To 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…
DetailsReskinning, also known as recladding, is big business here in Greensboro and other places. Notable examples include the old Wachovia Tower on North Elm Street, but also the 230 South Tryon building in Charlotte and the Verizon Building on Bryant Park in Manhattan. New skins on old buildings are not new to Greensboro, where several…
DetailsIn light of the recent disbandment of staff for the Guilford County Joint Historic Preservation Commssion, and in light of recent threats to do the same to the staff of the Greensboro Historic Preservation Commission, citizens need not take these government programs for granted. If you benefit in any way from these services (enjoy historic…
DetailsHistoric Barns Threat: Demolition by Neglect Rural Guilford County Since the earliest days of settlement, the family farm has been a vital image in Guilford County. As the main structures of farms, barns evoke a sense of tradition and closeness to the land that seems to diminish each year in our county’s rapidly suburbanizing landscape.…
DetailsBellemeade Neighborhood Threat: Neglect and Demolition Cedar Street, Spring Street, Guilford Avenue Bellemeade, like other historic center-city neighborhoods, contains buildings that represent a broad spectrum of Greensboro’s history, including the circa-1846 Weir House (Greensboro Woman’s Club), the circa-1895 Pickard House at 231 North Spring Street, and the 1896 Aiken House at 217 Cedar Street. Unlike…
DetailsHolleman House Threat: Demolition 701 N. Greene Street, Fisher Park Historic District One of Fisher Park’s earliest residences, the Holleman House was constructed between 1905 and 1920 at one of the primary gateways to the neighborhood. The architecture of the house blends Queen Anne massing with Colonial Revival details, such as the Ionic porch columns,…
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