Dismantling History: A Reflection on Salvage

Posted on: April 26th, 2013 by Scott Austin Sidler 5 Comments

 

Historic Lake Eola home. Orlando, FL. Credit: Scott Sidler
Historic Lake Eola home

This post originally appeared on The Craftsman Blog.

I recently helped my friends at Florida Victorian Architectural Antiques with the salvage of four early 20th-century homes on the banks of Lake Eola here in Orlando, Fla. We were busy removing any parts of the home that may be of some value to someone in the future. Old wood windows were removed and sold off to a house in Daytona Beach. Heart-pine flooring was pulled and cleaned before being delivered to a home somewhere in south Florida. And I busied myself removing old shiplap siding and rough sawn cypress subflooring.

It was a sad sight to watch these once-magnificent homes being dismantled day after day. By the end of the week they hardly seemed like the houses we started with on Monday. Windows and doors were removed and boarded over. Siding peeled off its sides. Shadows remained where shutters once hung.... Read More →

Twitter Chat Recap (Strategic Planning) and Reminder (Preservation Jobs)

Posted on: April 25th, 2013 by Sarah Heffern 1 Comment

 

Earlier this month, the #builtheritage Twitter chat tackled one of the most important -- but least glamorous -- facets of our work as preservationists: strategic planning. We discussed how different groups plan, how to balance the basics of running a healthy organization with preservation priorities, and how to keep from duplicating the work being done by partners. Highlights of the conversation are in the slideshow below:


Though it seems we just wrapped up that chat, our next one is already around the corner. We've made the May chat something of a tradition, discussing preservation jobs (and job-hunting techniques) every year as a new crop of preservationists graduate. Whether you're established in the field and have advice to offer, or the ink's not yet dry on your diploma, please join us on Wednesday, May 1 at 4:00 EDT to talk about this field we all love.... Read More →

If Seats Could Talk: Pulling Off A Pageant At Miami Marine Stadium

Posted on: April 25th, 2013 by Katherine Flynn No Comments

 

Miami Marine Stadium in 2012. Credit: National Trust for Historic Preservation
Miami Marine Stadium in 2012

Although the Miami Marine Stadium sits empty today, it still echoes with the shouts and cheers of audiences that gathered to watch everything from speedboat races to Easter Sunday sunrise services at the waterfront venue. The stadium served as an entertainment hub of the Miami community, and sometimes, a launching pad for careers in the entertainment industry.

In part four of our “If Seats Could Talk” series, compiled by the Friends of Miami Marine Stadium in an effort to increase support for restoration of the venue, we focus on the story of Frank Mercado-Valdez, who, along with some of his fraternity brothers, took on the task of putting on the first Miss Collegiate Black America Contest in 1985.... Read More →

[Slideshow] A Classic Boca Raton Cottage Goes Green

Posted on: April 24th, 2013 by Katherine Flynn

 

A drawing by architect Larry Barrow shows the landscaping plans for the finished house. Credit: Larry Barrow
A drawing by architect Larry Barrow shows the landscaping plans for the finished house.

When Christopher Warren decided to restore a cottage in Boca Raton, Fla., built in 1926 and designed by renowned South Florida architect Addison Mizner, his top priority was turning it into a comfortable living space for his five-person family.

It wasn’t until he spoke with architect Larry Barrow that he started to consider the possibility that they could accomplish that goal while also making the former one-story cottage as green as possible.... Read More →

Help Us #PreserveDMV with Partners in Preservation

Posted on: April 24th, 2013 by Sarah Heffern

 

Believe it or not, it's been seven years since we first launched our partnership with American Express, Partners in Preservation. Since that time, the program has made grants worth $9 million to historic places in San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans, Boston, Seattle, Saint Paul/Minneapolis, and New York. And as a longtime resident of the District of Columbia, I could not be more excited to announce that the D.C. metro area has been selected as 2013's host city.

Today through May 10, two dozen historic places in the DMV -- as the District, Maryland, and Virginia are known in Twitter-speak -- will be competing for $1 million in grants through a popular vote campaign. How does it work? This short video explains the process:

You can vote for one site per day, every day through May 10 and earn additional points through social sharing, so visit www.partnersinpreservation.com to see the participating sites and get voting!

And if you're local to the DMV, save the date now for Open House Weekend, May 4-5, when the sites will be hosting special events and programs to share the stories of these terrific places.

To keep up with the latest news, like Partners in Preservation on Facebook or follow @PartnersinPres on Twitter.

Voting begins on April 24, 2013 at 12:01am Eastern Time and ends on May 10 at 11:59pm ET. Must be at least 13 to vote. Limit one (1) vote per person/email address per calendar day. See terms of participation for complete details.