Slideshows

[Slideshow] Largest Craftsman Ever Built in U.S. Celebrates Its 100th Year

Posted on: March 22nd, 2013 by Lauren Walser 1 Comment

The wood shakes on the house were deteriorating by the time Fenton purchased the property. He consulted with architects, fellow historic homeowners, and manufacturers of products designed for historic buildings in order to learn how to best repair them. He eventually stripped and re-stained each shake by hand.

It is said to be the largest Craftsman residence ever built, and now, after an extensive 25-year restoration, the three-story house in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles known as Artemesia is celebrating its centennial.

Built in 1913, Artemesia was designed by architect Frank A. Brown for the family of engineer Frederick E. Engstrum, whose father founded a major Southern California construction company.

After passing through the hands of several owners, the house sat largely neglected since the early 1940s, until advertising executive Leonard Fenton purchased the house in 1987 at the tender age of 23.... Read More →

Lauren Walser

Lauren Walser is an assistant editor at Preservation magazine. She enjoys writing and thinking about history, art, architecture, and public space.

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[Slideshow] Behind the Scenes: Preservation Cover Shoot at Miami Marine Stadium

Posted on: March 21st, 2013 by Dennis Hockman 1 Comment

The city of Miami at dawn as viewed from the Miami Marine Stadium seating area.
The city of Miami at dawn

In the Spring 2013 issue of Preservation magazine, we’ll be featuring one of our National Treasures, the Miami Marine Stadium. Producing the story required navigating an ocean of red tape -- filling out film permits and “hold harmless” agreements with the city of Miami, providing proof of insurance, etc. -- all to get approval to photograph the stadium, which stands abandoned behind a chain link fence and locked gate.

Abandoned, but not unused.... Read More →

Dennis Hockman

Dennis Hockman is editor in chief of Preservation magazine. He’s lived all over the United States but currently resides in Baltimore where he is restoring a 1918 center hall colonial.

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[Slideshow] A Red-Hot Transformation for Pittsburgh’s Carrie Furnaces

Posted on: March 20th, 2013 by Katherine Flynn 3 Comments

Redevelopment plans for the furnaces include a possible sound stage or concert hall.

What happens when you try to save something that was never meant to be preserved?

This is a question that August Carlino, president and CEO of the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area in Pennsylvania, is trying to answer. He’s searching for the best way to transform the Carrie Furnaces, two blast furnaces built in 1907 as part of the Carnegie Steel Company’s Homestead Works, into something that the post-industrial Pittsburgh region can be proud of.

“These things were never meant to be saved the way they were built,” Carlino says of the two remaining 92-foot-tall blast furnaces, which once produced about 1,250 tons of “pig iron,” used in the production of steel, a day. “They were meant to be put to some use and torn down, and for something else to be built there.”... Read More →

Katherine Flynn

Katherine Flynn is an editorial assistant at Preservation magazine. Her work has appeared online at the Washington Post and in Consequence of Sound, a music and culture blog.

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[Slideshow] Sitings: Shadows-on-the-Teche

Posted on: March 16th, 2013 by Julia Rocchi 4 Comments

The Shadows at magic hour. Credit: adie reed, Flickr
The Shadows at magic hour

You can't help but get a little more pep in your step when spring arrives, and for preservationists, that often means escaping the indoors to go visit beautiful historic places.

But in case you can't make it to all those places on your historic bucket list right now, we'll bring the scenery to you -- with a fresh slideshow each week featuring shots and scenes from the lovely historic sites of the National Trust.

First up: The Shadows in New Iberia, Louisiana. March is one of the most beautiful times of the year to visit this historic antebellum house museum, with live oaks, Spanish moss, and the Bayou Teche bringing nature right up to the front door. The Shadows is open year-round, Monday thru Saturday, with guided tours daily, so definitely plan a visit if you're in the area.

We hope one day you have the chance to experience the rich culture and history of this Gulf Coast treasure firsthand. In the meantime, enjoy this week's Sitings slideshow!

Inside the parlor on the estate’s second floor.

Julia Rocchi

Julia Rocchi is the managing editor for the National Trust. By day she wrangles content; by night (and weekends), she shops local, travels to story-rich places, and walks around looking up at buildings.

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[SLIDESHOW] Instagram Tour: Nantucket Lightship

Posted on: January 18th, 2013 by Roberta Lane

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my time at the National Trust, it’s that people love lighthouses. I’ve had the privilege of working with a passionate, effective corps of advocates for these romantic beacons, and have often met fans who make a point of visiting lighthouses while touring around our country.

There is a similar band of preservationists focused on saving historic vessels. I think people are so compelled by these elements of our maritime heritage because they represent the best of the American spirit -- ingenuity, grit, sacrifice, and adventure.

So I find it really satisfying, but not surprising, to see how much delight is inspired by the Nantucket Lightship/LV-112, a floating lighthouse and one of our National Treasures. You can learn more about the Lightship and our work there on SavingPlaces.org, but in the meantime, enjoy a photographic jaunt through this endearing (floating) place.

I’m always excited to point the lightship out to people when I’m by the waterfront, and I’m proud to tell people that it is one of the National Trust’s National Treasures. In the past, the National Trust has supported the U.S. Lightship Museum’s efforts to preserve the Nantucket Lightship with grant funding. Today, we are working with them to ensure a permanent berth for the Lightship and to establish it as an educational center and attraction focusing on maritime heritage and environmental issues.

Find me on Instagram at robertal7, and the National Trust at presnation.

Roberta Lane

Roberta Lane is the Senior Field Officer and Attorney for the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Boston Field Office. She has been with the Trust since 2006, delivering preservation technical assistance and legal guidance in the field. In early 2013, Roberta is transferring to New York City to staff the Trust’s new field office there.