Greensboro's Treasured Places

Cascade Saloon Dodges Demolition

Thanks to the efforts of preservationists in our city, Greensboro City Council took a stand today against demolition of the Cascade Saloon on South Elm Street. In recognizing its historic value and its importance in the fabric of the city, they also had the wisdom to understand the expenses associated with NOT saving it. No building could be constructed on the site if the landmark were demolished, and it would remain a vacant lot in the middle of our historic downtown. Stay tuned for what is next in this
developing story.

Read more about the Cascade Saloon at a Crossroads here.

Greensboro's Nine Award Winning Preservation Projects

Preservation Greensboro met on February 12th to celebrate historic preservation in Greensboro at its 47th Annual Meeting held at the Greensboro Country Club. The organization reviewed accomplishments of 2012 and looked forward to planned events and activities in 2013 such as the Tour of Historic Homes and Gardens in College Hill in May, and the Blandwood Ball planned for January 2014.

The organization also honored noteworthy projects that have made significant contributions in preservation in our community. A total of nine preservation awards recognized historic preservation initiatives that were sensitive to historic character and architectural integrity.

This charming Queen Anne-style home was constructed around 1895 by William Moore, an early Greensboro photographer. As College Hill changed in the mid-century, so did the Moore House. Like so many houses in the neighborhood it was divided up into apartments by 1960. Around 1990 it caught the eye of Sheryl and Rich Jackson, and they acquired the house and lived there for many years. However, with the passage of time the Jacksons moved away and the house became a neglected rental property again. In 2012, the historic house gained a new lease of life when it was acquired by Jillian Brady and Peter Williams. Over the past few months the house has received a fresh coat of paint and has reclaimed its spot as one of College Hill’s most charming homes.

The vernacular farmhouse-style Beasley House is among the first constructed in the Aycock neighborhood, and has been restored through the efforts of several owners over the past 25 years. Harriette and William C. Beasley were the first to occupy this house. The couple likely constructed the house in 1904, where they lived with their nine children! Through the 1960s and 70s, the house fell into poor condition and was left virtually vacant. The house was renovated in the mid-1980s with upgraded utilities, and recent owners Christina and Robert Cantrell have continued to invest in making the house a wonderful home. Their most recent improvement, orchestrated by Southern Evergreen Design/Build, expanded a master bath and provided for a modern laundry room. Their project illustrates that old houses don’t require pioneer living – but with the right eye, the best of the past can be enjoyed alongside the best of the present.
 
Located at the highly visible intersection of 5th Avenue and Yanceyville Street, this Craftsman Bungalow was built around 1923 and first occupied by P. C. Clapp, a travelling salesman. Through the years, the house suffered by not enjoying modern updates and investment other houses enjoyed as the Aycock neighborhood was revitalized. That changed last June when Peggy McGinty and Fifth Avenue Investors LLC purchased the house and immediately set out to give it that much needed care. One of the first major changes to the appearance of the site was the removal of false siding in order to re-expose the original wood siding that was subsequently painted. As the project progressed, the crew grew more and more enamored with the house, even preserving the front door when it was slated for the trash heap. Today, the Clapp Bungalow stands proudly in the heart of the Aycock neighborhood as a great example of the neighborhood’s revival!

The third in a trio in the Aycock neighborhood to be recognized for preservation stewardship, this Craftsman Cottage was not destitute, but it needed investment to bring it from the 1960s to the 2010s. When built in 1914, its first owner was D. R. Hunt, the Chief Pipefitter at Cone Mills. Appropriately, he installed a steam pipe as the handrail in the house! In the 1970s, Dr. James Waller and his wife lived in the home. Dr. Waller was one of five people killed in the Greensboro Massacre of 1979. As a leader of the Greensboro Communist Workers Party, he kept a mimeograph machine in a small room tucked under the front eave of the house. The room remains intact featuring old posters extolling the Workers Party on the wall. Last year the careworn house was purchased by NC Home Buyer. The partnership invested in a new kitchen, bathrooms and refurbished charming historic features such as the floor, a wonderful built-in china cupboard, and gave the exterior a new upgrade through paint and a backyard  entertainment space. With attention to history, even the little space under the eaves where Dr. Waller kept his promotional material was preserved.

Poplar Hall is a landmark in the Irving Park neighborhood, with ancient boxwoods surrounding the grand Tuscan portico of this stately 1912 mansion that overlooks a sweeping lawn studded with centuries-old poplar trees. This home was designed by Hartford Connecticut architect A. Raymond Ellis around 1912.  It has been home to three generations of the Brooks family, and even Eleanor Roosevelt, a family friend, was a frequent guest in the house. Poplar Hall was never in poor condition, but it needed repairs that could have been done without sympathy to historic preservation doctrine. The home’s current owner, Dr. Helen Brooks, oversaw work to refresh the house and today, Poplar Hall stands as gracious as ever, with the careful eye of its steward taking a preservation approach.

The Wysong and Miles Office Building is known by many as the home of the Rose Spa, an operation with a bawdy reputation in our city. In spite of its risqué past, many residents recognized the potential of this curious building near the railroad underpass on Fulton Street. Few knew that it was once the center of a bustling factory complex that supplied factories across the country. Two years ago the property found itself in the hands of the capable preservation team of Joe Bauer and Joe Thompson of New Age Builders, who initiated a restoration of the 110-year old building for use as office space. Down came the glass brick and the red lights, and in their place were returned double hung windows and wonderful light fixtures that make this building as light and airy as any big city loft. Happily, the history of the Wysong and Miles offices has been preserved for future generations to enjoy.
 
Charles Barton Keen was a North Carolina Star Architect in the 1920s, and commissions like the McAlister House are the projects that helped put him on the map. This was his first commission after designing Reynolda House in Winston-Salem, and the McAlister House certainly shares many of the same characteristics and features including the trademark green Ludowici Tile roofline, the smooth plaster walls, pergolas, and the long symmetrical façade. Since it was constructed in 1918, the house has held a prominent site overlooking the second fairway of the Greensboro Country Club’s golf course. Though it has long been a celebrated property, voluntarily recognized as a Landmark Property by the Guilford County Preservation Commission in 2004, the house was in foreclosure last year when it was purchased by Liz and David Johnson. The couple devised a comprehensive rehabilitation of the house with architect Steven Carter Price and Classic Construction to update bedrooms and baths, renew the kitchen, and reconstruct the garage so that it was more in keeping with the design of the main house. Thanks to the Johnsons and their team, this landmark property still shines and another important example of Charles Barton Keen is celebrated.
 
Located in the Fisher Park neighborhood, the Sweeny – Penn House was recognized in 2009 as one of Preservation Greensboro’s most endangered properties because city officials had initiated an order for its demolition.  That’s when the Preservation Greensboro Development Fund contacted the owner to see how they could be of assistance. Volunteers cleared legal obstructions to the sale of the property, removed truckloads of materials and opened the home during the Tour of Historic Homes. Several suitors stepped forward but Cheryl and Tracy Pratt placed the winning bid. As an architect, Tracy’s knowledge blended with DLM Builders to create a plan to address this challenging restoration project, while Cheryl investigated sources to incorporate the philosophy of Craftsman architecture into the home. Long anticipated, neighbors and preservationists are excited to see this once derelict home turned into the pride of Fisher Park!
 
The UNCG Quad was constructed between 1919 and 1923 by prominent Greensboro architect Harry Barton, and it quickly became a treasured place in the hearts of alumni for generations. When plans were announced in 2009 that the complex would be demolished, students, alumni, and activists asked the UNCG Board to consider an alternative plan for the complex that including preservation. In the fall of that year the Board announced plans to rehabilitate the Quad for continued use as student housing. Over the next three years, general contractors D.H. Griffin Construction Co. and Balfour Beatty competed a $55 million renovation of all seven residence halls which make up the Quad. The comprehensive project invested in reinventing the iconic parlors which serve as the “living rooms” for the students. Restrooms, modern utilities, ADA access, and efficient energy systems were installed behind the old walls. Outside, the large oaks were protected during the construction process. Perhaps the largest preservation project in Greensboro history, a new generation of students calls the Quad home.
 
Preservation Greensboro is a membership organization and the city’s leading advocate dedicated to the conservation of treasured places. Established in 1966, it operated Architectural Salvage of Greensboro, Blandwood Mansion, the Blandwood Carriage House, and serves as an advocate for historic preservation throughout Guilford County.

Iconic Guilford County Neighborhoods Receive National Register Recognition

Two iconic Guilford County neighborhood nominations were accepted by the National Park service this month that expanded the National Register of Historic Places program to hundreds of homeowners.

The National Register of Historic Places is the America’s list of places worthy of recognition and preservation. The program was authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, and is part of an initiative to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect our nations's historic and archeological history. Places may be listed as individual properties, or as multiple-property districts.

Here in Guilford County, residents were quick to realize the benefits of designation. The first property to be listed was the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, listed the same year the program was initiated; in 1966. It was followed by Blandwood Mansion in 1970. With the two most recent additions, Guilford County has 101 inscriptions on the National Register – more than any other county in North Carolina with the exception of Wake (Raleigh) and Buncombe (Asheville).

The benefit of National Register designation is its service. Although property owners may still maintain (or destroy) their properties as they wish, incentives are available to Contributing properties in the form of tax credits that benefit those who strive to adhere to the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for their restoration project. In doing so, residents receive a 30% income tax credit from the state if expenses exceed $25,000 within a 24 month period. Commercial and rental properties (defined as “income-producing” by officials) can earn even higher credits through state and federal applications. Beyond financial benefits, the documentation of neighborhood history as part of the National Register nomination process is invaluable for neighborhood promotion and pride.
 
The struggling economy has renewed interest in National Register designation as a way to promotes historic neighborhoods and encourage reinvestment in the tax base.  Property owners may manage their individual holdings as they choose, however the tax incentives are available for those who wish to invest with an eye to history. It is a useful tool for the stabilization of older neighborhoods.

In High Point, the new district is entitled “Uptown Suburbs,” and comprises multiple neighborhoods with a total of 759 contributing buildings. The newly listed neighborhoods include Johnson Place, Roland Park, The Parkway, Sheraton Hill, and Emerywood, all platted between 1907 and 1946. The neighborhoods contain some of North Carolina’s best examples of Period Revival architecture and examples of work by High Point’s best-known architects including Tyson Ferree, Herbert Hunter, Fred Klein, Mays and Park, Louis Voorhees, Greensboro’s Harry Barton, and Winston-Salem based Northup and O’Brien.

The High Point report traced several historic themes. The early-twentieth century suburbs adopted gridded street-plans that ran parallel to streetcar lines and attracted prominent business owners and upper-level managers.  Later, the Emerywood development “was designed by Earle Sumner Draper and utilized wide, curvilinear streets with deep lots and irregular intersections to contribute to the park-like feel of the neighborhood” to cater to an increasingly auto-based client base. The Uptown Suburbs Historic District contains a remarkable collection of architectural house forms and styles, ranging from the Turn-of-the-Century Queen Anne-style to Mid-Century Modern Style of the 1960s. 

In Greensboro, the Sunset Hills neighborhood has replaced Fisher Park’s 541-building-district as the city’s largest National Register Historic District with 912 buildings included. The report found the community to be “abounding with mature trees and lush vegetation and following a grid plan intermingled with some curvilinear streets.” The 370-page document concluded that “Sunset Hills remains an outstanding local example of conscious suburban planning for residential development in the period just before the onset of the Great Depression.”

A few surprises were discovered. The oldest residence in Sunset Hills is the frame dwelling at 2702 West Market Street. According to neighborhood residents, the house was built in 1895 on the south side of West Market Street, but was moved to its present site around 1932. Its current appearance reflects more recent alterations.

The report documents early restrictions that were common during the period, such as deed restrictions. “Like other suburban neighborhoods in Greensboro in the 1920s, deeds for property in Sunset Hills carried restrictions aimed at creating a quiet, attractive, and racially exclusive neighborhood,” the report says. “Deeds stipulated where a house or garage could be built on a lot in relation to the street and the side lot lines. Dwellings could not cost less than $5,500 and any house plans had to be approved by Moore Realty. The final restriction noted in these early deeds was that ‘no person of negro descent shall own said lot or shall occupy said lot except as domestic servants.’” Such restrictions have long ago expired.

The report also explains that Greensboro became the first North Carolina city to create a municipal planning commission, established in 1920. This resulted in the orderly development that kept industrial and commercial development out of Sunset Hills and preserved the neighborhood that continued to develop into the mid- 1960s.

These two nominations represent a resurgence of interest in historic preservation initiatives county-wide. Although High Point has enjoyed recent district inscriptions to the National Register – most recently the Washington Street Historic District in 2010 – Sunset Hills is the first new National Register district in Greensboro since the Irving Park Historic District was listed in 1995.

Residents and property owners of both new districts may refer to the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office website for more information on how to utilize tax credits on their next project.

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.

Barn Again! Can These Two Barns Find a Second Chance?

Available: Two tobacco barns, indigenous to Guilford County. Must be moved - first come, first served.

Have you ever wanted an historic workshop in your backyard? How about a log guesthouse…or a charming artist’s studio?

Two authentic Guilford County tobacco barns might serve any number of new roles, with nineteenth century craftsmanship and history to boot!

The Gate City was one of several Old (Bright) Belt tobacco market town, along with Burlington, Madison, Mebane, Mt. Airy, Reidsville, Roxboro, Stoneville and Winston-Salem. The Old Belt extended into Southside Virginia, and is recognized as the birthplace of bright-leaf tobacco production.

Old Belt tobacco markets opened in the late summer and early fall. The Old Belt was the last to open in our state, as the tobacco season started earlier in belts located south and east. The Middle Belt centered on Durham and Sanford, the North Carolina Eastern Belt included Wilson and Kinston, and the Border Belt along the North and South Carolina border.

Bright tobacco is differentiated from other leaves (such as Burley) in having leaves are picked as they ripen from the ground up. The picked leaves are then bundled and tied to sticks and hung in air-tight barns. The barns are heated by wood or gas, with metal flues carrying the heat into the barn to bake the leaves slowly. As the green tobacco leaves dry out and cure in the dry heat, the leaves turn bright yellow, hence the name “bright-leaf.”

Flue-cured bright tobacco was mild and buttery in taste. First popular as a chewing (plug) product, it grew in popularity as a cigarette product in the 1870s. Some historians propose that cigarettes made their first popular debut at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia where they were heavily marketed through displays.

Cigarette consumption grew rapidly in the final decades of the nineteenth century, and with increased demand, the profitability of tobacco leaf sales soared and farmers across the Old Belt scrambled to place land under cultivation. Tobacco production was notoriously labor-intensive. Tobacco plants quickly drained nutrients from the soil, and the plants required constant attention to increase quality and yields. The harvest of leaves required multiple passes through the same field by hand.

It was in the context of growing consumer demand that the two tobacco barns pictured here (right) were constructed in southern Guilford County. Likely dating from the last two decades of the nineteenth century, the log structures are classic examples of tobacco barns of North Carolina’s Old Belt. Standing roughly 20 feet in height, the logs appear to be pine with half-dovetail corner joinery. Spaces between the logs were chinked using wood slats and red-clay mud. Logs with chinking were necessary because they retained heat in the curing process. Later, perhaps in the 1950s, corrugated metal was added to one of the barns to aid in heat retention. Other exterior features include a galvanized metal roof and shed roofs to shelter activity areas. Interior appointments include exposed old growth log walls and horizontal tier-poles from which sticks holding tobacco leaves were hung for drying. Tobacco barns are modest in size, but they might be adaptively reused for many contemporary purposes.

For questions related to salvaging these two barns, please contact Terri Cartner by email or phone 336-334-5056.

A New Perspective on Old Windows and Efficiency

Historic windows are a crucial part of any historic facade, but in the interests of efficiency, sometimes people are drawn to seek replacement windows instead of retaining the orginal. Guest contributor and Greensboro contractor John Redmond dispels the notion that replacing windows is the first step to an energy efficienct home. In fact, there are several more effective (and affordable) investments you can make.

Dispelling the Most Common Myth Regarding Home Energy Savings

by John Redmond

How many of you think that the first thing you should do to save energy in your home is replace your windows? Tick, tick, tick…time’s up! I am sure that the vast majority of you answered yes to this question.
 
What if I was to tell you that replacing your windows not only adversely affects the historic integrity of your home, but it is almost always the last thing you want to do if energy savings is your main goal for your home?
 
For decades, window manufacturers and replacement contractors have done a fantastic job of embellishing the benefits of their products and, in turn, deceiving the American public with pie-in-the-sky promises that defy logic and general physics, guarantees that are laden with microscopic fine print, and bait and switch techniques that only confuse the homeowner as to what they are actually getting when they sign the dotted line with the contractor.
 
You might be asking how this can be true when practically every television or radio commercial you see or hear says the same thing…“Save 40% on your Energy Bills!”; Buy One, Get One Free…and Save 30% on your Energy Costs, or We Will Pay the difference!”  I could go on and on, but you have already heard them all, multiple times a day, for years on end. They use these advertisements because they work and they, without fail, bring hundreds of millions of dollars in profit to these companies on a yearly basis. Why fix what is not broken?
 
In order to properly analyze these promises, one must first know how energy is consumed and lost in the home. First of all, only about 10-12% of your home’s energy loss occurs through your windows and doors. According to the Department of Energy, North Carolina homeowners use approximately 46% of their overall energy costs on heating and cooling measures. If this is the case, a promise of 40% savings on an overall energy bill is impossible and purely dishonest. Replacement windows do not save on your lighting costs, nor do they save on your cooking and laundry bills. Windows do not save anything on costs related to water heating or your electronic appliances. They only affect your heating and cooling system. 
 
In the most lofty of scenarios, a high-end replacement window might save you 30% on your heating and cooling costs, which equates to about 13% of your overall energy bill.  The average homeowner in North Carolina pays $1800 on their home’s yearly energy use. Using this figure and the best-case scenario in savings, you are saving an average of $248/year in energy costs. Considering that the average home has 17 windows, and the average price for a medium quality replacement window is $500, your payback on your investment is 34 years. 
 
In a historic home, you have many more architectural features required by your neighborhood association and your average replacement window does not meet aesthetic muster. Keeping that in mind, a window that would meet these minimum specifications costs upwards of $1200-1500/window and, in turn, increases the payback period three-fold. Considering that the average homeowner lives in their home approximately 7-1/2 years means that you never receive a full return on your investment.
 
It is much more effective and a lot less expensive to make sure that any contractor that comes to your home has your best interests in mind. Most replacement contractors sell cookie-cutter products, and they have a hard time deviating from their normal repertoire. In most cases, they throw darts at the wall, sit back, and hope that one sticks. 
 
On the other hand, a professional home energy rater or home performance contractor certified by the Building Performance Institute or RESNET is best suited to give you pinpointed customized energy solutions to your home’s energy needs.  A properly trained professional will analyze your home using proven building science principles and realize that your home works as a system. In contrast to a run-of-the-mill replacement contractor, this certified professional will provide you with a prioritized scope of work customized to your home, based upon rate of return, in order to give you an ongoing plan of action moving forward. No home’s energy or comfort issues, including yours, can be alleviated by a one-size-fits-all proposition.

John J. Redmond, CEO of Home Energy Solutions of the Triad, is a BPI and RESNET Certified home performance contractor in the Triad area who specializes in historic preservation and comprehensive energy-efficiency contracting. You can reach John by emailing him at jredmond@callhomenc.com, or call him at 336-587-8345. You can also visit www.callhomenc.com for additional information on energy-efficiency related issues with your home.

Workshop for Cemetery Care Scheduled

The National Preservation Institute, a nonprofit organization founded in 1980, educates those involved in the management, preservation, and stewardship of cultural heritage. The 2012 National Preservation Institute seminar schedule is now available online at www.npi.org. The 2012 NPI News Release includes the calendar and seminar descriptions - ww.npi.org/NewsRelease2012.pdf. Interested parties should reserve seats now.

Scholarship applications accepted (see details below) in cooperation with the Chicora Foundation, Inc., Preservation Greensboro, and the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

Cemetery Preservation

Greensboro, NC – May 9-10, 2012

Learn how to begin a cemetery preservation or restoration project and how to help ensure that sound choices are made to avoid harming what you seek to protect. Discussions focus on current issues in cemetery preservation, such as recording and documenting cemeteries and graveyards, undertaking preservation efforts, and exploring conservation techniques and issues. An agenda is available online at www.npi.org.

Instructors. Debi Hacker, conservation administrator of Chicora Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit heritage preservation organization specializing in research, public education, conservation, and preservation for museums, archives, and historic organizations and Michael Trinkley, Ph.D., director of Chicora Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit heritage preservation organization specializing in research, public education, conservation, and

Cemetery Landscapes: A Practical Guide to Care and Maintenance

Greensboro, NC – May 11, 2012

Learn how to protect historic cemetery landscapes, preserve integrity of design, and safeguard tombstones and monuments while pursuing a practical outlook on maintenance and budget concerns. Explore approaches to caring for softscapes, or plantings, and hardscapes, including roads, pathways, and benches. Discuss effective pruning and cutting techniques, and when chemicals and heavy equipment can be safely and productively used. Review the basics of short- and long-term preservation plans. An agenda is available online at www.npi.org.

Instructor. Debi Hacker

LA/CES. These seminars meet the criteria for programs in the American Society of Landscape Architects Continuing Education System and ASLA members will receive 6 learning units each day.

Registration. A registration form is available online at www.npi.org/register.html. The registration rate is $500 (2 days – Cem Pres) / $325 (1 day – Cem Landscape) / $650 (3 days – both seminars).

Scholarships. A National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant for scholarships covers the cost of
tuition for qualified applicants to attend NPI seminars in targeted cultural resource management areas. For more information and the application form, go to www.npi.org/scholarships.

Questions? Please contact the National Preservation Institute, 703/765-0100.

Preservation in Greensboro: 2011 at its Best

The past year has been wonderful for historic preservation in Greensboro. Great projects have been completed in neighborhoods all across our city, continuing our statewide reputation as a city with soul and character.

Each year, Preservation Greensboro’s board of directors honors individuals and organizations that exemplify outstanding achievement in the field of historic preservation throughout Guilford County.

Over 150 people celebrated Preservation Greensboro’s 46th Annual Meeting on February 7, 2012 in the main ballroom of the Greensboro Country Club. The dinner is the largest gathering of preservationists in the region. Eight projects that made significant contributions to historic preservation were recognized with Preservation Awards, representing Greensboro most treasured historic and architectural places.

Few American cities have an Italian Palazzo in their midst, but Greensboro does! The Sternberger Artists Center on Summit Avenue was built as the home of Sigmund Sternberger and his sister Rosa Sternberger around 1926. Greensboro’s own star architect Harry Barton utilized a full vocabulary of Renaissance elements including a limestone arcaded entry supported by Corinthian columns, spiral colonettes, bracketed eaves, and a striking green barrel tile roof. In recent years, the historic house needed attention, especially its signature green-tile roofline. Generous support from the Tannenbaum-Sternberger Foundation to the United Arts Council of Greensboro enabled the repairs needed to restore the original roof of this community landmark that accommodates community art initiatives.

This Italianate-style house was built in 1898 for the DeButts family, but the heart and soul of the home comes from its history as the Magnolia House Motel. Established on Gorrell Street by Louise and Arthur Gist in 1949, the home was among the finest in Greensboro to accommodate African American patrons during the closing days of the Jim Crow Era. During the 1950s, the Magnolia Motel hosted a star studded guest list including Ray Charles, Ezrell Charles, Ruth Brown, Ike and Tina Turner, Joe Tex, Little Willie John, Satchel Paige, and Jackie Robinson! Forlorn but never forgotten by the year 2000, preservation pioneer Sam Pass began to complete his vision of a comprehensive restoration of the house. Boosted by city staff, and a credit from our own Architectural Salvage. The project is an important reminder of the importance of public/private partnerships as a solution to challenging historic sites.

Sitting proudly over Summit Avenue, Tar Heel Manor was constructed by Nellie and John C. Clapp around 1904. The original form of the house included a simple pyramidal roofline embellished with four dormer windows on each elevation. Within a few years, the house was greatly enhanced with a stunning new gambrel roofline and the incorporation of an older house to the rear. In 1938 the house was purchased by Charles Kellenberger for his daughter Ruth Kellenberger Shea. The large house accommodated Ruth and her sons, but also allowed her to rent sixteen rooms to travelers under the home’s new name: “Tar Heel Manor”. Ruth passed away around 1997 and the old house was sold to Mindy Zachary who immediately commenced a major restoration of the house that lasted through February 2011. The project returned subdivided rooms to their grand size, and created dramatic new spaces in portions of the rear wing that experienced heavy alterations. The house, now saved from decay and demolition, illustrates the creative opportunities that exist in restoring Greensboro’s historic residences.

One of the charms of the Gate City is use of Mount Airy granite, used by architects and builders during the 1910s and 1920s. Among the stone features seen in our neighborhood landscapes are stone retaining walls such as the wall in front of the Bessemer Improvement Company building on North Elm Street. Though the old house is long gone, but the Mount Airy Granite wall remained a contributing feature of the Fisher Park Historic District. In recent years the weight of the earth began to crumble the stone wall and last year a section actually collapsed. The property owners Tim Burnett and Jerry McGraw considered removing it completely, but after weighing their options, they decided to rebuild using the original stones. This project serves as a role model for the retention and preservation of historic stone walls throughout Greensboro’s neighborhoods.

The E. W. Schlosser House is an interesting blend of wide overhanging eaves and belt courses borrowed from the Prairie-style of architecture and the rounded arches and robust red-tile roof of Mediterranean Revival style. This 1920s home on Eugene Street in Fisher Park is embellished with a symmetrical façade and buff-colored brick that provide an air of distinction to the neighborhood. As a character-defining feature of the house, owners Dennis Diegel and Mike Stout could not fathom the house without its red-tile roof. The pair dedicated themselves to preserving the roof, even tapping into ASG’s Homeowner Restoration Funds to complete reconstruction of the tile roof. The project illustrates the importance of key architectural features, and the perseverance sometimes needed to see such elements retained.

The Jefferson Standard Building, rising 186 feet above Elm Street, was designed by Charles Hartmann and stands today as the premier Beaux Arts skyscraper in all of North Carolina. When completed in 1923, the 17-story structure was the tallest building in the state and allegedly the South. The building typifies skyscraper construction of the period, with a steel frame encased by a relatively light-weight façade of terra cotta masonry. It was that terra cotta façade that began to reveal problems by the 1990s, and required a team approach with the owner, restoration engineer, and preservation contractor Masonry Preservation Services. The 10-year façade restoration included replacement of terra cotta tiles with precast and glass fiber reinforced concrete, terra cotta patching and repair for structural integrity, and the reconstruction of the beautiful Guastavino terra cotta tile architectural vaults inside the main entry. The project documents the importance of programmed maintenance to historic structures, and the benefits of long term stewardship and planning.

Last year saw the completion and opening of a project that has highlighted Greensboro’s role in a global theater of human rights: The International Civil Rights Center & Museum. Housed in the historic F. W. Woolworth Building on South Elm Street, the museum not only shares the importance of the events that took place here in 1960, but preserved the building and space in which history occurred. Thanks to the efforts of museum backers, citizens that live in our world of 2012 have a tangible link to the world as it existed in 1960, and that is, after all, what historic preservation is all about. The Woolworth Building was constructed in 1929 according to plans drawn up by Charles Hartmann. The two-story building is faced in limestone and features classical Art Deco motifs including acroteria and urns. Now utilized as the International Civil Rights Center & Museum, the project is a prime example of celebrating moments in history by recognizing the importance of place.

The Greensboro Historical Museum was constructed as the First Presbyterian Church in 1892. The earliest portions of the rambling Richardsonian Romanesque church on Summit Avenue were designed by Brooklyn architect L. B. Valk & Son. In 1903, Charlotte architects Hook & Sawyer added the Romanesque-style Smith Memorial Building. The whole structure was reconfigured in 1938 when Greensboro architect William C. Holleyman oversaw conversion of the building for use as a Civic Center and Historical Museum. Considering the multiple layers of history embodied in the structure, museum staff and volunteers were careful to tread on such an architecturally diverse historic site when the time came for much needed repairs in 2008. The Greensboro Historical Museum wisely chose to utilize a team approach that included many in this room tonight who recommend the practices that resulted in a high-grade restoration of the windows, reinstatement of the slate roof, masonry systems and even early molding profiles and paint colors. The project is an excellent model for successful collaboration among members of the local preservation community.

Ownership of Blandwood Conveyed to Preservation Greensboro

Ownership of Blandwood Mansion and Carriage House, a National Historic Landmark property located in downtown Greensboro, has been transferred from the John Motley Morehead Memorial Commission to Preservation Greensboro Incorporated.

Preservation Greensboro Incorporated is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic and architectural treasures in Greensboro. Established in 1966, the organization’s first project was the preservation and restoration of Blandwood on its two-acre site at 447 West Washington Street. In 1969, Blandwood was deeded to the John Motley Morehead Memorial Commission, an entity created by the North Carolina General Assembly ten years prior, as a step in transferring Blandwood to the State of North Carolina for use as a museum. Since that time, Preservation Greensboro has leased Blandwood from the Commission, and opened the house as a museum in 1976.

Recent overtures made by representatives of North Carolina state government have shown interest in reducing the number of state commissions such as the John Motley Morehead Memorial Commission. In the context of an uncertain future for the Commission, Commissioners voted unanimously to transfer ownership of Blandwood to Preservation Greensboro with a preservation easement that will assure the stewardship of the property as a museum into the future.  

According to Anne Daniel, chair of the John Motley Morehead Memorial Commission “we are pleased that the transfer of Blandwood to Preservation Greensboro moved smoothly and we are delighted that PGI, a conscientious and meticulous custodian of the Mansion for many years, is now the owner of John Motley Morehead's historic home.”

Preservation Greensboro has raised funds for Blandwood since 1966 and that role will continue. A majority of funds are raised through donations and special events such as the Blandwood Ball. Blandwood receives no state funding.

Preservation Greensboro’s Executive Director Benjamin Briggs remarks, “The significance of Blandwood to our state’s history assures that we will continue to operate the house as a museum for citizens and visitors to Greensboro. Few sites embody the history of our city and state as does Blandwood.” 

The earliest portions of Blandwood Mansion were built around 1795 by Charles Bland as a four-room farmhouse. By 1827, attorney John Motley Morehead occupied the house with his wife and eight children. Morehead successfully ran for Governor of North Carolina twice, in 1840 and 1842 on a platform of improved transportation, education, and social reform. He is remembered today as the Father of Modern North Carolina based on his progressive agenda. In 1844, Governor Morehead invited architect Alexander Jackson Davis of New York City to design additions to his home. His design today represents the earliest example of Tuscan Villa design standing in the United States.

Architectural historian Catherine Bishir recognized Blandwood as the “embodiment of the antebellum spirit of improvement” – including innovative features such as a central prospect tower, sliding-sash windows with louvered blinds, and formal rooms featuring imported marble mantels and plaster crown moldings. Blandwood also contains an exceptional collection of antebellum decorative arts and Morehead family items. The site is open to visitors six days a week. North Carolina school groups are admitted for free with advanced notice.

According to Briggs, “North Carolina has many architecture treasures, and Blandwood stands among the most important in the nation as a turning point in American design. Greensboro is fortunate to have such as distinguished property in the heart of the city, and we will work to engage this property with all of the great projects happening downtown.”

Preservation Greensboro Incorporated is the city’s only non-profit membership organization dedicated to the protection of architecturally significant places. PGI’s programs range from the Tour of Historic Homes to preservation awards, children’s activities and an online newsletter. Its community initiatives include Architectural Salvage of Greensboro, Blandwood Mansion and Museum Shop, the Blandwood Carriage House, the Preservation Greensboro Development Fund, and the Blandwood Ball.

Neighborhoods Pondered for National Register Historic District Status

After years of disinterest in the designation of National Register Historic Districts, Guilford County is experiencing a resurgence of activity.

Guilford County was early to understand the benefits of listing historic districts to the National Register of Historic Places.  The National Register program was authorized by the National Preservation Act of 1966 as communities across the country began to reflect on their architectural history as a catalyst for growth instead of an obstacle to progress. Properties can be nominated individually as a property – or as an ensemble as a district. Designation is an honor, and assurance that the significance of these properties and districts will be considered in the planning of federal undertakings. Guilford County contains 66 individual properties listed on the National Register, distinct from districts.

National Register Historic Districts are also distinguished from local overlay historic districts by tax credit opportunities and appearance standards. These key differences are often overlooked or misunderstood. National Register Historic Districts allow property owners the option of participating in the use of historic preservation tax credits through a process known as a Certified Restoration through the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office in Raleigh.

In contrast, local historic districts are managed through local planning offices and include community appearance standards. Guilford County has only six local historic districts administered through local authorities, and they include iconic neighborhoods of Johnson Street and Sherrod Park in High Point; Oak Ridge; and Greensboro’s College Hill, Fisher Park, and Aycock.

Some neighborhoods operate under both National Register and local historic district designation.

Guilford’s first National Register Historic District listing was the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in 1966. The nomination included 2,200 acres of land on which the pivotal battle of the southern campaign of the American Revolution was held. Just a few years later, a much different property was inscribed to the National Register – the Jamestown Historic District (image, right). Encompassing the county’s oldest community, the district included Mendenhall Plantation and the Shubal Coffin houses, both of which were threatened with demolition by the widening of Main Street through town. Upon designation of district by the National Park Service, plans for the road project were cancelled.

Additional National Register Districts followed throughout the county following the excitement generated by the nation’s Bicentennial in 1976, including the Oakdale Cotton Mill Village in Jamestown (1976), Downtown Greensboro (1982), and Oak Ridge Military Academy (1983).

In the mid 1980s, citizens and municipalities began to understand the stabilizing influence of National Register designation on property values, and cache the honor provided neighborhoods in marketing and community pride. Between 1988 and 1995, seventeen National Register Historic Districts were created in Guilford County to honor architectural resources as diverse as Greensboro’s Bennett College (image, right), White Oak New Town Mill Village, the Oakwood neighborhood in High Point, and the Palmer Memorial Institute in Sedalia. Greensboro’s remarkable array of listings was through a partnership between the City and Preservation Greensboro to commission preliminary surveys to increase the number of inscriptions in the Gate City.

Since the designation of Irving Park in 1995, the last major residential district created in Greensboro, National Register historic district listings fell precipitously. Whitsett was the only new National Register district through the end of the millennium, and in the first decade of the twenty-first century, a modest number of five districts were created countywide: the Carpenter Farm near Sedalia, Grimsley High School, the crossroads of Summerfield, and Washington (image, right) and West High streets in High Point.

As Guilford’s pace of National Register Historic District creation eased, other communities ramped-up efforts to provide incentives for owners to restore older homes. In Winston-Salem, the Ardmore neighborhood included 2,093 structures spread over 6,000 acres of land along Miller Street in 2004. Between 2001 and 2005, Durham saw inscription of several historic neighborhoods that included almost 2,000 historic structures. In Raleigh, a single National Register Historic District on the city’s west side listed 1,157 buildings in 2003. Counties across the state quickly surged ahead of Guilford in the utilization of tax credits as investment incentives for residents of older neighborhoods.

However, recent activity in both High Point and Greensboro could reverse that trend and dramatically expand the scope of National Register Historic Districts in the county. Once again seen as a catalyst for neighborhood investment through the Certified Restoration process, residents and municipalities are investigating the creation of two large districts.

In High Point, a section of the city that includes Emerywood, Johnson Street and Brantley Circle could be recognized as a National Register Historic District (map, right). With a wealth of early twentieth-century housing stock and some of North Carolina’s best examples of Period Revival architecture, designation could enable more that 600 property owners access to restoration tax credits for their renovation activities.

In the Gate City, the Sunset Hills neighborhood could replace Fisher Park as the city’s largest National Register Historic District with perhaps as many as 720 buildings included (map, right). Filled with charming Period Revival-style cottages, grassy parks and curved drives, the neighborhood is increasingly recognized across the city as a historic resource rife with history. The process of nomination will likely reveal associations with notable past citizens such as architect Lorenzo S. Winslow, developer A. K. Moore, and entrepreneur Paul C. Lindley.

The attractiveness of National Register designation is its flexibility. Although property owners may still maintain (or destroy) their properties as they wish, incentives available in the form of tax credits reward those who strive to apply the Secretary of Interior’s Standards to their restoration project. In doing so, residents receive a 30% income tax credit if expenses exceed $25,000 within a 24 month period from the state. Commercial and rental properties (defined as “income-producing” by officials) can earn even higher credits through state and federal applications. Beyond financial benefits, the documentation of neighborhood history as part of the National Register nomination process is invaluable for neighborhood promotion and pride.

With a struggling economy and a renewed interest in stabilizing property values and the tax base, the renewed interest in National Register Historic Districts is understandable. Property owners may manage their individual holdings as they wish, however incentives are available for others who wish to invest with an eye to history. It is a win-win situation for stable and older neighborhoods.

Both projects are in early stages. More information will be posted in relation to these two projects as they develop.