Internship Opportunities - Howard Hall Farm

The following internships are available at the Howard Hall Farm Restoration Project:

All of the internships take place on the site of a 220-year-old Federal style home in Athens NY, which serves as a classroom and laboratory. The site offers a unique environment for hands-on learning and offers specific restoration challenges that are distinctive to this region.

REPOINTING AND REBUILDING STONE AND BRICK INTERNSHIP:
(Students will learn and practice techniques passed down
for centuries using historic lime mortar as in days of yore)
Duration: one week
Accepting 3 Interns

Interns will engage in hands-on repointing and stone rebuilding work using traditional methods of approach for masonry restoration. They will learn directly from Reggie Young, the founder of our historic restoration/green technology project, who studied brick and stone pointing with John Speweik of the U.S. Heritage Group of Chicago. No experience is necessary. This internship is designed to give participants a taste of this ancient process and is ideally suited for anyone interested in getting their hands dirty and learning a bit about the history of these ancient techniques.

When applicable, HHF will work with your school to make sure you can receive class credit for your studies here.


HISTORIC LIME PLASTER INTERNSHIP:
Duration: one week
Accepting 3 Interns

Students will learn the benefits and processes involved in using historic lime plaster instead of more modern techniques. By using these ancient, environmentally friendly materials, structures are actually given "room to breathe", and can last much longer than buildings treated with more contemporary methods. Students will be trained by our plaster expert, Sean (also trained in the line of John Speweik's internationally renowned processes) to learn the multifaceted uses of this visually luscious material. No experience is necessary. This internship is designed to give participants a taste of this ancient process and is ideally suited for anyone interested in getting their hands dirty and learning a bit about the history of these ancient techniques.

When applicable, HHF will work with your school to make sure you can receive class credit for your studies here.

For more information, or to apply for an internship, call 518-945-1253
or email: info@howardhallfarm.com

Just send your name and a sentence or two letting HHF know which internship interests you, and why, and your contact information.

To learn more about HHF, visit:
http://howardhallfarm.com/
or find them on Myspace

Green Building, Energy Efficiency and Historic Preservation

New York City's Landmark West! will offer a seminar on Green Building, Energy Efficiency and Historic Preservation on April 25, 2007. The day-long seminar will explore the inherent environmental sustainability of historic buildings. Subtopics will include improving energy and building efficiency, how to incorporate green building philosophy into apartment renovations and recognizing what design elements can be restored and when replacement is necessary.

Another day-long seminar, the Evolution of Interior and Exterior Residential Building Design-Architectural Styles and Historic Preservation will be offered on May 9, 2007. Participants will be able to identify architectural styles and learn how to date buildings through analysis of specific building interior and exterior design elements and materials. Speakers will also address the evolution of apartment living, including interior plans and how interior and exterior design elements relate to one another.

Each of these one-day seminars will enable the participant to obtain 7½ hours of continuing education credits to meet the New York State requirement of 22½ hours. (Approval pending for May 9th lecture).

To register, please call (212) 496-1714 to charge your credit card or send a check for $75 to:

LANDMARK WEST!
45 West 67th Street
New York, NY10023

Location information for the seminars will be available upon registration.

National Trust for Historic Preservation - 2007 Diversity Scholarship Program

Here’s your chance to attend the National Preservation Conference
http://www.nationaltrust.org/scholarships/diversity_scholarship.html

Who should apply: Applicants (Students or Community Activists) should be from diverse social, economic, racial, ethnic or cultural backgrounds. It is the mission of the National Trust to increase its diversity outreach and to create an inclusive and diverse preservation-minded environment at the conference.

Financial Incentives: In addition to receiving substantial financial assistance on your lodging, travel, and conference registration cost, Diversity Scholars attending the conference for the first time will be paired with a mentor and have the opportunity to attend facilitated events.

Dates: This year's conference will take place October 2 - 6, 2007 in Saint Paul, MN. Please note the postmark deadline for submitting applications is June 1, 2007.

Who will be attending: Participants will include community and neighborhood leaders, public officials, affordable housing practitioners, architects, planners, historic site managers, developers, downtown revitalization specialists and other grassroots advocates.

Please contact Brent Leggs at 617-523-0885 x34 or via email at Brent_Leggs@nthp.org for additional information. Please feel free to spread the word through your own networks!

Realtor Training in Saratoga Springs

The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation is offering a realtor training program on March 22, 2007. Upon completion of the program, "Successfully Marketing Historic Properties," participants will be able to explain the basics of historic preservation and its impact on the quality of life, locate properties in national and local historic districts, understand the benefits and responsibilities of owning a home or commercial propertity in a historic destrict, describe the design review process and discuss the tax credit options available to home and commercial property owners in New York State. The program is sponsored by Ballston Spa National Bank.

Space is limited and the registration deadline was yesterday, but you may still be able to get in. The course fee is $40 for members and $55 for non-members (includes a one year membership in SSPF). For more information, please call (518) 587-4030.

If you are interested in historic preservation training programs for realtors, you may also want to read the overview of realtor training programs that I posted earlier this month.

Upcoming Historic Preservation Conferences and Workshops

Here are a few more conferences and workshops to add to the list of continuing education opportunities taking place in the upcoming months. I'll keep adding them as I hear about and encounter them, focusing mainly on the northeast and mid-Atlantic areas since that is where we are located and where most of our students are from.

Of course, as noted in greater detail in this previous post, several conferences are taking place this weekend, including the blockbuster Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference at the Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA; the American Institute of Architects Historic Resources Committee conference at PSFS/Loews Hotel in Philadelphia, PA; and the NYC Historic Districts Council Preserving the Past, Planning the Future conference at various locations in Manhattan.

Future conferences and workshops include:

• Saturday, March 24th - Association for Preservation Technology, Northeast Chapter, 2007 Annual Meeting and Symposium (details will be on the web site soon) at the First Unitarian Church in Providence, RI. Morning sessions will include "Overview of Rehabilitation in Providence," by Virginia Hesse, Rhode Island Historic Preservation and Heritage Commission; "Masonic Hall Renaissance," by Kyle C. Normandin and Lawrence Graham, Senior Associates, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc; "American Locomotive Company," Martha Werenfels, Prinicipal, Durkee, Brown, Viveiros, & Werenfels, Architects; and "Dynamo House," by Holly Grosvenor, Newport Collaborative Architects. Afternoon sessions and tours will include the APTNE Annual Meeting over lunch, a building tour of the First Unitarian Church and Meeting House by Robert O. Jones, Architectural Historian, Rhode Island Historic Preservation and Heritage Commission; and tours of Dynamo House and the Masonic Hall. The mail-in registration deadline is March 19th. For more information, check APTNE's web site or email info[AT]aptne[DOT]org.
  

• April 14th - 22nd Annual Rhode Island Statewide Historic Preservation Conference [click for brochure .pdf], "Something Old, Something Green," Pawtucket, RI. As noted on the Rhode Island Internet Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission's website, "This conference will demonstrate that preserving old buildings, historic downtowns, and traditional land use patterns ensures a level of land, energy, and materials consumption that is sustainable for the future. Learn how revitalizing existing transportation routes, commercial districts, and brownfields lessens our footprint on open space and greenfields. Consider traditional design practices and industrial innovations that make historic buildings responsive to the natural environment and attractive for future users." The keynote address, "Defining Green: Sustainable Design and Historic Preservation," will be given by Jean Carroon, of Goody Clancy. Among the other sessions, walking and bus tours are the following: The Greenness of Historic Preservation; Renewable Energy Resources and Historic Preservation; Back to the Future: 21st-Century Growth in 19th-century City and Town Centers; National Register: Year in Review; Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Pawtucket Forum. Check the conference brochure for many other interesting sessions. NOTE: Registration is by mail only, using the form in the conference brochure.
  
  

• June 2nd & 3rd - regional Preservation Trades Network workshop -- Casey Farm, Saunderstown, Rhode Island. This two-day event will bring together preservation tradespeople, architects, preservation organization staff members, historic property stewards, state and local government employees, preservation students, and homeowners. The event’s intent will be to promote the preservation trades, educate and create exchanges between preservation professionals through interactive demonstrations, learning sessions, and one-on-one discussions. Click on the link above for more information and a registration form.
  
  

• October 11th - October 13th - 10th Anniversary International Preservation Trades Workshop in partnership with the National Park Service's Historic Preservation Training Center in Frederick, Maryland. In addition to the demonstrations, presentations and "hands on" sessions that have been a feature of every previous IPTW, some new and exciting offerings are being planned, including a Preservation Trades Jobs Fair and other events to be announced. Click the link for more information.

Also, according to this week's Forum Online Thursday Bulletin from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Vermont's annual historic preservation conference will be held on May 19th, but I can't find any information yet. I will post more information when I find it. If your organization has a preservation-related conference or event, please send information and I will try to post it.

Turpin Bannister Chapter, Society of Architectural Historians, Spring 2007 Events

The Turpin Bannister chapter of the SAH has scheduled numerous events for spring:

• March 14 (Wednesday) - Kimberly Kloch, "Breathing New Life Into Abandoned Houses of Worship," at the Cohoes Public Library, 169 Mohawk Street, Cohoes (in the former 1895 St. John's Episcopal Church). Reception at 5:30, presentation at 6:00 pm.

• March 22 (Thursday) - State Education Building - Tour of the restored spaces led by George Webb and viewing of the recently restored original architect's model of the building at the State Education Building, Washington Avenue, Albany. Reception at 5:30 pm (5th floor), tour and viewing of the model at 6:00 pm. (2nd floor).

• April 10 (Tuesday) - Bill Connor, of the architectural firm Woodward Connor Gillies & Seleman, will speak and lead tour of the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library, which opened in December, 2006. The library is certified as a "green" facility as part of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Program. Location: Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library, 475 Moe Road, Clifton Park. Presentation at 6:30 pm, followed by a tour.

Future events include a "drive yourself" tour of Dutch Houses in and around Schenectady on Sunday, April 22nd, a presentation about "Roman Catholic Church Architect Patrick Keely" at St. Peter's Church in Troy by Building Conservation student Kevin O'Connor on May 22nd, and the SAH's annual dinner at Tosca's in Troy on Wednesday, May 30th.

For more information, contact Ned at 432-0220 or email nedpratt66[AT]aol[DOT]com.

Upcoming Historic Preservation Conferences

We wanted to alert our readers to several upcoming historic preservation conferences:

New York City's Historic Districts Council will be holding its 13th Annual Preservation Conference, "Preserving the Past, Planning for the Future" March 9-11, 2007. The conference will begin with an opening cocktail reception Friday evening at the Children's Aid Society, Greenwich Village Center, to honor the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. The Children's Aid Society, built in 1891, is a striking Victorian Gothic style brick building and one of about a dozen structures designed for the society by Calvert Vaux.

Saturday's events will be held at the Harold Lewis Auditorium, Hunter College School of Social Work. Noted preservation economist Donovan Rypkema will deliver the keynote address, "Sustainability, Smart Growth and Historic Preservation." Additional panels will include :

• "The Greening of Preservation" - which will focus on projects involving the intersection of green architecture and preservation. Panelists include Carl Elefante of Quinn Evans Architects, Washington, DC; Stephen Tilly of Dobbs Ferry, NY; and Stephen Goldsmith, acting director of the Center for the Living City at Purchase College.

• "Smart(?) Growth: Brooklyn in the 21st Century" - which will Panelists include Carter Craft of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, Lisa Kersavage of the Municipal Art Society, and Ronald Shiffman of Pratt Institute.

• "The Future of New York: With Preservation or Without" - Panelists include Alex Garvin, Julia Vitullo-Martin of the Manhattan Institute, City Council Member Tony Avella, and author and urbanist Roberta Brandes Gratz.

On Sunday, conference participants can choose to participate in one of the six following tours:

• Walking the Plan: Development in Downtown Brooklyn
• Greening the Crossroads of the World: New Architecture and Green Buildings in Times Square and Midtown Manhattan
• On the Waterfront: A Walking Tour of St. George, Staten Island
• From King Manor to La Casa: the New Jamaica Center
• Village of the Dormed: Going Up in Downtown
• Last Exit to Brooklyn: the New Face of Red Hook

Each tour is expected to last approximately 2-3 hours. Updates, registration details, and additional information are available on HDC's web site (follow link above).

In addition, the Landmark Society of Western New York will be holding its 21st Annual Regional Conference on Saturday, May 5, 2007 in historic LeRoy, New York. The one-day conference includes these five concurrent sessions:

• Track A: Enhancing Main Street: Making Upper Floors Work Again brings together a dynamic roster of architects, planners, and developers familiar with the challenge of successfully adapting historic commercial buildings.

• Track B: Revitalizing Main Street discusses recent efforts to promote historic preservation, economic redevelopment, and rural tourism in towns and villages, including the “Walk the Villages” program that highlights cultural resources, local economics, and physical fitness.

• Track C: Historic Houses and Buildings: This ever-popular workshop focuses this year on porch restoration and the repair of historic masonry. Tours of several distinctive LeRoy houses currently undergoing restoration will be part of the program.

• Track D: Historic Cemeteries: Learn about gravestone repair and maintenance, successful volunteer efforts, and finding local history in cemeteries. Nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, LeRoy’s park-like Macepelah Cemetery, with its winding roads, designed landscape, and distinctive chapel, will be included in this session.

• Track E: How to Write a National Register Landmark Nomination: Get the nuts and bolts of preparing these technical applications with emphasis on historical and architectural significance, a “must” for anyone interested in potential grants that are available for designated properties.

Registration by April 30 is $45 ($40 Landmark members), includes lunch. Registration after April 30 is $45, lunch NOT included. Register online now or call 585-546-7029 x10 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to register by phone.

The Regional Preservation Conference is co-sponsored by the Preservation League of New York State, the LeRoy Historical Society, the town of LeRoy, the LeRoy United Methodist Church and the Landmark Society of Genesee County.

Fellowships: Keepers Preservation Education Fund

Building Conservation program director Fred Cawley received a mailing this week alerting us to the Keepers Preservation Education Fund (KPEF) Fellowships, and I am excerpting information here from the mailing for the benefit of our students, alumni, faculty, and anyone who may be interested and qualified.

The KPEF was established in 1988 by the first Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places, William J. Murtagh, Ph.D. It is governed by a seven-person board composed of a preservation author and historic house museum consultant; national and local preservation officials; a lawyer; and an international banker. The fund is organized as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation; contributions to the fund are tax deductible as allowed by law. For more information, email: artdeco41[AT]aol[DOT]com.

Fellowship grants are available from KPEF in support of educational activities related to the fields of historic preservation and architectural conservation. They support aspiring or established preservation professionals who wish to increase their professional knowledge or career potential. Fellowships may be used for tuition, professional meeting attendance, special book purchases, domestic and foreign study travel, and other purposes, and can range from several hundred dollars to larger sums, awarded at the discretion of the board of trustees. Fellowships are awarded on the basis of both qualifications and need; applicants are encouraged to augment KPEF grants with other grants or awards. Eligible applicants include:

--Full- and part-time students enrolloed in institutions of higher learning, with majors in historic preservation or such allied fields as American studies, anthropology, architecture, art history, history, planning, or building conservation, among others.

-- Staff, whether volunteer or paid, of preservation institutions or organizations. Preference will be given to applicants representing institutions that have historic property stewardship programs. Applications from more junior staff are preferred; for example, preference will be given to docents over directors or curators. Similar junior staff preference will be given to preservation advocacy organizations.

-- Representatives of educational programs of any organization that holds property listed in the National Register of Historic Places, provided that the property is open to the public for educational purposes and sufficient justification is made for need.

Individuals must apply through a sponsoring institution or organization, which reviews and forwards the fellowship application to KPEF. KPEF does not accept applications directly from individuals seeking financial assistance. For example, an individual may seek institutional sponsorship from a college or university in which s/he is enrolled, from a preservation institution at which s/he is an employee, or from a preservation organization in which s/he is a member.

Sponsoring institutions must agree to screen the applicant and administer the grant through an existing selection system such as an awards or scholarship committee. The institution assesses the applicant's qualifications and need, and then forwards the recommended application to the KPEF board for funding consideration. KPEF should preferably receive applications at least three months in advance of actual need.

Information needed from the fellowship applicant includes name, address, telephone and fax numbers; relationship to sponsoring institution or organization (such as student, staff or member); one-page statement explaining why funds are needed; and statement of total funds needed in support of the project or activity. Successful KPEF fellows must provide, within 60 days, a short follow-up report explaining the benefits received from the grant.

Information needed from the sponsoring institution includes the institution's name, address, telephone and fax numbers; name of contact person coordinating the institution's sponsorship of the application; purpose of the sponsoring organization; short statement explaining how the application was reviewed and how many individuals participated in the screening or selection process; number of staff/faculty affiliated with the sponsoring institution; and approximate operating budget of the sponsoring institution, organization, department, or program, as applicable.

For more information, write: Managing Trustee, Keepers Preservation Education Fund, 5 West Luray, Alexandria, Virginia 22301.

APTNE Calling for Abstracts for Student Presentations and Posters

APT Northeast (APTNE) is calling for abstracts for student presentations and posters for the APT Northeast Annual Meeting and Symposium to be held on Saturday, 24 March 2007 in Providence, RI. APTNE is the regional northeast regional chapter of Association for Preservation Technology International (APTI).

Absracts should be based upon original research or a project (s) worked on by a student (or group of students) Papers or posters are encouraged to relate to one or more of the following topics: Historic Preservation, Documentation and Conservation of Building Technology, Engineering, History of Building Technology, Monitoring and Evaluation Techniques, Landscape Preservation, Architectural History, and Planning. APTNE will select a minimum number of student abstracts for presentations and posters based on the total number of abstracts submitted.

Both student papers and posters selected for the symposium will be considered for an APTNE student scholarship to attend the 2007 APTI International Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 3 - 7 November 2007. The APTNE Board of directors will select student recipients for one scholarship in the amount of $1,500 for a selected presentation and one scholarship in the amount of $500 for a selected student poster. If the poster is produced by a group, the scholarship is to be awarded to the group.

Abstracts for both the papers and posters should be a maximum of 250 words in length, include the student’s name, additional person(s), academic affiliation(s), email address and contact information. Abstracts should be sent via email to mjablonski[AT]jablonskiberkowitz[DOT]com. All abstracts for presentations and posters are due Friday, 23 February 2007 by 4:00 PM. Any questions or inquiries should be referred to Mary Jablonski.

Travel, Learn, and Get Hands-On Building Conservation Experience

Many thanks to Jamie Donahoe of the Heritage Conservation Network for sending along information about their 2007 workshops. Based in Boulder, Colorado, the HCN offers hands on building conservation workshops (all over the world) that bring participants together with local residents who are working to save their cultural heritage. Participants contribute significantly to projects while working with experts in the field of heritage conservation. Novice to expert – all are welcome.

The 2007 schedule includes a series of workshops that will enable participants to gain critical hands-on experience with different materials and conservation issues while contributing to preservation work at the sites. This year's sites and projects include:

Conservation Survey in the Monastery of San Giovanni Battista,
Serravalle, Vittorio Veneto, Italy – April 1-14, 2007

Traditional and Colonial Building Conservation in Ghana, Accra, Ghana
(in association with the School of Environmental Design at the
University of Georgia) – June 24 - July 7, 2007

Historic Finishes of the Old West, Virginia City, Montana (in
association with the Virginia City Institute for Preservation Research
and Technology) – July 9-13, 2007

Preservation Work at the Kornthal Parsonage, Jonesboro, Illinois (in
association with the School of Architecture - Southern Illinois
University Carbondale and the Kornthal Union County Memorial) – July
15-28, 2007

Saving the Stark House, Port Robinson, Ontario – September 23 - October
6, 2007

Workshop fees range from $425 to $2000 per person per week, depending on location. Participation in the Serravalle workshop is limited to mid-career professionals, but the other workshops are open to anyone interested in acquiring preservation skills and experience or in contributing their time and effort to the project.

Jamie (whom we hope to do a blog interview with sometime soon) notes that 2008 workshops will be located in Armenia, Albania, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom, providing great travel opportunities in conjunction with training.

For further information, please contact Judith Broeker, HCN’s Program
Director, at workshops @ heritageconservation.net, 303 444 0128. HCN's website, www.heritageconservation.net (also in sidebar list at right), offers much more information about the organization, its mission, workshops that have been conducted in the past, and 2007 workshops. Mark your calendars, visit the web site, and start saving now!

Upcoming Events, Conferences, and Educational Opportunities

A number of announcements about upcoming lectures, conferences, and educational opportunities have come our way, and we wanted to pass them along:

-- Thursday, February 8, 6:30 PM, Troy Public Library: A presentation on The Capital District's Underground Railroad Story. Learn through pictures and documentation about the citizens who assisted those seeking freedom from slavery and about the freedom seekers who settled in or passed through the Capital District. Presented by Paul and Mary Liz Stewart of the Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region, Inc. The program is free and open to the public, but prior registration is required. To register, stop by the information desk in the Main Library or call 274-7071. The Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region is also holding a conference, whose theme will be Uncovering the Voices of Women, on February 23-25 at the College of St. Rose in Albany (details are on the web site).

-- March 7-10, Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA: Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference "the only national trade show and conference for historic homeowners, architects, designers, contractors and developers, planners, building owners and craftsmen involved in historic restoration, renovation, and traditionally-inspired new design and construction." Includes 80 seminars, workshops, panel discussions and tours of Boston's famous historic landmarks as well as hundreds of exhibitioners and suppliers of historically accurate products and services.

-- March 8-11, PSFS/Loews Hotel, Philadelphia, PA: 2007 American Institute of Architects Historic Resources Committee conference. This will be AIA HRC's first conference collaboration with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). Entitled "Fresh Air," the conference will feature sessions on historic preservation and provide a window into the future of architecture education and practice.

-- March 9-11, New York City, NY: Historic Districts Council Preserving the Past, Planning the Future conference. The conference will address the question of given the ambitious housing and development plans currently being pursued and the expected population increase in the next few decades, what will happen to the historic neighborhoods of New York City over the next generation? A distinguished group of preservationists, planners, artists, architects, educators and developers from New York City’s five boroughs and beyond will be presenting their views in a series of three panel discussions: “The Greening of Preservation,” “Smart(?) Growth: Brooklyn in the 21st Century” and “The Future of New York: With Preservation or Without?” Additional information is on the HDC's web site.

-- June 5 - August 8, Nantucket, MA: Preservation Institute 2007 - Summer Program in Historic Preservation. For those who would like to spend their summer learning at the beach! The curriculum is "project oriented, addressing current community concerns. Off-island field trips to New Bedford and Newburyport are included and students earn nine graduate credit hours of course work in preservation theory and practice; graphic and photo archival documentation; and historic research and building analysis. Resident faculty are supplemented by numerous guest speakers.

Follow the Proceedings of Landmarks Designation and Review in NYC - Remotely - and Learn About Preservation Design Review and Advocacy

After reading Sewell Chan's New York Times article Preservation Commission Turns Down Proposal for Upper East Side Tower and then checking the Historic Districts Council Newsstand blog yesterday morning, I realized that the convergence and clever use of new and old media technologies -- web logs, web sites, and newspapers -- has made it possible to follow, from anywhere, New York City's landmarks designation and review process and related advocacy efforts by preservation and neighborhood groups.

While New York City is in many ways unique, the ability to follow its landmark designation and review process nonetheless presents tremendous learning opportunities for our students and anyone else interested in historic preservation in regard to preservation regulations, permit review procedures, organizing, and advocacy. I recommend it highly to my Economics of Historic Preservation students, whose case study assignments always include attending meetings of historic district commissions and planning and zoning boards. It also provides great background for Dorothy Miner's upcoming Preservation Law classes.

I must caution that I am not an expert on New York City's landmarks preservation law, its related procedures, or any of the organizations involved, and what I present here, I've learned from organizational web sites and related blog posts and newspaper articles.

The property involved in the initial case I followed is the former Parke-Bernet Gallery (980 Madison Avenue between 76th and 77th streets), which is described in Landmarks Preservation Commission public hearing documents as a "modern gallery building designed by Walker & Poor and built in 1948-50."

Two of the various organizations involved are the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Historic Districts Council.

The case began sometime in late September or early October when the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) scheduled a public hearing for October 24, 2006 to review a permit application "to alter the facades, to demolish rooftop and rear additions, construct an additions [sic] and establish a Master Plan governing the future installation of storefront infill," and to request that the [LPC] "issue a report to the City Planning Commission relating to an application for Modification of Bulk pursuant to Section 74-711 of the Zoning Resolution." The modifications, including the addition of a 30-story glass residential tower, were proposed by New York City developer Aby Rosen and his architect, Lord Norman Foster. Details about the proposal were published in Nicolai Ouroussoff's generally favorable October 10, 2006 New York Times article Injecting a Bold Shot of the New on the Upper East Side, which recognized that the proposed building would be a "challenge to a neighborhood known for an aversion to bold contemporary architecture."

The LPC is the New York City municipal agency responsible for identifying, designating, and regulating changes to the City's landmarks and historic districts. Established in 1965 in response to New Yorkers' growing concern that important physical elements of the city's history were being lost despite the fact that these buildings could be reused, the LPC's work is carried out by eleven commissioners and a full-time staff. Its web site enables anyone to read designation reports prepared by the staff and to follow the schedule of public hearings related to the designation and review process. The web site includes general background information about the agency, information about working with landmarks, landmark maps, forms and publications, a glossary, FAQs, employment opportunities, contact information, regularly posted news items, a calendar of public hearings, a permit search function, and a search engine for the site.

It should be noted that before the LPC hearing took place, the Historic Districts Council (HDC) alerted its constituency about the hearing and related issues with a post on its blog: ALERT: Help Save NYC's Historic Districts (October 16, 2006). In this post the HDC requested assistance from its readers "to help preserve the integrity of the landmarks process and save our historic districts from inappropriate development," provided background on the case, and included a sample letter requesting the LPC to reject Rosen's and Foster's proposal to construct a 30-story glass tower.

The HDC was founded by the Municipal Art Society in 1971 as a coalition of community groups from the city's designated historic districts, primarily to work on special projects and networking. In subsequent years, the number of historic districts increased from 18 to more than 80, and the coalition became an independent, nonpartisan incorporated organization with its own board of directors, executive director, and small staff. As it matured, the organization's focus also shifted to advancing historic designations and advocating for the city's historic resources. Although it is not connected to the city government, any other preservation organizations, or any individual neighborhood group, the HDC works with all of them. Its web site provides background information about the organization, its board of directors, advisors, and staff; internship and volunteer opportunities; Friends of the HDC; neighborhood partners; professional partners; and contact information. We will do a more extensive review of the HDC's web site in a future post, but several of its many other notable features include the Historic Districts Council Newsstand blog; monthly electronic bulletins distributed by email and posted on the web site; notes from recent testimony before the LPC, and District Lines newsletter, which is published three times annually.

Following its initial October 16th blog alert post, the HDC monitored the progess of the 980 Madison Avenue case in 11 additional posts, providing through "Alert," "News," and "Report" posts excellent glimpses into the twists and turns of the case, tracking and reporting on the actions of the LPC, HDC, and others, and presenting links, summaries, or the full text of articles reporting on the case in local media outlets. The series of posts included the following:

-- Wednesday, 10/25/06 -- NEWS: Press Roundup on 980 Madison Avenue Hearing which links to articles in NYC publications Gothamist, New York Magazine, New York Post, and New York Sun, and informs constituents about the hearings to date and how to contribute during the comment period.

-- Wednesday, 11/15/06 -- ALERT: Public Comment Period for 980 Madison Avenue (the Foster Tower) Extended obviously informing constituents of the comment period extension and providing contact information for the LPC in case readers wish to submit comments.

-- Thursday, 11/16/06 -- REPORT: Observations on the LPC from September & October 2006 summarizing the cases reviewed by the LPC in those months, prefaced by the comments that "one of HDC's principal activities is the review of proposals to landmark buildings. Before every public hearing, we review the proposals with an expert panel of volunteers for appropriateness, and comment when we feel it's necessary or helpful. Nadezhda Williams, HDC's Preservation Associate, works with the Public Review Committee, drafts the testimony from their findings and represents HDC at the hearings. These are her some of her notes and observations from the past few months.For HDC's testimony on any given hearing - check out http://www.hdc.org/testimony.htm."

-- Sunday, 11/26/06 -- NEWS: Tom Wolfe on the independence of the LPC
providing the full text of author Tom Wolfe's New York Times op-ed piece The (Naked) City and the Undead.

-- Wednesday, 12/06/06 -- NEWS: From Across the Atlantic, Reverberation of 980 Madison Fight providing the full text of an article about the case from the UK's newspaper The Guardian.

-- Wednesday, 12/13/06 -- NEWS: Did you hear the one about Tom Wolfe & the Landmarks Commission? providing the full text of the New York Observer's article Preservationists Cry Wolfe; We've Got Their Number.

-- Wednesday, 12/20/06 -- ALERT: 980 Madison Avenue Public Hearing Scheduled for January 16 and ALERT: 980 Madison Avenue Hearing in the Surrogate's Court Building providing updated information about public hearings on 980 Madison Avenue.

-- Tuesday, 01/09/07 -- NEWS: The Village Voice's Take on Tom Wolfe providing the full text from the Village Voice's article Has Tom Wolfe Blown It? In the author's latest foray into combat, it's his fame he's fighting to preserve.

-- Monday, 01/15/07 -- NEWS: 980 Madison Avenue nearing the midpoint providing the full text of an article in the New York Sun.

-- Tuesday, 01/16/07 -- REPORT: 980 Madison Hearing in all its glory providing an excellent, detailed, commissioner by commissioner account of the LPC's public meeting to review the 980 Madison Avenue proposal, ending with the words "...Commissioner Tierney [LPC's Chair] then closed the hearing, instructing the applicants to re-examine their proposal and re-study it in light of the commissioners' comments. No action was taken and a date was not set for a new hearing."

-- Wednesday, 01/17/07 -- NEWS: Press Roundup on 980 Madison Proposal providing links and one-sentence summaries of press coverage of the 980 Madison Avenue hearing in the New York Times, New York Post, New York Sun, New York Observer, Village Voice, and New York Daily News.

Anyone who wants to see how the 980 Madison Avenue case finally turns out will have to watch the web sites of the LPC and HDC for dates and outcomes of future public hearings. In the meantime, the HDC's web site issued an "Alert" post yesterday notifying constituents that the Waterfront Preservation Alliance of Greenpoint & Williamsburg is collecting signatures to save the Domino Sugar Refinery. A sample letter to Mayor Bloomburg supporting the designation of Domino Sugar as a New York City landmark and a link to the organization's petition is also provided.

Those interested in following the work of the LPC will also want to be aware of a relatively new group of advocates calling themselves the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation (CECPP). The masthead of their blog (included in our sidebar blogroll) states "Beloved buildings, architectural treasures, cultural icons, and historic places that New Yorker's care passionately about, are being defaced and demolished -- these are the very buildings and places that should be protected by NYC's landmarks law. Last year it was the Morris Lapidus building on Union Square, last summer it was 2 Columbus Circle, last month it was St. Brigid's Church on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. What will it be tomorrow?"

Since this is already a fairly long post, we will review CECPP's blog and activities in a future post. However, anyone interested in learning more before then can read the blog to find out more about the organization's mission, the problem statement, news, reports, steering committee and membership. In addition, the blog yesterday posted an internal document from the Municipal Art Society that "...gives a thorough review of the current problems with the LPC and provides well thought out recommendations for reforming it." Although the document, entitled "New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission: Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century," is a marked up draft and was roughly scanned, it makes for interesting reading.

Internship Opportunities - Preservation League of New York State

The Preservation League of New York State has informed us that it is seeking graduate or upper-level undergraduate students interested in historic preservation, public policy, government affairs, planning, history and related fields to work with them during the semester on some of their outreach projects. Examples of projects include:

-- Preparations for workshops on tax credit programs and other preservation planning tools to be presented in communities around New York State;

-- Outreach related to a model Historic Preservation Ordinance and other materials related to planning and zoning topics for local historic preservation landmark commissions;

-- Development of materials and programs for services provided to the Preservation Colleagues, a network of the preservation organizations around the state;

-- Assistance with responding to requests for information on a variety of topics, including the development of materials for the general public.

The position is open immediately. A summer position may also be offered. Work will be performed at the League offices located in an 1813 commercial structure near Washington Park in Albany. A schedule that includes at least one full or partial day per week at the office is preferred.

Applicants should be proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel (the office uses PCs), and have excellent writing skills.

Those interested should send a resume to Jay DiLorenzo, President, Preservation League of New York State, 44 Central Avenue, Albany, NY 12206; jdilorenzo@preservenys.org or fax: (518) 462-5684. Jay is a member of RPI BCon's Class of 2001.

The Preservation League of New York State is the statewide non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of New York's diverse and rich heritage of historic buildings, districts and landscapes. They accomplish their work through public policy, legal, technical, and grant programs, and serve as a unified voice to promote historic preservation throughout New York State.

Building Conservation (Historic Preservation) Program for Working Professionals, Blog Additions

Over the weekend, we added new sidebar links to a number of professional organizations and divisions or chapters within those organizations that bring together members that are specifically interested in historic preservation and urban design (see below for more updates).

This reminded us that since this is the time of year when we are receiving admission applications and many people are thinking about pursuing graduate degrees and making career changes, we should mention that our Building Conservation program has been designed specifically for you.

We are a program for working professionals and professionals looking to change careers or further specialize within their chosen field.

So if you are already an architect, architectural historian, engineer, contractor, mason, construction manager, archeologist, planner, museum professional, interior designer, or landscape architect and you don't want to or can't afford to leave your current job or your family, we may be exactly what you're looking for and need to advance to the next level of your profession. Of course, we also welcome and like hearing from others wishing to pursue a graduate degree in building conservation/historic preservation.

If you'd like to know more, telephone or email our director, Frederick Cawley, (518) 276-6867 or cawlef[at]rpi[dot]edu (we have used this format to thwart spammers--you should use the "at" symbol and dot as is standard email form). To find out more, you can also visit our web page and read the blog archives at the bottom of the sidebar to the right.

We will write about preservation careers in future posts, but in the meantime, you might also find it useful to visit the American Institute of Architect's Historic Resources Committee (including their online newsletter Preservation Architect and the AIA Guide to Historic Preservation .pdf); the
Americal Society of Landscape Architecture's Historic Preservation Professional Practice Network (several issues of their newsletter are also available online; the latest describe's ASLA's efforts to establish and further the mission and goals of the Historic American Landscape Survey (HALS), which is essentially the landscape version of Historic American Building Survey (HABS) and Historic American Engineering Record (HAER)); and the American Planning Association's Urban Design and Historic Preservation Division (several back issues of their newsletter are also online but member and nonmember users must register to gain access).

We have also begun adding historic preservation and related blogs to our new "blogroll," and greatly appreciate hearing from several readers. We will talk about these blogs and "preservation blogging" at greater length in later posts, but for now, visit John Leeke's Historic HomeWorks active video blog Reports from the Field and online video conferences. The collaborative YorkStater Blog recently mentioned us and often posts about historic preservation in upstate New York. In an update of our November 7, 2006 post (below) about a lecture series at the NYS Court of Appeals, they write that you can now view county courthouses, appellate court buildings, and several assorted city courthouses, and read about their histories on the Historical Society of the Courts of New York State's website.

APT NE Ironwork Workshop

Thanks to our friends at APT NE for passing along news of what promises to be a very interesting and educational event. While our faculty and students will have classes that day, it is likely that many of our alumni and other readers will be interested.

The event is an Ironwork Workshop, conducted by the Association for Preservation Technology's Northeast Chapter and Hammersmith Studios. As the workshop announcement states, on Saturday, January 27, 2007 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., "Hammersmith Studios will provide a hands-on introductory workshop on forged ironwork. Founders Susan and Carl Close will discuss all aspects of ironwork including: definition and identification of ironwork, differences between iron and steel and other ferrous metals, materials characteristics, strengths and weaknesses, how, when, and where to use iron, specifying iron work, and repair techniques. Master craftsman Carl Close will demonstrate basic blacksmithing techniques--scrolling, twisting, splitting, and leaf work. After lunch participants will have an opportunity to try these techniques at the forge and to apply them to a design problem. Lunch, morning and afternoon refreshment [is] included."

The workshop will be held at Hammersmith Studios, 50 Beharrell Street, Concord, Massachusetts. Registration fees are $80.00 for APT NE members and $100.00 for nonmembers (which includes a 1-year APTNE individual membership). Space is limited to 20 participants, so please assure your spot by registering as soon as possible (registration deadline is January 19, 2007). Contact Susan Hollister at susan[dot]hollister[at]goodyclancy[dot]com (we have used this email address format to foil spammers collecting addresses) to register or if you have questions. Checks payable to APTNE and registration information (name, company, address, city, state, zip, email, and phone number) can be sent to Susan Hollister, c/o Goody Clancy, 420 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116.

FREE Lead Safe Work Practices Training, Troy, NY, 12/06/06

Thanks to our friends at the Preservation League of New York State for alerting us that a Lead Safe Work Practices Training will be held Wednesday, December 6th, 2006, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, Troy City Hall at 1 Monument Square.

The training is being presented, at no cost to participants, by The National Paint and Coatings Association and Atrium Environmental Health & Safety Services, LLC. All interested parties are welcome, so feel free to spread the word.

According to the sponsor's flyer, "those encouraged to participate include home (or code) inspectors, contractors undertaking renovation, repainting, or remodeling work where lead-based paint may be encountered, maintenance workers, building supervisors and landlords, professional associations, state and local municipal agencies, community and social service organizations, and do-it-yourself homeowners. The goal of this program is to teach attendees lead-safe work practices and the strategies for implementing them. Many homes built before 1978 contain lead-based paint, so it is important that renovation, remodeling and repair activities use methods that reduce and control dust and debris created during work."

Contact Tim Mattice at the City of Troy, (518) 270-4619 for more information, online at www.leadsafetraining.org, or toll free (866) 689-9484.

Those interested might also wish to consult the National Park Service's Preservation Brief No. 37: Appropriate Methods for Reducing Lead-Paint Hazards in Historic Housing, which includes extensive recommendations for further reading, and Marylee McDonald's "Looking Out for Lead Paint: A Primer on Dealing With Lead-Based Coatings in Old Houses," in Old House Journal Online.

Presentation on NYS Courthouse Architecture

As part of the current New York Court of Appeals Lecture Series, internationally renowned architects Henry N. Cobb and Paul Spencer Byard will present "The Shape of Justice: Law and Architecture," a program on courthouse architecture past and present at Court of Appeals Hall in Albany on November 16th at 6:00 p.m. With wonderful slides of New York courthouses drawn from their own design files and from New York's rich courthouse architectural heritage, the speakers will examine the role lof the courthouse as the center of the community and its symbol of justice, both now and historically. The event is free and open to the public; however, space is very limited, so RSVP to 518-455-7821 to save a seat. The program is co-sponsored by The Historical Society of the Courts of the State of New York.

If you are unable to attend in person, you may view the live webcast that will be posted on the New York Court of Appeals website.

A Busy Weekend Away From School, Part II

On October 28th, students, alumni, and faculty traveled to Hyde Park, New York, to participate in another conference, Preservation Under Pressure: Protecting Historic Community Character in a Time of Change, sponsored by the Preservation League of New York State, Hudson River Heritage, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation (as described below).

Held at the new Henry A. Wallace Visitor and Education Center, designed by the architect Frances Halsband, the conference brought together a diverse group of preservationists, elected officials, planners, planning and zoning board members and staff, and others.

A Busy Weekend Away From School, Part I

On October 27th, students, alumni, and faculty took advantage of a free weekend to attend and participate in two excellent conferences: the Louis Sullivan Terra Cotta Symposium and Preservation Under Pressure.

Organized by the Northeast Chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology in association with Wank Adams Slavin Associates (WASA) and Cooper Union, the Louis Sullivan Terra Cotta Symposium commemorated 150 years since the birth of the architect Louis Sullivan. Presentations focused on the technology and early manufacturing period of terra cotta in the United States from the 1850s onward; Louis Sullivan's role in the evolution, development, and use of terra cotta throughout the 20th century; and the continuing evolution of conservation practice and techniques for the care of terra cotta today. The symposium was held at Cooper Union, one of the oldest known structures in the United States using terra cotta.

Building Conservation professor and consulting engineer Donald Friedman presented "Terra Cotta As Structure." Other presentations and speakers included:

• "Growing Up Together: Louis Sullivan and the United States Terra Cotta Industry" by Tim Samuelson, Cultural Historian for Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs
• "Terra Cotta: Its Evolving Technology & Unique Application" by Susan Tunick, Friends of Terra Cotta
• "Louis Sullivan at the Metropolitan Museum of Art" by Morrison H. Heckscher, Lawrence A. Fleischman Chairman of the American Wing Metropolitan Museum of Art
• "Angels Repaired: The Bayard-Condict Building" by Stephen Gottlieb and Norman Weiss (both formerly with WASA)
• "Terra Cotta: The Numbers Game" by Michael Y. Ahearn, Seaboard Weatherproofing & Restoration Company
• "The Recrowning of Louis Sullivan's Carson Pirie Scott & Company Store" by Gunny Harboe, Harboe Architects
• "Cleaning Terra Cotta in the New York City Subway Stations: Making Informed Choices" by Mary Jablonski, Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation
• "Terra Cotta Restoration: Where We Are and Where We Are Going" by Stephen Kelley, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates
• "Blackfriar's House in London: Cathodic Protection of Carraware in the United Kingdom" by Paul Noyce and Peter Gibbs, Electro Tech

The conference also featured a tour of the Bayard-Condict Building, Sullivan's only New York City building, and a reception in the elegant lobby of the Woolworth Building, one of the earliest examples of terra cotta skyscrapers in New York.

Historic Preservation Conference, October 28, 2006

On October 28th, several Building Conservation program faculty and students will be traveling to Hyde Park, New York, to attend the conference "Preservation Under Pressure: Protecting Historic Community Character in a Time of Change." The conference is co-sponsored by the Preservation League of New York State, Hudson River Heritage, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The conference is titled Preservation Under Pressure: Protecting Historic Community Character in a Time of Change. Speakers and topics include:

Edward T. McMahon: Dollars and Sense of Preserving Community Character
J. Winthrop Aldrich: Terra Firma: Preserving the Heritage and Natural Landscape of the Hudson Valley
Geoff Bornemann: Design Considerations and Community Character
Paul Daniel Marriott: Empire Roads: Historic and Scenic Road Protection in New York State
Sally Mazzarella: Blending Diversified Planning Tools to Implement A Community's Vision

The conference has been approved for six hours of local continuing education credit by the New York Upstate Chapter of the American Planning Association. For more information, visit www.preservenys.org or call (518) 462-5658, x. 13.