When constructed in 1844 -1846, A. J. Davis’s charmingly Spartan façade for Blandwood was groundbreaking not only for North Carolina, but for the United States. Researchers long ago established that Blandwood was among the earliest, if not the earliest, residence designed in the Tuscan style (there was no Italy in 1844 – Tuscany was a…
DetailsThough the Triad contains the lion’s share of North Carolina’s sprawling estates built by early twentieth-century textile fortunes, few can match the size, quality, and design of Adamsleigh. The vast estate, located in Greensboro’s Sedgefield neighborhood, consists of a sprawling 15,000 square foot manor house coupled with tennis courts, a caretakers cottage, a pond, two…
DetailsArchitecture enthusiasts have observed for some time that Greensboro’s progressive design prowess reveals itself in fits and starts. Periodically the avant-garde of North Carolina architecture (exemplified by A. J. Davis’s Blandwood 1844, Walter Gropius’s East Market Street Factory of 1944, and Odell Associates Burlington Industries Headquarters 1972 [destroyed]), some would opine that Greensboro has fallen…
DetailsIn almost every measure, it’s the biggest. No matter what terms are used to describe this project, there is no doubt that this is the most substantial preservation project in the history of the Greensboro. With a projected final price tag of $130 million, and incorporating nearly one million square feet of mills and warehouses…
DetailsChristmastime was on the minds of mill workers at Greensboro’s Revolution Mills in October of 1920, when the regional Mill News: The Great Southern Weekly for Textile Workers was published. The newspaper was “Devoted to the Textile Industries” with a particular focus on the latest advancements in living standards in mill villages across the region.…
DetailsHigh Point lost a leader in architectural design last Friday with the passing of Robert W. Conner, at the age of 93. Bob was a native of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., where he was born on September 8, 1914. He grew up in Utica, New York, before attended Duke University, and later studied architecture at N.C. State…
DetailsRecent 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…
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