Oct/Nov 2011
Oct/Nov 2011
Atlanta Of Palimpsests and Pentimento Revival in Philly
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PRESERVATION
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Oct/Nov 2011
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PRESERVATION
Of Palimpsests and Pentimento Discovering hidden treasures in Washington, D.C.
07 11 Revival in Philly After a green renovation, a bath house thrives as a cafĂŠ.
Table of Contents
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Modern Man An Interview with Architect Albert Ledner
41 Coming Home An Illinois architect raised, repaired, and restored his grandmother’s historic Queen Anne residence outside Chicago
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Oct/Nov 2011
The Blueberry Queen How a New Jersey Town Celebrates its Pioneer
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Tiffany Setting A New Jersey mansion tied to a fabled family of jewelers gleams once again in a historic Newark neighborhood
Renaissance Women Inside the Retrofit of San Francisco’s Historic Women’s Athletic Club
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FEATURE
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They Brake for Preservation Once a neighborhood brake shop, this Washington, D.C., row house has become a showpiece for revitalization
Atlanta A re-visit of Atlanta’s Treasures
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PRESERVATION
Atlanta From the blue flying saucer atop the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, built in 1967, to the glass pyramid spire and ridged exterior of the 867foot One Peachtree Center, built in 1992, architect John Portman has left his indelible signature on Atlanta’s downtown skyline. “If anybody left a mark on Atlanta, it has to be Portman because definitely the whole face of downtown was shaped by Portman,” said Mark Lysett, principal at MRL Design and past president of the Georgia chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). “That’s not going to change any time soon.” While John Portman & Associates now ranks as one of the world’s best-known architectural firms, he is just one of a number of locally based architects who have designed some of the city’s most memorable commercial buildings.
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Oct/Nov 2011
Piedmont Park is one of Atlanta’s largest parks.
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PRESERVATION
Atlanta is the vanguard of the New Sout h,
with thecharm and elegance of the Old.
Most of Atlanta was burned during
the Civil War, depleting the city of a large stock of its historic architecture. Yet Atlanta, architecturally, had never been particularly “southern.” Because Atlanta originated as a railroad town, rather than a patrician southern seaport like Savannah or Charleston, many of the city’s landmarks could have easily been erected in the Northeast or Midwest. In addition, unlike many other Southern cities, such as Richmond, Charleston, Wilmington, and New Orleans, Atlanta chose not to retain what remained of its historic antebellum architectural characteristics. Instead, Atlanta viewed itself as the leading city of a progressive “New South”, and opted for expressive modern structures. [79] As a result, Atlanta’s cityscape is dominated by relatively modern archi-
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tectural styles, containing works by most major U.S. firms and some of the more prominent architects of the 20th century, including Michael Graves, Richard Meier, Marcel Breuer, Renzo Piano, Pickard Chilton, and locally-based, internationally-known Mack Scogin and Merrill Elam Architects. Atlanta’s ambivalent approach toward preservation has resulted in the destruction of notable architectural landmarks, including the Equitable Building (Atlanta’s first skyscraper), Terminal Station, and the Carnegie Library. The city’s cultural icon, the Fox Theatre, would have met the same fate had it not been for a grassroots effort to save it in the mid-1970s. Atlanta’s skyline is punctuated with highrise and midrise buildings of modern and postmodern vintage. Its
tallest landmark—the Bank of America Plaza—is the 52nd-tallest building in the world at 1,023 feet (312 m).[80] It is also the tallest building in the United States located outside of Chicago and New York. Atlanta’s most notable hometown architect may be John Portman, whose creation of the atrium hotel beginning with the Hyatt Regency Atlanta—one of the tallest buildings in Atlanta at the time of its completion in 1967[81]— made a significant mark on hospitality architecture, both nationally and internationally. Through his work, Portman—a graduate of Georgia Tech’s College of Architecture—reshaped downtown Atlanta with his designs for the Atlanta Merchandise Mart, Peachtree Center, the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, and SunTrust Plaza.
Oct/Nov 2011
In 1974, the “fabulous Fox” became an endangered property, and it was soon reported that Atlanta’s largest and grandest theater would be razed for a new high-rise corporate headquarters. Uncharacteristically for Atlanta, a grass-roots campaign to “Save the Fox” quickly emerged, championed by a group of local high school students who picketed in front of the Fox and attracted critical media attention. Aided by the mayor, the city’s Urban Design Commission, and a new non-profit organization, Atlanta Landmarks, Inc., the campaign succeeded. In 1975, the Urban Design Commission, with grants from the State Historic Preservation Office, conducted the city’s first survey of historic resources and began administration of the city’s first historic preservation ordinances. The Atlanta Preservation Center, a private, non-profit organization founded in 1980, assisted the Commission with an expanded survey in 1981, but not until passage of a new, comprehensive historic preservation ordinance in 1989 did the city have the tools it needed to preserve what remained of the city’s architectural heritage. In addition to more than 130 National Register properties, the city now has more than 50 landmark buildings and a dozen historic districts which are protected by local ordinance.
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PRESERVATION
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Oct/Nov 2011
Another facet of the growing inter-
est in the city’s heritage was the Atlanta Historical Society’s acquisition of the Swan House in Buckhead as its new headquarters, and two years later its relocation of the antebellum Tullie Smith house to the property as the centerpiece of a recreated vernacular homestead. In addition, a handful of “urban pioneers” who had rediscovered Inman Park, the city’s first suburban development in 1889, organized Inman Park Restoration (IPR) in 1970 and, the following spring, held their first annual spring festival and tour of homes. While Druid Hills has benefited from a civic association since 1938, IPR was the first of several such organizations that emerged in neighborhoods around downtown to promote preservation and revitalization of some of the city’s most threatened historic residential districts.
As the city began to lose population and crime rates soared, Underground Atlanta struggled to survive in the mid-1970s, and when construction of the city’s new heavy-rail transit system demolished some of downtown’s most important buildings in 1975, UndergroundAtlantawitheredaway. By then, the city’s major passenger depots had both been torn down as had most of its old hotels and theaters and many of its early skyscrapers. Parts of the landmark Equitable Building, designed by Burnham and Root in 1890, were salvaged and repurposed as outdoor sculpture, and the entire facade of the Paramount Theater, designed by Hentz, Reid, and Adler in 1922, was re-erected as part of a private residence in south Georgia. Atlanta’s historic architecture was consigned to the landfills.
Two of Atlanta’s most popular
Little Five Points, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library houses countless documents and photographs of Carter’s years in the White House. And southeast of Downtown is Atlanta Cyclorama, where the Civil War Battle of Atlanta literally revolves around you via sight and sound through this immense painting in the round, completed in 1885.
modern attractions are located in the heart of downtown. The World of Coca-Cola, a gigantic interactive and very informative museum/center that provides visitors with everything they ever wanted to know about “America’s favorite soft drink” and the CNN Center, where visitors can tour the world’s largest news-gathering organization, which is actually a lot more fun than it sounds. Several of Atlanta’s major attractions pay tribute to her sons and daughters. For example, east of downtown is the home of Dr. Martin Luther King, now known as the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, where visitors can learn more about one of the greatest social reform leaders in American history. Located in
Atlanta also boasts a wide array of world-class museums. Perhaps the city’s most prominent museum is the High Museum of Art, with a permanent collection that exceeds 10,000 pieces. The Atlanta Ballet and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra also operate from here. A museum unique to Atlanta is the Center for Puppetry Arts, a museum/center dedicated to the art of puppetry and a great place to bring the kids.
Piedmont Park in Midtown
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PRESERVATION
Good News for Happy Retreat
Good News for Happy Retreat Actor Richard Dreyfuss to Help Save Washington Family Mansion Last month, following years of efforts to save the 1780 mansion where George Washington’s brother and his family once lived, Academy Award-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss confirmed that his Dreyfuss Initiative will help to protect the property known as Happy Retreat. At an announcement Sept. 17, Dreyfuss committed to partnering with the Friends of Happy Retreat, a nonprofit group formed in 2006, to purchase the house and 12.2 surrounding acres. His initiative, a civics education program, will eventually occupy the top floor of the manor.
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Farnsworth House
Chicago Modernist Domestic Architecture’s representative When Dr. Edith Farnsworth commissioned architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe to build her a weekend retreat outside of Chicago, little did anyone expect that it would become one of the most famous and controversial examples of modernist domestic architecture. Transcending any traditional domestic function or program, the importance of the house lies rather in the absolute purity and consistency of its architectural idea. As historian Franz Schulze has remarked: “Certainly the house is more nearly temple than dwelling, and it rewards aesthetic contemplation before it fulfills domestic necessity.”
Farnsworth House
Oct/Nov 2011
Much More Than Marionettes! The Center for Puppetry Arts
The Center for Puppetry Arts’ mission is to touch lives through the art of puppetry. The Center for Puppetry Arts is a unique cultural treasure - a magical place where children and adults are educated, enlightened and entertained. Since 1978, the Center has introduced millions of visitors to the wonder and art of puppetry and has touched the lives of many through enchanting performances, curriculumbased workshops and the hands-on Museum, as well as Distance Learning and Outreach Programs.
Wright Golf Course
George Wright Golf Course Named “Best of Boston” Recognized by Boston Magazine in its 38th annual “Best of Boston” awards issue.
Founded in 1938, the 18-hole Donald Ross-designed George Wright Golf Course is a hidden gem in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boston open seven days a week through November. The par 70 layout measures 6,440 yards from the back tees and is a challenge to golfers of any level. The city-owned course has been operated since March, 2003, by the Fund for Parks and Recreation and offers full amenities including golf and hand cart rentals, pro shop, and food and refreshment concessions. See more on pg.10
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An American Story
PRESERVATION
The Lost Letter
“An American Story“ is our new rubric where we publish our reader’s American Stories.
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Oct/Nov 2011
The other day, I had family come over for a nice visit. My Aunt Cecilia, and two of my cousins, Susan and Kathleen and their children were able to visit with us for the day near the pool on a very beautiful summer afternoon. Between the distractions of the children, ages 2 to 8, and a drowned mouse, (please don’t ask) we had some interesting conversations about my own family history. I know much more about my mother’s side of the family than I do of my father’s, so I particularly enjoyed listening to the stories my aunt had to tell. My Aunt Cecilia is my father’s sister, and she had been to the east coast many times, and between her visits with her aunts and uncles, and my late grandmother’s recollections, she had many stories to tell. The visit was a memorable one for me, and I had the need to write some of this history down so as not to forget it. It’s part of my own American family history, and being that it is the 4th of July, I think it is a most appropriate day to share this with you. First of all, I am an American. I was born in California, 45 years ago in a fairly small coastal town of Santa Cruz, California. Santa Cruz is primarily known for it’s Redwood trees and beautiful beaches. Santa Cruz is a desirable place to live--not just because of the ocean, but it’s known for it’s lifestyle, and easy way of living. My grandparents liked Santa Cruz as well. They enjoyed visiting during their summer vacations, and the spent their days at the beach, away from the valley weather of home. They eventually decided to retire and move there in the early 1950’s. My grandfather had sold the ranch in Winton, California, and at the age of 50 decided it was time to rest ocean side-the American dream. Not too shabby for two immigrants from the Azores, traveling in the “steerage” area for weeks, bound for America. My grandmother, Rosa Lima was the eldest girl of 12 children. She was born in the Azores, Terceira, in the village of Agualva. Her mother depended on her to help care for her younger siblings, and her days were always filled with a never ending list of chores, and as I lovingly remember her say, “endless changing and cleaning of diapers.” During the precious moments she did have for to herself, she would retreat to the attic area of her rock walled home into a crawl space so she could read her “novelas” (romance novels) and magazines in peace and quiet. Her cousins thought of her as a quiet type, who was somewhat of a dreamer. Like many teenagers her age, she had visions of going to America one day. She heard stories and read magazine articles of life in America, and15 it all seemed so exciting and different.