It has been a very busy week here at Preservation Greensboro, but this morning we have gotten the summer issue of our Landmarks newsletter delivered to bulk mail. For those of you who have been involved with newsletters, you know what a monumental task they can be. Landmarks has been a tradition of Preservation Greensboro…
DetailsMaintaining an old building can be daunting for some and sometimes raise a cornucopia of questions: “Didn’t we just fix that leak in the roof?” “The new air conditioning system is going to cost how much?” “How do I find someone to patch the plaster walls?” Help is on the way! Preservation Greensboro is partnering…
DetailsOn September 10th, the Greensboro Zoning Commission unanimously approved the rezoning of the historic Albright House for office use, paving the way for preservation of the site as the headquarters for the Junior League of Greensboro. Final approval will be requested of City Council. In 2005, Preservation Greensboro named the Albright House to its inaugural…
DetailsThe September/October issue of the National Trust’s Forum News provides a solution to a problem we experience here in Greensboro in a weekly basis. The Forum News states “It has long been a cause of frustration for preservation advocates, and misunderstanding by the public, that there are no formal preservation protections for properties listed in…
DetailsFor the first time in recent memory, architecture will be the topic of a public workshop and presentation here in Greensboro. The October 18th event, entitled Architecture Matters! Downtown Greensboro and Beyond will feature Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin, who will make the case for the importance of architecture and design in our city.…
DetailsTo paraphrase a popular proverb, “it takes a village to raise a cigarette”…or a tobacco product. Nineteenth-century Greensboro was certainly one of those villages, with all phases of tobacco manufacturing (growing, brokering, and manufacturing) represented here. Certain phases of development grew in importance in the village, but in the end, consolidation changed the profile of…
DetailsThe 1890s was a time of change for Greensboro, as the sleepy county seat with a smattering of manufacturing facilities grew into a small city laden with industry. Shaded village lanes (such as Elm shaded Elm Street) lined with ample Queen Anne-style residences gave way to hot dusty streets lined with brick tobacco warehouses, small-scale…
DetailsGreensboro doesn’t have cavernous brick tobacco factories like Durham and Winston-Salem. The observation has merit, considering Greensboro has been a tobacco center for over 100 years. Since the city has a tobacco history, why doesn’t it have great old buildings to show for it? Unlike Winston-Salem and Durham, Greensboro’s tobacco industry was not dominated by a single…
DetailsThe Guilford Preservation Commission, recently spotlighted in newspaper headlines due to staff cutbacks, has continued its quiet and steadfast work of saving Guilford County history…as well as steering new development to be compatible with existing architecture. The most recent review, the redevelopment of the William Fields House property, has resulted in a project makeover. In…
DetailsThis summer, preservation groups across the nation are working with members of Congress to follow through on a proposed increase to core national preservation programs. Both chambers have recommended increases for the Historic Preservation Fund this year. On the House side, the proposed increase is a nearly $10 million increase from last year’s level: $45…
DetailsCertainly most people enjoy creative competition, including architects. A good time was had by all on Friday, July 27th, where I served alongside Brigitte Blanton (Greensboro Public Library) and Mary Young (Green Hill Center) as a judge for a design competition open to staff at J. Hyatt Hammond Associates (JHHA). JHHA is a leading architectural…
DetailsAn historian could make a strong arguement that Greensboro has sought suburban design standards since it was developed in the early nineteenth century. Images from the late 1800s show the city brimming with gardens (in fact, it was named the “City of Flowers” long before it was the “Gate City”), shaded streets, and large houses…
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