Sally Quinn’s heartfelt essay about her foray into historic preservation reminds us of the value of place, history, and authenticity. Her East Hampton, New York home, Grey Gardens, is the setting of a recent HBO film about the life of its previous inhabitants…inspired by a now-cultish classic documentary from 1975. “The first thing the contractor said was, “It…
DetailsDuring the Wednesday, April 8th Chancellor’s Forum at UNCG, several images were shown of what the new Quad could look like. Organizers emphasized that the images remained in the conceptual phase. Renderings depicted Classical Revival buildings in the same style as the existing 90-year-old Quad – with a grander scale and height that achieved the…
DetailsThe bulldozer emblazoned with the demolition contractor D. H. Griffin and parked behind the house at 210 West Smith Street (image, below) says it all. Another one bites the dust in the Fisher Park neighborhood…all for an parking empty lot. For those who value the built environment, the historic neighborhood, and Greensboro history, this scene is…
DetailsShould the UNC Greensboro Quad, an ninety-year-old landmark in the heart of the campus, be destroyed to make way for new dormitories? You can have your say in the process that is the subject of the Chancellor’s Open Forum this Wednesday April 8, from 2:30-4:00pm in the Alexander Room, Elliott University Center. Organizers hope this…
DetailsWhen Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin visited Greensboro in 2007, he ended his discussion before an audience of over 100 Greensboro citizens with the following directive: “There’s an old saying: You get what you deserve. Well, we get the built environment we deserve, especially in a small city. Chicago, a big city, can take the…
DetailsAccording to an article in this morning’s News and Observer: “President Barack Obama on Monday signed into law a massive public lands bill that includes a small provision to preserve historic landmarks in North Carolina and the rest of the country — the result of work begun in part by U.S. Rep. Brad Miller of Raleigh”…
DetailsTraipse the woods and old fields of the Carolina Piedmont in the month of March, and you will likely discover a lonesome cluster of daffodils randomly sited off the path. Those who work with historic buildings in the region recognize these flowers as reliable signs of settlement that might stretch 100 years or more into…
DetailsGovernor John Motley Morehead, whose home Blandwood is operated by Preservation Greensboro as a museum, would be pleased. North Carolina’s restored and historic railway stations, like ours here in Greensboro (image, right), might soon be getting a workout. With $8 billion of the recent Federal stimulus package reserved for the development of intercity high-speed rail service, our state’s prior investment in passenger rail service has positioned…
DetailsThrough an unprecedented public-private partnership in preservation, a pair of historic houses in downtown Greensboro might avoid destruction and find suitable new homes that will enrich two of Greensboro’s most historic neighborhoods. The joint effort of the City of Greensboro (Department of Housing & Community Development); the Preservation Greensboro Development Fund, Inc.; Greensboro College; the College…
DetailsGreensboro has a long history of historic preservation and adaptive reuse, dating back to the 1887 conservation of the Guilford Courthouse battleground and the 1924 establishment of the Greensboro Historical Museum in the old First Presbyterian Church. Today, historic preservation remains an important part of the Gate City’s identity and character, illustrated by nine exciting…
DetailsPreservation Greensboro has a forty year tradition of engaging the local community with notable speakers at the organization’s annual meeting. Beginning with Jane Davies of Columbia University at the very first annual meeting in 1966, other speakers have included Clement Conger, Curator of the White House; James Biddle, President of the National Trust for Historic…
DetailsHistoric preservation has been an exciting part of Greensboro’s growth for decades, but today’s developers are exploring new ways to preserve our environment by going green. Here in Greensboro, participants of a workshop sponsored by Preservation Greensboro will learn how to accomplish both in one project. The session will be chaired by Carl Elefante, AIA,…
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