherst.

Moving the proposal forward would mean appointing a study committee to determine the boundaries of the district, the significance of local homes, any unifying themes of the area, and the unique characteristics that make preservation necessary.

“Many public forums will be held and surveys conducted to gauge the opinion of the residents. There can be some confusion that designation would require residents to significantly change their homes to make them look historic, but that isn’t the case. It just means major changes need to be reviewed first,” Malloy says.

On average, this study takes a year to complete, but the only other local historic district in Amherst, the Dickinson Local Historic District, took more than two years to finish and that designation has still not gone into effect. In other words, citizens shouldn’t expect overnight results. Once approved, a District Commission is appointed to review any major future changes or removals to buildings within the district.

“We hope that these designations become a self-policing tool, in some respect, as the citizens take pride in the stabilization of their neighborhood,” Malloy says.

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.

Pacifico Preservation Adventure: Portland, OR

Posted on: August 22nd, 2012 by National Trust for Historic Preservation 1 Comment

 

The National Trust is participating in the 2012 Pacifico Beer summer promotion, Make Adventure Happen, in which we are competing for a portion of $100,000 based on the number of votes we receive (voting instructions at the end of the post).

To raise awareness for the contest, we've partnered with five preservation fans to highlight "Preservation Adventures" in cities and states across America. This week's guest blogger is John Chilson from Portland, Oregon. John blogs about Oregon history at Lost Oregon and is currently writing a book on downtown Portland in the 1950s.

Despite the urban renewal projects during the post-WWII years -- when whole neighborhoods met their demise from misguided planners, and perfectly functional housing succumbed to the wrecking ball -- many of downtown Portland’s early architecture still remains intact. True, much has been lost (Portland once boasted the largest collection of cast iron buildings in the Western U.S.), but there are still many gems still standing and ready to explore.

Getting Here: Arriving at Union Station

Downtown Portland is easily accessible by car, public transportation, walking or by bike. But if you’re coming to downtown Portland directly from out of town, start your trip by arriving by train at the wonderful Union Station. Opened in 1896, the structure was built in the Italian Renaissance style using brick, stucco and sandstone, and still deservedly garners attention. The clock tower is one of Portland’s most recognizable structures and the interior is well preserved. The station even boasts a small section dedicated to the station’s history.

Check In: The Heathman Hotel

Once here, hop in a cab to your hotel: The Heathman -- located right next to the old Portland Publix Theater (now the Schnitzer Concert Hall). Built in 1927 and located in the heart of downtown Portland, this 150-room luxury hotel is a member of the Historic Hotels of America and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Like many grand hotels in downtown areas, the hotel saw some rough times and seedy tenants in the 1970s before it was lovingly restored in the 1980s to its original glory. It’s also known to be haunted -- so be sure to ask your concierge about the ghostly goings-on.

Portland’s Living Room: Pioneer Square

Once you’ve checked in, take a short walk to Pioneer Courthouse Square, also known as Portland’s Living Room. The square, named after Pioneer Courthouse, a federal building built in 1875 across the street from the square, was also the original site of the Portland Hotel. Demolished in the early 1950s, a textbook parking lot was built on the former site. An even larger parking structure was proposed in the late 1960s to the Portland Planning Commission, but thankfully they rejected the idea and wanted a public plaza. From that, the Square was built.

Nowadays, the square is the site of the annual Holiday Tree lighting, summer events such as movies and music, and the Holiday Ale Festival. The square also offers a fantastic sweep of some of Portland’s finest buildings. Stand in the middle and you can see the Pioneer Courthouse, the Jackson Tower (formerly The Oregon Journal Building, built in 1912), and the former Meier and Frank building (now Macy’s) designed by one of Portland’s most famous architects, A.E. Doyle.

Be sure to check out the original Portland Hotel’s original iron gates that greet visitors from the SW 6th Avenue entrance.

Get Smart: Central Library

Feeling bookish? Walk east from Pioneer Square and stop by downtown Portland’s Central Library. Originally built in 1913 and designed by A.E. Doyle (there’s that name again) and extensively renovated in the mid-1990s, the structure is a wonderful example of Doyle’s work in Portland and also how older buildings can be retrofitted while keeping their historical integrity.

Lunchtime at Dan and Louis

After all this walking and exploring you might be getting hungry. If so, Dan and Louis Oyster Bar is the place to go. Yes, it's a haul from the core downtown area -- but totally worth it. In business since 1907 and located in Portland's original downtown (the Skidmore District, where many buildings didn't make the cut during the 1950s urban renewal-o-rama), the decor is part sea fare, part kitsch, and definitely worth a view.

Enjoy fresh oysters, the ambiance, a cold beverage -- and soak up the history. And as a side note, around the corner is Voodoo Donuts. If you don’t mind waiting in the Disneyland-in-summer-like lines, it’s a Portland experience.

Downtown Bridges

A walk through Portland wouldn’t be complete without a stroll across our many bridges. Each offer a unique history, easy walks and nice views of downtown. One suggested route is a walk across the Willamette via the Morrison (the original bridge was wooden and constructed in the late 1880s and replaced in the 1950s).

Once you reach the east side of Portland, stroll through the buzzing Central Eastside, or Produce Row, then back across the Hawthorne Bridge. Built in the early 1900s, the truss bridge with a vertical lift also carries many of Portland’s commuter bicyclists every day and its looks define the downtown waterfront. It also stops traffic when it rises and lets ships through. But remember, it’s all about the journey.

Tom McCall Waterfront Park

Once you make it back over the Willamette into downtown Portland, enjoy the Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Home of the massively popular Oregon Brewers Festival and other fests throughout the year, including Cinco de Mayo and a Bite of Oregon, it’s named after former governor Tom McCall.

However, it wasn’t always a park. Before preservation became a part of the fabric of planning and building, the park was once a highway (Harbor Drive) that cut through the city (as you can see from the postcard). During the 1970s, the highway was ripped out and the park was constructed. McCall was instrumental in many of Oregon’s environmental issues, such as Oregon’s Bottle Bill and public ownership of beaches, so it was appropriate the park was eventually named after him.

After a stroll through the park, the rest is up to you. Downtown offers many dining options, including blocks of food carts, the world’s best bookstore, and other entertainment options. If you still want to get your history fix, a visit to the Oregon Historical Society should be on the list.

This is by no means a complete tour, but it should give visitors a good sense of Portland’s past and its architectural legacy, and offer some great exercise while exploring a very walkable city.

You can support our preservation work by voting daily at www.PacificoAdventure.com. A contest code is required to vote -- codes are available on specially marked packages of Pacifico beer, in bars and restaurants, by texting 23000, or by clicking “GET CODE" online.

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.

[10 on Tuesday] The Essential Preservation Reading List

Posted on: August 21st, 2012 by Emily Potter 4 Comments

 

We started you off on a reading list in a previous blog post a few weeks ago with a couple of books about how to research the history of your older home. Today, we’ve put together a few more (10 titles to fit right in for this week’s "10 on Tuesday") for you to take a look at if you’re interested in delving in to the world of historic preservation for the first time or honing your professional skills -- or anything in between.

This list is certainly not comprehensive. In fact, we plan on growing it and would love to hear your recommendations for additions below in the comments.

Head to your local or online bookstore to look for these and other related good reads on preservation. Happy reading!

To Get You Started:

1. Historic Preservation: An Introduction to Its History, Principles, and Practice by Norman Tyler

2. Historic Preservation Technology: A Primer by Robert A. Young

Books to Help You Dig Deeper:

3. The Future of the Past: A Conservation Ethic for Architecture, Urbanism, and Historic Preservation by Steven W. Semes

4. Historic Preservation and the Livable City by Eric W. Allison and Lauren Peters

Putting Preservation into Practice:

5. Housekeeping for Historic Homes and House Museums by Melissa Heaver, edited by Byrd Wood (a National Trust publication)

6. A Richer Heritage: Historic Preservation in the Twenty-First Century by Robert E. Stipe

Some Helpful Guides:

7. A Layperson’s Guide to Preservation Law: Federal, State, and Local Laws Governing Historic Resources by Julia Miller, edited by Byrd Wood (a National Trust publication)

8. What Style Is It?: A Guide to American Architecture by John C. Poppeliers and S. Allen Chambers

9. The Economics of Historic Preservation: A Community Leader’s Guide by Donovan D. Rypkema

10. Sustainable Preservation: Greening Existing Buildings by Jean Carroon

And for a little lighter reading:

From Animal House to Our House: A Love Story by Ron Tanner

At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson

Some of you may remember the National Trust’s Preservation Books collection. While we are temporarily no longer selling these books through PreservationNation.org, you can find a list of titles still available elsewhere on the Internet.

There are so many helpful and comprehensive publications out there for both the historic preservation novice and professional. Please tell us in the comments about other preservation-related books you'd recommend!

Emily Potter

Emily Potter is a copywriter at the National Trust. She enjoys writing about places of all kinds, the stories that make them special, and the people who love them enough to save them.

From 1925 Bank to Swanky Restaurant & Bar: The Story of Cleveland’s Crop Bistro

Posted on: August 16th, 2012 by David Robert Weible 4 Comments

 

A long summer weekend finds me escaping the stifling D.C. heat back in my hometown of Cleveland and again in the thick of some innovative preservation work, this time at Crop Bistro & Bar, the dual-purpose restaurant and research and development kitchen of chef and restaurateur, Steve Schimoler, in the heart of the historic Ohio City neighborhood.

The kitchen specializes in modern American cuisine with a focus on local and seasonal ingredients and tonight, my quail stuffed with pecan cornbread, drizzled with a fresh plum sauce, and served on a bed of baby kale salad is exceptional. But perhaps the most impressive element of the meal is the setting.

To create both a viable restaurant and a legitimate research and development kitchen, Schimoler needed a big space. What he found was the United Bank Building. The classical 1925 structure designed by architects Frank Walker and Harry Weeks features six massive arched windows along the building’s facade, a coffered ceiling, 12 bronze light fixtures ornamented in gold, and 17,000 square feet of floor space, including a 5,000-square-foot vault that now serves as a private dining room.


Diners can walk through the original vault into a private dining room.

The space was originally pitched to Schimoler as a manufacturing facility for special items designed in his test kitchens.

“So I came over and did the tour and I’m like, ‘No way,’” says Schimoler. “There’s no way you can turn this into a manufacturing facility. And I immediately was smitten with the space. I’m a total sucker for historic buildings and I knew at that moment when I walked through here, I said ‘I’m going to do a restaurant here.’”


Inside the vault.

Schimoler did much of the adaptive reuse planning and restoration work himself, including the design of the restaurant layout and the building of the bar, which entailed cutting and hand-polishing original white Carerra Marble that was discovered in the basement. He also restored the 1925 mural of a marketplace, which revealed billowing storm clouds in the background – perhaps a prescient nod, Schimoler suggests, to the October 1929 stock market crash that shuttered the building four years after its completion.

“It was almost like it was [originally] designed to be a restaurant,” Schimoler says of the building. “I have restaurateurs and chefs come in here from all over the country and they’re like, ‘we couldn’t have designed it as a better restaurant.’ It’s kind of scary.”

But the United Bank Building isn’t Schimoler’s first foray into historic preservation. He previously adapted a 200-year-old grist mill in Waterbury, Vermont that lacked running water and electricity into a similar restaurant venture, renaming it The Mist Grill (since closed).

Schimoler says his love for historic buildings is the result of his upbringing in an 18th century home on Long Island and a mother who was active in their local preservation society.

“One of the things that I’m really most proud of is that we have thousands and thousands of people that are coming through the doors of Crop who are getting a chance to see this piece of history,” he says.

David Robert Weible

David Robert Weible

David Robert Weible is an assistant editor at Preservation magazine. He came to DC from Cleveland, Ohio, where he wrote for Sailing World and Outside magazines.