Last week, the question was asked “What buildings in GSO really damage the urban environment to the point that they should be replaced?” The question was sparked by an article in the New York Times by architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff who proposed knocking down structures that not only fail to bring citizens joy, they actually work to…
DetailsGreensboro’s architecture will enjoy the spotlight this week as the Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians gathers in the Gate City for its annual meeting. Attendees will discuss diverse topics related to architecture and history, and enjoy some of Greensboro’s treasured places along the way. Appropriate to Greensboro’s unique sensibility of its own…
DetailsThe Junior League of Greensboro held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the recently restored Historic Albright House at 3101 West Friendly Avenue. With the snip of scissors, the charitable organization became its own landlord, and owner of one of North Carolina’s most distinctive Junior League headquarters. The League itself is historic, incorporated in 1926 as…
DetailsThe Green Hill Gatekeeper’s Cottage, located on a triangle of land between West Fisher Avenue, Wharton Street, and Battleground Avenue is known for its frilly trim and high-pitched roofline. It makes a distinctive architectural statement to hundreds of daily northbound commuters. The future owner, John Lomax, will close on the property in late October. One of…
DetailsTo the citizens of Greensboro, the significance of War Memorial Stadium functions at different levels. To some, it’s a living memorial to those who gave their lives during World War I. To others, it serves as charming piece of North Carolina’s athletic history. Others see War Memorial Stadium as an opportunity for economic development exemplified…
DetailsThe Senior Trainer for the organization Partners for Sacred Places, Sarah Peveler, visited Greensboro on Thursday for a familiarization tour of the Gate City’s religious sanctuaries. The visit was by request of Preservation Greensboro as part of a community-wide effort to facilitate local congregation’s efforts to manage and preserve their historic sites. Partners for Sacred…
DetailsMcIver Street in College Hill may be losing at least one of its historic homes; part of a broader plan by the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) to destroy an entire street-face within the National Register-designated neighborhood. Designated by City Council as Greensboro’s first historic district in 1980, and recognized by the United…
DetailsAll too often, visitors and citizens wonder where exactly Greensboro’s historic neighborhoods are located. There are, after all, no lines on the ground to delineate the boundaries of the community. However, now the curious need only look to look up. Last autumn, the Fisher Park neighborhood requested a pilot partnership with the City of Greensboro…
DetailsBlandwood Mansion, the eighteenth century landmark property in downtown Greensboro, found itself a victim of twenty-first century copper-market theft Tuesday morning. Thieves destroyed seven air-conditioner units by removing their copper supply lines. The same vandals also stole gutters from the Carriage House facility on the grounds. The price of copper has doubled in the last…
DetailsPreservation Greensboro has a national reputation among preservation organizations through several initiatives, including America’s earliest Tuscan Villa, Blandwood Mansion, and the Blandwood Ball. However, a great deal of attention is centered upon a grassroots initiative to save elements of Greensboro’s historic homes slated for the wrecking ball. Architectural Salvage of Greensboro has grown into…
DetailsEverything old may very well be new again if this summer’s trends in skyrocketing gas prices forcing us to rethink the design of Greensboro’s neighborhoods. For the first time in a generation, concerns related to convenience and proximity of our home to work and school take on increased significance and urgency and compel residents to…
DetailsThe easy ones are the old ones, the grand ones, and the famous ones. The historic preservation movement has rarely been challenged in protecting superlative places. If it’s the oldest building in town, the grandest edifice, or if George Washington slept there, the preservation community receives the equivalent of a public opinion green light in…
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