Greensboro's Treasured Places

Historic Preservation Sought on Key Greensboro Landmark

The three-story, brick building at 408-410 South Elm Street was included as part of the Downtown Greensboro National Register Historic District in 1982. In 2008 it was recognized as a local Landmark Property by City Council. It has been granted a Certificate of Appropriateness for demolition, twice. However, today the Cascade Saloon remains standing and may finally be saved through a resolution to be approved by City Council on June 4th.

The building is unusual in that it is sited between two rail lines which allow for an unobstructed view of the building from the north, east, and south (image, far-right). Not only is it highly visible, but the site has three-levels of significance according to the Preservation Greensboro Executive Director Benjamin Briggs. “The Cascade is important,” he says, “because of its architectural style; its historical link to an important period of rapid development in Greensboro’s history; and its intriguing connection to the city’s African-American past.”

“Some buildings in downtown Greensboro,” Briggs explains, “are part of a larger family of architecturally-related group that could have been designed by the same hand.”  The Saloon also shares stylistic characteristics with several other downtown facades. For example, the Silver’s Building at 300 South Elm, the J. W. Jones Building at 345 South Elm, and the Shevell Building at 532 South Elm Street all share bands of granite trim window lintels and sills. These buildings were constructed between 1896 and 1898, the likely date for the Cascade Saloon.

The Cascade Saloon also represents an important era in the development of downtown Greensboro. Rapid commercial growth took place in the city as its population grew between the years 1890 and 1910. During that period, the crossing of South Elm Street with the railroads was the epicenter of commerce, with storefronts and warehouses surrounding the depot and its inbound and outbound freight of materials, supplies and people. “Greensboro became known as the ‘Gate City’ in those days because of the influence of the railroad and its connectivity to all parts of the State,” he says.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the building’s history is its connection to Greensboro’s African-American heritage. Beginning in about 1907 an African-American business-owner named Wiley Weaver operated an “eating house” in the building. Over the next few years, Weaver’s establishment grew and expanded into the Cascade Billiard Parlor and then into the Cascade Pool Room, which operated until 1922. City Directories from the period indicate that, by the 1920s, the Cascade Saloon was the only African-American oriented business on Elm Street between Market Street and Lee Street.

“This building represents so many facets of Greensboro’s history, we are right to spend more time to ensure its preservation,” says Briggs, who is quick to champion the building as a potential location for future investment and jobs for downtown Greensboro. "Preservation Greensboro has worked to save the building for the past nine years," he says, "this could be a turning point."

“Once the structure is gone,” Briggs says, “right-of-way issues will likely preclude any building on the site, so we will be stuck with a gravel parking lot thereafter.” City Council is expected to approve a resolution to restore the building at its June 4th meeting. If approved, actions will begin to prepare the structure for restoration.

Contact Benjamin Briggs at Preservation Greensboro 336.272.5003 for more information.

Landmark Cascade Saloon at a Crossroads

Greensboro grew and prospered in the nineteenth century due to its location at the intersection of two major transportation routes; the north-south road from Virginia to Fayetteville; and the east west railroad that connected Charlotte to the seaport of Morehead City. The Fayetteville Road is known today as Battleground Avenue north of downtown, Elm Street through downtown, and Martin Luther King Jr Drive south of the city.

At the intersection of these two trade routes is a three-story brick landmark known as the Cascade Saloon, itself at a metaphorical intersection of major Gate City themes of business, culture, and ethnicity. Over 110 years old, this building might be on the verge of preservation that could unite downtown Greensboro, or pending destruction that could divide the historic district at the railroad tracks.

The building was constructed in 1896 on South Elm Street between the North Carolina Railroad tracks to the north, and a spur of the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railway to the south. This unusual location between two rail lines resulted in the structure having no adjacent buildings, resulting in its stand-alone setting and high-profile presence along Greensboro’s main business street. Although the architect of the building is unknown, it is clearly part of a family of Elm Street buildings designed by the same hand. Shared characterizes of these buildings include Mount Airy Granite window sills and lintels, use of patterned brickwork, and elaborate cornices.

The structure originally had twin storefronts, the northernmost addressed as 408 South Elm Street and the southernmost as 410. The earliest records of the building in 1897 include grocer George. T. McLamb in 408, and saloon owner Samuel J. McCauley in unit 410.  By 1907, two new businesses moved into the building, including Wiley Weaver’s “eating house” or café, in the space at 408. Weaver and his wife Ida were African-American, and the couple had just been married in 1903 in High Point and lived in a home on North Macon Street in East Greensboro. They operated the café at a time when Jim Crow Laws sought to segregate African-Americans away from white-owned businesses. The fact that the Weavers ran their business on Greensboro’s main commercial street is an unusual footnote in Greensboro’s history. By 1913, the café was operated as the Cascade Billiard Parlor, one of only five pool halls in the city. It was during this time that the building was photographed for what is now an iconic view of old Greensboro (image, right: see far left).

Throughout the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, numerous businesses occupied the twin spaces at 408 and 410, and even the upper floors. These included cafes, cigar manufacturers, grocers, furniture sales, and a roller rink. Baker Furniture Company occupied the building through the 1950s and 60s, and in 1974 the building was home to the Greensboro Times.

The Greensboro Times was a newspaper published by attorney Ross Strange, who acquired the building to house his publishing operations. The paper was discontinued around 1980 and the structure has remained vacant since that time. In 1982, thanks to the efforts of the Old Greensboro Preservation Society, portions of Elm Street including the Cascade Saloon were included on the National Register of Historic Places.

As South Elm Street enjoyed a revival, preservationists grew increasingly concerned with the state of the Cascade Saloon as it deteriorated throughout the 1990s. Downtown developed as a popular home for artists and antique dealers who were lured by the charming architecture of the street, and their investments and improvements were followed by retailers and restaurants. However, the Cascade Saloon, a centerpiece to the neighborhood, remained dark. City officials, concerned with the abandonment of the building, sought to have the structure destroyed.

In 2005, Ross Strange sought to have the building recognized as a Guilford County Landmark property by the Greensboro City Council. The designation triggered delays in demolition but also awarded the property owner with a 50% property tax deferral. The tax deferral, applicable to all Landmarked properties, is intended to assuage the cost of maintenance of historic properties. However, the Cascade Saloon continued to deteriorate with no visible improvements to stabilize the structure.

To complicate matters, the adjacent North Carolina Railroad claims a right-of-way that includes the Cascade Saloon. If the building is destroyed, the railroad will likely block any reconstruction on the parcel, denying Greensboro the tax revenue, the connectivity north and south of the tracks, and economic revenue that the property could contribute to the city as a rehabilitated and occupied structure. If removed (mock photo, right), the railroad would likely only allow replacement with a gravel parking lot, creating a wide rift separating the 300 and 500 blocks of Elm Street.

Today, the Cascade Saloon remains at a crossroads. Although it is privately owned, the building cannot be left to deteriorate as it has for the past 30 years. However, as a Landmark property in a neighborhood recognized as one of the best “big city” downtowns in North Carolina, the structure mustn’t be destroyed. The aesthetics, economics, and environmental sustainability of the site all indicate the building is best preserved through a careful restoration program that takes advantage of state and federal tax credits, which could compensate the total project costs by as much as 40%.

Concerned citizens are drawn to this case from a variety of perspectives, including history and architecture, the vibrancy of downtown, the movement to restore buildings for sustainability and even building our city’s tax base. You can help efforts by joining the Save Cascade Saloon Facebook page or by watching announcements from Preservation Greensboro about these efforts.

War Memorial Stadium, the Final Chapter?

Greensboro's newspapers covered a cross section of topics in the 1920s. Specifically, in November of 1925, coverage featured rumors of politics, an advertisement for the new 14-story Greensboro Bank and Trust office building, and an announcement of an Open House planned for the Sunset Hills neighborhood.

However, few topics filled pages more than efforts to fund and build a new War Memorial Stadium (image, right).

The Stadium was planned to commemorate those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the Great War (1914-1918), later known as World War I. The effort was one to raise $100,000 - through the community - to erect something Gate City boosters claimed had never been attempted in North Carolina: a center of athletics in a grand stadium.

In the end, the funding were raised in one week to construct a truncated version of the original plan. The architects of the project, Harry Barton and Leonard White, designed a structure with eye-catching pylons in one of the few examples of classical-Moderne design in the State.

Since Minor League Baseball moved to a new home in 2005, the future of the Stadium has been in doubt. Turmoil related to the politics of preserving the Stadium earned it a spot on Preservation Greensboro Treasured Places Watch List as early as 2007. Numerous committees including city staff and citizens have developed studies and proposals that range from facilty enhancement to adaptive reuse.

The future of the Stadium will be discussed at today's City Council meeting. A proposal has been submitted to destroy most of the facility and maintain the twin towers of the facade.

Could 2012 be the last year for this War Memorial?

Historic House in Fisher Park Saved from Destruction

The Preservation Greensboro Development Fund has sold the Sweeney – Penn House at 910 Magnolia Street in the Fisher Park neighborhood.  The house was purchased by Cheryl Pratt and Tracy Pratt, AIA and stands as one of Greensboro’s best examples of Craftsman design. The couple will commence a meticulous restoration of the property that has been vacant almost ten years.

The Sweeney – Penn House (image, right) was constructed around 1917. The first occupants were Madge and Roy Sweeney. Roy Sweeney was a traveling salesman. The couple owned the home only 18 months before selling it to Sue and John Thomas Penn. Thomas Penn was Vice President of Southern Atlantic Lumber Company, a wholesaler of North Carolina grown pine and oak. In 1921 the home was purchased by Emily and Charles McIver, the eldest son of UNCG founder of the same name.

Ordered to be demolished in 2009 by the City of Greensboro for its deteriorated condition, the Sweeney – Penn House was part of a complicated estate that was unsettled and therefore could not be sold to new owners. The Preservation Greensboro Development Fund worked with the owner of the property to finalize the estate and then sought qualified buyers to purchase and properly restore the home. After several truckloads of personal items were removed by volunteers, the house was featured on Preservation Greensboro’s 2011 Tour of Historic Homes showcasing Fisher Park and Aycock neighborhoods in May when hundreds enjoyed its distinctive architectural details (image, right). This summer, the Fund negotiated an agreement to sell the home to Greensboro residents Cheryl and Tracy Pratt. The couple will thoroughly restore the Craftsman-design of the house, including unusual latticework in the eaves and Arts and Crafts interior design elements.

The property was sold with a preservation easement attached to the deed that will require a working dialog between future property owners of the Sweeney – Penn House and Preservation Greensboro to ensure that the house and its charming details are refurbished and remain intact for future generations to enjoy. This is the first such property in Fisher Park to enjoy the protection of an easement, and the eighth in Guilford County. Other properties protected with in easements the county include the Bumpass – Troy House in College Hill and the Esther Barker House on Cedar Street.

According to Benjamin Briggs, Executive Director of Preservation Greensboro, “we are pleased that we have been able to save this house from demolition. It is one of the best examples of Craftsman architecture in the city. The Pratt’s promise to be wonderful stewards of this home that will now be the best protected in all of Fisher Park!”

The Preservation Greensboro Development Fund was initially formed in 1988 and completes its mission by acquiring ownership or other legal interests (such as preservation easements) in historic properties, or by identifying partners to rehabilitate and protect historic properties.  Its first project was the purchase and resale of the 1845 Troy-Bumpass House, a Greek Revival home in the heart of Greensboro’s College Hill historic district. The house was restored in 1992 and today serves the community as an inn under the jurisdiction of preservation easements. The second project involved the purchase of the 1855 D. P. Foust House, a Queen Anne farmhouse threatened by development of a golf course. The home was restored in 1993 and remains a private residence today with preservation easements in place.

New List Updates Concerns for Old Places

Greensboro is a city endowed with numerous treasured places, yet from time to time, some of these places are threatened with destruction. Redevelopment, facility expansion, inappropriate new development, and even neglect are themes in 2011 that cause concern among citizens who value places that hold unique personality and character. The Treasured Places Watch List was formulated in 2005 to illustrate our community’s interest in important historic places that are threatened in various ways. It has served as a spotlight that has gained the attention of many public news organizations, including the News and Record and WUNC Public Radio.

Preservation Greensboro was established by a group of determined citizens in 1966 who established a community network that could offer alternatives to the destruction of historic resources. In the spirit of this civic outreach, Preservation Greensboro offers assistance to property owners in understanding tools available for restoration and conservation of your historic property. Tools include generous federal and state tax credits administered through the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, as well as property tax deferral through designation by the Guilford County Historic Preservation Commission. Additional easement programs and property marketing is available through Preservation Greensboro.

Below is a list the "most watched" Treasured Places in Greensboro for 2011.

A&T’s Heritage Row
This historic community along Bluford Street overlooks the A&T campus to the south. Platted around 1900, the street was a convenient location for professors and administrators who built fashionable Craftsman bungalows and rectilinear Foursquares with generous front porches beneath pendulous oaks. The oldest home on the street is Nelson Station at 903 Bluford Street. It was constructed around 1903 as the home of Agnes and Walter Nelson. Mr. Nelson taught in A&T’s Mechanical Department. Their Queen Anne-style house features turned porch posts with sawn brackets. A block east is the Bluford-Jeffries House at 1007 Bluford Street. This handsome American Foursquare house was constructed in 1916 and features Prairie-inspired details and served as the home of Hazel and Dr. F. D. Bluford. Dr. Bluford was hired by A&T in 1916 where he quickly rose through the ranks to become President from 1925 until his death in 1955.

What to watch for
Bluford Street began to change in the late twentieth century as homeowners retired or moved away and their homes were converted for rental use. Poorly maintained older homes have increasingly been condemned and destroyed for parking or multi-tenant housing. As neighborhood land values continued to decline, A&T is taking the opportunity to expand its campus north across the street. The current campus master plan calls for the streetscape to be destroyed and replaced with green space within a 10-15 year timeline.

Adamsleigh
Located in the Sedgefield neighborhood, Adamsleigh is an estate that features a sprawling 15,000 square foot manor house coupled with a caretaker’s cottage, a pond, two swimming pools, gardens, and other outbuildings. Greensboro’s grandest manor house was designed for their clients Elizabeth and John Hampton “Hamp” Adams by Luther Lashmit, a talented architect in the offices of the Winston-Salem firm Northup-O’Brien. Though plans were finalized the week of the October 29th 1929 “Black Tuesday” stock market crash, work on the opulent house continued without pause. Adamsleigh is the only known work of Lashmit in Greensboro. The eclectic Renaissance-inspired English Tudor style architectural theme includes a covered porte-cochere for arriving guests, a cylindrical stair tower topped by a conical roof, a classically-inspired entry-way to a flagstone terrace and lawn, and a stunning array of hand-forged wrought iron that graces windows, doors and a weathervane.

What to watch for
Though the estate has been little changed since the 1930s, and a majority of decorative treatments, finishes, and fixtures remain from the original period of construction, the property is currently vulnerable to destruction for redevelopment for new homes. As the city’s largest house, opportunities exist to return the home to its splendor using local, state and federal abatements and tax credits, but the home remains on the market years after being listed.

Fisher Park’s Sacred Sector
Architectural historians have referred to the Fisher Park neighborhood as one of the state’s premiere streetcar suburbs. It features remarkably varied housing that is enhanced by sanctuaries designed by prestigious architects such as Hobart Upjohn and Albert C. Woodroof. As components of the whole, its homes, religious buildings, parks, and cemetery contribute to one of North Carolina’s most interesting urban neighborhoods, but sometimes conflicting uses expose fault lines in the future appearance and use of the community.

What to watch for
As a true urban neighborhood that blends diverse architecture and streetscapes within the context of a busy city, Fisher Park can’t afford to lose its treasured places. One of the neighborhood’s earliest residences, the Queen Anne-style Holleman House, was purchased by a nearby church and destroyed last year. Another home on Smith Street was destroyed the year before. A 2009 workshop brought the community and area congregations together to develop proactive and forward thinking plans. By recognizing the community as a whole, and not limiting it to its component parts, new perspectives may be gained on ways to progress this historic neighborhood into the future.

Foreclosed Properties
As the country processes the impact of the Great Recession of 2008, banks are developing a new tool for disposing of foreclosed properties. In some cities, especially those with high vacancy rates and low property values, banks are exploring demolition of houses to reduce carrying costs and increase neighborhood values. Vacant houses are seen as a liability to occupied houses in the same street, and the cleared property is often converted into open space and community gardens, or donated to the local communities. Here in Guilford County, hundreds of properties – many in low-income neighborhoods with pre-1950 housing stock, are currently in foreclosure. Any plans for easing these properties out of bank ownership that includes demolition could be devastating for historic neighborhoods.

What to watch for
Guilford County, including Greensboro and High Point, are fortunate to not have overwhelming numbers of abandoned houses seen in larger cities of the Rust Belt. However, older neighborhoods such as Glenwood and Asheboro Square in Greensboro, and areas of southwestern High Point are particularly vulnerable due to low property values and high vacancy rates. Several nonprofit organizations are available to work with area banks to develop creative reuse opportunities for older houses, Preservation Greensboro being a prime example!

Glenwood
Originally platted as a series of neighborhoods with names such as Silver Run Park, Jackson Park, Mt. Vernon Heights, and Piedmont Heights, the entirety is today recognized as Glenwood due to the primary avenue that featured a streetcar line connecting the community to the city center. The houses of Glenwood reflect a broad period of architectural styles and forms ranging from early Queen Anne, Craftsman, Colonial Revival, Foursquare and a Shotgun House. The construction methods for some homes were innovative; homebuyers could select plans from a catalog, and all materials arrived at the site ready to assemble. Grove Street is recognized as a commercial center of the neighborhood and is home to eclectic venues such as the Glenwood Community Book Shop, Glenwood Coffee and Books, and Glenfest held each spring.

What to watch for
Glenwood was the focus of city planners in 2008 when a Neighborhood Plan was created. The plan sought to address concerns of residents such as declining condition of housing stock, traffic issues, crime, and development. Since the report, the nearby University of North Carolina at Greensboro has announced plans to extend its campus into the northern blocks of the neighborhood. Meanwhile, disinvestment has continued in the southern blocks where several businesses have closed along Grove Street. Careful coordination with UNCG could enhance the northern edge of the neighborhood, and incentivizing property investment through National Register tax credits might energize Grove Street.

Historic District's Condemned Houses
In spite thirty years of protection through the city’s preservation ordinance, historic resources within Greensboro’s three designated districts remain vulnerable, and some are threatened with demolition. Although historic district designation has proven to stabilize neighborhoods, encourage reinvestment, and to increase property standards and values, the districts are presented with challenging problems that threaten their success.

What to watch for
A College Hill fire on June 6th illustrates the challenges often encountered in historic districts. A grand 1905 home suffered fire, smoke, and water damage from an accidental blaze. The owners of the property, though insured, were not able to restore the building through proceeds, and sought demolition of the century-old home. The request for demolition is tempered by efforts by Preservation Greensboro to save the structure. Greensboro’s historic resources are finite, though legal tools can create a safety net to maintain property values and encourage reinvestment by private citizens. Once the historic fabric of our historic neighborhoods is lost, it can never be regained.

South Elm Street/ Old Greensborough Historic District
Recently, a property owner on South Elm Street was offered over a million dollars for his historic brick storefront. The prospective buyer planned to heavily alter the appearance of 110 year old building for a restaurant including some demolition, but the offer was not seriously considered. This is how Greensboro’s most historic street has been preserved…through pluck and luck. The historic buildings that line South Elm Street are considered by many architectural historians to be the best-preserved “big city” main street in the state, but the future of the Old Greensborough streetscape is tenuous, at best.

What to watch for
As the street continues to grow its profile as a viable commercial location, large companies and chain stores without appreciation of Greensboro’s culture might clash with the city’s celebrated historic core. With no design review or binding guidelines, property owners are free to alter, demolish or construct any building in ways that are not allowed in other major cities in North Carolina. Already, large parking lots replace historic buildings along stretches of the 300 and 500 blocks of the street and other critical buildings are threatened such as the c. 1896 Cascade Saloon at 408-410 South Elm Street.

War Memorial Stadium
World War Memorial Stadium on Yanceyville Street was dedicated in 1926 as the first major monument in North Carolina dedicated to those who made the supreme sacrifice in World War I, and it has remained central to the civic and athletic life of the city to the present. In the words of Mayor Edwin Jeffress, “The soldier boys … wanted something that would be useful; that would help develop mind and body; that would in this way be a perpetual memorial to those who have passed.” The stadium lost its Minor League anchor in 2004, but it remains a popular venue for youth- and college-level baseball. Its structural integrity is questioned by some, and various studies made into the soundness of the poured concrete structure are contradictory.

What to watch for
War Memorial Stadium continues to suffer from long deferred maintenance that has resulted in crumbling masonry, antiquated facilities, and an increasing number of safety issues. A comprehensive refurbishment is necessary to address these issues, and perhaps repurpose the facility for its next 100 years of service. This could be funded using a combination of public and private resources to assure that this landmark remain preserved as a functional memorial to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the enjoyment of future generations.

Zenke Properties
The Zenke family name has been associated with historic preservation in Greensboro for over half a century. In 1950, Virginia and Henry Zenke purchased the c. 1830 Washington Jefferson McConnell house on Blandwood Avenue and carefully renovated the house to meet their needs. In 1966 they were instrumental in preserving Blandwood Mansion as two of the founders of Preservation Greensboro. When the McConnell house was threatened with demolition in 2009 to make way for the new Guilford County Detention facility, the Zenkes devised plans to relocate their home 100 yards to a position facing Blandwood. That effort, paired with the relocation of a c. 1920 brick double-house to an adjacent lot, created a pedestrian-scaled streetscape along West Washington Street where only parking lots had previously existed.

What to watch for
A constantly evolving plan to accommodate parking at the new detention center has once again threatened the Zenke property. In spite of their efforts to preserve their recently relocated and refurbished family home, the site has been named as a possible location for a multi-level parking deck to serve the nearby jail. Alternative sites for the parking deck are located one block east and one block west of the Zenke residence and it is hoped by those in Greensboro’s preservation community that one of these locations will be chosen for the new deck in order to preserve the West Washington Street setting. In the meantime, the Zenkes plans are frozen until a resolution is found.

Similar Scenario, Different Results In High Point and Greensboro Preservation Stories

The dates and the locations are different, but the scenarios are strikingly similar.

In both cases, large wood-frame homes constructed in the earliest years of the twentieth century occupy prominent corner lots at the edge of each city’s premiere streetcar suburb. In both cases, houses are located across the street from each city’s respective First Presbyterian Church (both designed by Hobart Upjohn), with both congregations seeking to expand their campus at the expense of historic neighborhoods. In both cases, neighborhood activists run head-to-head with congregation leadership in dealing with the deteriorated structures that require major restoration. In both cases: controversy.

The Ecker House in High Point and the Holleman House in Greensboro share a number of similarities. However, the outcome of these stories is likely to result in dramatically different legacies.

In November 1989 (20 years this month), a fire roared through the second and third floors of the 1908 Ferdinand Ecker House (image, right), the flagship residence of High Point’s then three-year-old Johnson Street Historic District. Efforts to create the district were a hard-won victory for High Point’s fledgling preservation community, and loss of the Ecker house would have represented a stunning defeat to the neighborhood of primarily simple bungalows and Colonial Revival homes. Battle lines were quickly drawn.

Leaders of High Point’s First Presbyterian Church made an early offer to purchase the burned house in order to tear it down and expand parking opportunities. The neighborhood balked at efforts to destroy the house with the president of the homeowners association countering in the newspaper that his group’s “main objective is to see the house does not come down”.

The conflict brewed for six months as water seepage and vandalism worsened damage to the home. City officials condemned the house, the High Point Enterprise opined that the house should be destroyed, and the preservation commission grudgingly approved a Certificate of Appropriateness to let the house go after a six month delay.

In May 1990, the story took a turn. I was a 23-year old graduate from college when I made an offer to buy the Ecker House to save it from the bulldozer. By the fall of the year, the restoration process was well underway to repair the fire-damaged attic and wrap-around porch, upgrade the bathrooms and kitchen, refinish floors and woodwork, and give the house a new historically appropriate paint scheme of teal and grey. In 1993, I sold the house to Kittenger Furniture of Buffalo New York for use as their corporate residence for furniture market. With the tax value of the house tripled, the home led renewed interest in neighborhood revitalization efforts.

Beyond the preservation of the Johnson Street’s flagship house, the project resulted in broader community-wide implications. The Ecker House directly inspired the preservation of the Elihu Mendenhall House on Skeet Club Road north of the city. The residence stands as one of the best examples of Greek Revival architecture in Guilford County. Later momentum led to the restoration of Chestnut Hill, a mid-nineteenth century Quaker home with history as a stagecoach stop, a post office, and a general store in the Florence community.

Buoyed by the Ecker House success story, preservationists rallied support to preserve High Point’s classic 1906 Southern Railroad Passenger Depot (image, right). The momentum gained in historic preservation led to the preservation of the nearby J. H. Adams House (now an inn) and the Briles House (now home to the High Point Junior League). The preservation easements that assure the conservation of the Ecker House into the future were repeated in an easement to preserve the Cottam-Wall House in Emerywood, the only known example of Welch Revival architecture in North Carolina.

Although the preservation of High Point’s Ecker House inspired a network of preservation projects throughout the city in the 1990s, the near-certain destruction of the Holleman House in Greensboro’s Fisher Park will have its own legacy.

As a witness to (and participant in) the positive High Point preservation story, it is difficult for me to watch an alternative storyline unfold in Greensboro. I can look back on my involvement in the efforts to save the Holleman House (image, right) with confidence that every tool available to the community was made available, from offers of funding to partnerships, and from behind-the-scenes discussions to public forums.

Putting aside the historically antagonistic relationship between neighborhood and church, the hard-feelings caused by inflated restoration estimates, the impact of the national recession on the church, and the community’s willingness to engage in a shared plan for the future of the site…the destruction of the Holleman House will resonate throughout the community for some time.

The question that the community must answer is where do we go from here?

Rezoning Denied, But Fate of Commencement House in Question

City Council reversed the Zoning Commission’s approval to rezone property near the corner of North Elm and Cornwallis Drive to allow for condos, but questions linger over the future of the Commencement House, an historic property of modern design and historic significance.

The rezoning request for the property would have cleared the way for two residential structures, each containing 12 units to be constructed on the site that adjoins single family residences to the west and north, a church to the east and a bank to the south. The project would have resulted in the demolition (or at least dismantling) of the Commencement House.

Several residents from surrounding neighborhoods fought off earlier plans to redevelop the site for commercial or medical use. Some saw redevelopment of the property for residential multi-family use as a compromise to more intense development; others felt the importance of the Commencement House was too high for it to fall as a casualty of higher density.

Developer John Stratton placed a number of conditions on the site that sought to win neighborhood support, including architecture that was seen as complimentary to the neighborhood, landscape buffering, and a 45-foot height limit for structures.

However, opposition to the development focused on the fate of the Commencement House. With numerous examples of infill development around Greensboro that preserved history, including the Rankin King Farm, Wafco Mills, Southside, and the Gardens at the Anthony House – why could this project not follow suit?

A protest petition filed by two adjoining property owners required council to approve the project with six votes. Council voted 3-4 in opposition to the rezoning and the request was denied. However, some last minute wrangling and vote redistribution could leave the door open for another vote on the matter in the future, and under a newly elected city council set to meet for the first time on December 1.

In the meantime, the Commencement House remains vacant and no plans are in place to preserve the site. Whether the issue is returned to council for a second vote - and whether it wins approval at that time - or not, the historic house is deteriorating and the cost to restore it are rising.

Historic preservation can be about saving an old house from deterioration. It can also involve the conservation of architectural features that are authentic and contribute to a sense of history and place. Increasingly, however, historic preservation is about site use and zoning. When a residential property is allowed to take on higher density, the likelihood that the structure will find its way into the city landfill is dramatically increased.

As the future of the Commencement House is decided through political cogs, a facet of Greensboro’s unique and irreplaceable history finds itself on the line.

Update 11/19/09: PreservationNation, the national blog on preservation issues, reviews this issue here.

Revolutionary House Slated For Demolition

Recently, preservationists and neighbors close to the historic Commencement House at 2207 North Elm Street learned that a rezoning request had been filed for four properties along Elm Street and Cornwallis Drive. Real estate developer John Stratton anticipates requesting the property to be rezoned to CD-RS12 and removing all the homes on the properties, including the Commencement House.

This would clear the way for construction of condominiums on the site arranged in two linear buildings. The units would face inward to the property and turn formal front elevations (image, right) away from Elm and Cornwallis. Parking spaces for each unit would be located beneath the buildings for owners (not depicted in image) and several guest parking spaces are planned at ground level. Each structure would not surpass 50 feet above average grade.

Plans for this project will be shared with the community today (Thursday, September 24) at the Sherwood Clubhouse beginning at 5:30.  John Stratton will speak to the attendees at 6:00 and again later if needed.

Commencement House is significant for two reasons: history and architecture. Its history is remarkable. The fact that twenty three young women from Greensboro’s Woman’s College (today UNCG) oversaw the design and construction of a house in 1957 in the American South is remarkable – and that fact was not lost on North Carolina’s First Lady Martha Blakeney Hodges, (UNCG Class of 1918) who cut the ribbon to open the house to the public for tours. The house received media coverage on then-new WUNC-TV, and enjoyed a feature article in McCall’s Magazine which proclaimed the house a “real honey of a home.”

Architecturally, the design of the house was orchestrated by Greensboro architect Edward Loewenstein, a proponent of what today is classified as “mid-century modern” design. The futuristic house features details that were novel in 1958, such as a carport, a patio, split-level living spaces, plate glass picture windows and soaring “cathedral” ceilings. The house was integrated into the landscape, taking advantage of the rolling topography of the lot, existing mature trees, and an ample private backyard. Commonplace today, these features were progressive at the time.

The challenges associated with the preservation of this property are typical of other mid-century modern preservation efforts. The lots on which these houses are often sited are large, and attract the attention of developers looking for redevelopment opportunities. The houses are often integrated into the landscape making it difficult (if not impossible) to relocate structures to other sites with different topography. Architecture of this period is just now crossing the threshold of 50 years of age…a period in which maintenance and upkeep are crucial, but often neglected. Lastly, modern design, though gaining popularity in larger cities, is not yet widely celebrated in modest markets such as Greensboro where traditional styles remain widely supported by the buyer’s market.

If Greensboro loses the Commencement House for redevelopment, a remarkable chapter in women’s history in will be relegated to the history books. A solution lies in compromise. By retaining the Commencement House and integrating it into new development – perhaps as a community center of even a single family unit – a higher density for the site could be achieved without the expense of destroying Greensboro’s history and architecture. Several models exist in the city, none better than Beacon Management Company’s Rankin King Farm project in Summit Avenue. Developer George Carr successfully preserved an early twentieth century farmhouse as the signature centerpiece of his new community. Other examples exist in all sectors of the city.

Thoughtful and creative projects that win neighborhood support, preserve our city’s architecture and history, and provide a boost to our tax base are the type of development this city can’t get enough of. Will this be one such project?

UNCG's Historic Quad To Be Preserved!

Joe Killian reports good news from UNCG related to the historic Quad!

The Quad is composed of several building, many of which are among the oldest on the UNCG campus. An aannouncement earlier this year indicated interest in destroying the Quad with replacement by much larger buildings that copied the orginals.

Preservationists, including alumni and students, rallied in support of retention of the historic buildings. The UNCG Board of Trustees considered alternatives to demolition over the summer. Over the past several months, board members received a great deal of support for the retention of the Quad. The board's support was unanimous. A new and larger campus dormitory will be constructed on Spring Garden Street close to University Towers.

This announcement by Chancellor Linda Brady illustrates a continued commitment by UNCG officials to the preservation of buildings that make this campus unique. UNCG's campus is composed of iconic historic structures that provide the university an intimate feel and historic distinction that is unique in the region. Retention of the historic Quad with new suite-style student housing reinforces that strength. These kinds of dynamic projects are what makes historic campuses and much of central Greensboro exciting and engaging.

One more 2009 Watch List property will be removed from the roster with a win-win result. One of Greensboro's treasured places will remain for future generations to enjoy.

Pilot Life Site May Be Removed From Watch List

Great news appears in the works with a long-time Treasured Places Watch List property: The Pilot Life Insurance Campus in Sedgefield.

Kisco Senior Living, a California company, purchased the site last year. Since then, news has been scarce about whether the historic buildings would be a part of the new community. Behind the scenes, however, plans have quietly been assembled that will see the restoration of the primary Georgian Revival headquarters buildings designed by Philadelphia-firm Zantzinger, Barie, Medary and the gracious front lawn by Philadelphia landscape architect R. B. Cridland.

The property will be adaptively reused as a senior living community. According to their website, the new senior living campus will include single level garden homes and cottages as well as spacious apartment residences adjacent to the restored Pilot buildings.

As proposed, this project will be a credit to Sedgefield, Greensboro, and Guilford County. It exemplifies the best of historic preservation in process...saving the very best of our past to shape a unique and vibrant future. Residents of the Kisco project will have a distinguished centerpiece to call home, and will no doubt enjoy showing off their historic campus to visitors.

An article is forthcoming in the News and Record that will likely shed more light on these plans. Links will be made as soon as possible.