MATTERSPRESERVATION

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE PRESERVATION ALLIANCE FOR GREATER PHILADELPHIA FALL 2010

PreservationAlliance

for greater philadelphia

A Complicated Modernity: PhiladelphiaArchitectural Design 1945-1980

Like most large, prosperous cities in the United States, architecture in

the period after World War II in Philadelphia was, to a great extent,

marked by two national trends. The first of these was the spread of

the International Style and subsequent popular modernist styles,

including Brutalism and later variations on the International Style.

E X E C U T I V ED I R E C T O R ’ S

M E S S A G E

Although the Philadelphia Registerof Historic Places does not requirea building to be of a specific age to

be listed and protected, the National Registergenerally includes only buildings 50 years orolder. Preservation organizations around thecountry have started to realize that buildingscompleted in 1960 are now 50 years old andeligible to be considered as “historic.” And, astime passes, an increasing number of build-ings from the mid-20th century will fall intothat category. Preservationists interested inthis period refer to it as “the recent past” andmany organizations, including the NationalTrust for Historic Preservation, have startedto add consideration of buildings from thisera to their preservation agenda.

In Philadelphia, a number of individualsand organizations have begun to think aboutwhich buildings from the mid-20th centuryare significant and noteworthy. The Societyof Architectural Historians, led by BillWhitaker of the University of Pennsylvania’sArchitectural Archives, has been organizingtours and lectures about the recent past forseveral years. Realtor Craig Wakefield hascreated a wonderful website of Modernhouses (modernhomesphiladelphia.com).The late architect Charles Evers produced alist of notable buildings in the late 1990s.And, of course, authors of architecturalguidebooks have had to make their selectionof notable buildings of this period.

The Preservation Alliance began to explorethe architecture of this period in 2009 bycommissioning an historic context statementfor Modern architecture in Philadelphiafrom 1945 to 1980. Prepared by MalcolmClendenin and Emily Cooperman, this state-ment outlines the major themes and primaryarchitects of the period. (It can be viewed atPreservePhiladelphia.org/wp-content/uploads/HCSModernism.pdf). This pastsummer, thanks to a summer intern grantfrom the Samuel S. Fels Fund, the Alliancewas able to add an initial inventory of mid-20th century buildings to support the contextstatement. (See PreservationAlliance. com/programs/modern.php). These are the firststeps in what we hope will be a new area ofinterest for historic preservation inPhiladelphia.

If you have information about or photosof notable mid-century buildings not yet inour Modern Buildings Inventory, we inviteyou to share them with Preservation AllianceAdvocacy Director Ben Leech at ben@preservationalliance.com.

JOHN ANDREW GALLERY

Executive Director

and nations in the ensuing decades. Giurgolabecame the architecture head at ColumbiaUniversity, and his most ambitious project wasthe new national government building inCanberra, Australia. Geddes went to PrincetonUniversity to head its architecture department.With the notable exception of the RichardsBuilding at Penn and the Esherick House inChestnut Hill, most of Kahn’s great works arenot just outside of Philadelphia but indeedflung across the world, and can be found inNew York, Connecticut, Texas, California,India, and Bangladesh.

It was the very presence of history, of anextensive built fabric in which the threads of250 years of evolution were woven, that madecontext and contextuality a keynote of thePhiladelphia School—the city’s most famouscontribution to international design in thepostwar period. Evident in their work was adesire to knit architectural projects into theirsurroundings. The return of a concern for con-text and history was nothing less than a sea-change in architecture. Philadelphia’s builtworks of the 1960s and 1970s, and its firms(both world-famous and those less well-known) form a remarkable case study of one ofthe most significant periods in twentieth-cen-tury architecture, and remain one of the mostsignificant aspects of its built environment. It isa postmodern irony that what was new in the1960s and 1970s is now important history.Philadelphia’s architectural modernity wasweaned on history, and is itself now historic.

This essay was adapted from an historic con-text statement produced for the PreservationAlliance in 2009. It is available in full atwww.Preser vePhi lade lphia .org/w p-con-tent/uploads/HCSModernism.pdf.

The practitioners who relied on these designmodes were the most successful in the region bythe measures of size and numbers of commis-sions, and their projects are significant for thechanges they wrought to life in the Philadelphiaregion at the local level.

The second national architecture trend was atrend that had preceded InternationalModernism, one that is often described as“regional modernism.” It might, however, bebetter be termed “American modernism,” sinceit encompasses the works of such eminent prac-titioners as Frank Lloyd Wright. Philadelphiahad a significant history of both Americanmodernist and International Style architecturebefore World War II, and the Beaux Arts meth-ods and approaches that shaped much of this architecture continued to influencePhiladelphia-area designs after the war.

In distinct contrast to other cities, however,Philadelphia in the postwar period spawned aninternationally significant group of designersthat together have been called the “PhiladelphiaSchool.” They produced far fewer, and general-ly far smaller, projects than those who followedinternational style trends, but many of theirworks in Philadelphia are nationally, if notinternationally, significant. The best knownamong this group of important designers arearguably Louis I. Kahn (1901-1974) and RobertVenturi (b. 1925) and his wife and professionalpartner, Denise Scott Brown (b. 1931).

One of the key factors in shaping post-wararchitecture in Philadelphia was the role of thefaculty at the University of Pennsylvania’sSchool of Fine Arts (today known as the Schoolof Design). The hiring of G. Holmes Perkins(1904-2004) as dean at Penn in 1951 had a sig-nificant impact as he brought on a new, ener-getic faculty, many of whom would becomeleading lights in the Philadelphia School.Perkins also had a role in shaping redevelop-ment within the city as Chairman of the CityPlanning Commission (of which EdmundBacon was Executive Director). In the massivepostwar development program in WestPhiladelphia, Perkins was at least partly respon-sible not only for engaging internationally-sig-nificant architect Eero Saarinen for Hill Hall onthe Penn campus but also probably secured thecommission of the Richards Medical ResearchLaboratories—an internationally significantdesign—for Louis Kahn at roughly the sametime.

Joining Kahn in teaching at Penn under DeanPerkins were Robert Geddes (b. 1923; whoformed Geddes, Brecher, Qualls andCunningham in 1960), Romaldo Giurgola (b.1920; of Mitchell/Giurgola Associates), IanMcHarg (1920-2001; landscape architect andtheorist), Denise Scott Brown, Anne Tyng (b.1920; who played a key role in Kahn’s firm), andRobert Venturi. Each of them would spreadideas fostered in Philadelphia to other states

This issue of Preservation Matters highlights work by the Preservation Alliance on buildings of the recent past and offers the opportunity for the public to help define what is important to preserve and protect.

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By Malcolm Clendenin, PhD and Emily T. Cooperman, PhD

The unexpected dramatic atrium of Hill Hall (Eero Saarinen & Associates, 1960), an under-graduate dormitory at the University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia’s sole Saarinen building.

The Richards Medical Research Laboratory, UPenn (Louis Kahn, 1961), one of themost architecturally influential buildings of the twentieth century.

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This past summer the Preservation Alliance moved forward withits first study of mid-20th century Modern buildings inPhiladelphia. With a summer intern grant from the Samuel S,

Fels Fund, I was tasked with accumulating information on buildingsfrom the period 1945-1980 and with beginning an advocacy initiative topublicize that information. Ultimately, the initiative aims to bring atten-tion to, stimulate discussion of, and broaden perceptions ofPhiladelphia’s youngest historic buildings.

This is an early step into the future of the historic preservation field. Asarchitecture critics and preservationists are increasingly pointing out, therecent past will always be a challenge and an imperative. There will alwaysbe a new generation of buildings that are too old to be contemporary buttoo young to be appreciated as historical; these are arguably the mostendangered buildings we have. But devising a methodology for recent-past preservation planning is complicated: how do we predict today whatwill be considered significant in the future? We are farsighted to historicalvalue and subjective to aesthetic value, but that does not diminish ourresponsibility as stewards to ensure that future generations have the relicsof the mid-20th century that they might appreciate as much as we todayhave come to appreciate those of the mid-19th century.

Steven Izenour, a principal at Venturi, Scott Brown & Associates andco-author of the legendary Learning from Las Vegas (1972), commentedin a 1985 book on “Googie” architecture, “When considering architectureso close to our present, the editing effect of time has only begun to work,and we are dependent on the subjectivity of our own eyes; neat stylisticcategories won’t help us much, and absolute aesthetic of good and bad,high and low, are less important than a sure sense of time, place, andmeaning.”

I believe it’s possible to foster greater appreciation of mid-centurybuildings through knowledge because I went through the process myself.Prior to graduate school and this summer’s work, my favorite architec-ture was late-19th/early-20th century English Arts and Crafts. I still loveit. But as I have learned more and more about the new building materi-als and techniques of the middle 20th century, and the theoretical moti-vations and socially progressive spirit fueling the whole impetus for inno-vation and change (some experiments failed, many more succeeded), Iam a fascinated advocate of modernism—as well as a believer in the pos-sibility of altering one’s aesthetic perceptions.

I began the summer by reviewing existing surveys of Philadelphiaarchitecture, identifying which buildings were most frequently referenced.I searched academic and professional journals, architecture books, andarchives from today as well as publications from the mid-century to try toget a surer sense of the times that Izenour called for. I discussed themes,goals, and priorities with an assortment of historians, architects, plannersand others who study the local built environment.

I spent a lot of time working to expand the existing inventory of build-ings in order to include often overlooked building types and geographicareas of the city, such as low-rise commercial buildings and the FarNortheast, respectively. Existing surveys and common knowledge empha-size nationally renowned architects, the tall-office and residential typolo-gies, and the Center City area. Driving and walking through the city, andspeaking with individuals who have photographed or otherwise docu-

mented particular areas, are critical to the process of locating recent-pastbuildings that are taken for granted or derided today (but maybe nottomorrow). The Modern Buildings Inventory is now available for publicviewing at http://www.preservationalliance.com/programs/modern.php.

Once the inventory was created, the Preservation Alliance staff and Ifocused on selecting two buildings to nominate to the PhiladelphiaRegister of Historic Places. To inform our selection, we asked a group ofarchitects, historians and authors to rank a “shortlist” of buildings deserv-ing local designation according to their opinions on merit and priority.We selected the United Fund Headquarters (Mitchell/GuirgolaAssociates, 1971, on the Ben Franklin Parkway between 17th and 18thStreets) and the Vanna Venturi House (Venturi and Rauch, 1962; at 8330Millman Street, Chestnut Hill).

I see much to be gained, and much hope for success, in recent-past ini-tiatives in spite of their challenges. For one, they require the public’sinput—both in accumulating information and in identifying prioritiesamong buildings that are many in number but somewhat ambiguous inlegacy—and therefore present opportunities for the more inclusive, inter-active approaches to preservation planning that have long been a goal (ifnot a reality) in the field. The Alliance wants to hear more from thePhiladelphia public about which mid-century buildings matter, and why.Information will be shared through different channels and methods,including Field Notes, the Alliance’s new blog (Fieldnotesphilly.wordpress.com); the Alliance’s preservation planning websitePreservePhiladelphia.org; lectures, architecture tours, and more.

It was Philadelphia’s own AFL-CIO Medical Services Building by LouisKahn that architectural historian Kenneth Frampton chose to cite in hisintroduction to Progressive Architecture’s 1974 special issue on recent-pastpreservation. The AFL-CIO building had been demolished the previousyear in preparation for the Vine Street Expressway; it was 16 years old.Now is the time to begin to look at mid-century heritage with a keenereye to prevent the loss of buildings that are part of the architectural andcultural history of Philadelphia.

Modernism Initiative to Shed Light on Philadelphia’sYoungest Historic Buildings

In the Old Pine Community Center (Friday Architects/Planners, 1977), post-Modern historicism melds into the Society Hill Historic District.

The N. William Winkelman, Jr. House (Montgomery and Bishop, 1959), on ApalogenRoad in East Falls, suits its environment in a different way.

AFL-CIO MedicalServices Building in1962, demolished in1973.

Modern October

October 92:00 pm

Modernism in America’s OldestNeighborhoodMeeting place to be announced.$20 general public; $10 Preservation Alliance members.Advance registration required:www.PreservationAlliance.com/walkingtours or 215.546.1146 x3A special guided walking tour, with visitsinside several private residences, of the greatmodern architecture that co-exists alongsiderestored 18th and 19th-century buildings inSociety Hill Philadelphia. Learn how mod-ernism and historic preservation werethoughtfully integrated in one of the greatestexamples of mid-century urban renewal.Presented by the Preservation Alliance forGreater Philadelphia in conjunction withDOCOMOMO North America Tour Day,highlighting modern architecture through-out the United States, Mexico and Canada.

October 232:00pm

Guided Tour of Kahn’s Trenton Bath House 999 Lower Ferry Road, Ewing, NJFree and open to the public. For reservations contact BillWhitaker, 215.898.8323 or wwhitake@design.upenn.eduA ground breaking work in the career ofLouis I. Kahn, the Trenton Bath House, com-pleted in 1955, has recently undergone amajor restoration after years of neglect. Ledby Donna Lewis, Mercer County PlanningDirector and Michael Mills, architect incharge of the restoration, this tour will revealthe extraordinary efforts undertaken tobring this landmark of twentieth centuryarchitecture into the future. In addition tomasonry restoration and site improvements,the team was able to complete many ele-ments of Kahn’s original design that were leftincomplete in 1955. “The bath house readslike a treatise of Kahn’s ideas,” Inquirerarchitecture critic Inga Saffron recentlywrote. This is a wonderful opportunity toexperience Kahn’s ideas in person with theteam responsible for saving this seminalwork.

October 276:30 pm

Architectural WallflowersNortheast Regional Free Library, 2228 Cottman Avenue (at Oakland) Free and open to the public, registration encouraged:advocacy@preservationalliance. com or 215.546.1146 x5.

Join photographer Betsy Manning as shepresents a treasure trove of hiddenPhiladelphia gems. If buildings were people,Betsy’s subjects would often be described as“wallflowers”—overlooked, ignored, nonde-script, until you stop and really see them.Her photos of mid-century storefronts,municipal buildings and other “everyday”structures reveal elements of uncommonlygood design.

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By Kristin Hagar, MS candidate in Historic Preservation, University of Pennsylvania

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Cast Your Vote!Mid-century architecture is enjoying a resurgence of appreciation and interest nationwide, but here in Philadelphia, our

eclectic collection of modern buildings is often overlooked. What are your favorite local buildings from this era of bold

design innovation?

We put together a ballot full of both well-known and hidden mid-century buildings, grouped into multiple categories. Two

of these are listed below, and the full ballot is on our blog: http://fieldnotesphilly.wordpress.com/ilikemod. Using whatever

criteria you see fit—most significant, most rare, most exemplary—chose your favorites. Voting online is easy, or you can

email your choices to advocacy@preservationalliance.com. Are your favorites not on the ballot? Write them in! The winning

buildings will be announced in our next newsletter.

Storefronts

Office Buildings1 Pennsylvania State

Office Building (1958)Carroll, Grisdale & Van AlenN. Broad Street & SpringGarden Street

2 Police AdministrationBuilding (1963)Geddes, Brecher, Qualls &CunninghamRace, 7th & 8th Streets

3 Municipal ServicesBuilding (1965)Vincent Kling & AssociatesBroad Street & JFKBoulevard

4 Rohm & Haas Building(1965)Pietro Belluschi, withGeorge Ewing Co.100 Independence MallWest

5 United Fund Building(1971)Mitchell/GiurgolaAssociates17th Street & BenjaminFranklin Parkway

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Protected BuildingsCurrently, only six Mid-Century Modernbuildings are individually designated on thePhiladelphia Register of Historic Places,along with one local historic district. Inaddition, other important mid-centurybuildings like I.M. Pei’s Society Hill Towersare listed as contributing structures withinthe Society Hill Historic District.

Mercantile Library (1953) Martin, Stewart & Noble1021 Chestnut StreetDesignated 1990

National Products Building (1957) 109-31 North 2nd StreetDesignated 2002

Guild House (1964)Venturi & Rauch, with Cope & Lippincott711 Spring Garden StreetDesignated 2004

Richards Medical Research Laboratory(1961)Louis I. Kahn3700-800 Hamilton Walk, University ofPennsylvaniaDesignated 2004

Green Belt Knoll Historic District (1958)Montgomery & Bishop1-19 Longford Street, Northeast PhiladelphiaDesignated Historic District 2006

Hasserick/Sawyer House (1959)Richard Neutra, with Thaddeus Longstreth4030 Cherry Lane, East FallsDesignated 2009

Margaret Esherick House (1960) 204 Sunrise Lane, Chestnut HillDesignated 2009

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1 Robinson’s Dept. Store(1946)Victor Gruen1020 Market Street

2 Sophy Curson (1952)Beryl Price122 South 19th Street

3 Ott Camera (c.1950s)Architect Unknown6901 Castor Avenue

4 Stein Flowers (c.1950s)Architect Unknown7059 Frankford Avenue

5 National ProductsBuilding(1957)Architect Unknown109-31 N. 2nd Street

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A D V O C A C YHistoric Family Court Building is in Danger!

The City of Philadelphia is planning the construction ofa new Family Court facility at 15th and Arch Streets. Ifand when this new building is constructed, the court’s

move will leave its current Family Court building vacant.Designed by John T. Windrim and built by the New Deal-eraPublic Works Administration in 1938-41, this grand neoclassicaledifice is among Philadelphia’s most significant public buildings.Built as a companion to the Free Library of Philadelphia (HoraceTrumbauer, 1917-27), the pair stand in near-perfect symmetryon the north side of Logan Circle. Inside, its thirty-seven WPAmurals are among the city’s greatest collections of public art.

Although owned by the City of Philadelphia, the current admin-istration has decided to sell or lease the building to a private devel-oper. The Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporationissued an RFP in June to solicit proposals from developers. Thisprocess is extremely unusual for a number of reasons:

■ City regulations require the Commission of Public Property todeclare a city-owned property as surplus before it can be offeredfor sale. The Family Court building is not surplus property. Itis in active use and will likely be so for many years to come.

■ City regulations also require City Council approval before sell-ing any city-owned property. No bill has been introduced seek-ing council approval of this sale.

■ The Nutter administration has ignored Preservation Alliancerequests to nominate the historic interior spaces for protectionby the Philadelphia Historical Commission. More significantly,a "model" reuse plan included in the city’s RFP depicts the com-plete destruction of four architecturally significant interiorspaces.

■ Although the administration acknowledges the building’s list-ing on the Philadelphia Register and recognizes the jurisdic-tion of the Philadelphia Historical Commission to review exte-rior alterations, it continues to suggest that a tower might bebuilt on top of the current building. This would not onlydestroy the historic symmetry of the Family Court and FreeLibrary, but would drastically change the character of LoganSquare. Requests by the Alliance to establish a firm guidelineagainst a tower addition have been ignored.

Why is this being done now? The Nutter administration saysit has to select a developer before Governor Rendell leaves office,despite the fact that plans for the new Family Court facility aremired in controversy and uncertainty. They will not explain whythis timing is necessary, and are proceeding with little regard forthe historic character of Logan Square, the integrity of the build-ing’s interiors, or the established precedents for disposing of sig-nificant public property.

The Preservation Alliance has identified five principles for abetter future for the Family Court building. By endorsing theseprinciples at PreservationAlliance.com/advocacy/FamilyCourtPrinciples.php, you will become a Friend of Family Court andyour name will be added to a list of supporters we are presentingto Mayor Nutter. Even if you already signed our earlier petition,your participation now is crucial. Numbers count, and we needyour endorsement to show that Philadelphians care about theircivic inheritance.

1 No action should be taken to enter into any agreement witha private developer for the sale or lease of the historic FamilyCourt building on Logan Square until there is a fullyfinanced, approved, and construction-ready plan for a newFamily Court facility.

2 The historic Family Court building should not be sold to aprivate developer. Following the sound precedent of thePlease Touch Museum at Memorial Hall, any redevelopmentof Family Court should be structured as a long-term leaseunder continued public ownership.

3 The building contains seven historic ceremonial spaceswhose architectural and artistic value is extraordinary. Theseshould be listed on the Philadelphia Register of HistoricPlaces and protected from adverse alteration or demolition.

4 No addition should be allowed on top of the Family Courtbuilding that would be visible from any part of Logan Squareor the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

5 The building’s New Deal-era murals, sculpture and stainedglass windows should remain in public ownership. If it isnecessary to transfer ownership to an appropriate culturalinstitution, they should remain "on loan" in their originalsetting inside Family Court.

Join the Friends of Family Court by adding your name to ourlist of supporters. To join, visit PreservationAlliance.com/advocacy/FamilyCourtPrinciples.php.

Preservation Alliance’s Family Court Principles

Family Court seen with the Free Library in the distance.

Elevator lobby with D’Ascenzo Studios stained glass window and mural byFrank H. Schwarz.

Nationally-renowned muralist George Harding painted these murals in thebuilding’s main lobby. In all Family Court includes 37 murals by nine WPA-eraartists.

One of two main waiting rooms serving the building’s courtrooms.

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Alliance Awarded Grant to Survey Yorktown

The Preservation Alliance, in partner-ship with the Yorktown CommunityOrganization, has been awarded a

project grant, for preserving and interpretingAfrican American heritage in Pennsylvania, by the Pennsylvania Historical & MuseumCommission (PHMC). The Yorktown commu-nity will celebrate its 50th anniversary over thenext year. Yorktown, located between Girardand Cecil B. Moore Avenues, and 10th and 13thStreets in North Philadelphia, is significant asthe first urban renewal project in Philadelphiaand it set a new standard for neighborhoodplanning. Yorktown was intended to encouragea growing middle-class African American com-munity to remain in Philadelphia. This goalwas achieved, and Yorktown has been an impor-tant neighborhood for the past fifty years andhome to many civic leaders including formermayor John Street.

The PHMC grant will support a survey ofYorktown to serve as the basis for future preser-vation efforts. The survey, financed in partwith federal funds from the National ParkService, U.S. Department of the Interior, willconform to PHMC requirements including anexplanation of the survey methodology used,an historic context statement, individualresource surveys, photographic documentationand a summary of survey findings.

Parkside Designation Celebrated

After four years of waiting, theAlliance’s nomination of WestPhiladelphia’s Parkside neighbor-

hood to the Philadelphia Register of HistoricPlaces was finally approved. The 126-propertydistrict showcases the ornate late-nineteenth-century apartments and rowhouses liningFairmount Park near Memorial Hall. On May26, the Preservation Alliance and the ParksideHistoric Preservation Corporation (PHPC) co-hosted a Designation Celebration for Parksideresidents, public officials and other dignitariesat the Garden at The Lansdowne on ParksideAvenue. The Lansdowne Building, a stunningQueen Anne-style apartment building built in1893 and designed by architect John C.Worthington, was the first restoration projectby PHPC, completed in 1972.

Martin Luther King "Freedom Now"Marker Dedicated

On June 19, Mayor Michael Nutter andother dignitaries joined nearly 100people who gathered at the intersec-

tion of 40th Street, Lancaster and HaverfordAvenues to unveil a historical marker, memori-al bust and public mural dedicated to slain civilrights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.King spoke to a crowd of 10,000 at the WestPhiladelphia site in August 1965 during hisFreedom Now tour. The dedication ceremonyincluded a live performance by the UniqueMiracles Drill Team and words by State SenatorVincent J. Hughes. John Gallery of thePreservation Alliance joined State Rep. VanessaLowery Brown, City Councilwoman JannieBlackwell and Pennsylvania Historical &Museum Commission Board memberEmanuel Kelly on the program. SculptorRebecca Rose, mural artist Cliff Eubanks andJane Golden of the Mural Arts Program wererecognized for their contributions along withlocal businesses and donors. HUB CoalitionInc. of West Philadelphia coordinated the two-year commemoration and the day’s program.

Keynote Speaker Announced forNeighborhood Conference

Barbara Aylesworth, Senior ProgramManager of Healthy Neighborhoodsin Baltimore will be the keynote

speaker at the Alliance’s Sense of Place:Preserving Philadelphia’s Neighborhoods con-ference on October 8. Participants will have theopportunity to expand their understanding ofthe important role of preservation in neighbor-hood stabilization/revitalization, learn aboutsuccessful examples from local communitiesand meet with representatives of the non-profit

and governmental organizations that are play-ing an active role in these efforts. The confer-ence will also feature the 2010 NeighborhoodPreservation Project Grant Competition. Non-profit neighborhood organizations can win upto $1,500 to support a preservation-based proj-ect. For more information, and to register forthe conference, please visit PreservationAlliance.com/events/citywide_conference orcall 215.546.1146 x6.

Yorktown

Janet Klein (L) from the Philadelphia HistoricalCommission Designation Committee and CharlotteBrown of the Parkside Historic Preservation Corporationwith the district’s new designation plaque.

The newly unveiled historical marker, with the muralbehind it.

The Preservation Alliancewas among fourteenPhiladelphia arts, culture

and history organizations who sentrepresentatives on a three-day trip tovisit eight historic sites in Virginia toexplore how these homes and birth-places of America’s founding fathersinterpret their rich, yet complicated,histories that include slavery. Thestudy trip offered the group a chanceto visit several of the nation’s mostsignificant historic sites not as pub-lic historians or museum profession-als, but as fellow citizens seeking tolearn more about how history is pre-sented to the public, through an

intense, shared history experience onwhat some call the “Battlefield ofMemory.”

The Heritage Philadelphia Program of the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage sponsored this studytrip under its mission to encourage and enhance humanities-based programming, grounded incontemporary scholarship, to attract and engage new audiences and local residents inPhiladelphia’s nationally important history.

The program, entitled “Revisiting Virginia’s Past: Eight Sites, One Bus, Hundreds of Stories!” vis-ited the following historic sites: Arlington House/The Robert E. Lee Memorial, Frederick DouglassNational Historic Site, Mount Vernon (home of George Washington), Monticello (home ofThomas Jefferson), Montpelier (home of James Madison), Ferry Farm (George Washington’s boy-hood home); Stratford Hall Plantation (birthplace of Robert E. Lee), and George WashingtonBirthplace National Monument.

Members of the study group worked to put aside the prestige of Mt. Vernon as America’s firsthouse museum and the home of its first president to examine whether the site goes beyond thestory of George Washington to tell of the others who worked this Virginia plantation. AtMontpelier, the challenge lay in considering whether historic sites should be frozen in certain placein time or whether the physical evolution of the house by more recent owner-occupants such as theduPont family should remain and be folded into the interpreted story. The Ferry Farm historic sitepresented the story of Washington’s boyhood home through archaeology and its material findings,and evidence of Native American and enslaved African presence was included in the farm’s inter-pretation. There is also an ongoing dig at the site where hundreds of runaway Africans crossed theRappahannock River which could broaden the story told at Ferry Farm.

The study group identified several interpretive methods that enhanced the learning experienceat these various sites. Both Mount Vernon and Monticello offer specialized tours of the slave quar-ters and work areas. The Monticello complex also includes a children’s educational center wherevisitors can touch replicas of Thomas Jefferson’s inventions and reenact a slave boy’s work in theplantation nailery.

The leadership of women emerged as a strong theme in the interpretations at several sites. AtMontpelier, Dolley Madison and her influence on the new nation’s politics and fashion are high-lighted and Monticello teaches how Martha Jefferson Randolph, Jefferson’s eldest daughter man-aged the household. Robert E. Lee pleaded by letter with his wife, Mary Anna Randolph Custis Leewho did not want to leave their Arlington home. While the Lee family of Virginia produced twosigners of the Declaration of Independence and Civil War hero Robert E. Lee, their historic home-stead was designed for Thomas Lee’s eldest daughter Hannah Lee.

Educational orientation films were available at Mount Vernon, Monticello, Montpelier and theFrederick Douglass National Historic site. Uniquely, the Douglass home includes 70 percent origi-nal Douglas objects in its interpretations. Also, unlike the other sites, Douglass’ interpretation toldthe story of African American emancipation through the lens of one man’s life-long struggle.

The study trip also presented some distressing realities that seem to face most of the historicsites, where the interpretive practice of presenting only one perspective still dominates. All of thesesites, save the Frederick Douglass home, had been working plantations. Yet the enslaved persons

Revisiting Virginia’s Past By Melissa Jest

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This preserved slave quarters and replica garden stands at Stratfordplantation, birthplace of Robert E. Lee.

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who powered these sites, and America’s economies, only received cursory mention in the mainhouse tours. This would indicate that more historic research and increased visitor demand areneeded for the inclusion of all people who lived on these sites.

It was also evident that the quality of the visitor’s experience varied based on the tour guide. Thiswas even true at the two of the sites are managed by the National Park Service where one mightpresume there would be some level of quality control. Most of all, members of the study group rec-ognized that visitors will base their beliefs about themselves, their place in history, and significanceof other contributing groups on the history they learn at these sites.

As members of the group considered how to apply their observations and experience to theirwork in Philadelphia, one common lesson was identified – public history sites do have the respon-sibility of telling more of the story. Expanded interpretations and interactive programming suggestmore work for historic museums/sites of all sizes, but they also can attract more visitors from moresegments of the heritage tourism market. In order to positively engage diverse neighbors in thepreservation of historic sites and of their own historic communities, we must enable groupsthrough continued research and educational outreach to learn of their ancestors’ contributions totheir environment, their city, and their nation.

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The Preservation Alliance, in collaboration with the Fairmount Park HistoricPreservation Trust, the New Kensington Community DevelopmentCorporation and the Fairmount Community Development Corporation, is

pleased to announce two series of Homeowner Workshops in September and Octoberfor owners of historic homes. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn about the bestpractices for the research, restoration and maintenance of historic homes.

These workshops are free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Toreserve a space, or for more information, please contact Melissa Jest, NeighborhoodPreservation Program Coordinator, at 215.546.1146 x6 or melissa@preservationalliance.com.

“Hands On” Demonstration Workshopsin KensingtonCoral Street Arts House, 2446 Coral Street, Philadelphia

Tuesday, September 216:30pmWood Windows Maintenance and Repair

Tuesday, September 286:30pmMasonry and Pointing

Tuesday, October 56:30pmPainting

Tuesday, October 126:30pmWood Repairs

Lecture Workshops in FairmountFairmount CDC, 2206 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia

Wednesday, September 226:30pmEnergy Efficiency in Older Homes

Wednesday, September 296:30pmWood Window Maintenance and Repair

Wednesday, October 66:30pmFlat Roofs: Repair, Maintenance and Replacement

Wednesday, October 136:30pmMasonry and Pointing

Learn How to Keep YourHistoric Home in Top Shape

Explore Philadelphia on anArchitectural Walking TourT

he Alliance’s Architectural Walking Tour series continues through the end of October.The guided tours interpret the past, present and future of the Philadelphia region asexpressed through architecture, urban design and social history. Tours are led by a lively

group of volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds who share their passion and knowledge ofthe region’s built environment.

Tour takers can learn more about where they live or discover a new neighborhood. You can enjoya leisurely Society Hill Stroll, trek through the gritty post-industrial landscape of Callowhill Streetor explore Underground Philadelphia.

In August, for the first time, a bicycle tour was also offered. Cyclists set out from Lloyd Hall on atwo-hour tour exploring the history, art and architecture of Fairmount Park.

Tours run every Saturday at 10am and 2pm, and every Sunday at 10am and 2pm, duringSeptember and October. The cost is $10 for adults, $8 for students and free for children 10 andunder, accompanied by adult. Preservation Alliance members can take a tour for half price- only $5!

The Alliance also offered training this year for those wishing to become volunteer tour guides,and hopes to do so every year, in conjunction with the Building Philadelphia Lecture Series offeredannually at the Philadelphia Center for Architecture.

Please visit www.PresevationAlliance/walkingtours for tour schedule and details, or call215.546.1146 x3 for more information on tours and becoming a tour guide.

More than 600 attendees gathered Wednesday, May 12 for the 17th annual PreservationAchievement Awards luncheon. The luncheon, held in the historic Grand Ballroom atthe Hyatt at the Bellevue, recognized individuals, organizations and 21 Grand Jury

projects that exemplify extraordinary accomplishment in the field of historic preservation. ThePreservation Alliance is grateful to all of the luncheon sponsors who have shown their strong sup-port of the individuals and organizations who make tangible contributions to the restoration of ourregion’s unique historic character.

Historic Preservation AchievementAwards 2010

[Top] Guests watch awards presentations in the magnificent Bellevue Ballroom. [Center Left] Richard Moe, outgoingpresident of the National Trust, accepting an award for lifetime achievement, with Ken Nemeth, Urban Outfitters, andNancy Kolb, outgoing president of the Please Touch Museum. [Center Right] Ross Mitchell (Lower Merion HistoricalSociety), Lori Salganicoff (Lower Merion Conservancy), Jody Marcell and Kathleen Abplanalp (Save La Ronda Now!),and Elizabeth Rogan (Lower Merion Township Commissioner), won the Community Action Award for valiant efforts topreserve La Ronda. [Bottom] Mayor Nutter greets luncheon guests.

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W W W. P R E S E R VAT I O N A L L I A N C E . C O M fall 2010 preservation matters 7

CORNERSTONESOCIETY

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth P. Balin

Mrs. Deborah Bishop

Mr. John G. Carr

Amy & Michael Cohen

Mr. John K. Cugini

Mr. Alan Domb

Ms. Sandi Foxx-Jones

Mr. William Frankel

Linda A. Galante, Esq.

Mr. John Andrew Gallery

Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Gunther

Mr. Edward Hillis*

Ms. Janet S. Klein*

Mr. Marian A. Kornilowicz, Esq.

Stephen L. and Mary D. Kurtz

Mr. H.F. Lenfest*

Mr. and Mrs. Don Meginley*

Mr. and Mrs. William E.Millhollen

The Palmers

Mr. Paul Pincus

Peter and Caroline Piven

Mr. Ronald Rubin

Mr. Michael T. Scott

David Seltzer

Mr. Paul Steinke

Ms. Rebecca Stoloff

Ms. Kate F. Stover and Mr.Timothy D. Wood

* Leadership Circle Members

BENEFACTORMEMBERS

Mr. Henry G. Hart, Jr.

Ms. S. Yvonne Novak and Mr.Aaron Weindling

Mr. and Mrs. Philip Price, Jr.

Mr. Samuel Switzenbaum

PATRON MEMBERS

Mrs. Joseph T. Beardwood, III

Ms. Helen H. Ford

Barbara and Jerry Kaplan

Ms. Nancy D. Kolb

Mr. Hugh G. Rouse and Mr.Leonard R. Olds

Mr. James B. Straw

Miss Lisa M. Witomski

CORPORATESPONSORS

806 Capital LLC

Haverstick-Borthwick Company

Victoria K. McCue

Philadelphia Management Co.

VITETTA

PROFESSIONALPARTNERS

1:1:6 Technologies Incorporated

A.D. Marble & Company, Inc.

A.R. Palewski ArchitecturalPreservation

Allied Construction Services II,Inc.

Architectural Window ofPhiladelphia Inc.

Bruce E. Brooks & Associates

Cecil Baker + Partners

D’Onofrio Services

George Woodward Co.

Hanson General Contracting

Heritage Consulting, Inc.

Historic Germantown

Historical Society ofPennsylvania

HUB International Insurance

John Canning & Co.

JRB Historic Restoration LLC

K & A Appraisal Company

Kaiserman Company, Inc.

Knapp Masonry

Kreilick Conservation LLC

Larsen and Landis

Levine & Company, Inc.

Loretta C. Witt

Mark A. Focht

Mark B. Thompson AssociatesLLC

Masonry Preservation Group,Inc.

Masters of Modernism

McMullen Roofing Inc.

O’Donnell & Naccarato Inc.

Palmer Waterproofing, Inc.

Patterson and Perkiss

Peter Zimmerman Architects

Philadelphia IndustrialDevelopment Corp.

Plumstead Studios

Powers & Company, Inc.

Russell Roofing Company, Inc.

Shelterfield Valuation Services

SMP Architects

TempleTown Realty

Toll Brothers, Inc.

UCI Architects, Inc.

W.S. Cumby, Inc.

Watson & Henry Associates

Wu & Associates, Inc.

FOUNDATIONS National Trust for HistoricPreservation

Pennsylvania Historical &Museum Commission

The Pew Center for Arts andHeritage, through the HeritagePhiladelphia Program

Philadelphia Cultural Fund

Samuel S. Fels Fund

William Penn Foundation

PARTNERS IN THEFIELD

Anonymous

John and Chara Haas

H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest

National Trust for HistoricPreservation

Samuel S. Fels Fund

2010 PRESERVATIONAWARDS LUNCHEONSPONSORS

ALABASTER SPONSORS

10 Rittenhouse Square

HF (Gerry) Lenfest

Joanna McNeil Lewis in honorof the Academy of Music

Philadelphia Management Co.

MARBLE SPONSORS

The Bancorp Bank

Bryant Phillips ConstructionInc.

DOMUS, Inc.

John Milner Associates, Inc.

Keast & Hood Co.

Knapp Masonry

Stradley Ronon Stevens &Young, LLP

GRANITE SPONSORS

AIA Philadelphia

Artistic Doors and WindowsInc.

Bowman Properties, Ltd.

BRP Development

Center City District

Cliveden of the National Trust

Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall& Furman PC

Dale Corporation

Dan Lepore & Sons Company

Daniel J. Keating Company

Eastern State PenitentiaryHistoric Site

Fairmount Park HistoricPreservation Trust

John Milner Architects, Inc.

Klehr, Harrison, Harvey,Branzburg

KPMG LLP

KSK Architects PlannersHistorians, Inc.

Masonry Preservation Group,Inc.

Mathieu Lustrerie

Michaels DevelopmentCompany

Milner + Carr Conservation,LLC

Pennsylvania HorticulturalSociety

Pennsylvania Real EstateInvestment Trust

Philadelphia Housing Authority

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Philadelphia Society for thePreservation of Landmarks

Rampart HoldingsCorp/Tackett & Co.

Saul Ewing LLP

Wayne Spilove

University of Pennsylvania

LIMESTONE SPONSORS

AHA Consulting Engineers, Inc.

Archer & BuchananArchitecture, Ltd.

Ball and Ball

Blackney Hayes

Brintons

Dilworth Paxson LLP

Dranoff Properties

Econsult Corporation

Gensler

HBD Associates, LLC

Heritage Consulting Group

Heritage Strategies LLC

Hunt Engineering Company

INTECH Construction, Inc.

Jablonski BuildingConservation, Inc.

Kane Woodworking Co.

Kelly/Maiello Architects &Planners

Janet S. Klein

Martin Jay Rosenblum, AIA &Associates

Matthew Millan Architects, Inc.

O’Donnell & Naccarato

Pearl Properties

Please Touch Museum

Powers & Company, Inc.

Reading Terminal MarketCorporation

Hugh G. Rouse and Leonard R.Olds

David Seltzer

Toll Brothers, Inc.

TranSystems

UJMN Architects + Designers

Urban Partners

VITETTA Architects &Engineers

Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates,Inc.

Wu & Associates, Inc.

List complete as of August 16, 2010.

THANK YOU! The Preservation Alliance expresses its appreciation to the following organizations and individuals.

The Preservation Alliance is assembling a list of milestone events in the history of historic preservation in

Philadelphia. Our complete timeline can be found online at www.preservationalliance.com/ advoca-

cy/preservation-in-philly.php#milestones. Suggestions? Send them to advocacy@preservationalliance.com.

1898 The local chapter of the American Institute of Architects organizes the Committee for the Preservation of Historic Monuments inreaction to poor restoration work being done at Independence Hall. Original members include noted architects Walter Cope, FrankMiles Day and Edgar Seeler.

1930 The Old Philadelphia Survey begins to identify and document over 100 historic properties in Old City and along the banks of theSchuylkill River. The campaign, a precursor to and model for the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), employs local archi-tects for four years.

1967 The Citizens Committee to Preserve and Develop the Crosstown Community (CCPDCC) forms in opposition to a planned interstatefreeway along South Street. After seven years of effort by a diverse coalition of neighbors, business owners and community plan-ners, the plan is finally abandoned in 1974.

1977 Interior designer Kenneth Parker purchases the abandoned Reading Grain Elevator near 20th and Callowhill, converting it into officesand a private residence. This is one of the city’s first industrial adaptive reuse projects and an early federal tax credit project. In2010, after first proposing drastic exterior alterations to the building, Pearl Properties announces an historically sensitive redevelop-ment plan for the landmark structure

.

Milestones in Historic Preservation in Philadelphia

The Granary, 411 N. 20th Street.

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8 preservation matters fall 2010 W W W. P R E S E R VAT I O N A L L I A N C E . C O M

Pr

f

1616 Walnut Street, Suite 1620Philadelphia, PA 19103

TEL 215.546.1146 FAX 215.546.1180E-MAIL info@preservationalliance.comWEB SITE www.PreservationAlliance.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Katherine A. Dowdell, AIA ChairSusan Glassman Vice Chair

Stephen D. Marshall SecretaryChristophe P. Terlizzi Treasurer

Peter C. Benton, AIAJohn G. Carr

Joseph P. CharlesLinda A. Galante, Esq.Michael Holleman, AIA

Marian A. Kornilowicz, Esq.Eugene Lefevre

Randall F. Mason, PhDAndrew Palewski

Harry Schwartz, Esq.Rebecca Stoloff

Thomas J. SugrueRev. Mark Kelly Tyler

Diane-Louise (D-L) Wormley

STAFF

John Andrew Gallery Executive DirectorPatrick Hauck Director of Neighborhood

Preservation ProgramsMelissa Jest Neighborhood Preservation

Program CoordinatorHolly Keefe Director of Membership

DevelopmentBenjamin Leech Director of Advocacy

The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia actively promotes the appreciation,

protection, and revitalization of the Philadelphia region’s historic buildings,

communities and landscapes.

PRESERVATION ALLIANCE FOR GREATER PHILADELPHIA

HELP SAVE HISTORY!Nominations now being accepted for 2010 Endangered Properties List

The Philadelphia region is rich in history,

but all too often we lose our historic

resources to demolition and neglect, sev-

ering our ties to the past and robbing future

Philadelphians of unique and authentic places. Every

year, the Preservation Alliance identifies the region’s

most threatened buildings in order to celebrate their

irreplaceable value and promote the efforts of those

working to save them. If you know of a threatened his-

toric resource that should be recognized, nominate it

to our 2010 Endangered Properties List. Don’t wait until

it’s too late. Applications can be found online

at http://www.PreservationAlliance.com/advocacy/

endangeredform.php or email endangered@ preserva-

tionalliance.com for more information.

Applications are due Friday, October 15.

ARE YOU A MEMBER?Your Preservation Alliance membership

helps to preserve the architectural treasures and historic places of the Philadelphia region.

For details on exclusive member benefits, go to www.PreservationAlliance.com

Join online or use this form

❏ Student $25 ❏ Individual $35 ❏ Household $50 ❏ Contributor $100

❏ Sustainer $250 ❏ Patron $500 ❏ Benefactor $1,000

CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP

❏ Non-Profit $75 ❏ Professional Partner $250 ❏ Corporate Sponsor $1,000

❏ My check (payable to Preservation Alliance) is enclosed

Please charge my: ❏ Visa ❏ Master Card ❏ American Express

Card # __________________________________ Exp. Date _______________

Name _____________________________________________________________

Address ___________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Phone ________________________ Email ____________________________

❏ I prefer not to receive membership gifts.

Please mail this application to: Preservation Alliance 1616 Walnut Street, Suite 1620, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Memberships are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. A copy ofthe official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania,

1.800.732.0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. Postage PAIDPhiladelphia, PAPermit No. 987preservation

Alliancefor greater philadelphia

1616 Walnut Street, Suite 1620

Philadelphia, PA 19103

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