schoolhouses in rural montana

Transcription

PEOPLE SAVING PLACES
The magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
OFF THE GRID
MILL REVIVAL
PALM SPRINGS
BEFORE
MIDCENTURY
MODERN
PHOTO ESSAY
ARCHITECTURAL
AMERICANA
CLASS ACT
SCHOOLHOUSES IN RURAL MONTANA
FALL 2014
O N LY T H E B E S T H I S TO R I C A L D R A M A S
D E M A N D A N EN CO RE.
Part preservation. Part ovation. With historic Civil War Trails,
including Ulysses S. Grant Trail and Gray Ghosts Trail, you can
relive our nation’s greatest saga in the Show-Me State.
Enjoy the heritage.
Plan your historical tour at VisitMO.com/CivilWar
PEOPLE SAVING PLACES
FALL 2014
The magazine of
the National Trust
for Historic Preservation
54
FEATURES
20|
Small Wonders
Montana’s dwindling one-room and rural
schoolhouses form a distinctive part of the
state’s cultural identity. We highlight five, in
various states of preservation.
28 | Back to the Grind
An enterprising family revives
an 1834 gristmill in Freedom,
Maine, transforming it into a
mixed-use building that serves
the local community.
36 | Extra Ordinary
Photographers Susan Daley
and Steve Gross capture the
elegiac beauty of common
roadside buildings in the rural
American South.
54 | Springs Fling
Beyond its famous Midcentury
Modern buildings, Palm Springs
brims with lesser-known but
equally appealing architecture
from the early 20th century.
LO
L
ORe
R
ez
ABOVE: PHOTO BY AUDREY HALL;
TOP RIGHT: PHOTO BY JESSICA SAMPLE;
BOTTOM RIGHT: PHOTO BY BRENDAN BULLOCK
28
9
On the Cover
Placer School, an
abandoned one-room
schoolhouse near
Radersburg, Montana
63
16
PHOTO BY AUDREY HALL
66
79
DEPARTMENTS
| Common Good
4 Editor’s Note
| Expanding Our Outlook
6 President’s Note
|
9 Past, Present,
Future
La Jolla’s Wisteria Cottage; regilding a Central Park bandshell;
a couple saves African-American
landmarks in Plant City, Florida;
Savannah restoration; adaptive
reuse of a Texas jail; historic
breweries; a timeline of city
markets; new use for an old post
office in Greenwich, Connecticut
Corrections
On page 62 of the Spring 2014
issue, the name of the Elk Run
Dunkard Meeting House
was misspelled.
Preservation regrets the error.
2
preservation | FALL 2014
| Places saved, restored,
16 Transitions
threatened, or lost
| On the Eastern Shore of
63 Itinerary
Maryland, Talbot County
provides a tranquil refuge
| Gastronomic prayers are
66 Place Setting
|
70 Preservation
Nation
The National Trust,
making a difference
| Restoring a vandalized
79 Outside the Box
historic cave in Nevada
| Musician and blogger Moby
80 Back Story
answered at restaurants in
former churches
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: COURTESY RESTORATION
HARDWARE/MARK HUG; PHOTO BY JOAN MURRAY;
COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO VIDEO
DOCUMENTARY PROJECT; PHOTO BY NATE BOGUSZEWSKI;
ISTOCK/COMPASSANDCAMERA
Who we are: Preservation is the magazine for people who love historic places. Each issue spotlights sites that have shaped the American identity and
the people working tirelessly to protect them. Thought-provoking narratives and brilliant photography celebrate historic places of all kinds—from
houses, train depots, and theaters to battlefields, national parks, heritage travel destinations, and sacred sites. As the quarterly publication and voice
of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the magazine inspires readers to save the past and enrich the future through National Trust membership,
charitable giving, advocacy, and volunteerism.
Since 1786, Downtown Lynchburg, Virginia, has been
the heart and soul of our community. It’s full of historic
buildings and an eclectic array of architectural styles.
Learn the history of Downtown during the Civil War with
a self-guided walking tour. Explore our
shops and dine at our charming cafes and
restaurants. Visit our museums, enjoy a
night at the theater, or take a stroll in one
of our historic downtown neighborhoods.
Downtown Lynchburg has
all this and more!
www.discoverlynchburg.org
EDITOR’S NOTE
Common
Good
FALL 2014 VOL . 66, No. 4
A
s far back as I can remember, the art of buildings has inspired me. The first
places I was drawn to were medieval castles and churches—as a kid, of
course, this fascination had as much to do with fairy tales and dragons as it
did with flying buttresses. As I got older, my appreciation expanded to encompass
my own experience. My family lived in a saltbox, and I developed an affinity for
that and other early New England styles.
The first time I really did something about my interest in architecture was
when I was 17. I skipped school one day (sorry, Mom)
and drove around the countryside with a friend and a
35mm camera loaded with black-and-white film. We
spent most of the day photographing old buildings: a
small, white clapboard church and its adjacent cemetery;
an abandoned American foursquare; a weathered hay
barn; a crumbling block-and-stucco facade, which was
all that remained of a roadside tavern.
Today, I appreciate just about every architectural
style. While I admire grand architecture, for sure, it’s
those simple, rural structures that stir the most visceral
responses for me.
It’s ironic, but my favorite style of architecture isn’t
really a style at all. The historic buildings I respond to
frequently resemble the ones I photographed while
playing hooky all those decades ago. They weren’t designed by trained architects.
They typically lack ornate details. The materials used to construct them are often
unremarkable, found locally, sometimes even harvested directly from the building
site. Architects, historians, and preservationists lump buildings like these into the
broad category known as vernacular.
Vernacular buildings are constructed for purely practical reasons in places
where luxury isn’t an option. And because these simple historical treasures are
mostly located away from population centers, because they lack architectural
pedigrees, they tend to face the threats of neglect, abandonment, and disuse
more frequently than their carefully designed kin. This issue of Preservation
celebrates these places.
[email protected]
Receipt of Preservation is a benefit of membership in the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization chartered by Congress
in 1949. The National Trust for Historic Preservation works to save America’s Historic Places. Our programs and publications are made possible in part by membership
dues and contributions. A one-year membership is $20 ($30 for family membership) and includes four issues of the magazine and free or discounted admission
to National Trust Historic Sites. (Of the dues, $6 is designated for circulation purposes for a one-year magazine subscription.) For new memberships, renewals, or
changes of address, write to Membership Dept., The Watergate Office Building, 2600 Virginia Ave. N.W., Suite 1000, Washington, D.C. 20037, call (800) 944-6847, or send
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PreservationNation.org/magazine. • Preservation (ISSN 1090-9931) is published quarterly, © 2014 National Trust for Historic Preservation, and may not be
reproduced in any manner without written consent. Periodical postage rate paid at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices. • Preservation articles
are works of journalism and not the official policy of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Articles about products do not constitute endorsements. The
National Trust for Historic Preservation assumes no responsibility for the content of advertisements. • POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NTHP Membership, The Watergate Office Building, 2600 Virginia Ave. N.W., Suite 1000, Washington, D.C. 20037.
4
Editor in Chief
Dennis Hockman
Managing Editor
Meghan Drueding
Field Editor, West Coast
Lauren Walser
Assistant Editors
Katherine Flynn
David Robert Weible
Editorial Intern
Steven Piccione
Copy Editor
Katie Finley
Proofreader
Susan Cullen Anderson
Contributing Editors
Desiree French, Paul J. Goldberger, Christianna McCausland,
Andrea Poe, Nate Schweber, Bruce D. Snider, Cheryl Weber
Creative Director
Mary Prestera Butler
Contributing Art Director
Nicholas E. Torello
Designer
Rachael Marr
Production Manager
Beth Caudell Siegel
Contributing Photo Editor
Michael Green
Associate Director, Digital Content
Julia Rocchi
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PRESIDENT’S NOTE
Expanding
Our Outlook
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit
organization, works to save America’s historic places.
W
hen I first heard the figure 8 percent, I couldn’t believe it. And when I
learned it was true, I didn’t want to believe it. According to the U.S.
Department of the Interior, less than 8 percent of the places in our
country listed on the National Register of Historic Places represent racially and
ethnically diverse places. Less than 8 percent.
The National Register of Historic Places includes sites that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history, are associated with the lives
of significant people, and have yielded or may be likely to
yield information important in history or prehistory.
But until recently, the list has represented a mostly
white male version of events in our country. To its
immense credit, the National Park Service has been
working to address this shortcoming and has recently
completed a theme study of Latino history, a precursor
to preparing nominations to the Register. A similar study
for Asian-American and Pacific Islander history will
soon follow.
This realization also has spurred us to think about the
National Trust’s own portfolio of work and how we can
engage new audiences in preservation. We are proud that
nearly 50 percent of our National Treasures portfolio
reflects the often overlooked history of our nation.
It also has challenged us to expand our view about what is worth saving. Traditionally, high-style architecture associated with mainstream culture has garnered
the most attention. But we’re working to change that. In June, we added a new
National Treasure to our portfolio, Shockoe Bottom, a major slave-trading center
in 19th-century Richmond, Virginia. Imperiled by development, its material culture has literally been buried—no buildings from the slave trade remain visible in
the area slated for development. And yet, this site of conscience demands expert
archaeological analysis and preservation-based land use planning so that these
underground remnants of the slave trade can be interpreted properly and the
lives of those sold into bondage can be honored.
Working towards a more complete representation of our nation’s history also
challenges us to revisit what qualifies as “historic.” Today, properties must be at
least 50 years old or meet the competitive “exceptionally important” standard
to be placed on the National Register. Still, in many of the places that represent
histories we now characterize as exceptionally important, the physical structures
are only 20 to 50 years old.
We wish for all Americans to see themselves represented in our work. And we
hope to inspire a more diverse preservation community to join us in our cause.
Stephanie K. Meeks President
David J. Brown Executive Vice President and Chief Preservation Officer
Tabitha Almquist Chief of Staff
Robert Bull Chief Development Officer
Paul Edmondson Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel
Michael L. Forster Chief Financial and Administrative Officer
Terry Richey Chief Marketing Officer
PRESIDENT EMERITUS
Richard Moe
FIELD SERVICES
Eastern Region William Aiken House, 456 King St.,
Charleston, SC 29403, (843) 722-8552
Field Offices Boston; Charleston; Chicago; District of Columbia;
Nashville; and New York
Western Region 1420 Ogden St. Suite 203, Denver, CO 80218,
(303) 623-1504
Field Offices Boise; Canby, Ore.; Denver; Houston; Los Angeles;
San Francisco; and Seattle
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Carolyn Brody, Chair
Jorge L. Hernandez and Kenneth Woodcock, Vice Chairs
Victor H. Ashe, Leslie Greene Bowman, Laura W. Bush, Susan E.
Chapman-Hughes, Lawrence H. Curtis, Kevin D. Daniels, Jack Davis,
Christopher J. Elliman, Gloria Estefan, Paul J. Goldberger, Joe Grills, F.
Sheffield Hale, Irvin M. Henderson, Marilynn Wood Hill, Luis G. Hoyos,
Diane Keaton, Nancy Killefer, Fernando Lloveras San Miguel, Marcia
V. Mayo, Vincent L. Michael, Ph.D., F. Joseph Moravec, Martha Nelson,
Clement A. Price, Ph.D., Marita Rivero, Charles Morgan Royce, Jeffrey H.
Schutz, Barbara G. Sidway, Mary M. Thompson, Timothy P. Whalen
Ex Officio
The Attorney General of the United States
The Secretary of the Interior
The Director of the National Gallery of Art
Chair, National Trust Advisors
Chair, National Trust Historic Sites Councils
Chair, Statewide and Local Partners
Chairmen Emeriti
Robert M. Bass, Alan S. Boyd,
Nancy N. Campbell, William B. Hart,
J. Clifford Hudson, Jonathan M. Kemper
HONORARY TRUSTEE
David McCullough
[email protected]
ON TWITTER @SAVEPLACESPRES
NATIONAL TRUST HEADQUARTERS
The Watergate Office Building
2600 Virginia Avenue NW Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20037
(800) 944-6847
PreservationNation.org
6
To get around in most states, you need a map. Here you need a menu too. It seems no matter where you go, there are amazing culinary creations around every
scenic corner. Just ask Kathy Gunst, who traveled to Maine over 30 years ago. Author of 14 cookbooks including “Notes from a Maine Kitchen,” she is an
aficionada of everything Maine food. From the tremendous gourmet restaurants to the bustling food industry to the widespread Maine farm-to-table movement.
In other words, the views and the ingredients here are infinite. Which means the scenery isn’t the only thing you’ll eat up when
you come here. Be inspired. Be adventurous. Be yourself. Discover your Maine Thing. To learn more, go to VisitMaine.com.
KATHY, Food Scribe
Get more Insider info at VisitMaine.com
centuries
E xplore twelve
of historic treasures. . .
1870
1893
GRAND
HOTEL VIENNA
FAIRMONT
LE CHÂTEAU
FRONTENAC
VIENNA,
AUSTRIA
QUÉBEC CITY,
CANADA
Historic Hotels Worldwide destinations include:
Alsisar Mahal
Jhunjhunu, India • 1892
CVK Park Bosphorus Istanbul
Istanbul, Turkey • 1890
Hotel Caribe
Cartagena, Colombia • 1941
The Omni King Edward Hotel
Toronto, Canada • 1903
Amsterdam American Hotel
Amsterdam, Netherlands • 1882
Dalen Hotel
Dalen, Norway • 1894
Hotel Castello di Casole
Tuscany, Italy • 998
Quinta Real Oaxaca
Oaxaca, Mexico • 1576
Antica Dimora Suites
Crete, Greece • 1820
Dromoland Castle Hotel
County Clare, Ireland • 1543
Hotel Club Francés Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, Argentina • 1866
Quinta Real Puebla
Puebla, Mexico • 1593
Aranwa Cusco Boutique Hotel
Cusco, Peru • 1560
Engø Gård
Tjome, Norway • 1928
Hotel Metropole
Brussels, Belgium • 1895
Quinta Real Zacatecas
Zacatecas, Mexico • 1866
Armería Real Luxury Hotel & Spa
Cartagena, Colombia • 18th Century
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore
Singapore • 1829
Hotel New Grand
Yokohama, Japan • 1927
The Royal Horseguards
London, England • 1884
Bantú Hotel Boutique
Cartagena, Colombia • 1800
Gran Hotel Son Net
Mallorca, Spain • 1672
Hotel Regina
Paris, France • 1900
Sarova Stanley
Nairobi, Kenya • 1902
Barberstown Castle
Straffan, Ireland • 1288
Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi
Amalfi Coast, Italy • 1212
Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern
Luzern, Switzerland • 1845
The Savoy London
London, United Kingdom • 1889
Casa Azul Hotel
Monumento Historico
Merida, Mexico • 1900
Gregans Castle Hotel
Ballyvaughan, Ireland • 1750
Laxmi Niwas Palace
Bikaner, India • 1904
The Scotsman Hotel
Edinburgh, United Kingdom • 1905
Haaheim Gaard
Uggdal, Norway • 1907
Metropole Hotel
Venice, Italy • 1500
Hacienda Jurica
Queretaro, Mexico • 1551
The State Hermitage
Museum Official Hotel
St. Petersburg, Russia • 1830
Narutis Hotel
Vilnius, Lithuania • 1581
Château Eza
Côte D’Azur, France • 1600
Çiragan Palace Kempinski
Istanbul, Turkey • 1867
Storchen Zürich
Zurich, Switzerland • 1357
)
Citadel Inn Hotel & Resort
Lviv, Ukraine • 1850
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PAST PRESENT FUTURE
FIRST LOOK
Cottage Living
W
isteria Cottage is named for the
lush purple flowers that have
hovered above its front walkway
every spring since 1909, when
architect Irving Gill designed an arbor to support them. This past May, the blooms weren’t
the only part of the La Jolla, California, cottage to make a comeback. After a nearly yearlong restoration, the 1904 Craftsman-style
structure, owned by the La Jolla Historical
Society, has taken on a new life as a state-ofthe-art gallery and exhibition space.
The cottage’s rich history made the update
INSIDE
essential. Heiress Virginia Scripps purchased
it from the original owners and commissioned
Gill to design a remodel. The residence served
for many years as the guest house to South
Moulton Villa, owned by Virginia’s half-sister,
philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps.
Now, the modernized Wisteria Cottage, complete with fire systems, updated lighting, and
historically accurate cedar shingles, is primed to
serve the community with art and design shows
that “represent history translated for a contemporary audience,” says historical society Executive
Director Heath Fox. —Katherine Flynn
INSPIRATION
TIMELINE
SPOTLIGHT
BY THE NUMBERS
Local Heroes page 10
City Markets page 10
Letter Perfect page 12
Breweries page 14
PAST PRESENT FUTURE
INSPIRATION
Local Heroes
sites’ restoration, including Bealsville, Inc.
and the Improvement League of Plant City.
But the first step, according to William,
was to involve the community. “In order to
get government officials concerned about
our buildings,” he says, “we had to also show
our concern.”
Volunteers held fundraisers and began
clearing the grounds at both sites. Local
college student Tzeporaw Sahadeo wrote a
series of successful grant applications.
Today, after more than 10 years of work,
Bing Rooming/Boarding House is an educa-
William M. Thomas Sr. and his wife, Gwendolyn,
helped restore Bing Rooming/Boarding House,
pictured, and the Glover School.
tional center and museum of local AfricanAmerican history. Funding and construction
efforts to convert the Glover School into a
museum and community space continue.
“What we really want to do now is get
young people involved. That’s the only way
we’re going to maintain the continuity and
the focus on our history,” William says. “We
have a rich history here. We want to make
sure it’s not lost.” —Lauren Walser
TIMELINE: HISTORIC CITY MARKETS
From Colonial-era gatherings of street vendors to modernday cathedrals of craft and cuisine, city markets have served
as engines for immigrant entrepreneurship and districts of
cultural diffusion. Below, we browse some of the country’s
country
best examples. —David Robert Weible
1742
Faneuil Hall is built as a covered marketplace
along Boston’s waterfront, and later hosts
protests of the Stamp and Sugar acts. It still
operates today.
Kansas
City, Missouri,
authorities
April 2010
Believed
destroyed
in the 1971grant a lease
renovation of the post office in Melrose Park, Ill.,
1857
which remains
today,
t d restored
attracted
tt after
t d bbusiness
i
“Airmail,” completed
in 1937,open
is fully
for City Market at a rate
ate of $50 per year. The site,
from American
iconsceiling
BuffaloinBill
and Wyatt Earp.
being discovered
behind a drop
2007.
OPENING IMAGE: COURTESY LA JOLLA HISTORICAL SOCIETY; THIS PAGE: ALEX MCKNIGHT; OPPOSITE FROM TOP: CHRISTOPHER LONDON; COURTESY JULIETTE GORDON LOW BIRTHPLACE
A
fter more than two decades away,
William and Gwendolyn Thomas
were shocked when they moved
back to their hometown of Plant City,
Florida, in the mid-1990s and found two
important local landmarks deteriorating.
One, the 1933 Glover School in the town’s
Bealsville community, educated AfricanAmerican children for decades. The other,
Bing Rooming/Boarding House, opened
circa 1925 as a hotel for African-American
travelers during the years of segregation.
Baseball legend Satchel Paige and musician
Muddy Waters were among its guests. The
rooming house is one of the few remaining
historic buildings in what was once Plant
City’s African-American business district.
Concerned for the buildings’ fates, the
Thomases approached the city.
“Bing Rooming House was in such bad
shape that the city felt the best course of
action would be to tear it down,” William
explains. “We refused to do that. They
said we could build a replica for much
cheaper. But it wouldn’t have that same
historical significance.”
Instead, the couple, now retired, drew
upon their years of military training to get
organized. (William was part of the U.S.
Army’s Criminal Investigation Command,
while Gwendolyn worked as a civilian in the
Army’s personnel department.) They located
funding sources and secured nonprofit
status for the organizations involved in the
IN JUNE, THE CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY FUNDED
STONEWORK REPAIRS AND RE-GILDING ON THE PARK’S 1923
NEOCLASSICAL NAUMBURG BANDSHELL.
THE LIMESTONE STRUCTURE HAS HOSTED PERFORMANCES BY NOTABLES
SUCH AS B.B. KING AND THE GRATEFUL DEAD.
NEWS BRIEF
Low Country
IN 1953, the Girl Scouts of the USA saved the
home of their founder from potentially becoming
a parking lot, instead transforming it into the
eponymous Juliette Gordon Low Girl Scout
National Center. This past August, the scouts
unveiled their most recent preservation effort: a
full exterior restoration of the stately 1821 English Regency residence in Savannah, Georgia.
Work on the National Historic Landmark
began with a basic structural investigation
that turned into a complete exterior overhaul.
Curator Sherryl Lang and architect Forrest Lott
focused on restoring the masonry columns and
replacing the brownstone coping, treads, and
stucco veneer. They also replaced the shutters
and upgraded the roof from stainless steel to
zinc. “Everything we did is to bring the building
to a good state of preservation that will last,”
Lang says. “We needed to do as much as we
could afford to.”
Also called the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, the house is open for tours year-round.
It will be part of the Field Study program this
November at PastForward, the National Trust’s
National Preservation Conference. —Steven Piccione
FOR MORE CONFERENCE INFORMATION: Visit
PastForward2014.com. The opening plenary, to
be held on November 12 at 3:30 p.m. at Savannah’s Lucas Theatre, also serves as the annual
meeting of the National Trust membership for the
purpose of electing National Trust board members. To learn about this year’s slate of trustee
nominees, see PreservationNation.org/trustees.
1971 Seattle voters approve
a 17-acre historic district to
preserve the city’s 1907 Pike
Place Market, now famous for
employees’ fish throwing.
1950s
Maxwell Street Market—an early incubator of Chicagostyle blues and the business district for the city’s
burgeoning immigrant population—is destroyed by the
development of the Dan Ryan Expressway.
2004
2
Cleveland’s West Side Market is restored, and its arcade
enclosed and heated. More than 100 vendors from the city’s
European, Middle Eastern, Latino, and Asian communities
continue to call the 1912 market building home.
TIMELINE PHOTOS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: ISTOCKPHOTO/ANDIPANTZ; COURTESY FANEUIL HALL MARKETPLACE; COURTESY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS: LC-USZC4-3169; ISTOCKPHOTO/PHUDUI; WIKIMEDIA/SCOTT DAVID
FALL 2014
| preservation
11
PAST PRESENT FUTURE
12
SPOTLIGHT
Letter Perfect
W
hen Peter L. Malkin and his son, Anthony, purchased the 1917 Greenwich, Connecticut, post office building from the U.S. Postal Service in 2011, they were
looking for a way to reinvent it for the next century. And as real estate investors
with a strong track record of historic preservation, “we wanted to set an iconic example,”
Peter says. They needed a tenant that could help them in the effort to restore, preserve, and
adaptively reuse the magnificent Neoclassical building.
The Malkins found an ideal partner in Restoration Hardware (RH), led by another
preservation advocate, Gary Friedman. Together, they transformed the post office into RH’s
Greenwich location, while thoroughly maintaining its integrity. “It looks like the important
historical structure it had always been,” says preservation architect Frank J. Prial Jr.
The National Register–listed building occupies a prominent downtown corner, and
features a distinctive radiating plan and concave portico. Prial and design architect Jim
Gillam kept the exterior almost exactly as it was, replacing windows, restoring and repairing the limestone, and returning the bronze entry chandeliers to their former glory. The
interiors were completely renovated, and a rear loading dock added in 1936 was largely
demolished in favor of a seamless addition.
“Post office buildings are going to be more and more available for reuse,” Gillam says.
“We have to do it well, and in the long run, it’s worth it because they’re in the best locations
within communities.” —Meghan Drueding
The restored Greenwich, Connecticut, post office faces a World War I
memorial obelisk, also restored. The building’s interiors (above), make good
on its new name: RH Greenwich, The Gallery at the Historic Post Office.
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY RESTORATION HARDWARE/MARK HUG
FALL 2014
| preservation
13
PAST PRESENT FUTURE
BY THE NUMBERS
Drinking Age
H
istorians pinpoint 1587 as the year that Virginia colonists
first brewed corn-based ale, kicking off a long national
love affair with fermentation. As brewing and distilling
became industrialized over the next few centuries, several
still-operating establishments took root, and others’ buildings or recipes have since found surprising new lives. We’ve distilled
some intoxicating facts below. —Katherine Flynn
1829
The year
Yuengling,
the oldest continually
operating brewery in
America, is established as
Eagle Brewery in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.
Depth in feet of the abandoned cellars and tunnels
used by German-American breweries during Cincinnati’s brewing heyday in the
late 19th century.
30–40
100
83
55
Size in acres of Woodford
County, Kentucky’s 1887 Old
Taylor Distillery complex.
After 42 years of disuse and
an estimated 18-month restoration, the bourbon
distillery could once again be fully functional
by the fall of 2015.
Exact length in years of the Nelson’s
Green Brier Distillery’s hiatus. Owned
by German immigrant Charles Nelson
beginning in 1870 in Greenbrier, Tennessee, and shuttered
in 1909 due to local prohibition laws, Green Brier was
revived in 2009 by Nelson’s great-great-great grandsons
Andy and Charlie Nelson.
Seconds that the interior of the
aged oak barrels used in whiskey
distilling are charred by an open
flame at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.
Whiskey-making on the site
dates to 1786.
$250,000
Estimated cost of a proposed plan
to illuminate the historic Grain
Belt Beer sign in Minneapolis
with upgraded LED lights. The
beloved 1941 landmark has been
dark since 1996.
NEWS BRIEF
Jail Time
THE RESTORED ROBERTSON COUNTY JAIL
is one of three jewels on the Franklin, Texas,
town square, joining a restored historic courthouse and a new annex building. The Hon. Jan
Roe, the county court’s presiding judge and
a driving force behind the jail restoration, describes the $1.4 million project, completed this
year, as a labor of love. “And it certainly has
been a labor. But it’s been worth it, because
it’s absolutely gorgeous,” she says.
Austin architect Frederick Ruffini designed
the Second Empire–style building in the early
1880s, and it was last used as a jail in 1988.
(It now holds the county probation offices.)
Referencing a set of Ruffini’s generic jail
plans from the 1870s and 1880s, and early
photos, the project included replicating the
14
original front porch; removing and rebuilding an
addition; and restoring an interior stairwell and
some of the original flooring.
“We kept the basket door that separated
the jail from the living quarters,” Roe says.
“You can stick your head in and see left and
right, up and down.” The cells, which had
been replaced in the 1920s, were removed to
make room for office space. A forensic paint
examiner helped re-formulate the original
paint colors.
Architect Mark Thacker of Sinclair &
Wright, which oversaw the restoration, says
many local residents were initially put off by
the project’s cost. “Now that it’s over, I think
the majority are pleased, and shocked at how
good it looks,” he says. —Cheryl Weber
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: COURTESY D.G. YUENGLING & SON, INC.; WIKIMEDIA/MULAD; SINCLAIR & WRIGHT ARCHITECTS; SHUTTERSTOCK/VSO
110,000
Barrels of beer produced by the San Antonio Brewing Association
in 1916, making it the largest brewery in Texas.
In 1952 it became Pearl Brewery, and today
the renovated structures house restaurants,
offices, retail shops, and an event space.
TRANSITIONS
16
PLACES RESTORED, THREATENED, SAVED, AND LOST
by David Robert Weible
THREATENED
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL
MONUMENT The 178,000-acre monument in southwest Colorado is home to
the highest density of archaeological sites in the nation. It contains artifacts from Paleo
Indians—believed to have inhabited the area as far back as 15,000 B.C.E.—up to the
ancestors of today’s local Pueblos. Though 80 percent of the area was leased for resource
development when it was established as a national monument in 2000, a renewed
interest in the site by energy giant Kinder Morgan could mean new roads, pumping
stations, and wells. Plans are not final, and though the Bureau of Land Management is
working with Kinder Morgan to mitigate effects, a threat to Canyons of the Ancients’
historic viewsheds and cultural landscape remains. PHOTO BY FOTOSTOCK/WITOLD SKRYPCZAK
RESTORED DEZWAAN WINDMILL The DeZwaan Windmill was moved from Vinkel,
the Netherlands, to Holland, Michigan, in 1964 to serve as a symbol of the town’s Dutch heritage. Built
in 1884 with parts from an 18th-century predecessor, the windmill was the last allowed to leave the
Netherlands by the Dutch government and is the only original Dutch windmill in the United States.
Beginning in September 2013, a $750,000 project restored the structure’s cap with copper shingles,
replaced cedar shake shingles and structural beams, and rebuilt its capstan wheel. This fall, town
officials plan to pursue a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for “The Swann,” which
continues to operate as a grain mill and tourist attraction. PHOTO COURTESY DISCOVER HOLLAND
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TRANSITIONS
THREATENED
HOTEL NORMANDIE
Noted engineer Felix Benitez Rexach built the Hotel
Normandie in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for his wife. Its
name and design were inspired by the famed French
ocean liner on which they met. The 1942 Art Deco structure,
devised by architect Raul Reichard, was the first major
hotel in Puerto Rico expressly intended for international
guests. Since its original closure in the 1960s, the concrete
structure has suffered from neglect and harsh tropical
conditions. Though a new developer has publicly stated
its intent for redevelopment, as of press time, the hotel’s
historic facade and ocean views are at risk of being
obscured by a proposed multi-story parking structure.
COURTESY PUERTO RICO HISTORIC BUILDINGS DRAWINGS SOCIETY/ANDREW RIVERA
SAVED MIZNER MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN The 1929
Mediterranean Revival–style fountain inspired, in part, by Rome’s Villa
Borghese is one of South Florida architect Addison Mizner’s few nonresidential projects. It is part of a Palm Beach, Florida, park that also
includes a reflecting pool and palm tree allee. A plaque at one end of
the reflecting pool bears the names of the town’s World War II veterans,
including Joseph, Robert, and John F. Kennedy, whose family resided
there seasonally. The fountain’s restoration was expanded in 2010 as
plans to combine it into a larger public works project took shape. A state
grant of $350,000, as well as $212,500 of private money raised by the
Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, will allow officials to address
the site’s water damage and general deterioration as the tourist season
permits. PHOTO COURTESY THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE FOUNDATION/CHARLES BIRNBAUM
18
RESTORED COIT TOWER Situated on Telegraph Hill—named for its role
as a lookout for incoming ships during the 1800s—San Francisco’s 210-foot Coit Tower
provides 360-degree views of the city and San Francisco Bay. Funded by Lillie Hitchcock
Coit and designed by architect Arthur Brown Jr., it was completed in 1933 as a monument
to the city’s original volunteer fire department. Beginning in October 2013, the San
Francisco Recreation and Parks Department embarked on a $1.95 million endeavor to
repair the tower’s concrete, stucco, roofing, windows, and doors. The project also restored
many of the 1934 Public Works of Art Project murals and frescoes that depicted the life
of California’s workers during the Great Depression. Coit Tower reopened to the public
this past May. PHOTO BY ISTOCKPHOTO/COMPASSANDCAMERA
CASTANEDA HOTEL Established in what was
then the mercantile hub of the Southwest and a burgeoning resort town,
the 1898 Castaneda Hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico, hosted the first reunion
of Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders following the Spanish-American War.
The first rail-side hotel for entrepreneur Fred Harvey and the Santa Fe
Railway, the structure was designed by prominent Los Angeles architect
Frederick Louis Roehrig with possible input from architectural cult figure
Mary Colter. Following its closure in 1948, the Mission Revival hotel’s 40
guest rooms sat largely disused until developer Allan Affeldt purchased
the 41,000-square-foot property in April. A $2.5 million-plus restoration
of the site’s terrazzo floors, wood finishes, and original windows—among
other elements—is expected to be complete by spring 2016.
SAVED
PHOTO COURTESY NEW MEXICO FILM OFFICE
FALL 2014
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BY NATE SCHWEBER • PHOTOGRAPHY BY AUDREY HALL
SMALL WONDERS
DIMINUTIVE SCHOOLHOUSES
PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN
MONTANA’S RURAL COMMUNITIES
➸
T
allow Creek School?” asked the 5-year-old boy in denim, mimicking the
way I had said “creek:” with a long “e,” like the sound of an old door shutting.
Like an outsider.
I was nearly through touring one-room and rural schools in my home
state, Montana. I wound up in Phillips County, in the vast, grassy open
about halfway between Sheridan, Wyoming, and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
I had flown 2,300 miles from New York City, and would drive about an
equal number to visit schools and people. This was the best way I knew to
reconnect, and to better see the ways that the changing relationship between
Montanans and their land has shaped the challenge of preserving the
smallest schools in the fourth-largest state in the nation.
Montana still has around 60 rural and one-room schools in use today—the
most in America, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. But that number once totaled
2,600. I had already visited four, each one an archetype of the varying conditions of rural schoolhouses
in modern Montana. One was thriving. Another had been turned into a community center. A third stood
abandoned, while a fourth was rebuilt and preserved. The fifth, Tallow Creek School, lay in the murky
middle. Out on a prairie that seemed endless, the little white schoolhouse with the battered roof could
have a future like any of the other schools I’d seen. The question was, which one would it be?
I wanted to visit Tallow Creek, but for that I needed the OK of half its student body—the boy. And he
just squared on me like a stern teacher.
SUNSET SCHOOL
I START MY ODYSSEY in a valley named Blackfoot in the rough moun-
tains of western Montana, long scraped by loggers and miners. On
a dirt road in the town of Greenough stands a white clapboard
building, the Sunset School, originally opened in the late 1800s.
Its pitched metal roof is painted maroon, and from one end rises
a small bell tower.
Teacher Toni Hatten welcomes me inside first thing on a Monday morning after
checking the mousetraps. She talks about the
school’s lifesaving enrollment jump: from one
student to eight in three years.
“That was my goal when I got here: How
could we bring the kids back?” says Hatten,
47, a native of Lincoln, Nebraska, with full
cheeks, sharp eyes, and wavy black hair to
her shoulders.
Tiny schools once bloomed all over Montana, where a century ago more than 30 million acres—more than in any other state—
were given to homesteaders. These farmers,
ranchers, miners, and loggers built thousands of small schoolhouses, such as Sunset.
But where many frontier schools had dirt
floors, sod roofs, and no electricity, Sunset is
warm and wired. I follow a crew-cutted new
student named Jack Robinson to his desk in a
room stocked with computers and iPads, its
walls covered in bright posters that complement a sepia portrait of Abraham Lincoln.
“And in front we use the Smart Board,” Hatten says.
“Smart Board?” I ask.
It is to a chalkboard what a jet is to an oxcart. Essentially a touchscreen computer that fills a wall, the Smart Board is shown to me by
a 13-year-old named Amber Leetch. She was the subject of a 2012
New York Times story because she was the only student in her entire
school district—a perfect example of the sometimes hard-to-justify
costs of keeping small schools open.
“It was really nice to have one-on-one with my teacher,” she tells
me, wrapped in a colorful coat at recess in a prime Montana chill.
“But now I like to help teach the littler kids.”
Hatten recruited Amber’s classmates by meeting parents and
showing them the advantages of a smallschool education. “The personal attention from the teacher is what I liked,” said
Kathryn Campbell, who enrolled her three
kids. Like many Sunset parents, Campbell’s
husband works for Paws Up, a luxury guest
ranch (visitors have included Harrison Ford
and the Rolling Stones) on the top-rated
trout river two miles from the school. The
shift from natural resource extraction to
tourist attraction in parts of Montana has
caused more than a little tension. But inside
Sunset School, the combination of local history, global connectivity, and student interaction makes for powerful lessons.
On the Smart Board, Hatten shows a
film about children who mine for gold in
the West African country of Burkina Faso.
Amber, who lives near the ghost town of
Garnet, where her grandmother used to
lead tours around a spent gold mine, tells the
class that the shoeless African children are
surface mining. Eight-year-old Maccailein Campbell notes they are
using pickaxes, just like bygone miners in the Blackfoot Valley. He
is moved to speak.
“I think the kids should get good schools,” he says.
Amber gives him a nod.
FARMERS, MINERS,
RANCHERS, AND
LOGGERS BUILT
THOUSANDS OF
SMALL SCHOOLS,
SUCH AS SUNSET.
22
PREVIOUS PAGES
The Prairie Union
School near Malta,
Montana, was
converted from a
pioneer cabin in the
early 1940s.
OPPOSITE
The Sunset School in
Greenough, Montana,
boasts an interactive
version of an oldfashioned chalkboard.
THIS PAGE
Sunset School
student Jadesa
Stevens returns to the
clapboard building
and her teacher (and
grandmother) Toni
Hatten after a break
in lessons.
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE:
In 2013, the National Trust
listed Montana’s historic rural
schoolhouses among the 11 Most
Endangered Historic Places in
America. For more information,
and for a book review of Visions
and Voices: Montana’s OneRoom Schoolhouses, visit
PreservationNation.org/online.
RADERSBURG SCHOOL
50 YEARS the Radersburg School sat
empty at the edge of a five-block town in southcentral Montana. Facing the snowy Big Belt Mountains, it was little more than a place of refuge for
mule deer, like the 30 I see in its yard when I visit.
In 2009, this boxy, off-white brick building topped
with a bell tower got a new beginning. A few former students joined forces to turn their old school
into a community center for family reunions, weddings, and holiday dinners.
“The ball started rolling,” says Alan Smith, 57. He
is on break from an elk hunt, warming by the school’s
new heater. “And we haven’t let it stop since.”
In late 2009, Smith and his wife, Deb, called a
town meeting. Seven people pledged $100 to reopen
the school. Soon, others gave, too. Eventually there
were enough funds to fix the roof, coat the front door
with fresh red paint, and give Radersburg new life.
“There’s a real concern that in these rural towns, if
the schoolhouse ceases to exist the town would cease
to exist,” says Amy Sullivan, formerly of the Montana
History Foundation, Incorporated, which awarded a
$5,000 grant to Radersburg School.
The school opened in 1913, the year homesteading
peaked in America. A quarter-million people migrated
to Montana, 2,500 of them to Radersburg. In time, the
mines played out, the logging industry collapsed, and
farmers and ranchers faced drought. People followed
jobs to bigger towns, leaving homesteads and schools.
Census data shows that Montana has swelled to about
a million residents, but mostly in the six largest towns.
Radersburg now has approximately 66.
“The community spirit changed,” says town historian Harla Gillespie, 77, who has clear blue eyes and
sits by the heater with her husband, Bill, 80, in a jean
jacket and white cowboy hat.
Beside them, in a heavy tan coat flecked with mud,
is Dan Williams, 67. When asked his occupation he
says, “right across the road.” I look and see his herd
of Black Baldy cattle.
He pronounces “creek” the Montana way—rhyming with “stick.” Then he laughs about a prank once
played on a schoolmate “in the hooter.”
“Hooter?” I ask.
“Outhouse,” he says with a grin.
Around him are bright color photos of a celebration held on June 22, 2013, the centennial of Radersburg School. Hundreds turned out. When I ask about
that day, Williams turns serious.
“The preservation has been a fine experience for
everybody. It welded the community together,” he
says, looking around his old, wooden classroom. “And
we have had some pretty damn good feelings running
through here.”
FOR ALMOST
24
OPPOSITE,
FROM TOP
Community members
on the lawn of the
Radersburg School,
now a community
center; Inside the
former school, town
residents Nancy
Hossfeld and Joanie
Bacon sit and chat.
THIS PAGE
The Placer School near
Helena, Montana, now
serves as little more
than a picturesque
wind shelter for Black
Angus cattle and
a roosting spot for
grouse and pheasants.
RIGHT
The Prairie Union
School closed in 1957.
Today it serves as a
reminder of what life
was like half a century
ago in rural Montana.
OPPOSITE,
FROM LEFT
The Tallow Creek
School remains a
valuable resource
in Phillips County,
Montana; Even after
funding from the
school district was cut,
Sierra Dawn Stoneberg
Holt continues to teach
daughter, Zora, and
son, Linden, there.
PLACER SCHOOL
MOST OF THE ONE - ROOM SCHOOLS that sprouted in Montana now
rest, weathered and worn, alongside empty badlands highways,
up piney gravel roads, and past cattle guards in grain fields.
Preservationist Charlotte Caldwell drove 14,000-plus miles to
visit more than 150 of them. She piqued new interest in rural
schools in 2012 when she published a book called Visions and
Voices: Montana’s One-Room Schoolhouses.
She recommends I see the Placer School, a short drive (by Montana metrics) from Radersburg.
Granted permission to visit, I cross a snowy two-track on private property past Black Angus cows until the building appears in a
pasture, as stark as a battered castle. Unlike many frontier schools,
Placer School was built of fieldstone.
I hike over. Six pigeons flap from a crumbling red brick chimney. Inside, the floor is covered with wood planks fallen from the
roof. In the snow, I spot fresh hare tracks. There is no heater, new
roof, Smart Board, or group of friends, only cold wind breathing
through eight empty windows.
“That history and culture will fade away and out of memory,”
Caldwell tells me, “when that schoolhouse falls to the ground.”
PRAIRIE UNION SCHOOL
OUT OF THE MOUNTAINS and into the wide and wavy eastern plains,
I stop in the Malta, Montana, living room of 97-year-old Bessie
Mae Waters to learn how the next school I’m going to see got
its name. Waters tells me that her family moved to Malta from
near Falls City, Nebraska, in 1927. Just before the U.S. entered
World War II, her sister Gladys sent her two young sons to a oneroom school repurposed from an abandoned homesteader cabin
26
built in 1912. The little building of rough-hewn cottonwood logs
reminded Gladys of the church they had left behind in Nebraska—
the Prairie Union Church.
“My sister thought it would be a perfect name,” says Waters,
an eloquent woman with silver hair, “because this place was also
on the prairie.”
The Prairie Union School opened for grades one through
eight in 1943, got its first electric light bulb in 1956, and closed
just a year later. In 2007 the nonprofit American Prairie Reserve
rebuilt, preserved, and reopened the school. When architect
Harry Howard began the restoration, he dug through two feet of
Cold War cow dung to find the original floor.
“But it was delightful,” says Howard, who re-created the wood
plank door, sash windows, and sod roof. “And for such a tiny little
school, it was remarkable how many people had a history there.”
Damien Austin, a reserve supervisor for the American Prairie
Reserve, lets me inside. The room is barely tall enough for him,
or wide enough for four kids’ desks. On the log walls hang an
American flag, a portrait of Lincoln, and a map of more than 100
rural schools that once filled Phillips County—now mostly gone.
There’s also a speaker box. With the press of a button I hear former student Charlene Barnard McCully remembering Christmases at Prairie Union School.
“Everybody got together and it was just a fun, fun time,”
relays her recorded voice. “It was a community time.”
The American Prairie Reserve purchases ranches from people
who decide to move on from this distant part of Phillips County.
The organization is building a wildlife sanctuary on hundreds of
thousands of acres around the Prairie Union School, where antelope dance on bluffs, elk bugle in bottomlands, and bison—once
exterminated here—roam again. The idea is for the sanctuary to
one day be like a privately owned national park: on scale with
Yellowstone, open to all, and home to the animals seen in this
region by the first American explorers, Lewis and Clark.
“It’s a vital eco-region,” Austin says as we leave the school.
“Eco-region?” I ask, the wind blowing out my voice.
I look it up later. He meant the 200,000,000-acre Northern
Great Plains. Or maybe the 200-square-foot school.
TALLOW CREEK SCHOOL
“FOR SUCH A TINY
SCHOOL, IT WAS
REMARKABLE HOW
MANY PEOPLE HAD
A HISTORY THERE.”
—HARRY HOWARD
is also in
Phillips County, and to be led there I meet
Sierra Dawn Stoneberg Holt. She is the
teacher at the Tallow Creek School, and her
daughter Zora, 7, and son Linden, 5, are its
students. Wearing a red-and-white plaid
shirt and braids, Stoneberg Holt shows me
a 1950s photograph taken outside the Tallow Creek School of a little blond girl holding a silver syrup pail—her mother.
Tallow Creek School was built around
1920, just after Stoneberg Holt’s greatgrandmother filed a homestead claim here
on the Missouri River Breaks. But three
years ago, the nearest school district quit
paying for upkeep on the building, putting
its future in jeopardy.
Now Stoneberg Holt, 41, homeschools
her kids on her family’s cattle ranch 45
minutes away, but says they benefit greatly
by also using the Tallow Creek School once a month. And she
wants to make sure the school is secured for future generations
of ranch families as a bulwark against what she sees as worrisome
changes. She is skeptical of the vision of the American Prairie
Reserve. And she is against the controversial Keystone XL pipe-
THE LAST PLACE ON MY ITINERARY
line project, poised to enter the United States from Canada at the
top of Phillips County.
“I have to do it so I can look at myself in the mirror and not say
I could’ve done something if I tried,” says Stoneberg Holt, who
recently received a $5,000 grant from the Montana History Foundation to fix the school’s aging roof.
Under that roof are children’s desks, alphabet placards, an
upright piano, a map of Montana, a portrait of Barack Obama, a poster reading,
“There’s No Way To Have An Ag-Less
Day,” and a flag from the Czech Republic,
where Stoneberg Holt once studied. Outside are currant bushes, braying brown
cows, and so much amber grass that gazing through a school window is like watching the sea through a porthole on a ship.
I think about all the schools I’ve seen,
culminating in this one, down a long dirt
drive called Content Road. Just like their
builders, I don’t know their future. But
I want to see them again, and find them
in fi ne shape. I’ve learned that more than
any beam of cottonwood, or any cornerstone of granite, what holds up Montana’s
rural schools is the grit and the love of the
people they touch.
Hopefully when I come back, I’ll be
welcomed in the same spirit as when I
fi rst asked Linden if I could see his Tallow Creek School.
“We’re going to,” he corrects, “the Tallow Crick School.”
NATE SCHWEBER is a writer and Brooklyn, New York, resident who grew up in Missoula, Montana. He is the
author of Fly Fishing Yellowstone National Park: An Insider’s Guide to the 50 Best Places.
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Back to the
Sally and Tony Grassi weren’t looking for a mission;
they were just out for a little fresh air. But on a
springtime stroll from their son and daughter-in-law’s
farm in Freedom, Maine, something like a mission is
what they found. Next door to the farm, where Sandy
Stream descends through Freedom’s sleepy village
center, stood a picturesquely derelict 19th-century mill.
“We walked past the mill and the pond and the dam,”
28
Tony says, “and I thought, ‘What a cool old building.’”
The scene had inspired similar thoughts in others,
no doubt. But the Grassis would take matters much
further, embarking that day in 2004 on a course
that would lead to their buying the property and
rehabilitating it into a mixed-use structure with a
school, restaurant, and office space. The project
would ultimately involve not just restoring the
It took a
village to
resurrect a
ramshackle
mill in the
town of
Freedom,
Maine
Grind
by
Bruce D. Snider
photography by
Brendan Bullock
historic building and dam, but also generating
environmentally friendly hydroelectric power,
boosting the local farm economy, and once again
making The Mill at Freedom Falls what it had been
for more than a century: the beating heart of a
thriving rural community.
Coopers Mills, Weeks Mills, Bar Mills: Maine place
names often reference their origins. And in the late
18th and early 19th centuries, when many of the
state’s inland towns were founded, access to water
power was essential. “Any community of any size just
about always started at a mill site,” says Christi A.
Mitchell, architectural historian at the Maine Historic
Preservation Commission, who helped the Grassis get
the Freedom mill listed on the National Register of
Historic Places. “It was the center of everything.”
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30
Without a sawmill and gristmill nearby, she says,
“there was [often] no way to get wood to build your
house—other than hewing logs—or to grind your
grain.” Mills later formed the backbone of local industry, Mitchell adds. “They evolved to do what needed
to be done. There were lath mills, stave mills, stone
polishing mills.” Wooden waterwheels generally gave
way to water-driven iron turbines and, later, to electrical power, but mills remained central to small-town
rural life well into the 20th century.
B
•••
UILT AS A GRISTMILL IN 1834,
the Freedom mill served local farmers by grinding their grain into
flour, mostly for household use. A
two-story timber-frame structure,
the original building stood on
a 20-foot-high granite foundation
laid in part on the bedrock of the
stream bed. Water diverted through
the cellar drove horizontal wooden
tub wheels (unlike the vertical
waterwheels seen in pastoral paintings, these were
fully enclosed), which turned three pairs of millstones
via vertical shafts projecting through the floor. Converted around 1894 to a wood-turning mill, it produced
dowels, spools, broomsticks, and tool handles. Beginning in 1913, a sawmill on the opposite bank of the
stream delivered sawn-up logs to the turning mill in
carts, across a narrow-gauge railway bridge.
The turning mill operated until 1967, when it succumbed to competition from larger manufacturing
companies, the depletion of local hardwoods, and the
growing popularity of plastics. The Grassis’ fateful
encounter with the property came in the nick of time.
The dam had seen some maintenance over the years,
but the mill building had been essentially abandoned
to the elements. The foundation was badly damaged;
several shedlike additions that wrapped around the
original building were beyond redemption. Remains
of the long-abandoned sawmill structure were lodged
in the stream.
The Grassis are committed preservationists, but
while Sally was captivated by the historic building, her
husband had his eye on the stream. A retired investment banker and former chairman of the Nature Conservancy and American Rivers, Tony had worked for
years to restore migratory fish populations by removing
hydroelectric dams on Maine’s Penobscot River. At the
Freedom mill site, however, he saw a dam worth saving.
“What got me was the stream, and trying to see if
we could get hydropower that was really green,” he
says. He checked with his friends at the Nature Conservancy, who found no history of Atlantic salmon or
alewife runs on Sandy Stream. “They said, ‘That’s a
dam that should probably stay rather than go,’” he says.
While Sally was captivated by the
historic building, her husband had
his eye on the stream.
LEFT, CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP
The restored Mill at
Freedom Falls houses
a school, offices for a
nonprofit, and a farmto-table restaurant;
The top half of a steel
turbine excavated from
the mill’s foundation;
Architect Christopher
Glass outside The Mill
School’s entrance,
which incorporates an
original sliding door;
Tony and Sally Grassi,
the mill’s owners;
“Marriage marks”
etched by the original
builders to identify
connecting timbers
ABOVE
An existing dam
retains the mill pond,
part of Sandy Stream.
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE:
For a link to the 30-minute
documentary film Reviving
the Freedom Mill, visit
“So I ended up in the strange position of developer.”
Only then did he look closely at the building. The
timber frame of the original gristmill structure
remained remarkably intact, but the floors were in poor
condition. Cedar shingles were falling off the exterior
walls. Birds flew through the empty window openings.
Inspecting the interior with general contractor Jay
Fischer proved both inspiring and cautionary. “I fell
through the floor upstairs,” Tony says. “Fortunately
just one leg.” But a structural engineer’s report showed
that repairs were feasible, so the project advanced to
the next step: securing a stack of permits from entities
ranging from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to the Maine Office of State Fire Marshal and Department of Environmental Protection.
Gaining the support of the town was especially
important to the Grassis. By then, Freedom (population 719) had grown so accustomed to the mill as just
part of the scenery that when Tony studied zoning
regulations for uses permitted on the site, he found
none. “Nobody thought about this building when they
drew the zoning map,” he says. “You couldn’t get permission to do anything.” He would have to bring the
matter to Freedom’s annual town meeting.
Myrick Cross attended the meeting that day, and
he listened with interest to Grassi’s proposal. A retired
Episcopal priest, Cross grew up on a dairy farm near
the center of town. “I remember coming home from
school and hearing the singing sound of the saws in
the sawmill,” he says. “Freedom used to be a bustling
community, with businesses and industry and good
energy.” The parents of a schoolmate owned the mill,
he recalls. “My classmate made a skirt out of dowels
FALL 2014
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32
and wore it on a float in the Fourth of July parade.”
After the mill closed, he says, “the town fell into
disrepair in a lot of ways—not just the buildings, but
the psyche of the community, as well.” A new generation of farmer-entrepreneurs has brightened
western Waldo County’s outlook in recent years, and
Cross believes a revival of the mill could build on that
development. Most at the meeting agreed, according
to Grassi. “We came up with half a dozen potential
uses, and the town approved them all,” he says.
Making good on that social capital, the Grassis knew, meant not just fi xing the building, but also
fi nding tenants who would truly benefit the town.
They didn’t have to look far. The couple has two
grown children: Prentice Grassi, an organic farmer
who lives and works within view of the mill, and Laurie Grassi Redmond, a state-certified teacher who
lives in the nearby town of South China. Redmond
TOP TWO PHOTOS BY SALLY GRASSI
CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP
The building before
restoration; The mill
during the restoration
process; Original beltdrive mill equipment
hangs from the ceiling
of The Lost Kitchen
restaurant.
had taken a few years off to raise her daughters, ages
5 and 7, and now she was looking for two things: a
teaching job for herself and the right school for her
children. Prentice’s wife, Polly Shyka, had an idea
that would supply both, Redmond says. “Polly told
me, ‘I’ve been thinking about the highest and best
use of that mill space.’” And she suggested a school.
Redmond had already decided that running an
independent private school would require too much
time away from her family. “But then Prentice asked,
‘What if you had a pop-up school, with 10 kids or so?’”
she says. “And that started to become feasible.” She
explored other locations, but the mill won out. “The mill
is the richest possible place,” she says. “You have the
falls, the stream, the wetlands, the woods, the hydropower, the millstones—years and years of curriculum.”
She held public information sessions in January
and February of 2012. Two months later The
CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP
The Lost Kitchen
owner and chef Erin
French prepares for
dinner service; Water
flows out of the pond
and toward the mill;
The building’s original
entrance is now the
entry to The Lost
Kitchen.
FALL 2014
| preservation
33
ABOVE
Laurie Grassi
Redmond, director of
The Mill School, with
her daughter Elsa in a
light-filled classroom
on the second floor
of the original mill
building.
34
Mill School was fully enrolled, with a waiting list.
It currently operates three days a week, with 20
students between the ages of 5 and 12. The school is
meant to function as a complement to homeschooling
programs, which are gradually gaining popularity
in Maine.
Shyka had an idea for another tenant, too. Chef
and restaurateur Erin French was seeking a new
home for The Lost Kitchen, her acclaimed restaurant
in Belfast, Maine, 16 miles from Freedom. “I grew up
two miles from the mill,” says French. “We’d parade
past it every Fourth of July. It’s where all the bad
boys would get into trouble. They’d spray-paint it.” A
renewed mill seemed the perfect home for French’s
brand of “place-based seasonal food,” she says.
Not only were the building and the stream captivating, but her suppliers—including Polly and Prentice’s Village Farm—lay close at hand. “Probably 75
percent of the food I was using in Belfast was coming from within five miles of here,” French says. The
building’s third tenant was another natural fit: the
Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets.
I
N THE MEANTIME, Jay Fischer, who
had built the Grassis’ energy-efficient,
ecologically responsible house in the nearby
town of Camden, introduced the couple to
architect and architectural historian Christopher Glass (a former chairman of the
Maine Historic Preservation Commission).
Arron J. Sturgis, a timber framer and past
president of the nonprofit advocacy group
Maine Preservation, visited the mill early in
the Grassis’ planning process, and the couple hired his firm, Preservation Timber Framing Inc.,
to complete structural repairs.
Early on, Sturgis made an observation that would
prove crucial: Knowing the building would shake
when the machinery was in use, the original timber
framers had used the English tying joint, an especially
rugged method of connecting wall and roof timbers.
With such historic details, the building qualified for a
listing on the National Register, which helped unlock
the state and federal tax credits—totaling 40 percent
of the eligible rehabilitation costs—that would make
the project financially feasible.
Work began in April 2012, with the demolition of
most of the shed additions and repair of the granite
foundation. Sturgis’ crew jacked the timber frame
level, pulled it into plumb, and replaced rotten timbers
using the same materials and joinery as the original
framers. The 180-year-old carved Roman numeral
“marriage marks” remain visible at some joints. To
leave the frame exposed on the interior, Fischer’s carpentry crew wrapped the structure in a skin of rigid
insulation. Only the sharpest eye will detect a slight
overhang of the shingled exterior wall beyond the
granite foundation.
Historic preservation standards required that the
rebuilt additions match up as closely as possible to the
way they looked when the Grassis purchased the property. “If they were crooked,” Tony says, “they went back
on crooked.” Glass enjoyed greater design flexibility
with the sheds’ interiors, where he located such modern accoutrements as stairways, indoor plumbing, and
a heat pump system that will extract thermal energy
from pond water to heat the building. A new hydroelectric turbine, which will be installed this winter
in the powerhouse below the mill, will generate more
than enough electricity to serve the building, feeding
the surplus into the grid. Just as it did in the 1830s, the
mill will derive all of its energy from the stream.
Tony Grassi also seems to derive energy from the
stream. Gazing steadily at it from a south window of
the gristmill—now part of The Lost Kitchen’s dining
room—he speaks freely and knowledgeably of its role
as a wildlife habitat, its central place in the history and
economy of Freedom, and the various and ingenious
technologies that put its power to use.
As for The Mill at Freedom Falls’ ultimate purpose,
he says, “Sally and I started out not knowing what it
Just as it did in the 1830s, the
mill will derive all of its energy
from the stream.
ABOVE
Hydropower
equipment will soon
be installed in the mill’s
foundation, where
the original waterdriven machinery was
located.
BELOW
Mill School students on
the bridge overlooking
the dam
was.” But as the project advanced, their goals came
clearly into focus. Historic preservation and environmental stewardship provided the motivation, and these
values combined in service of a third: community.
“Using old buildings like these to rebuild communities really resonated with our belief in historic
preservation and the need for infrastructure to support the farming community, and our view that Maine
needs to be smart about how it grows, in order to
preserve the essence of what it is,” Grassi says. “Strip
malls and highways are a disaster. If you could save
these villages, bring back these communities, that’s
the way we’d like to see Maine grow.”
BRUCE D. SNIDER has lived on the coast of Maine for the past 14 years. A frequent
contributor to Preservation, he is the author of the book At Home by the Sea.
FALL 2014
| preservation
35
RIGHT
An abandoned railside
store and post office
in the Lowcountry
of South Carolina,
photographed in the
late 1990s
OPPOSITE
According to local
residents, The Harris
Place in Snow Hill,
Alabama, is still active
as a music venue.
FALL 2014
| preservation
37
38
OPPOSITE, FROM TOP
The Smile Inn, a former roadhouse and
gas station in Des Allemands, Louisiana,
photographed in the late 1990s; In 2011,
more than a decade after this photo
was taken, this Dundee, Mississippi,
train depot was moved to Tunica
Resorts, Mississippi.
ABOVE
Gothic Revival detailing doubtless drew
the attention of those passing by this
once-flourishing country store near
Bunkie, Louisiana.
FALL 2014
| preservation
39
ABOVE
In central Louisiana, a small
grist mill probably doubled
as a roadside stand.
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE:
For more roadside architecture photos
by Steve Gross and Susan Daley, visit
40
OPPOSITE, FROM TOP
Blues harmonica legend Sonny
Boy Williamson II was buried
next to this now-gone church
near Tutweiler, Mississippi;
The Mary Jenkins Community
Praise House, built around
1900, still stands on St. Helena
Island, South Carolina.
FALL 2014
| preservation
41
ABOVE
An anonymous
building in central
Louisiana features
decorative woodwork
and siding.
BELOW
Joyce’s Barber Shop
in Attalla, Alabama,
was still in business
as of December 2013,
when this photograph
was taken.
42
Civil War Trails
O
ne of the most pivotal events to define the
young United States, the Civil War pitted
countrymen against one another and opened
a political wound that would take decades to
heal. The war also spanned a geography from the Atlantic
to the Gulf of Mexico, from the nation’s capital to the Big
Easy to the Western frontier. Visit these hallowed places
and commemorate the sesquicentennial of a conflict that
tore the very fabric of our nation.
A school group touring the Gettysburg Battlefield. Photo by Duncan Kendall
ECIA L A
CIVIL WAR TRAILS
IN G S E C
DV E R T I S
T IO N S P
Alabama
ALABAMA GULF COAST
Standing atop the fort with a view of
the once-embattled bay, you can almost
hear the command of Admiral David
Farragut as he led his troops into
the battle of Mobile Bay, “Damn the
torpedoes. Full speed ahead!” History
comes alive on the Alabama Gulf Coast.
Step back in time at Fort Morgan, Fort
Gaines, and the USS Alabama battleship,
or recount the area’s rich history at the
area’s many museums. (866) 324-7768
WWW.FORTMORGAN.ORG
Georgia
MADISON
East of Atlanta, Madison is the town
Sherman refused to burn on his infamous
March to the Sea. Its National Register
Historic District is home to the state’s
largest collection of 19th-century architecture, earning it a place on Budget
Travel’s list of “World’s Top 16 Most
Picturesque Villages.”
WWW.MADISONGA.ORG
Maryland
ANNAPOLIS & ANNE
ARUNDEL COUNTY
Come celebrate the American and maritime history Annapolis and Anne Arundel
County have to offer. Explore by boat,
foot, or trolley and discover some of the
country’s most renowned historic landmarks and towns. Along with so much
history, enjoy fine dining, casual nightlife,
trendy specialty shops, and more than
60 hotels, inns, and B&Bs, all part of the
perfect destination that awaits you for a
memorable experience along the Chesapeake Bay. WWW.VISITANNAPOLIS.ORG
Historic Fort Morgan on Alabama’s Gulf
Coast. Courtesy Alabama Gulf Coast CVB
MIDDLE: Dock Street is the heart of historic
downtown Annapolis, Md.
BOTTOM: Heritage Hall House Museum,
c. 1811, Madison, Ga, open for touring seven
days a week.
TOP:
CIVIL WAR TRAILS
HAGERSTOWN &
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Known as the Crossroads of
the Civil War, we are rich in
scenic and historic attractions. Take a Civil War ghost
tour of Sharpsburg or hear
about the Battle of Antietam
from an authorized guide…or
taste world-class wines along
the Antietam Highlands Wine
Trail. Dine or take in a show
in our Arts & Entertainment
District, or visit Nora Roberts’
bookstore, Turn the Page, in
Boonsboro. There’s so much to
do, and all the ingredients for
a memorable visit.
(888) 257-2600 WWW.MARY
LANDMEMORIES.COM
Continued
Antietam National Battlefield,
Washington County, Md.
Courtesy Keith Snyder
Suddenly,
you’re in a whole different state of
remembrance.
Known for its important role in the 1864 Civil War
Battle of Mobile Bay, one of our nation’s most pivotal
moments, Fort Morgan stands today as a testament to
perseverance and resolve. See history come alive.
866-324-7768
Continued
ECIA L A
CIVIL WAR TRAILS
IN G S E C
DV E R T I S
T IO N S P
CLOCKWISE FROM
TOP: Statue in front
of the Waterfowl
Building, Easton, Md.;
Post Office at the
Mary Surratt House,
Clinton, Md.; County
of Kent is part of the
Civil War and War
of 1812 Maryland
Trails. Courtesy Kevin
Hemstock
KENT COUNTY
A scenic peninsula on the Chesapeake Bay that offers
historic waterfront towns, antiques and specialty
shops, art galleries, theaters, farmers’ and artisans’
markets, museums, Civil War and War of 1812 trail
sites, and stretches of farmland. National Scenic
Byway and Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge.
(410) 778-0416 WWW.KENTCOUNTY.COM
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
Several historic sites represent the Civil War period
in Prince George’s County, including two forts—
Fort Foote and Fort Washington—both used in the
defense of the nation’s capital, as well as the Mary
Surratt House, to which John Wilkes Booth escaped
after his assassination of President Lincoln at Ford’s
Theater in Washington, D.C.
WWW.VISITPRINCEGEORGES.COM
TALBOT COUNTY
Autumn is magical in Talbot County. It’s perhaps
the best time for biking, sailing, and kayaking,
and a terrific time to explore the quaint villages
of Easton, Oxford, St. Michaels, and Tilghman Island. Celebrate the bounty of the Bay at Tilghman
Day October 18 and at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s OysterFest October 25. Easton’s
Continued
CIVIL WAR TRAILS
Fort Monroe
PE O PL E H A VE
Explored H E RE FOR OVER 400 YEARS.
COME HAVE AN ADVENTURE. 800.800.2202 VisitHampton.com
ECIA L A
CIVIL WAR TRAILS
IN G S E C
DV E R T I S
T IO N S P
TOP LEFT AND RIGHT:
Reenactment of the
Battle of Pilot Knob,
Fort Davidson State
Historic Site, Ironton,
Mo. Courtesy The
Mountain Echo (left),
Courtesy Missouri
Division of Tourism
(right)
BOTTOM LEFT: William
Faulkner’s Rowan
Oak, Oxford, Miss.
Annual Waterfowl Festival on November 14-16 is
an Eastern Shore tradition. (410) 770-8000
WWW.TOURTALBOT.ORG
Mississippi
MISSISSIPPI HILLS NATIONAL
HERITAGE AREA
Lasting contributions to America’s musical and
literary legacies were forged in the Mississippi Hills,
and our Civil War and Civil Rights heritage is of
national significance. The Mississippi Hills National
Heritage Area highlights the historic, cultural,
natural, scenic, and recreational treasures of this
distinctive region. WWW.MISSISSIPPIHILLS.ORG
Missouri
The Civil War divided Missouri. Some towns sent
forth soldiers dressed in Union blue while other
towns had sons wearing Confederate gray. Explore
the state’s Civil War trails, and discover the true
stories behind these tumultuous times. The Ulysses
S. Grant Trail winds throughout south St. Louis
County. At the fifth mile, visit the Ulysses S. Grant
National Historic Site and tour the former home of
the Union general and American president. Hear
history echo along the Gray Ghosts Trail in Fulton.
In this area, Southern partisans waged guerrilla
warfare between 1861 and 1865. Missouri is also
the site of the Battle of Boonville fought on June
17, 1861, more than a full month before the Battle
of Bull Run. WWW.VISITMO.COM/CIVILWAR
CIVIL WAR TRAILS
South Carolina
BEAUFORT COUNTY
Feast on frogmore stew, gumbo, and tasty
dishes from centuries-old recipes featuring farm-fresh produce and local seafood.
Experience the Gullah Geechee heritage,
arts, and food culture in the historic towns
and islands of Beaufort County on the
beautiful South Carolina coast. Special
rates for groups. WWW.BCBCC.ORG
LOWCOUNTRY
Relive the historic Battle of Pocotaligo at
Frampton Plantation, January 24 and 25,
2015. Located in southern South Carolina
off I-95 at Exit 33, events include weekend
battle reenactments, artillery and period
demonstrations, encampments with Sutler’s Row and the CSS H.L. Hunley traveling
exhibit. (800) 528-6870
WWW.BATTLEOFPOCOTALIGO.COM
Continued
LEFT: Impressive horses bring the Confederate
cavalry on line, Lowcountry, S.C.; RIGHT: Gullah
Christmas week, Beaufort County, S.C.
Experience
Maury
Antebellum Homes Capital of Tennessee
Samuel “Sam” Rush Watkins was a noted
Confederate soldier during the American
Civil War. He is known today for his memoir
Company Aytch: Or, a Side Show of the
Big Show, often heralded as one of the best
primary sources about the common soldier’s
Civil War experience. He was born near
Columbia, TN in Maury County and is
buried at Zion Presbyterian Church near
Mt. Pleasant.
Sam Watkins, author of
Company Aytch: or a Side
Show of the Big Show
Maury County, Tennessee is rich with civil
war history. Come for a visit to experience
beautiful historic homes, a Presidential site
& exhibit hall, driving tours, Civil War Trail
sites, antiques & specialty shopping, unique
eateries, and true Southern hospitality.
Want more information? Call 888-852-1860 or visit www.antebellum.com
ECIA L A
CIVIL WAR TRAILS
IN G S E C
DV E R T I S
T IO N S P
CLOCKWISE FROM
TOP: Spring
Hill Battlefield,
Maury County,
Tenn. Courtesy
Maury County
CVB; American
Revolution Museum
at Yorktown, Va.; Dr.
Benjamin E. Mays
Historic Preservation
Site, Greenwood,
S.C.
OLD 96 DISTRICT
Experience rural beauty and Old South mystique in
South Carolina’s Old 96 District. Discover a culture
that played a significant part in shaping our country’s
future and character. Enjoy history and heritage, arts
and culture, and outdoor adventures such as hiking,
biking, fishing, camping, and family fun.
WWW.SCTRAVELOLD96.COM
Tennessee
MAURY COUNTY
Located in middle Tennessee, Maury County saw
occupation from both armies during the Civil War.
Visit us to see the homes and towns involved and
learn of the families touched by those times. Please
visit our website to learn more about the Ancestral
Home of 11th President James K. Polk and Presidential Hall, other historic sites, the Old Tennessee Trail,
special events and unique dining. (888) 852-1860
WWW.ANTEBELLUM.COM
Virginia
AMERICAN REVOLUTION MUSEUM
AT YORKTOWN
The Yorktown Victory Center is embarking on a
transformation with a new facility, expanded and
vibrant exhibits, and enhanced outdoor interpretive
programming. The museum will remain in operation
CIVIL WAR TRAILS
throughout construction and, when the
project is complete, will be renamed the
American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. WWW.HISTORYISFUN.ORG
HAMPTON
A spectacular location on the Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads harbor,
complemented by dynamic attractions,
exceptional shopping, and decadent
dining, all in a charming setting you
won’t want to leave. Hampton’s storied 400-year past and central coastal
Virginia location set the stage for a
relaxing, enriching vacation. Plan to visit
moat-encircled Fort Monroe and neighboring stronghold Fort Wool, Hampton
University dating to 1868, Virginia Air &
Space Center, or simply make memories
enjoying the bay beaches and nature
preserves. (800) 800-2202
WWW.VISITHAMPTON.COM
Continued
Explore historic Fort Wool, Hampton, Va.
Courtesy Hampton CVB
c
tori
s
i
h
visi t
N
W
O
T
S
HAGER
ington
& wash
county,
md
Come for the History, Stay for the Fun!
explore!
Hike the C&O Canal
Towpath or the
Applachian Trail
visit!
Take a Civil War
Ghost Tour of historic
Sharpsburg, MD
301-791-3246
WWW.MARYLANDMEMORIES.COM
ECIA L A
CIVIL WAR TRAILS
IN G S E C
DV E R T I S
T IO N S P
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:
Monument Terrace
with the Lynchburg
Museum at the top,
Lynchburg, Va.; NJ
Monument at Mule
Shoe in Spotsylvania
Battlefield. Courtesy
Spotsylvania
Tourism /Debbie
Aylor; Confederate
section of Old
City Cemetery,
Lynchburg. Courtesy
discoverlynchburg
LYNCHBURG
Virginia is ground zero for the American Civil War,
and Lynchburg is smack in the middle of it all! Follow
the multi-day itinerary from Staunton to Lynchburg,
retracing the route of Union General David Hunter’s
unsuccessful raid to capture and burn Lynchburg.
The route leads to Historic Sandusky, a plantation
home captured and used as Union headquarters for
the Battle of Lynchburg. Once in the Hill City, visit all
14 Civil War Trail markers heralding the city’s prominent place in history. And finally, cap off your central
Virginia experience with a visit to Appomattox Court
House National Historical Park, where the coun-
try reunited and the amazing new Museum of the
Confederacy at Appomattox.
WWW.DISCOVERLYNCHBURG.ORG
SPOTSYLVANIA
The crossroads of the Civil War, where some of
the fiercest clashes this nation has ever witnessed
were fought; 150 years later the carefully preserved
battlegrounds are silent. The world will long remember the historic importance of this place. Your family
will, too. WWW.VISITSPOTSY.COM
CIVIL WAR TRAILS
MISSISSIPPI HILLS
NATIONAL
HERITAGE AREA
Discover the dreamers who became legends.
Imagine: The largest siege in the Western hemisphere
at the “Crossroads of the Confederacy.” A dramatic
11th hour victory that earned a general undying
fame. Surprise raids and surprisingly ingenious
retreats. Former slaves whose resilience and
ingenuity led to survival during the madness of
war. This is the Civil War in the Mississippi
Hills, full of daring and dreamers
who became legends, imagining
a new America. Imagine the
time you’ll have in their Hills.
Start planning your itinerary today! mississippihills.org
American Revolution
Museum
at Yorktown
Explore the African American & Civil
War history of Spotsylvania Courthouse
with our mobile app
Learn about the struggle for civil
rights in the American South and a
man frequently referred to as the
“Father of the Civil Rights Movement.”
A man Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
called, “My greatest mentor”.
Visit the Dr. Benjamin E. Mays
Historical Preservation Site
Visit sctravelOld96.com/mays
www.DiscoverSC.net
800.849.9633
WRONG SIZE
To learn more about the
whole story of the American
Revolution and the museum
that will replace the Yorktown
Victory Center, visit
www.historyisfun.org.
(540) 507-7090
www.visitspotsy.com
TRAVEL|PALM SPRINGS
Springs Fling
T
he 50-foot waterfall at The Willows, a sprawling
estate-turned-hotel in Palm Springs, California, served as
natural air-conditioning when it was built in 1925. It still
works today. Open the floor-to-ceiling glass doors in the
dining room and a cool breeze wafts in, providing relief
from the desert heat. It’s 80 degrees out on a sunny spring
morning as I butter an orange-rosemary muffin. “Eighty
degrees? That’s just a kiss on the cheek here,” says Gordon,
the morning innkeeper. I tell him he has tougher skin than
I. Coming from Los Angeles, I’m used to a cool coastal
breeze with my breakfast.
“So what are you up to today?” he asks, refilling my
coffee. “Off to explore some midcentury architecture?”
“No,” I say. He raises an eyebrow. I explain that while I
am a design fiend, I’ve seen the city’s Midcentury Modern
buildings plenty of times. This time, my Palm Springs
vacation comes with a twist: I’m here to track down places
from the beginning, not the middle, of the 20th century.
He thinks for a second. “Well,” he concludes, “that’s a
little more challenging in this city.”
Challenge accepted, I think to myself, noting the creative
feat of engineering already in front of me.
Looking
past the
midcentury
buzz of Palm
Springs to
uncover its
1920s and
ˇ30s history
by
54
Lauren Walser • photography by Jessica Sample
OPPOSITE
A sleek sign along
Highway 111 greets
visitors to Palm
Springs.
THIS PAGE
Bougainvillea climbs
the O’Donnell House,
built in 1925 as the
winter home for an
oil magnate. Now
an event space, it
was restored by the
owners of The Willows,
located down the hill.
TRAVEL|PALM SPRINGS
ABOVE
The pool at the 1930s
Viceroy Palm Springs
RIGHT
Sesame-seared ahi
tuna over wasabi
potatoes and
asparagus at Copley’s,
which was once Cary
Grant’s guesthouse
OPPOSITE,
FROM LEFT
Clark Moorten, owner
of Moorten Botanical
Garden, outside the
1922 home on the
property; The El
Mirador Tower, built in
1928 as part of a hotel
and later converted
into a hospital, burned
in 1989 and was rebuilt
from the original plans.
56
It’s true that architecture and design buffs flock
to Palm Springs for its Midcentury Modern offerings.
The Modernist mecca boasts iconic designs by architectural giants such as Richard Neutra, John Lautner,
Donald Wexler, and Albert Frey. Frey’s dramatic
1965 Tramway Gas Station greeted me as I drove into
Palm Springs from Los Angeles the night before on
Highway 111, a road I have traveled dozens of times
before. The former service station, a bold, Space-Age
structure with a soaring canopied roof, now houses
the Palm Springs Visitors Center.
That’s the Palm Springs I know. I remember taking family trips to the city as a child and seeing midcentury buildings with swooping rooflines and lots
of glass. They felt so different from the Spanish-style
house of my early childhood in the San Fernando Valley. And as an adult, weekend getaways with friends
to Palm Springs have always revolved around lounging by a pool, browsing the retro furniture stores,
and driving through the Racquet Club Road Estates
or Old Las Palmas neighborhoods, picking out our
Modernist dream homes.
But before sleek lines and minimalist forms dominated Palm Springs’ landscape, the city was a small
desert settlement, officially incorporated in 1938. And
hundreds of years before that, ancestors of today’s
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla American Indians
lived on the land, building rock-lined irrigation
ditches to grow melons, beans, and corn. The story of
Palm Springs begins well before that fabled Midcentury Modern era.
G
ORDON ’S CHALLENGE RINGS in my ears as I
approach a collection of small wooden and
adobe structures in the Village Green,
a park-like parcel of land on bustling
South Palm Canyon Drive. One, the McCallum Adobe, was built in 1884 for John McCallum,
the first permanent white settler in Palm Springs. It’s
the oldest remaining building in the city and serves
as the Palm Springs Historical Society’s museum and
headquarters.
Renee Brown, director of education and associate
curator at the historical society, meets me there. She
tells me the story of McCallum, a San Francisco lawyer
who came to the Coachella Valley in 1884 hoping its
hot, dry climate would cure his son’s tuberculosis.
McCallum persuaded others to join him, including his
friend Dr. Welwood Murray. Murray was so impressed
by the desert’s perceived healing powers that in 1886
he built a sanitarium, effectively creating the city’s first
lodging, the Palm Springs Hotel.
Most of the hotel has been demolished, but a small
1893 structure known as Little House remains. The
McCallum Adobe was relocated to the Village Green in
the early 1950s on land donated by McCallum’s daughter, Pearl McCallum McManus, with Little House
following in 1979.
“I like to say that this city really was built by
women,” Brown tells me.
In 1909 another influential Palm Springs woman,
Nellie Coffman, established a small health resort
hotel called the Desert Inn and Sanatorium with her
physician husband, Harry. Before it was demolished in
the 1960s, the resort—and Coffman’s famous charm—
attracted visitors from across the country. It cemented
Palm Springs’ early and enduring reputation as a
health resort destination and, later, as the preferred
getaway for Hollywood stars such as Frank Sinatra,
Bob Hope, and Marlene Dietrich.
After Brown and I part ways, I follow her advice
and amble up South Palm Canyon Drive to the site
where the Palm Springs Hotel once stood. In the
1930s, winter resident Julia Shaw Patterson Carnell, a
philanthropist from Dayton, Ohio, bought the land and
commissioned Dayton architecture firm Schenck &
Williams to design one of the city’s first shopping and
residential complexes, now called La Plaza.
I find a shaded patio seat at Tyler’s Burgers, a
simple burger-and-sandwich stand in a small 1930s
Greyhound bus depot at the edge of La Plaza’s parking
lot. As I relish my cheeseburger and down glass after
glass of iced tea, I study the shopping center’s classic
Spanish-style architecture: white stucco walls, red clay
tile roofs, quatrefoil windows. Towering bougainvillea
climbs the walls. Shoppers wander in and out of the
complex’s casual-clothing stores, cafes, candy shop,
and nail salons. The city’s first shopping center, though
worn, is still a draw.
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE:
For a related story on the
El Mirador Tower, visit
W
Palm Springs to
explore its 1920s and '30s history, I’m
not immune to the pull of its design
shops touting Midcentury Modern
furnishings and decor. I take my last
sip of iced tea and make my way up Palm Canyon Drive
to the Uptown Design District, a tony stretch of shopping and dining. Suntanned shoppers, their bags filled
with purchases from the Trina Turk boutique and the
district’s upscale consignment stores, navigate past
MAP BY JIM MCMAHON
HILE I MAY BE IN
FALL 2014
| preservation
57
TRAVEL|PALM SPRINGS
the line forming outside Cheeky’s, a popular breakfast-and-lunch spot.
Wandering from shop to shop, I mentally redecorate
my house with retro lamps, Eames dining chairs, and a
brass bar cart straight out of Mad Men. The very Midcentury Modern wares that attract so many vacationers look even more debonair against the backdrop of
the historic buildings containing them.
The El Paseo Building, a two-story Spanish Eclectic
complex from 1927, is built around a central courtyard
with slender cacti, native grasses, and a small brick
fountain. Rehabilitated in 2008, it holds businesses
such as Boulevard—a vintage and contemporary furniture shop—and Workshop Kitchen + Bar, a minimalist
farm-to-table restaurant with courtyard seating. On
the next block, the Mission Revival–style Pacific Building dates to 1936; today shoppers flock to its modern
and antique furniture stores.
After I grab a latte at Koffi, a small coffee shop
nearby, I head for Welwood Murray Cemetery, the first
burial ground in Palm Springs for non-Indian settlers.
I find Murray’s modest tombstone near the center of
the graveyard, laid flat against the grass under a tall
shade tree. (His son was the first to be buried here,
in 1894.) Nellie Coffman and her husband, Harry,
are at Welwood Murray Cemetery, too. Albert Frey’s
grave lies in a corner near the stone wall lining the
cemetery’s perimeter.
I end my day with a bit of early Palm Springs glamour at Copley’s on Palm Canyon. This cozy restaurant
with an idyllic patio was once a 1940s guesthouse
owned by Cary Grant. I savor my prosciutto-wrapped
duck breast, pondering the fact that the more I look
for signs of this town’s early 20th century history, the
more I find. I think back to my breakfast conversation
with Gordon. What challenge? The city’s 1920s and
'30s past, I realize, is woven tightly into the fabric of
modern-day Palm Springs.
T HE NEXT MORNING ,
with temperatures rising toward triple digits, I scrap my plan to
hike the National Register–listed Tahquitz
Canyon Trail. (The trail goes through the
Agua Caliente Indian Reservation and still
contains traces of the ancient irrigation ditches.)
Instead, I find my nature fix in the shade at Moorten
Botanical Garden, a monument to desert flora
founded in 1938. I walk the winding paths lined with
exotic cacti from the prickly pear to the giant cardón,
as well as succulents and desert trees. The handful of other visitors and I observe the plants with a
quiet reverence, allowing the songbirds overhead to
provide the soundtrack.
Toward the back of the garden is another piece
of local history: the original 1922 home of landscape
photographer Stephen Willard, whose work hangs at
the Palm Springs Art Museum. In 1955, Hollywood
stuntman Chester Moorten and his wife, Patricia,
purchased the Mediterranean-style residence and
relocated their garden to the two-acre compound. Next
to the house, to my surprise, is a short length of adobe
wall. I run my hands over its rough surface. Turns out
the wall is part of Welwood Murray’s Palm Springs
Hotel, salvaged by the Moortens during the building’s
demolition. “They wanted to save a piece of history,”
explains Clark Moorten, the couple’s son and current
owner of the garden.
Later that day, the sun sets behind the San Jacinto
Mountains, casting dramatic shadows across the city. I
return to the place where my trip began: The Willows.
Originally the vacation home of Los Angeles businessman and politician William Mead and his wife, Nella,
it was sold in 1929 to New York attorney Samuel Untermyer, and in the 1950s to actress Marion Davies. The
house hosted notables such as Shirley Temple, Mary
Pickford, and even Albert Einstein (whose preferred
room I am staying in). After Davies moved out in 1955,
it fell into disrepair. That is, until 1994, when Tracy
Conrad and her husband, Paul Marut, purchased the
Mediterranean villa and restored it down to every last
Spanish tile and wrought iron detail. They reopened it
two years later as an eight-room luxury inn.
I climb the trail through the terraced gardens
at the back of the property to catch the sweeping
views at the top. From my perch, I can see Palm
Canyon Drive just two blocks away, with the rest of
the city and the Coachella Valley beyond, palm trees
punctuating the horizon. Particularly in the orangeand-purple glow of the sunset, I can see why people
have long been drawn to visit and inhabit this region,
why throngs of vacationers today feel that same
fascination. This desert place is both resolutely old
and thoroughly modern.
OPPOSITE,
CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP LEFT
The 1936 Colony
Palms Hotel; The
Plaza Theatre, opened
in 1936; Handmade
tortillas at El Mirasol
restaurant in the
circa 1937 Los Arboles
Hotel; The dining room
and waterfall at The
Willows
ABOVE
Palm trees frame a
view of the San Jacinto
Mountains.
FALL 2014
| preservation
59
TRAVEL|HISTORIC TRAVEL
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OHIO
PENNSYLVANIA
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THE WOODSTOCK GENERATION:
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Westcott House
Open year-round for tours, special events
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W W W.TA L I E S I N P R E S E R VAT I O N .O R G
TRAVEL|ITINERARY
Talbot County, Md.
AN EASTERN SHORE GETAWAY IS STEEPED
IN NAUTICAL AND CULTURAL HISTORY
by Andrea Poe
LEFT: The Chesapeake
Bay Maritime Museum
in St. Michaels,
Maryland
BELOW: A local crab
fisherman at work
LEFT TO RIGHT: COURTESY CHESAPEAKE BAY MARITIME MUSEUM; COURTESY BELMOND
T
albot County on Maryland’s Eastern
Shore has long been a pristine playground for Mid-Atlantic power brokers, who are lured here by 600 miles
of shoreline, thickets of trees, rolling fields,
and charming towns dating to the 1600s.
Located about 70 miles east of Washington,
D.C., across the Chesapeake Bay, the area
incorporates history into the pace of daily life.
Watermen still ply the waters and set trotlines for crabs, just as their forefathers did. The
Talbot County Courthouse, built in 1794 in the
town of Easton, looks much as it did when local
abolitionist hero Frederick Douglass spoke
there. Nearby, the nation’s oldest continuous
congregation of Quakers still gathers at the circa
1684 Third Haven Meeting House. The Avalon
Theatre, an Art Deco playhouse, has hosted premieres for locally filmed movies since the 1920s,
including 2005’s Wedding Crashers. An important archaeological excavation is under way in
an area of Easton known as The Hill, believed
to be the first free African-American settlement.
A few miles away, the town of St. Michaels is
known for its 19th-century watermen’s cottages.
During the War of 1812, according to local lore,
residents hung lanterns in the trees to trick
the British Navy into firing over their
homes, earning it renown as “the town
that fooled the British.”
Preservation has gathered travel
recommendations from three Talbot
County experts: John Breaux, former
United States senator from Louisiana
and senior counsel at Washington law
firm Patton Boggs; Jamie Merida, owner of
Bountiful, an interior design and home furnishings store in Easton, who will appear in House
Hunters Renovation on HGTV this fall; and
Lauren Dianich, president of the Easton-based
architecture firm Atelier 11.
See next page for expert recommendations.
FALL 2014
| preservation
63
John Breaux
Lauren Dianich
Jamie Merida
FORMER UNITED STATES
SENATOR FROM LOUISIANA
CO-FOUNDER, ATELIER 11
ARCHITECTURE
DESIGNER AND HOME
FURNISHINGS RETAILER
EAT: My wife, Lois,
and I love Schooners,
which is on the water
in the town of Oxford,
because of the relaxed
atmosphere, the local
seafood, and the fact that we can get
there by boat. The chef-owner at the
historic Bartlett Pear Inn in Easton
used to work at Per Se in New York,
so the food is phenomenal, and the
service is great.
STAY: The Tidewater Inn [a Historic Hotel of America], which has
been a hotel since 1949, is centrally
located and convenient to many
unique shops in Easton. Another
great choice is The Inn at Perry
Cabin, which is a beautiful and
relaxing historic resort by the water
in St. Michaels.
DO: Boating is one of my favorite
things to do in the area. In Talbot
County there are so many waterways; we often go out on the boat
for the day and just explore. [Local
boat rentals are available at the
Tilghman Island Marina.]
EAT: I tend to weigh
ambience pretty
heavily, but that
goes out the window
when it comes to a
good hole-in-thewall. The chef at Easton’s tiny
Wildflower Cafe is a bit like the
Soup Nazi from Seinfeld, because he
focuses so much on
his fantastic soups.
The Crab Shack
in Easton has the
best carryout for an
Eastern Shore feast
of crab, shrimp, and
boiled corn.
STAY: The
McDaniel House,
which is situated
on a historic street
in Easton known
as Silk Stocking
Row, is decorated
in period antiques. The owner is
up at 5:30 every morning making a
gourmet breakfast.
DO: Check the Chesapeake
Bay Maritime Museum’s schedule
for outdoor concerts. The music,
the waterfront, the assemblage
of old nautical buildings such as
the screw-pile lighthouse, and
the laid-back atmosphere stay in
your memory for years. My family
also loves cycling around the quiet
roads that are surrounded by farms
and vineyards, many owned by
descendants of 19th-century German immigrants. Biking out there
beneath the expanse of big sky puts
you in a Zen-like state.
EAT: Mason’s, located
in a restored historic
house, is my go-to spot
for an awesome bar
menu and a glass of
wine in Easton. The outdoor patio is the place to be on a warm
summer evening. Gina’s, a funky little
restaurant in St. Michaels, is known for
ABOVE: A Patriot Cruises trip along
the Miles River
LEFT: Sailing is a popular activity for
guests at The Inn at Perry Cabin.
fantastic vegetarian entrees, along with
fish and crab tacos.
STAY: Inn at 202 Dover [a client of Merida’s] is a high-style inn in
downtown Easton. Once a mansion,
it had been converted into a rabbit
warren of apartments until the current
owners restored it. At the opposite end
of the spectrum is Wade’s Point Inn,
outside of St. Michaels. This beautiful 19th-century house has simple,
comfortable rooms overlooking the
waterfront. It is everything that the
Eastern Shore is supposed to be.
DO: One of the most beautiful parts
of Talbot County is the shoreline, and
the best way to see it is from a boat.
Patriot Cruises offers a great public
sail up and down the Miles River, where
you can view exquisite Tidewater
homes you can’t see from land. I always
take visitors on the Oxford Ferry from
Oxford to Bellevue and back. It happens
to be the oldest continually operating,
privately owned ferry in the United
States. A walk through Oxford is a must,
with a stop for homemade ice cream at
Scottish Highland Creamery.
64
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: COURTESY JOHN BREAUX; LIZ CONNELLY; BROUGH SCHAMP; COURTESY PATRIOT CRUISES/DICK COOPER; COURTESY BELMOND
TRAVEL|ITINERARY
Climb aboard history.
Include the National Trust in your will
or estate plan.
At heart, preservation is not looking at history under glass or
behind velvet ropes. It’s being a part of it, about understanding
that what’s behind us is as important as what’s in front of us.
Preservation is knowing that the next generation will only inherit
what we choose to save. No matter where you are in your
estate planning, the National Trust for Historic Preservation can
help you create a bold preservation legacy. Contact us today,
remember us in your will and trusts.
TELEPHONE: 202.588.6017
EMAIL: [email protected]
WEB: PreservationNation.org/legacy
Have you already included the National Trust in your will or
estate plan? Please notify us so we can welcome you to our
Legacy Circle: [email protected]
All inquiries are confidential and at no obligation. Please consult your
professional financial advisor before making a gift.
PHOTO COURTESY BOB MANINNO
TRAVEL|PLACE SETTING
Ecclesiastical
Cuisine
RESTAURANTS IN FORMER CHURCHES SERVE
MEALS THAT LIFT THE SPIRIT
by Christianna McCausland
CHURCH BREW WORKS
MARK’S AMERICAN CUISINE
GRACE
3525 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15201
412.688.8200 | churchbrew.com
1658 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77006
713.523.3800 | marks1658.com
15 Chestnut St., Portland, ME 04101
207.828.4422 | restaurantgrace.com
$$ | American Eclectic
$$$$ | Modern American
$$$$ | Farm-to-Table
W
O
R
hile some may scoff at turning a church
into a brew house, Church Brew
Works’ founder and owner Sean Casey feels it
expands on the building’s original role as not
only a place of worship, but a community hub.
Casey bought the property, built as St. John
the Baptist Church, in 1994. The Catholic
Church removed all sacred objects, and the
ensuing restoration was acknowledged with
an award from the local history and landmarks association. Brew tanks gleam beneath
the 51-foot ceilings in the former altar space.
Pews were repurposed into seating or used
to build the bar, and Douglas fir floors were
resurrected from beneath old linoleum.
The brewery is famous for its unconventional pierogi, particularly the rattlesnake-and-cactus variety. Patrons often
wash them down with a mug of the brewery’s award-winning Pious Monk Dunkel.
$ = Value, $10-19 per person
66
pened in 1927 as St. Matthew’s Lutheran
Church, this brick structure has housed
businesses including a broom factory, a
tire warehouse, a string of nightclubs, and
an Italian restaurant. Mark and Lisa Cox
stepped in to take over the lease in 1998.
The building’s wood floors were refinished that year. A 2006 restoration reclaimed
and enhanced the church’s identity, removing frescoes installed by the previous tenant
and applying thin pieces of gold-painted
wood to accent the 24-foot vaulted ceiling.
Today, the renovated choir loft is a favorite
spot for marriage proposals.
Chef Mark Cox explains his take on American cuisine as “whimsical but customerfriendly.” Although the menu changes seasonally, items have included soft-shell crabs
with crab-and-shrimp risotto, and lamb with
tandoori spices, lentils, and red-pepper flan.
$$ = Moderate, $20-29 per person
estaurateur Anne Verrill knew that to
make it in Portland’s competitive culinary scene, her restaurant needed to stand
out. After two years of looking, she found a
155-year-old Methodist church. “It’s a gorgeous, Neo-Gothic cathedral,” she says.
She bought the building in 2007 and
spent a year and a half in construction, adhering to preservation guidelines. Replacing
the Connecticut-brownstone-and-mortar
exterior was challenging, but interior details
were in immaculate condition, including
hand-painted beams, pews that are now
banquettes, and a large Masonic symbol, the
origins of which remain a mystery.
The large circular bar balances out the
cavernous space and is an ideal spot for a
cocktail such as the “Holier Than Thou,”
with St-Germaine, grapefruit juice, and
sparkling wine.
$$$ = Expensive, $30-39 per person
$$$$ = Splurge, $40+ per person
LEFT TO RIGHT: NATE BOGUSZEWSKI; JILL HUNTER; COURTESY GRACE RESTAURANT
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: For more
church restaurants, visit
PRESERVATIONeducation
A Master’s of Historic Preservation
TULANE SCHOOL
OF ARCHITECTURE
Beyond the Classroom
An interdisciplinary program bridging real life experience and
coursework in the national capital region and around the world
MASTER OF
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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
architecture.tulane.edu
For more information visit us at
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HISTORIC
PRESERVATION
Master of Arts in
T H E N AT I O N ’ S F I R S T L I M I T E D - R E S I D E N C Y P R O G R A M
Study with a nationally
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On-campus residency is
limited to summer sessions
of two weeks or less.
For more information,
call 800.697.4646
or visit our website at
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Welch Center for Graduate and
Professional Studies
FALL 2014
| preservation
69
PRESERVATION NATION
The
National
Trust
at Work
by Katherine Flynn
Illustrated by Brett Affrunti
Cincinnati Union Terminal
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; Zephyrhills,
Florida; Los Angeles; San Marcos, Texas;
and Seattle.
70
HISTORIC HOTELS
OF AMERICA
The following are among 17 hotels celebrating 25 years of membership in the Historic
Hotels of America program this year. For a
complete list, visit PreservationNation.org/
trust-at-work.
•
•
•
•
The Menger Hotel, San Antonio
The Brown Hotel, Louisville, Kentucky
Strater Hotel, Durango, Colorado
The Red Lion Inn, Stockbridge,
Massachusetts
• The Omni Mount Washington Hotel
& Resort, Bretton Woods, New
Hampshire
GENERAL TRUST NEWS
This summer, the National Trust
announced its 2014 list of America’s 11 Most
Endangered Historic Places. For more
on each site, visit PreservationNation.
org/11most:
• Battle Mountain Sanitarium, Hot
Springs, South Dakota
• Bay Harbor’s East Island, Miami-Dade
County, Florida
• Chattanooga State Office Building,
Chattanooga, Tennessee
• Frank Lloyd Wright’s Spring House,
Tallahassee, Florida
• Historic Wintersburg, Huntington
Beach, California
• Mokuaikaua Church, Kailua Village in
Kona, Hawaii
• Music Hall, Cincinnati
• The Palisades, Englewood Cliffs,
New Jersey
• Palladium Building, St. Louis
• Shockoe Bottom, Richmond, Virginia
• Union Terminal, Cincinnati
COURTESY CINCINNATI MUSEUM CENTER
SUSTAINABILITY
America Saves!, a three-year national
program of the Preservation Green Lab,
collects building and energy data with
help from local volunteers and business
owners. The program is currently engaged
in partnerships with both certified Main
Street communities and other communitybased organizations in the following cities:
NATIONAL TREASURES
In July, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, and the New York City Council announced the
allocation of $5.8 million to begin restoration work on the New
York State Pavilion, an iconic and beloved remnant of the 1964
World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, New York.
The funding is slated for upgrades to the site’s electrical systems
and structural improvements to its observation towers. The Pavilion’s National Treasure status was announced this past spring at an
event that gave an estimated 5,000 local preservationists
access to the site’s “Tent of Tomorrow” for the first time in 30
years. For more information on each of the following Treasures,
visit PreservationNation.org/trust-at-work:
•
•
•
•
Miami Marine Stadium, Miami
Shockoe Bottom, Richmond, Virginia
Pond Farm, Guerneville, California
Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, Mississippi
HISTORIC TAX
CREDIT PROJECTS
The National Trust Community Investment Corporation recently supported the
rehabilitation of the former 1910 Home
for Destitute Jewish Children in Boston.
Now the Brooke Charter School, the
project was made possible by historic and
new market tax credits worth $9.9 million. The building was constructed as an
orphanage and remodeled into a Jewish
community center in 1934. The proposed
K–8, tuition-free charter school anticipates a capacity of 510 students, with an
estimated 75 percent coming from lowincome families. For more information
on the Brooke Charter School and the
following NTCIC projects, visit Preserva-
NATIONAL TRUST
HISTORIC SITES
President Lincoln’s Cottage in Washing-
ton, D.C., won the top prize in the digital
apps category in the American Alliance
of Museums’ 2014 Media and Technology Muse Awards, which recognize the
innovative use of digital media by galleries,
libraries, archives, and museums. The app,
which was developed exclusively for the
cottage, contains a wide and varied collection of primary sources, including highquality visuals of historic maps and crisp
audio recordings of little-known stories.
Tour guides use it to enhance their work
and illustrate Lincoln’s life at the cottage.
For updates on the following National Trust
Historic Sites, visit PreservationNation.org/
tionNation.org/trust-at-work:
trust-at-work:
• The Alliance Center, Denver
• Grant Commons, Columbus, Ohio
•
•
•
•
MAIN STREET PROGRAMS
In the early 1980s, Alabama was one
of the first states to establish a Main Street
program. Despite its early success, budget
cuts eliminated Main Street Alabama in the
early 2000s. The program was reinstated
this past year following a push by community development initiative leaders. It
celebrated its first year of staffed operations
in June, as well as the addition of three new
designated Main Street communities, bringing the state total up to 13.
Lyndhurst, Tarrytown, New York
The Shadows, New Iberia, Louisiana
Belle Grove, Middletown, Virginia
Brucemore, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
FALL 2014
| preservation
71
SPOTLIGHT ON advertisers
To receive FREE information about historic travel, products, and services advertised in Preservation, return
the postage-paid reply card or visit PreservationNation.org/spotlightonadvertisers.
CIVIL WAR TRAILS
101. All Civil War Trails Destinations
1. Alabama Gulf Coast. National
Scenic Byway, enjoy all there is to
see and do.
2. American Revolution Museum,
Yorktown, VA. Opening late 2016.
3. Annapolis, MD. A lively, upbeat,
and contemporary city.
4. Beaufort County, SC. Experience
Gullah culture, history, and heritage.
5. Hagerstown, MD. With 13 national
and state parks, there’s lots to do for
everyone.
6. Hampton, VA. Explore our rich
history and natural charm.
20. 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, Eureka
Springs, AR. Ozark mountaintop spa
resort on 15 acres.
21. French Lick Resort, French Lick,
IN. America’s Best Historic Resort
2013.
22. Green Park Inn, Blowing Rock, NC.
Grand dame of the High Country.
23. Lord Baltimore Hotel, Baltimore,
MD. In the heart of downtown, three
blocks from the Inner Harbor.
37. Historic Homes of Prince George’s
County, MD. Historic house museums.
38. Historic Hotels Worldwide. Save
10% off best-available rates.
39. Maine. Pack your bags and your
55. Boston Architectural College.
Bachelor & Master in Historic
Preservation.
56. Bucks County Community College.
Historic Preservation Certificate.
sense of adventure. Discover your
Maine Thing.
57. Goucher College. Master of Arts in
40. Museum at Bethel Woods.
58. Hancock Shaker Village.
Dedicated to the 1960s and the 1969
Woodstock festival.
24. Oheka Castle Hotel & Estate,
Huntington, NY. Gold Coast mansion.
41. National Trust Tours. Domestic/
international tours. Free 2015
catalog.
25. Omni Homestead, Hot Springs,
VA. Discover 2,000 acres of timeless
42. Nemours Mansion and Gardens,
Wilmington, DE. Experience
luxury and more than 30 activities.
grandeur.
Historic Preservation.
Academic excellence combined with
hands-on experience.
59. National Council for Preservation
Education. Online guide to programs.
60. Tulane School of Architecture.
Master of Preservation Degree.
61. University of Georgia. Master in
Historic Preservation Program. More
than thirty years of excellence.
on the Chesapeake Bay.
26. West Baden Springs Hotel, West
Baden, IN. An architectural marvel
43. Pioneers in Preservation Pass,
Savannah, GA Juliette Gordon Low
with spa, golf, and dining options.
8. Lowcountry, SC. Enjoy many
Preservation Program. Master’s
Degree bridging real life experience.
27. Willard Intercontinental,
Washington, DC. Modern luxury
Birthplace, Davenport House, and
Andrew Low House.
blends with stately elegance.
44. Quincy, IL. Cultural and
architectural gem on the Mississippi
River.
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
HISTORIC TRAVEL
45. Savannah, GA. For the ultimate
63. Authentic Designs. Handcrafted
7. Kent County, MD. Scenic peninsula
cultural, historical, and recreational
opportunities.
9. Lynchburg, VA. Discover
unparalleled history amid stunning
beauty.
10. Madison, GA. “The Most
Picturesque Village in the World”—
Budget Travel magazine.
11. Maryland. Our roots are deep in
American history.
12. Maury County, TN. Living
103. All Travel Destinations
28. American Cruise Lines. Enjoy
scenic and culturally enriching
cruises.
29. Audubon Cottages, New Orleans,
LA. Creole cottages in the French
preservation in our antebellum homes.
Quarter.
13. Mississippi Hills Heritage.
30. Baltimore, MD. It’s a year of
Discover our stories. Experience our
culture. Celebrate our heritage.
historic commemorations in
Baltimore.
14. Missouri. Enjoy the heritage and
31. Carthage, MO. Discover a unique
crossroad of architecture, history, art,
and inspiration.
discover our rich Civil War history.
15. Old 96 District, SC. Five counties:
Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood,
Laurens, McCormick.
16. Prince George’s County, MD. 360
years of history.
17. Spotsylvania County, VA.
32. City of Bowie, MD. Six sites to visit
for history and romance.
33. Colorado Springs, CO. Western
culture and history in a picturesque
Rocky Mountain setting.
Crossroads of the Civil War.
34. Columbus, IN. Visit the Miller
18. Talbot County, MD. Well-preserved
towns and pristine shoreline.
House & Gardens, designed by Eero
Saarinen, and Alexander Girard.
HISTORIC HOTELS OF AMERICA
Frank Lloyd Wright’s residential
masterpiece.
35. Fallingwater, Mill Run, PA.
102. All Historic Hotels
19. Historic Hotels of America®
Directory. Send check payable to
HHA,
HH $7.50.
36. Frick Art & Historical Center,
Pittsburg, PA. The immaculately
restored Frick family mansion.
escape, plan your trip to Savannah.
46. Somerset County, MD. Discover
the Chesapeake Experience with us.
62. University of Maryland. Historic
105. All Products and Services
Early American light fixtures.
64. Beehive Foundation. Handsome
books on the cultural and social
history of Georgia and the south.
47. Steamship Historical Society of
America. Receive free PowerShips
65. Erie Landmark Co. National
magazine and travel through time.
Register plaques and medallions.
48. Surratt House Museum, Clinton,
MD. House embroiled in the Lincoln
66. Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co.
assassination.
Protection for your historic property.
67. Gavin Historical Bricks. Antique
49. Taliesin, Spring Green, WI.
brick, stone, and pavers.
Experience Frank Lloyd Wright’s
home, studio and estate.
68. Greg Jensen Originals. One of the
50. Thoroughbred Country, SC. We’re
69. Legacy Circle. Support the
way more than horses! Free guide.
country’s finest silversmiths.
51. Vallejo, CA. Tour historic Mare
National Trust with a gift through
your estate.
Island, two museums, historic homes.
Between San Francisco and Napa.
70. Norfolk, VA. A city known for its
scenic waterways and historic sites.
52. Washington, DC. Explore the sites
71. Preservation Products, Inc. Roof
that made history.
est
restoration
systems.
53. Westcott House, Springfield, OH.
72. Unico, Inc
In . Manufacturer of small-
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie style
masterpiece.
duc high-veloc
duct
high-velocity systems.
PRESERVATION EDUCATION
104. All Preservation Education
54. Ball State. Start building your
o
our
on today.
career in historic preservation
Reservations: 800-678-8946 | www.HistoricHotels.org
1886 CRESCENT HOTEL & SPA
WILLARD INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL
LORD BALTIMORE HOTEL
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS The
Ozarks are ablaze in color as fall comes
to the quaint, historic village of Eureka
Springs. This mountaintop spa resort with
its 15 acres of sculpted gardens and pristine
woodlands serves as the hub for scenic day
trips through northwest Arkansas. Mountains, rivers, lakes, and forests surround
what is called “America’s Most Haunted
Hotel.”
WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Modern luxury blends with stately elegance.
Reopened to its former glory in 1986, there
is no finer experience in Washington hotels
than the Willard InterContinental Hotel.
Bask at the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa,
enjoy a signature cocktail at the Round Robin
Bar, and sample French bistro-style cuisine
at the renowned Café du Parc. Steps from the
White House, National Mall, and museums.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND Housed in
a stunning French Renaissance building
located in the heart of downtown Baltimore
and just three blocks from the famous Inner
Harbor, the historic Lord Baltimore Hotel
towers over the Baltimore skyline at 23
stories with 440 guest rooms. Built in 1928,
the hotel is one of the last “Grande Dame”
hotels in the area.
WWW.CRESCENTHOTEL.COM
WWW.WASHINGTON.INTERCONTINENTAL.COM
WWW.LORDBALTIMOREHOTEL.COM
(855) 990-0212
(202) 628-9100
(410) 539-8400
OHEKA CASTLE
GREEN PARK INN
THE OMNI HOMESTEAD RESORT
HUNTINGTON, NEW YORK A majestic
mansion on Long Island’s famed Gold Coast
and former residence of Otto Hermann
Kahn during the decadent Roaring
Twenties. Today, OHEKA is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places and
offers golf, tennis, a stately bar and lounge,
and guided mansion tours.
BLOWING ROCK, NORTH CAROLINA
Opened in 1891, the Green Park is the last
of the grand manor hotels in western North
Carolina. Queen Anne Victorian in style, the
hotel was the most modern accommodation
in the High Country when opened. Today,
guests are invited to enjoy classic surroundings combined with modern amenities.
Divide Tavern and Chestnut Grill offer
ample wine and dine options.
HOT SPRINGS, VIRGINIA Discover the
ultimate getaway on 2,000 acres of timeless
luxury at this elegant escape that dates to
1766. Test your game on two championship
golf courses. Plan a relaxing day at the spa.
Experience falconry, sporting clays, hiking,
horseback riding, and more amid the scenic
beauty of the Allegheny Mountains.
WWW.OHEKA.COM
WWW.GREENPARKINN.COM
WWW.THEHOMESTEAD.COM
(631) 659-1400
(828) 414-9230
(800) 838-1766
FALL 2014
| preservation
73
MARKETplace
CUSTOM LETTERED
BRONZE PLAQUES
Drive the Texas Hill Country
For Your
HISTORIC HOME
following the 120 – mile
Gillespie County Country
Schools Trail map.
See 17 historic one-room
schools dating from 1847 to
1930 and learn the 3 R’s
with a German touch.
ERIE LANDMARK COMPANY
National Register Plaques
Medallions to Roadside Markers
Call for FREE Brochure
800-874-7848
Five schools open
on April 5, 2014.
Register at schools to help
fund preservation. Find us at
www.historicschools.org.
www.erielandmark.com
Handmade in Texas
with
L ove
Elegant Sterling Silver ~ Hand Engraved
14K Solid Gold Letters
43 Cannonball Trail Sites
15 Underground Railroad Sites
53 Sites on the National Register
of Historic Places
Explore the rich heritage and history in
Norfolk, tracing back to the birth of
our nation. Plan your trip today.
Call for pricing
Catalog 888•206•3617
74
www.silverbuckles.com
v isitn o rfo lkto day.co m
1-800-368-3097
Custom Brick
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custom brick making.
Specializing in building and
paving brick/cobblestone.
Brucemore
National Trust Historic Site
G av i n
Historical
Bricks
319.354.5251
[email protected]
www.historicalbricks.com
FALL 2014
| preservation
75
HISTORIC properties
MOBILE, AL At 100 N. Royal Street, the Staples-Pake
building, also referred to as the Emanuel Building or the
Bank of Mobile, is listed on the National Register. This
building is within two blocks of nearly $600 million of
investment. There are 3 floors with 28,000 sq. ft. of office
space. The ground floor has recently been a restaurant,
a bank, and retail space. This distinguished building is
ready for redevelopment. Asking $845,000. Fred Rendfrey,
Downtown Mobile Alliance, (251) 434-8498.
ROCKY HILL, CT Beautiful 1720s home overlooking
the Connecticut River, on the National Register. Located
on a private 0.6-acre site with mature trees, along quiet
residential street. The home has original flooring, paneling, plaster, and 4 fireplaces. It’s partially renovated with
upgraded electrical service, structural upgrades, and new
heat, plumbing, second floor bathroom, attic insulation,
and exterior paint. Has 1,600 sq. ft. plus basement and
porch. Asking $165,000. (860) 202-0219.
SEYMOUR, CT Imagine living in a piece of history. This
home was more than 50 years old when the Declaration
of Independence was signed! Tastefully updated late 17th
century home on 2.3 quiet acres in southwest Connecticut. Sixty miles from mid-town Manhattan. Quiet country
setting with stream-fed fire pond and flowering specimen
trees, plus fragrant lilac and wisteria bushes. Secluded
home is available for immediate sale; $469,900. Jim or
Daun, (203) 888-4782, www.elbowroomfarm.com/contact.
EAST SOMERVILLE, MA On the National Register, this
stunning, center gable Italianate, c. 1858, located at 1 Arlington Street in East Somerville was overlaid in Eastlake style
trim (c. 1888) and retains extraordinary original interior and
exterior detail. Just steps from Charlestown, the Charles
Williams, Jr. House was the home of the first permanent
residential phone line in the world. Offered at $995,000 by
Thalia Tringo & Associates Real Estate, (617) 616-5091.
MILL RIVER, MA Unique opportunity. The Steeple, early
New England meeting house, c. 1871, on nearly 2 private
acres of garden and mature trees. Home and village both
on National Register. Sensitively converted to comfortable
home for contemporary living with 3 bedrooms, 3 baths,
2-story living room, eat-in kitchen, former sanctuary 35 x 45
x 17 ft. high, 8 romanesque windows with colorful rondelles.
Original bell. Near Berkshire cultural attractions; $950,000.
Cohen & White, (413) 637-1086, www.millriversteeple.com.
MARDELA SPRINGS, MD White Chimneys, c. 1820, a
Federal style home privately sited on 93 acres. Framed by
English boxwood and majestic trees shading the lawn, this
restored home has a contemporary addition that compliments the historic home. Features a gracious interior with
light-filled rooms, working fireplaces, heart-pine floors,
and walls of bookcases. Separate guest cottage. Located on
Maryland’s Eastern Shore; $897,000. Alice Fisher, RE/MAX
Crossroads, (410) 430-1739, (443) 736-3373. #491204
PLATTE CITY, MO Restored antebellum, c. 1842, oldest
existing home in Platte City. With 5 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths,
10 fireplaces, hardwoods throughout. Upper/lower 9 x 44
porches, 11 x 44 deck, and 14 x 42 finished attic space. Zoned
CBD, can be used residential and/or commercial. Wellknown property offering incredible possibilities—residence,
B&B, restaurant, offices, etc. Close to Kansas City. Some furnishings negotiable. Vaccaro & Herzog RE/MAX 1st Choice
Realtors, (816) 806-7777, www.117MainStreet.com.
CORINTH, MS Waits Jewelry and Gifts, a 146-year-old
business located in historic 2-story brick building. With
good roof, wiring, and AC/heat. Includes many original
fixtures and charming decor. Second floor ideal for apartment. Historic tax credits available. Vibrant downtown
located midway between Memphis and Huntsville. Excellent retirement community of 15,000; $150,000. Please
call (662) 643-5035, visit www.waitsjewelryandgifts.com,
www.cityofcorinthms.com.
ABERDEEN, NC (adjacent to Pinehurst) The Page Trust
Bank building at 113 Main Street in downtown celebrates
its centennial this year. Its original vault built in 1912 by the
Mosler Safe Co., Milton, OH still functions, making it ideally
suited for a company which needs secure warehousing. This
classic two-story brick bank building, renovated in 19891990, would make a prestigious office building for any business; $300,000. Binky Albright Properties, (910) 315-2622,
www.binkyalbright.com.
TAOS, NM With thick adobe walls, 7 fireplaces, and
sweeping vistas, this historic home from the 1800s was
lovingly restored for residential use in 2001. It is located
on the ancient “High Road” to Taos overlooking the Taos
Valley and the Rio Grande Gorge. Has 3,550 sq. ft., 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, a lovely casita, greenhouse, and private
well all on 1.7 acres. Complete details emailed upon request. (505) 930-9586, [email protected].
HUDSON, NY Built in 1785 by Hendrick Van Rensselaer,
member of the hugely wealthy, influential Dutch patroon
family, the home is one of Hudson Valley’s most historic and
architecturally significant. Set back on a broad lawn, surrounded by renowned formal gardens, the 5,000 sq. ft. home
has 9 fireplaces and intact floor plan. The 30-acre property
includes a guest/caretaker cottage and several outbuildings. Two hours to NYC; $2,400,000. Peggy Lampman Real
Estate, (518) 851-2277, www.peggylampman.com.
TANNERSVILLE, NY Hathaway, The V. Everit Macy Estate, c. 1907, and listed on the National Register. Rare early
house by famed New York society architects Delano and
Aldrich. This Arts and Crafts estate has spectacular mountain views. The 12,000-sq.-ft. house is on 200 acres in the
Catskills Park, 2 hours from New York City. Incredibly intact with chestnut paneling, original finishes, fireplaces,
and hardware throughout. Contact Lewis Jacobsen, Hunter
Foundation, (917) 575-1302.
76
HistoricRealEstate.PreservationNation.org
ASHTABULA, OH Beautifully restored 1887 Stick Style
Victorian residential/commercial property located on
Lake Erie in historic lake port. Individually listed on National Register, contiguous to N.R. listed Bridge Street
Commercial District. Twenty-five plus years as Ashtabula
Harbor’s only lakeside B&B with 4 guestrooms, 4 1/2
baths, and extensive living spaces and porches. Offered as
fully furnished, “turnkey” B&B; $245,000. Principals only.
Owners, (440) 964-8449.
ALBANY, TX Perfect for family gatherings, entertaining,
or hunting parties, the top AIA award-winning design of this
unique compound combines a restored historic house with 2
contemporary houses. The 15,000-sq. ft. site on historic town
square in National Historic District includes 1,569 sq. ft. historic house, 2,376 sq. ft. 2-story residence/office, 2043 sq. ft.
residence/studio, and 730 sq. ft. office lease space. Ideal for
conversion to boutique hotel; $1,649,000. Dave Perry-Miller,
(972) 380-7723, [email protected].
ALBEMARLE COUNTY, VA Historic Carrsbrook, c. 1794,
is one of Albemarle County’s most distinguished 18th century homes situated on 4 1/2 acres just north of Charlottesville. The home features 4-6 bedrooms, 4 full baths, and 7
fireplaces. With pool, formal gardens, and guest cottage.
Great views of the Southwest Mountains and the Rivanna
River. On both the Virginia Landmarks Register and the
National Register; $995,000. CAAR MLS #516850. Steve
McLean (434) 295-1131.
CASTLETON, VA Edgemonte located on 228 acres with
1890 frame home on the hill. Nestled in the mountains with
several streams which feed a 5-acre lake. Rolling hills and
bottom land perfect for grapes, grazing, and hay. Near annual Castleton Festival in Rappahannock County, Va. Other
improvements include a guest house, log barn, horse barn,
and hay barn. Open space easement potential; $2,500,000.
Alex Sharp, Thomas and Talbot Real Estate, (540) 219-4425,
www.Rappahannock-Properties.com.
CULPEPER, VA National Register home, c. 1855, host to
Generals Robert E. Lee and U.S. Grant, witness to cavalry
battles around Brandy Station, Auburn Plantation is 422
acres of fertile pasture set against the Blue Ridge Mountains. The manor is Greek revival in its purest form with
wide center hall, rooms of gracious proportion all enhanced by mellowed heart pine construction. For details
call Jos. T. Samuels, Inc., Realtors in Charlottesville at
(434) 981-3322 or visit www.jtsamuels.com.
ORANGE, VA Walnut Hills, a Georgian manor house built
in 1882 by Governor Kemper. A total of 373 acres, mostly
open, 3 miles on the Rapidan River, and incredible Blue
Ridge views. The 6,000 sq. ft. brick house exudes a grand
style that only a period house can. Main floor has a great hall
52 ft. x 12 ft. with a 14 ft. ceiling. Other details include paneled library, living room, formal dining room, 7 bedrooms,
4 1/2 baths, and 9 fireplaces. Justin Wiley, Frank Hardy, Inc.,
(434) 981-5528, www.wileyproperty.com.
STAUNTON, VA A home of character and distinction on
one of the highest hills in Staunton, steps from the vibrant
downtown. An architectural gem, c. 1851, generous proportions, high ceilings, period architectural details, and elegant
appointments are the hallmarks of this gracious home. Painted brick exterior with copper roof and impressive columned
porch. Landscaped yard, wrought iron fencing, brick paths,
and formal beds. Carter Montague, Montague, Miller & Co.,
[email protected], www.12MadisonPlace.com.
WARSAW, VA Woodford, c. 1755, breathtaking waterfront
home on historic Northern Neck. Private 46-acre peninsula
is scenic setting for restored Colonial with Georgian qualities. Laid in Flemish bond with glazed headers, home has
clipped gable roof and heart-pine floors. Sympathetic clapboard addition, screened porch, and modern conveniences.
With guest house, gardens, boat dock, and sheds. On the National Register; $1,250,000. Elizabeth Johnson, Frank Hardy,
Inc. Realtors, (804) 240-5909, WaterfrontandEstate.com.
CHARLES TOWN, WV Historic Mount Ellen, c. 1760, a
renovated 12-room Flemish bond brick manor home on 10
private acres. An aesthetically beautiful property featuring
large rooms, 12 ft. ceilings, sunroom, 6 fireplaces, gourmet
kitchen with 10 ft. fireplace, and large family room added.
With formal gardens, guesthouse, 2 wood-and-chink cabins,
and pre-Civil War forge. Civil War headquarters for Gen.
Sheridan. Fifty miles from D.C.; $799,000. Carolyn Snyder,
Broker, (304) 267-1050, www.3427summitpoint.com.
CHARLES TOWN, WV Hunters Hill, brick manor home
c. 1840-1865, on 4-plus acres directly in front of Hollywood
Casino. Incredible private grounds with huge specimen trees
and boxwoods. Features huge common rooms with 9 fireplaces and high ceilings, new metal standing seam roof, impressive center hall, screened porches, and in-ground pool.
Outbuilding with 2 apartments and 2 separate lots. Great for
B&B, family compound, or investment; $750,000. Carolyn
Snyder, Broker, (304) 267-1050, www.540washington.com.
MARTINSBURG, WV Early 19th century, Mong Farm.
Renovated stone farmhouse expanded to 9,000 sq. ft. on
15 acres. House is elegant with open floor plan, gorgeous
exposed external stone walls, arched doorways, gourmet
kitchen, and finished basement. With 6 bedrooms—5 with
full ensuite baths. In-ground, fenced pool and renovated
barn—roughed-in offices, electricity and plumbing. Just
15 minutes to MARC commuter train; $899,500. Carolyn
Snyder, Broker, (304) 267-1050, www.snyderbailey.com.
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV Logie Farm, c. 1860. Gorgeous setting, feels like Tuscany. Lovely 1860s brick/log
farmhouse–82 x 18 ft. with 2 stories, 6 working fireplaces, modern kitchen, separate guest apartment, and covered sleeping
porch. Includes 65 ft. swimming pool, hot tub, terrace, deck,
4-car garage, workshop, and 20 x 120 ft. 4-stall horse barn.
20 acres of fields, 4 fenced paddocks, gardens, and spring.
MARC train to D.C. All great condition; $950,000. Carolyn
Snyder, Broker, (304) 267-1050, www.snyderbailey.com.
FALL 2014
| preservation
77
OUTSIDE|THE BOX
Damage
Control
CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP:
Informational labels
help orient visitors
to Hidden Cave;
The cave is a sacred
cultural site to the local
Northern Paiute Native
American tribe; Spraypainted vandalism on
the cave’s vault door
by Katherine Flynn
N
evada’s dark, dusty Hidden Cave
is a prehistoric treasure trove.
Early North Americans stored
spear points, bird nets, milling stones,
food, and salt in its dry depths, safe from
animals and enemies. It’s been excavated
three times by archaeologists since the
1940s, and each dig has brought new
artifacts to light.
So when vandals took cans of spray
paint to the entrance and walls of the
cave near Fallon, Nevada, in early
March, causing nearly $10,000 in damage, they should have counted on a
strong public outcry, as well as a swift
response from the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) and the archaeological community. The extensive vandalism also included harm to excavation
unit sidewalls, interpretive signs and
walkways, and an entrance door and
storage shed.
“We’re not sure exactly how they
gained access,” says Jason Wright, an
archaeologist with the BLM, which
stewards the site. “We have a brand-new
vault door on it, and they were able to
breach that lock one way or another.”
With help from a National Conservation Crew group and archaeologists from
around the country who volunteered
78
their services, Wright and other BLM
employees were able to complete the
majority of the restoration work in a day.
They dry-brushed Hidden Cave’s rock
walls to loosen the paint before scrubbing
them down by hand with paint thinner
and acetone. The group also managed to
replace a graffiti- damaged kiosk at the
cave’s entrance.
“It was pure shock,” says Donna Cossette,
who works at the nearby Churchill County
Museum & Archives and is a member of the
local Northern Paiute Native American tribe,
of the collective reaction to the defacement.
To the Northern Paiutes, Hidden Cave is a
sacred cultural site. “It’s a senseless act that
had no purpose. We were just really saddened to see that someone would go to such
lengths to destroy something so uniquely
valuable to our area.”
Wright agrees, describing the reaction
as “outraged.” As of press time, there are
13 suspects in the case. The act of vandalism, according to Wright, is a felony
punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
He is still impressed at the public
outpouring of support that the cave
received. The BLM fielded numerous
offers of assistance from places such as
Western Nevada College and local Boy
Scout troops. “Although the resource
is Native American in nature, it’s our
public heritage collectively,” he says.
“People from all walks of life were really
concerned about that.”
MORE INFORMATION: Hidden Cave is open to
the public on the second and fourth Saturdays
of every month. For a link to a 20-minute
documentary film about the cave, visit
TOP AND BOTTOM RIGHT: COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, HIDDEN CAVE VIDEO DOCUMENTARY PROJECT; BOTTOM LEFT: COURTESY BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
NEVADA COMMUNITY RALLIES AROUND
A VANDALIZED HISTORIC CAVE
Western South Carolina
Call today 888-834-1654 or visit www.tbredcountry.org - We’re Way More than Horses!
BACK STORY| MOBY
Design Scribe
by Meghan Drueding
T
How did you get interested in
architecture in the first place?
I think to a large extent it started when I
was growing up in Connecticut. We were
very poor in a very wealthy town. My mom
and I lived in a garage apartment and my
friends lived in beautiful estates. So at an
early age I was aware of different environments my friends were living in and started
to think about what were the components
that made these houses so different.
What are some of your favorite
architectural styles?
I like everything! I love the playfulness of a
lot of Midcentury Modern buildings. Especially in L.A. Growing up in Connecticut and
living in New York City, I just loved the style
80
Musician and DJ Moby restored his
1920s home in Los Angeles. Visit
mobylosangelesarchitecture.com for his
blog on the city’s eclectic architecture.
but was frustrated at how it never made sense
there. Six months out of the year, glass walls
become like the walls of a refrigerator. Moving to Southern California, suddenly Midcentury Modern architecture made sense.
Can you tell me about your French
Norman–style home in L.A.?
It’s a 1920s house that was terribly treated
the last 70 or 80 years. I worked with an architect, Tim Barber, and we did a lot of very
modern things that brought it back to [the
period]. It feels like a perfect house from the
1920s. Part of it was just the structural elements: The house was falling apart. We had
to reinforce it with structural steel, which
wouldn’t have been viable in the '20s.
My house has turrets and balconies. Sometimes it seems comical to me—they were
placed there arbitrarily. In true Hollywood
fashion, the house itself was crumbling,
but it had very expensive wallpaper! My
guesthouse was designed by John Lautner
in 1960. It’s not like Lautner’s Chemosphere
or Garcia residence, which are more formal.
This is more of a quick-and-dirty Lautner.
Your songs often layer elements from
different musical periods. Do you
think the same approach works for
architecture?
Sometimes it’s nice to have contextual cohesion. When you walk into a Midcentury
Modern house and it’s filled with midcentury furniture, it’s cohesive. But then you
have the Eames House, which is utterly
not cohesive. And that’s where its power
and charm come from. One of my favorite
approaches is when you have the contrast of a beautiful Victorian or Georgian
house with midcentury furniture—Danish
Modern and Eames chairs.
For more photos of MOBY’S home, visit PreservationNation.org/online.
COURTESY MOBY
ouring the globe as an
electronic musician,
DJ, and singersongwriter, Moby has
had plenty of opportunities
to observe the world’s great
cities. (His albums, including
Play, 18, and 2013’s Innocents,
have sold more than 20
million copies.) But the
six-time Grammy nominee
considers his adopted
hometown of Los Angeles
one of the most interesting
places of all. In 2012 he
started the Moby Los Angeles
Architecture blog, a personal
chronicle of buildings and
places that combines his love
of writing and photography.
Moby recently spoke with
Preservation about his passion
for architecture, especially in
the City of Angels.
to Talbot County
Easton
Talbot County is home to some of
the most beautiful and historic small
towns in America. Explore our culinary
treasures, one-of-kind boutiques and
elegant inns. Or bike, kayak and sail
the Chesapeake Bay.
Oxford
7DOERW&RXQW\2IîFHRI7RXULVP
St. Michaels
Tilghman Island
Plan your escape today!
410-770-8000 | TourTalbot.org
THE OMNI HOMESTEAD RESORT
A view with a room.
*Offer available at more than 200 participating Historic Hotels of America with offer code NHP. Subject to availability and only offered through
advance reservations on HistoricHotels.org. ©2014 Historic Hotels of America.® All Rights Reserved. ©2014 Omni Hotels & Resorts
NATIONAL TRUST FOR
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
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