Recent awareness and discussion of Guilford County’s 2005 lead paint ordinance has challenges that could pertain to a majority of homeowners in the county, including historic homes. Lead paint, quite possibly present in all structures built before its use was outlawed in 1978, can lead to risk for children who ingest the material. As citizens…
DetailsThe answer to the title of this article depends on how you ask the question. Greensboro has been around for almost 200 years, and in that time houses have been modified, restored…and often have changed uses. Early preservation efforts resulted in the creation of museums, or involved relocation of buildings in order to preserve them.…
DetailsPreservation Greensboro hosted Alfonso Narvaez November 13-15 as part of the National Preservation Institute’s Professional Seminars in Historic Preservation and Cultural Resource Management. The event was held at the Blandwood Carriage House, and included a diverse selection of professionals from places such as Fort Knox, Kentucky; Olympia, Washington; Mission Viejo, California; and Reynolda House, Biltmore…
DetailsWhen someone in Raleigh discovered that a friend of mine was involved in the Loewenstein Legacy project here in Greensboro in 2004, the Raleighite exclaimed “I hope Raleigh will be more like Greensboro one day!” In terms of appreciation of modern design, Greensboro has been at the head of the pack in North Carolina. Imagine…the…
DetailsIn Greensboro’s flight to the suburbs over the past 50 years, it sometimes seems as though the Gate City has lost its ability to build a great storefront. Great street-side storefronts share common features that some recently renovated storefronts throughout downtown Greensboro are lacking. No, it’s not rocket science, but we might be a little…
DetailsThe Greensboro Zoning Commission will hear a proposal (see section L) by Tribek Properties of Charlotte to demolish an entire square block of houses at the intersection of Lawndale and Cornwallis drives for a 14,820-square-foot Walgreens store and townhouses. The project will require rezoning of the block from Residential Single Family use to Planned Unit…
DetailsBlair Kamin, the Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic for the Chicago Tribune, made many key points last month during his visit to the Gate City to challenge our thinking of architecture and urban design. Architecture matters to Greensboro’s citizens in many ways, both in defining our day-to-day lives, as well as the perceptions others have our…
DetailsIf you want a chance to peek into one of High Point’s classical homes, you will have a special opportunity on Saturday. The Junior League of High Point has just completed renovations to the Briles House on North Main Street in time for its 100th birthday. The neoclassical-style house is now the home of the…
DetailsIs Irving Park to remain a neighborhood of lawns shaded by mature trees and classical homes with unusual architectural detail, or will it simply evolve into a collection of newly built McMansions attached to prestigious street addresses? This is the question that will be discussed by Irving Park residents on Thursday evening, November 1st at…
DetailsWe are an old city full of old places, and old places often feature ghosts. With Halloween on our minds this week, I have been asked to give the inside scoop on some of downtown Greensboro’s spooky spots. First Presbyterian Burial Ground One of downtown Greensboro’s eeriest spots is the First Presbyterian Burial Ground…
DetailsAre you one of those folks who enjoy taking historic architecture tours of cities you visit, but know little of your own hometown? If you are, a few seats remain available on the architectural coach tour offered through PGI this weekend. The coach tour will focus on the colorful Victorian architecture of the Gate City,…
DetailsOuch, that hurts. Greensboro fared poorly on two recently published lists by the American Institute of Architects of North Carolina ranking North Carolina’s Favorite Architecture (List A was solicited from the general public, list B was drawn from AIA members). Our beloved Jefferson Standard Building was the only mention, coming in at number 22 of…
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