In 1984, Mr. Walter was appointed president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, established in 1949 as a congressionally chartered protector of historic properties.

He said he wanted the organization “to be a major central figure in public debates about what our cities should look like, where tall building should go, and try to put historic preservation right in the middle of those debates instead of at the end.”

Read the entire article online here.

Jack is already missed by his friends and colleagues here at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

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Now, I know $33 is cheap these days, and there are many others with summer electricity bills far higher. Nonetheless, I’m on a mission: keep my bill under $20 during July. Granted, I’m not quite as committed as Jeffrey and Brenda Marchant who were profiled in a recent New York Times article Trying to Build a Greener Britain, Home by Home. Mr. Marchant has kept electricity logs for his home since 1960, and thanks to a handy new gadget, can track his energy usage in real time using a smart energy meter.

The villages of Brighton and neighboring Hove, where the Marchants live, have succeeded in lowering their carbon emissions by 50% in recent years, in part through steps like smart metering. But there’s more to this story. 

The Marchants live in a historic Victorian home and have significantly improved their energy usage through retrofits and behavioral changes. The article notes that many families in these two villages have made their historic houses eco-friendly, and “done it through inexpensive and nearly invisible interventions, like under-roof insulation, solar water heaters and hallway meters, that leave their homes still looking like old Victorian houses.” 

The Marchants, for example, have reduced their energy consumption with just two structural modifications to their home — installing a solar water heating panel and insulating their attic. Another couple in the article resorted to much more drastic measures – though it wasn’t clear what the impact was on the appearance of their house.

It’s hard not to envy the British…they are just so much farther ahead on understanding the value of existing buildings, and promoting retrofits — thanks in large part to a government that is far more progressive on these issues. We’ve got a lot further to go on this side of the pond… but I’m optimistic that things will change with what I hope will be increased focus on global warming after the election.   

Let’s hope that optimism isn’t just the heat affecting my judgement.

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Located as it is at the Orleans-St. Bernard Parish line at the downriver boundary of New Orleans, Jackson Barracks suffered considerable flooding and damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

The damage notwithstanding, the state has committed to rebuilding the installation. With those plans comes Section 106 historic preservation review, since FEMA funds will be used.

(more…)

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Jack Walter was a passionate preservationist who cared deeply about the special places that are our legacy from the past. Using the skills and experience he had acquired in a long and distinguished public-service career, he led the National Trust for Historic Preservation to become the strong, effective organization it was meant to be — and helped bring new life to historic buildings, neighborhoods and landscapes from coast to coast. All of us who work to keep America’s heritage intact and alive are deeply in his debt.

– Richard Moe, President, National Trust for Historic Preservation

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Interestingly, data from the U.S. Dept. of Energy finds that windows usually account for about 10% of energy loss in buildings, while walls, ceilings, and floors account for 31% of thermal loss. And as Barbara Campagna and I have mentioned in previous blog entries, studies have demonstrated that properly weatherized historic windows perform about as well as new, thermally resistant windows. Nevertheless, there continues to be concern about the issue of windows, and the widespread perception that going green automatically requires replacing windows.

The Windows Tips Sheet is really just the beginning of our work on the issue. Because this topic is so important, we’ve established a comprehensive Historic Windows Assessment Project to study windows more comprehensively.  Thanks to partial funding from the National Center for Preservation Training and Technology, the first phase of our Historic Windows Assessment Project will compare historic windows to the latest in green technology and create a “decision matrix” to help building owners decide the most appropriate path to improving their windows. The research will be undertaken with scientists from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California.

The second phase of the research will look at windows in the context of thermal loss in the entire building to help demonstrate the importance of looking at buildings holistically, rather than focusing on one source of thermal loss. The third phase will look at the total life cycle impacts associated with replacing rather than reusing an existing window. In other words, instead of just looking at energy saved through operation of a new window, this study will look at the environmental costs of manufacturing new windows and replacing them periodically since they typically cannot be repaired.

In the meantime, have a look at the Tip Sheet, and tell us what you think!

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Information on dealing with flood damage is available on our website.

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The Stadium has played host to some of the most fabled moments of America’s sport, such as Babe Ruth’s 700th home run in 1934, the voluntary end of Lou Gehrig’s 2,130 consecutive game streak, and what is considered to be the longest confirmed home run in the history of the game—a shot by Ruth that traveled close to 600 feet on the fly.

Is there any hope for the ballpark? Or will it meet the same demise as Ebbetts, Comiskey, and Forbes? The Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy, a Corktown based non-profit, is trying to prevent just that, and is raising money to help save part of the historic stadium for use as a banquet hall, museum and office space. Time is running out, but the efforts of the Conservancy and others are in the right direction, and need all the help they can get.

Read Preservation Magazine’s February article on “Detroit’s Field of Dreams.”

Hearts Break as Tiger Stadium Falls [Detroit News]

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The National Trust volunteer group really made a difference in New Orleans and everyone returned with a personally rewarding experience. Jessica Anderson, from Dallas, TX, described her time with the group:

“Having never been there before my trip with the National Trust, I must say that New Orleans is one of the most charming cities you can visit. While talking with locals during the week, I feel as though we may never truly know all the benefits the city will reap from the good work our team put forth during the week—it is obvious that the city of New Orleans will be continuously aided by the creativity, innovation and energy put forth by our group’s members. I am grateful to the Trust for providing inspiring leaders who encouraged us throughout the week, regardless of how warm the New Orleans summer “breezes” may have been.

The tour of the historic section of the city introduced us to the beauty and calm that is quintessentially New Orleans. The old fashioned St. Charles Streetcar was wonderful, cruising along through town toward museums, the zoo, galleries, and, of course, the local watering holes – where the delightful mint juleps were enjoyed by visitors and locals alike. Since returning home from the trip, I find myself not only reminiscing about the camaraderie that takes place while making midnight trips with new friends to Café du Monde for café au lait and beignets, but also the genuine Southern hospitality and charm – our trip proved to me that New Orleans literally has something for everyone, from the demure to the risqué!”

 

by Rachel Russell

Statewide and Local Partnerships

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It has been a few days since we had to leave cool (and apparently unseasonably rainy) Portland, Maine to return to the humidity that is Washington in the summer, but the thirty-four participants of this year’s Preservation Leadership Training left with a lot more baggage (the good kind, of course). As Robin from Maryland said, “We’re back home and all suffering from withdrawal! New friends, a great educational experience, a fabulous city!”

Let’s see what they took home with them:

Preservation Leadership Training Suitcase

1. One massive ten-pound notebook filled with written resources ranging from fundraising tips to economics of historic preservation.
2. A pocketful of Don Rypkema’s money (good questions everyone!).
3. Tools for reenergizing their preservation work in states across the country.
4. Maybe a little less sleep….
5. And new network of 34 people from across the country that they can talk to on a regular basis.

The Team Project—The Baxter Building

At the dedication ceremony for the Baxter Public Library on February 21, 1889 James Phinney Baxter said: “I have reared a structure of wood and stone. You are to build character.” At the team project presentations this past Friday the five teams attempted to do just that. Each team made proposals ranging from a culinary school to mix use development for art and architecture, a retail arts incubator project, a center for preservation studies and folk arts, and finally the new home for two special collections which would effectively return the Baxter Building to its original use as a library.

These ideas fermented after early morning interviews, late nights and lots and lots of coffee. Additionally, each team pulled from personal experiences and lectures to come up with the five very unique presentations. In the end these projects will help the building’s developer to come up with a preservation friendly plan for the building that is compatible with the Portland community and mindset. As the blue team, quoting Judge Symonds at the dedication in 1889, stated at the start of their presentation, “What is the common possession of all must be preserved in the interest of all.“

Last Words

Hopefully this group of newly minted Preservation Leadership Training alumni will take the knowledge and experiences gained from this past week and use it in their various capacities in the historic preservation field. As Judy from New York stated:

“I did not know how much I learned until after I came home from PLT. While describing the week to a friend, the amount of material and the practical experience we had with our group project suddenly dawned on me. The curriculum and project worked so well independently and together to make a great training experience”

Thanks for making this week a success! I know I took away a lot of information on preservation programs across the country all while enjoying the wide variety of food that Portland has to offer.

For more information on Preservation Leadership Training visit www.preservationnation.org and http://www.placeeconomics.com/2008/07/preservation-leadership-training.html
Quotations from the Baxter Buildings 1889 dedication ceremony are from the Special Collections at the Portland Public Library.

Photographs by Alison Hinchman, NTHP

Priya Chhaya

Center for Preservation Leadership

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