Category: historic-preservation
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Boost the Historic Tax Credit
Despite all the evidence that historic tax credits, at either the state or federal level, easily pay for themselves and then some, they always seem to be under constant threat. With the current climate of cut funding as fast as possible, it’s no surprise that the economic driver for local communities that is the federal…
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Second Order Preservation
Book Review Historic preservation has long followed a binary approach: Is a building historically significant enough to be listed, or isn’t it? This seemingly simple question forms the foundation of preservation policy across the United States and has shaped our built environment for decades. But what if this framework is fundamentally limiting our ability to…
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The Impact of Early Preservation Groups in America
The Mount Vernon Ladies Association, a group formed for the sole purpose of saving George Washington’s stately home on the Potomac River from ruin in the 1850s, is the oldest national historic preservation organization. They formed during when America was still a young nation, less than 100 years old. Homes like Washington’s represented a lasting…
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The Origins of Historic Preservation
The most commonly cited start to the historic preservation movement is the Ladies of Mount Vernon’s valiant effort to raise funds to preserve George Washington’s home. As the first president of the United States, Ann Pamela Cunningham and her fellow advocates were dismayed at the dismal state of his home overlooking the Potomac River. In…
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Valuing Historic Preservationists
The foundations of historic preservation are rooted in volunteerism and community activism. The formal profession evolved centuries after the first attempt to save a home, that to the women with extra time to spare felt was a key symbol of our young nation. After those beginnings we moved into a period of organized activism on…
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Historic Preservation: Balancing Restoration and Demolition
In my many years working in the field of historic preservation I have seen some communities commit to preserving as much of their built history as possible, others demolish nearly all of it, and a majority that falls somewhere in between. What I could never understand is how different cities decide when preservation is worth…
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Philadelphia’s Iconic Squares
Back in 2017 I wrote a short paper for the International Making Cities Livable Conference titled “A Return to the Town Square.” I spent a lot of time doing research and came up with three case study cities—Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, Times Square in New York City, and the Railyard in Santa Fe, NM. I…
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Restoring Historic Built In Cabinets: A DIY Guide
My least favorite find in an old home is painted wood. I know it was fashionable at one point and painting it offered a cheap way to freshen up a space, but now that we’re back to seeing the value in bare wood it kills me to see it painted over with multiple layers, the…
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Mitigating Climate Change through Preservation
This week I spent my days in virtual sessions for the PastForward conference hosted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. While I’m not a fan of virtual conferences, like most people, I was excited to see this conference go virtual because it gave me the opportunity to attend for the first time. This years…
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Inherent Sustainability of Old Buildings
In recent years preservation has been recognized as a “recycling program of historic proportions.” And when you stop to consider, it is actually a good description. Saving old buildings helps retain history, identity, beauty, and connections to our past, but in terms of sustainability saving old buildings excels at recycling and reusing embodied energy. Many…
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The Planning Lady 