Letters to the Editor
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Dear Mr. Schwartz,
After absolutely consuming the September/October issue on the bus ride home yesterday, I want to offer my heartiest congratulations on a fine issue. Everything from the glow of the cover image (great warmth, wonderful welcome) to the architectural date icons at the start of individual articles made for a spectacular publication. In breadth, beauty, and content, the magazine is without peer. Thank you for giving members such a wonderful gift.
I would love to see more articles like Lisa Skolniks' Coming Home and Lauren Walser's Survival of the Fittest (although the description of the re-created kitchen cabinetry made me hunger for a photo.) The former removes the elitism usually associated with preservation; the latter demonstrates that resources can, and do survive catastrophe. Above all, beauty is enduring.
Love, love, love the issue. And a special thanks for including the Grand Isle Lake House on p. 67. If you haven't been there, you must once experience what Lake Champlain looks like on a beautiful fall day from the front porch.
With warm regards,
Mary
• • •
Hi James:
I greatly appreciate you reaching out to your audience and asking for our input on Preservation Magazine! As a web designer, I know how helpful it is to receive feedback so I'm happy to share a few thoughts on the July/August issue.
11 Endangered Places was gorgeous and the Steam Treat piece was fun and well told. In the Buffalo piece, I was enthralled by the story of the Martin family and their home. It was just a brief paragraph in the overall story but I mention it because it represents the essence of why I am so attracted to preservation - yes, partly for the structures themselves but more importantly because of what the structures have borne witness to. When you can tie those two things together in a meaningful way, I'm hooked. I crave the historical context and people perspective in every piece.
My least favorite article this month was probably the Arena Stage piece. It was well done but I'm just not as emotionally connected to Modernist architecture.
Honestly, my favorite part of every magazine is not always a feature story. I love the content in many of your ongoing editorial sections such as Transitions - although I'm always left wanting more pictures and detail. And I probably spend as much time on the historic properties pages as I do on a full blown feature. I scrutinize each thumbnail picture and appreciate when you include an accompanying website so I can dig in further. My husband refers to it as "house porn" because I can be transfixed for hours. :-)
On a side note, we recently returned from driving cross-country (Raleigh, NC to Portland, Oregon and back). It was a grand adventure to see so much of the country and then an added thrill to return home and find some of the places from our trip mentioned in this month's magazine. What are the chances that you would mention Ely, Nevada and the Snake Range, Fort Snelling or the Pillsbury Mill in Minneapolis!
I rarely have the luxury to sit down and read a magazine these days but I read yours cover to cover. Thank you to you and your staff for bringing preservation and pieces of our nation's heritage to life in each issue.
Cheers,
Jennifer Gregg
• • •
Dear Editor,
I spent a lot of time in architecturally-rich, economically-poor Buffalo when I worked for the U.S. Dept. of Labor many years ago.
But I was concerned when I reached the discussion of the Guaranty Building (when I knew Buffalo, it was referred to as the "Prudential Guaranty Building"). Your author seems to have forgotten that the architectural firm responsible for the building was "Adler and Sullivan", not just Louis Sullivan. Dankmar Adler, the senior partner of the firm, and himself a very competent architect, and God knows he was the steadier of the two partners. Give Adler his due!
Louis H. Blumengarten
Brooklyn, NY 11230
• • •
To the Editor:
One thing this country needs is not to be dependent on foreign energy. ("Location, Location, Location") Environmentalists are concerned with preserving the ground but what about our way of life? What about all the men killed in foreign wars, and yes because of oil? Covering the Mojave with solar panels seems like very good solution.
Keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Leonard Korinek
San Francisco, Calif.
• • •
To the Editor:
You know, I find articles (like "New York's Finest Black Suburb") to single out "race" and to be actually offensive in nature. Today in America, why do we feel the need to single out a residential subdivision based on residents who are "black" rather than just based on actual famous "people" who all lived in this particular subdivision? I just don't get it. To make a racial distinction in the year 2011, in an article, is to somehow perpetuate some racial division of some kind, which quite frankly, should not exist in our country today and does not need to unless "someone" just wants it to keep being a divisive issue. The less we do this kind of thing, the less racism there will be in this country. Can we just recognize "great people" regardless of their race?
Thank you!
William Neal
Kansas
• • •
Hello Mr. Schwartz,
I am a member of NTHP & saw your brief editorial comment on CFLs in the latest Preservation magazine. In my view, the CFL hype exceeds the actual benefits. I think that more honesty would be good. I certainly am against legislating away the incandescents- if the CFLs have a place in the marketplace, they will prevail.
My
experience with at least 6 CFL brands includes (but is not limited to) the
following:
Lifetime has been as low as 150 hours where the claim is 10,000; Just one CFL
made it to 9000 hours but died catastrophically; Some lamps say in fine print-
not suitable for fixtures or must be mounted base-down only; When there are
several lights near each other (such as a row of can lights), it is almost
impossible to find several CFLs that have the same "color" light; The
well-known delay in coming up to full brightness is often a serious limitation.
CFL negatives that I don't mind as much include the spiral shape & "need" for hazmat disposal (home centers have drop-off bins now & the breakage/mercury hazard is exaggerated, I'm sure)
Life-cycle cost (raw materials, manufacturing, energy use in service, disposal costs, etc) may be higher for CFLs- I'd like to see those calculations vs. incandescents
The CFL
pluses I can think of:
CFLs can in some cases be a drop-in replacement for incandescent lamps where
aesthetics is not a concern; Reduced heat output- light sockets & their
built in switch if there is one hold up much better & in hot climates, may
save a bit on A/C use; Less energy is used for the same lumens (I'm trusting
the numbers on the package- I don't have the electrical instruments to confirm
this); For portable lights, CFLs are more durable (hot incandescent filaments
snap easily when bumped; before CFLs I tried the expensive "rough duty"
incandescents & these had problems)
I've had
better success with fluorescent tubes (I've only returned one or 2 for short
life & never for color mismatch) .
Thank you,
Dave Bell
Anaheim CA
• • •
Editor:
As a Board Member of Napa County Landmarks and chair of the Preservation Action Committee, I was especially pleased to see this article about the restoration of the historic wineries. For over three decades Landmarks has been working to preserve our county's rich historic resources. Three of the projects in your article have received one of our annual Awards of Merit, the Beringer Rhine House in 2009, and the Krug buildings and Jackse Winery in 2010. All three were done with incredible attention to detail and environmental sensitivity. And for the fourth project in your article, the Franco-Swiss Winery, Landmarks Board members have supported the Mansfields in their successful effort to have the County's Historic Winery Ordinance amended to permit the project to go forward to what we hope will be an equally successful restoration. Thank you for recognizing the fine stewardship demonstrated by the owners of all four properties.
Mary Ellen Boyet
Napa County Landmarks
Napa, California
• • •
Dear James:
Every month I look forward to the interesting articles and (more important) worthwhile and needed work that the National Trust does. Thanks for keeping it going—or your small part in it anyway.
Sincerely,
Tom Hull
Teacher
• • •
Dear Sir,
As the national preservation organization, I would expect you to promote proper preservation education. Your article about the Harris family in Alabama was a model of poor preservation practices. The article should have been in Southern Living instead of Preservation News. You should promote proper preservation. Moving buildings is a last resort, which did not seem correct with the large Greek Revival, since someone was living in the home 6 months before it was moved. The photo of the before and after of the 1 and ½ story home that was also moved showed that an original chimney was not replaced after moving. Your articles should encourage proper preservation. I am encouraging friends not to renew their membership in the National Trust for Historic Preservation, but to support local preservations instead, at least until the National Trust lives up to the Secretary of Interiors standards for preservation. The person that approved the article concerning Alabama should be fired from the magazine's staff.
Thank You,
Griffith L. Polatty
• • •
To the Editor:
Re: Preservation Magazine's profile of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum (Nov./Dec. Issue):
Sudip Bose failed to mention the immigrant population that the The
Lower East Side and it's superb museum are often associated with...the
Jews! The area was home to the largest... mostly Eastern European... Jewish
neighborhood in NYC at the turn of the 20th century, and thrived with
bustling street life and activity, despite enormous poverty. Yiddish
theaters and dozens of synagogues, including the newly restored
Eldridge Street Synagogue, were an integral part of its vitality and
uniqueness. The American Jewish experience is an important part
of the historical record of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum that is
indeed worth preserving.
Steven Cohen
Upper West Side
Manhattan
• • •
Mr. Schwartz,
What wonderful news that the SS United States
may at last be saved. I have fond memories of returning to the US from
France when I was a child in 1958 and being lifted up by one of the wait
staff following breakfast so that I could see out of a porthole the
Statue of Liberty as we entered New York harbor. It was a wonderful ship
and an important part of American heritage that we cannot allow to
vanish.
Sergei Troubetzkoy
Bedford, VA
• • •
To the Editor:
I want to commend you on the current issue of Preservation Magazine.
I read it cover to cover (I had learned to skip over the painful parts)
and was left with a sense of enthusiasm and a positive feeling that
while there are challanges, there are many successes. Your coverage of
the 16 National Historic Sites
is awesome. After reading this issue, I was not left with the painful
feeling of despair that I have often had after reading the magazine.
Also, James Vaughan's essay
on creative uses of historic sites has left me with much to think about
in regard to our own local sites and what we might do with them. While
I understand that you have to let us know about some of the bad news, I
hope you will continue to focus on that which inspires us to persevere
in our own local efforts.
With gratitude,
Carol DeSantis
Gilroy, California
• • •
Editors:
What an exciting surprise in the mailbox! It was like finding the face of a long lost friend on the cover of a national magazine! Now in my eighties with my bucket list longer than I will accomplish, it is with pride that I have visited five of the 16 choices!! It has been at least 45 years since my first trip to Acoma on a cold and brilliant February afternoon. This was when there was no visitor center, but a snow dusted road to the top that still gives me chills. My guide pointed out the herringbone arrangement of the logs making the ceiling and carefully explained that the vigas holding the roof had to be carried many miles before climbing the mesa. Important to note, what looks like balls of stucco on the wall around the church are actually sentinels facing the burial ground. They have faces and some are adorned with hats or woven crowns of vegetation. Later, my husband and I visited, chatted with homeowners and purchased pottery.
Now living in South Carolina I have also been to Drayton Hall more than once. When living in San Francisco Filoli was just down the road a piece and during my 15 years in Denver I was able to visit the Hotel de Paris in Georgetown. Oatlands has also been a stop on the way to Washington. I worked for a time in Richmond and went into the Plunge which looked nothing than as it does now!
Thank you for several days of memories, entertainment and the comfort in knowing that your "picks" are like mine.
Nancy Davidonis,
Charleston, SC
• • •
To the Editor:
I especially enjoyed the article on the Plumb-Bronson house
in Hudson, NY. My wife and I live in an 1869 Italianate in Hinsdale,
Illinois. Imagine my surprise, then, in seeing our newel post, spindles
and banister in the original elliptical stair hall.
I would completely agree with your statement that the Plumb-Bronson
staircase itself (the treads, risers, and the floating design) certainly
dates from 1812. We have seen similar designs in other houses from
that period. However, is it possible that A. J. Davis replaced the
original newel post, spindles and/or railings in 1839 or in 1849 when he
built the addition?
We enjoy the magazine, and we hope you can continue to rescue buildings
such as the Plumb-Bronson house so that we can continue to enjoy and use
them. By the way, I would agree that the approach taken at Drayton Hall is appropriate for the Plumb-Bronson house - the interior architecture is spectacular.
David Lackland
Hinsdale, Illinois
• • •
To the Editor:
Congratulations on the most interesting issue of Preservation in a long time. The features were excellent and there were a lot of them. Keep up the good work!
John W. Plattner
Cincinnati, Ohio
• • •
To the Editor:
Interesting article. I have, right here on the front lines, watched Austin grow exponentially and, yes, I'm one of those people who misses 'the old days', but who also accepts (what is politely called) progress as a natural thing. I loved South Congress even when it was teeming with prostitutes and druggies. I loved 6th Street when I did the plumbing on the Ritz Theater to change it into a music venue and the stage was set for every coke dealer and VIP room wannabee to buy or rent those wonderful old spaces and put in a restaurant of bar or whatever. It also laid the groundwork for Austin to eventually become the self-proclaimed 'Live Music Capital of the World', with every burger joint and coffee house willing to carve out an area devoted to musicians getting some face time.
It's still a very friendly place and I love many things about Austin, particularly my circle of friends...but 'progress' all too often equates to more expensive, and many of the so-called perks of Austin living, like 6th Street and SoCo, are incidental in my own myopic world.
Gentrification has replaced some of the hippie/folksy/Austiny spots with huge apartment complexes and condos and 'McMansions' and a CVS or Walgreen's on every corner and American Apparel and Walmart forcing mom and pop stores OUT. On the other hand, peace, love and understanding abound and the tattooed and stretched earlobe youth permeate the culture.
I love that Hotel San Jose and Jo's Coffee and TexMex places like Maria's Tacos (that started with 'three dozen eggs and a dream') have thrived locally (and indeed, Whole Foods, which survived floods and other difficulties to grow into an international chain—not that I particularly agree with their products, but....) continue to emerge as success stories and help "Keep Austin Weird".
And Austin, particularly my little neighborhood, is the 'blue dot in a red state'. That's nice.
Herman Bennett
Austinite since 1974
• • •
To the Editor:
I suggest we give it up on proclaiming the "virtues" of 60"s architecture – almost all of it is, objectively evaluated, shlock. For NTHP to suddenly embrace it strikes me as nothing more than an ill-advised, self-serving and opportunistic effort to expand our menu, based on these buildings becoming 50 years old. Let's not compromise what we stand for, objectively good buildings and structures, with quality materials and design, not just something which has achieved a certain chronological age. To do the latter compromises the integrity of the preservation movement.
And, yes, tear down the Boston City Hall, and restore Scollay Square, as quickly as possible!
Mark Perreault
Norfolk
• • •
To the Editor:
Nothing you have printed in recent magazines has affected me like the pictures of the Michigan Central Station in Detroit. What a magnificent building, and what a state it is in! I would make its renovation a priority for the Preservation Trust. And what a shot in the arm for Detroit it would be to have it brought back to life. Thanks for your work.
Don Judson
• • •
Dear James Schwartz:
Your article on our house in the N/D issue [Homefront] has had an unexpectedly delightful result. Sara O'Keeffe of the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic District has initiated an architectural tour of the area for younger grade school students and our house is on it. Ms. O'Keeffe read your article and has all the historical and architectural facts at her fingertips and conveys them enthusiastically to the children. It is fun to see how responsive they are. It is a great program and I thought you would enjoy knowing about it.
Catherine De Vido
New York City
• • •
Dear Mr. Schwartz:
I was surprised and pleased to see a photo of the Graggs Building (1956; Houston, Texas) appearing in the May/June 2010 issue of Preservation. I am grateful that this wonderful building was restored thanks to the leadership of Joe Turner of the Houston Parks and Recreation Department.
Although I have never seen the Graggs building, when I saw the photo I knew immediately that it was a building my father had designed. My father was Karl F. Kamrath, FAIA, and his firm was McKie and Kamrath.
There was a grand celebration party put on by the Parks and Recreation department when they reopened the building. Present at that time was my mother, Jeannie Kamrath Gonzalez. It was her 95th birthday, and she was presented with a birthday cake by the Parks and Recreation staff.
I hope that someday my family home in Houston will become a National Trust Historic Site. It was designed by my father in the 1950s. My father and Frank Lloyd Wright were personal friends, and he designed many buildings in Wright's organic style. This home, at 8 Tiel Way, has been owned by Dr. and Mrs. Jeff Lanier for some 30 years.
The house is a beautiful example of my father's style of architecture. It would be a worthy addition to the National Trust's preservation efforts.
Sincerely,
Eugenie Kamrath Mygdal
• • •
To the Editor:
I received an e-mail from Montpelier's head archaeologist regarding an article in the current issue by Dwight Young, "Trowel Ready." I was a
roommate of Dwight Young while we were "in the trenches" at Montpelier
in October 2009, which was what he based this article on. It was a real
learning experience, and his article missed nothing! After receiving this article from Montpelier, I am now a member/subscriber to Preservation.
Lee Edgerton
• • •
To the Editor:
On behalf of all involved in the Soldiers and Sailors Monument project, may I express our sincere thanks for your superb piece on the project in the May/June issue of Preservation.
We truly appreciate Arnold Berke's article, and the time he dedicated to the story. He captured the essential aspects of a most comprehensive and detailed project, and in a most engaging way. We also enjoyed the expanded coverage on the web site.
Dianne Ludman Frank
• • •
Sir,
How sorry will be future generations of Americans be if they have only old photographs of this site to look at. The battlefield is such an important part of American history—perhaps too "young" to be appreciated yet. I realise that not everywhere of beauty or interest can be a National Park, but there must be room for treating some special areas with respect, and not allowing huge developments to be built right on top of them.
I cannot count the places here in UK which have been preserved, saved against the might of planners who allow corporate encroachment, only for those places to sooner or later become part of a tourist attraction, bringing much trade into an area with tasteful cafes, hotels, souvenir shops and so on. In France there is a tourist trail which takes in various monuments to the major WWI battles around Verdun. It is extremely moving. Normal commerce occurs in between. There are many tourists and academics of the quieter sort who need food and accommodation.
With a stroke of the bureaucratic pen this historic site could be saved for posterity. Isn't America big enough to build another shopping mall—say on a brownfield site a distance away—and keep the battlefield intact? Perhaps Walmart could come to see some commercial sense in being fairly close, yet far distant enough not to spoil the aspect of this historic site?
June Gibson
London
• • •
Sirs:
Now you've got me really angry! Raving about preserving the ... Mies Van Der Rohe [Crown Hall] structure, which showed cracks, water lines and was evidently totally chill in Chicago's cold within a very few years of construction would be bad enough. The buildings torn down to build that particularly sterile set of structures were the Jane Adams Settlement houses quantrant. The Jane Addams structures were warm, living buildings created to withstand Chicago weather and provide and support community! Only the mentality of a bunch of engineers—inept with people and unresponsive to need—could have turned the human beauty of the Jane Addams Structures into the inert unliveableness of the IIT campus.
Margaret Russell
Hudson, N.Y.
• • •
Dear Mr. Schwartz,
I couldn't agree more with the back page article by Dwight Young on the impact of urban forestation.
By example, I recently visited Mendoza, Argentina. The city is in an arid, somewhat warm region, nestled up against the Andes. The town was rebuilt after a devastating earthquake in the latter half of the 19th Century, and at that time, the town realized the importance of trees and created an extensive irrigation system that perpetuated and sustained the growth of trees. Today, Mendoza exists as the perfect example of the tremendous environmental impact that can be achieved with a City of Trees.
Mark Orling
Alexandria, Virginia
• • •
Dear Mr. Schwartz,
I sailed on the SS United States twice as an FSB (foreign service brat). The first time was as a high school boy travelling with parents and brother. It was September, 1955 when we embarked on this magnificent ship from Bremerhaven, bound for New York. I have two dramatic photographs I took then, copies of which I must send to the SSUS Conservancy.
One shot, black and white, shows my father's new Jaguar Mark VII-M car being hoisted into SSUS's forward cargo hold. The other picture, from a 35mm color slide, is a shot that must have been taken from an after flying bridge, looking obliquely along the the length of the starboard side.
The second time I sailed on her was in June of 1958, berthed in a wonderful sun deck stateroom, en-route to Southampton from New York. My family continued sailing the oceans until the advent of jet airline service put and end to that by the late 1960's. In all, I crossed the Atlantic by ship nine times, twice on the SS America, the first time on her when she was a troop ship, USS Westpoint, in 1941 (when I was three years old). I regret her fate, as I sincerely hope I won't have to in the case of the United States.
A dramatic sailing moment, and it was quite momentary, but of the kind that you can never forget, was sailing westward on the Queen Elizabeth and passing in mid-Atlantic, the Queen Mary sailing eastward. What a sight! And sound—with the two Queens whistling at each other.
These days when from time to time I drive back and forth to Philadelphia from Washington, DC it thrills—and saddens—me to see United States's faded-looking but yet majestic hulk still afloat there in the Delaware.
Robert W. Parke
Washington, DC
• • •
Dear Mr. Schwartz,
I saw your brief article on the SS United States. Yes, she was indeed a great ship and very beautiful, although not quite as luxurious as others. That was because she was also built to to be readily converted into a troop carrier in the Cold War Years—a little-known fact at the time.
My German family—Mother and Father and five young kids, including myself—sailed as immigrants on the SS United States in January 1953 on only its third crossing. We were penniless refugees but were sponsored by a kind German uncle in Michigan who had been in the U.S for many years. We had left from Bremerhaven, Germany, to start a new life in the United States after the horrible WW II and post-war experiences. The food on board was excellent, especially to Germans that hadn't eaten much for a few years. The ship was sleek and spectacular. But the greatest adventure was that two days out of England, she was caught in the great Atlantic Storm of January 1953. It was a character-building and scary ride for us, with the ship dipping deep into giant waves for 36 hours and causing the screws to leave the water and shake and grind the whole ship! We were very scared, and only the hardiest did not get seasick. Unfortunately, after we passed through it safely, the great Northsea storm hit the England and Netherlands coasts as one of the worst European storms ever, doing horrible damage and killing more than 3,000 people.
Forty years later we sadly saw the great ship laid up in a Philadelphia pier. Instead of cutting her up, maybe they ought to give her a burial at sea by sinking her properly, as has been done with many other worthy ships.
Sincerely,
Ryner Wittgens
Atlanta
• • •
Dear Mr. Schwartz
Your magazine's article by Ms. Wills on the C & O Canal towpath brought back memories of 56 years. I was one of the hikers who did not belong to the group of nine who did make the full trip. The famous nine would have probably not made the full trip without the aid of three men in a retrofitted truck to meet the hikers at points along the way with refreshments and snacks, band-aids, and salve—and also carrying camping gear.
These fundamentals were provided by The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club of Washington, D.C. Justice Douglas probably would have made the trip with no help or company. At 55 he was a stalwart and icon. Today he would have been called a chauvinist and a rude one at that. He would allow no females on the trip! My admiration for him waned when his snoring caused several men to wake up who were sleep on the floor in the same room. He deserves credit for preservation of the canal and path, but the Potomac Appalachian Trail deserves some credit, especially since it had been caring for parts of it for along time. One of the nine eventually became president of PATC and so did a female member who was sent by the Department of Interior to a dinner but was not allowed to stay the evening.
I've done the Potomac by train, canoe and foot from Cumberland to Washington. I'm now too old to cycle it but I did get a vicarious thrill to read about it.
Rememberingly,
Glen Skaggs
San Antonio, Texas
• • •
Dear Mr. Schwartz:
We've been NTHP members for a few years now and I just wanted to send you a quick note to express how much I look forward to the Preservation magazine showing up monthly. I enjoy reading it from cover to cover and discovering how NTHP is promoting the saving of our architectural heritage. I especially wanted to compliment you on this month's series of very interesting green-related articles. (A dream of mine is to actually live in Manhattan for two years out of my life and have an office in the Empire State Building. Someday.)
Right now, we live in Pasadena, California, where we recently did a lot of renovation on our 1910 Arts and Crafts home . Which brings me to another favorite section of the magazine—the historic properties for sale. Some day, when we sell this house, I would definitely search these couple of pages for another unique property to move to, so thank you for having it. As a matter of point, I do love the transitions section. It is equally inspiring and distressing.
All in all, thank you very much for a fine publication and your organization's valiant efforts to preserve.
Another Missive From Michael B.
• • •
Dear Mr. Schwartz,
I am not accustomed to writing after reading an issue of a magazine! I did enjoy this one so much, especially the stories about the rebuilding of the firehouse in Newport and the ride along the canal. However, I do wish that a map had been included with the story about C & O. I have been around there and would love to have been able to follow their route.
Thanks for it all,
Phyllis Gibson
• • •
To the Editor:
We seem to have gone astray. Though great expanses of land, and great gardens are to be preserved, it should not be the goal of The National Trust for Historic Preservation to do so. Let groups like Sierra Club, the Audubon Society, World Wildlife Fund and the Wilderness Fund work on those projects and let us focus on what we are to do—preserve structures.
There are structures beyond number worthy of our time, money and care and we should not lose sight of that. If we divide our goals then we will protect nothing well.
Most sincerely,
Mary Weston
Newport, RI
• • •
Dear Mr. Schwartz,
My copy of Preservation arrived today and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This latest issue had an emphasis on volunteerism which I found relevant and timely. Preservation is good for business and it's green and that was an attraction to me in 1971 or 1972 when I first joined the trust as a high school kid. Keep up the good work.
Robert Wood
• • •
Worcester State Hospital
Dear Mr. Schwartz: When my copy of Preservation arrived last week, I was pleased to see the Worcester State Hospital featured in the "Transitions" section of the magazine. The attention is welcome, given the significance of this structure and the threat to its survival. My reason for writing to you is that its architect was not properly identified, and this leads me to want to correct the record in the magazine and also to make sure the NTHP has accurate information about the architect.
The architect of the Worcester hospital was George Dutton Rand (1833-1910), not Ward P. Delano. The project was featured in a two-page illustration in the American Architect and Building News of April 29, 1876, and readers were informed that it cost $1 million. Both the cost and the fact that the AABN devoted two pages to the line drawing (when one-page illustrations were the norm) suggest the importance of this project.
Rand's practice was based in Boston, and he designed many hospitals throughout New England, including early examples of "cottage" hospitals. One of his later and most distinguished hospitals was the Mary Hitchcock Hospital in Hanover, N.H., of 1889. Much of the building was demolished by Dartmouth Colle, I believe during the 1990s. In the closing pages of The Brown Decades, Lewis Mumford expressed his admiration for this hospital, designed by Rand in partnership with Bertrand Taylor (Mumford, p. 115).
Rand designed a number of campus buildings, including the first buildings of the Northfield Seminary in Massachusetts and Rollins College in Florida, as well as dormitories for Mount Holyoke (AABN July 27, 1901) and Smith, and an innovative building for the study of electrical engineering for MIT when it was still located in Boston.
With his partner Frank Weston, Rand designed one of the country's early apartment buildings, a "French flat" of 1872, for Henry Lee Higginson in Boston's Back Bay. In partnership with J. Foster Ober, Rand designed the enormous 1880 expansion of the Hotel Vendome on Commonwealth Avenue, among the earliest buildings in the city to be lit by electricity.
Rand's practice was national, and he designed large residences in Kansas, Indiana, and Colorado, including a house in Denver that once served as the governor's mansion.
During the 1870s and 80s, Rand lived in Winchester, Mass., where I live. He designed many houses here (AABN June 23, 1877; Dec. 28, 1878; July 3, 1880), as well as a church (AABN Sept. 19, 1885), several schools, and the town hall (AABN May 12, 1888). Today the clock tower of Winchester Town Hall dominates the town center, much as the clock tower of the Worcester State Hospital dominates its hilltop setting at the edge of Worcester.
While the Worcester State Hospital is worthy of preservation solely on the basis of its design and construction, it takes on greater significance when seen in the context of the career of one of Boston's most successful architects from the late 19th century. While I would be the first to concede that H. H. Richardson was the leading professional of this period (and I have edited a book of essays on Richardson), he was not the whole story here. Rand contributed to the development of America's late Victorian architecture in many respects as a designer and innovator.
Maureen Meister
Ed. note: You are correct. The National Register lists Weston & Rand as the original architects of the clock tower, though architects Fuller, Delano & Frost enlarged the clock tower's kitchen in 1898. We regret this error.
• • •
Roxbury Fire House
To the Editor:
I'm writing to thank you for including our project, the Eustis Street Fire House in Roxbury, Mass., in the most recent issue of Preservation. It certainly helps as we raise funds for the project, and fuels excitement for this long-abandoned resource. Thanks again and keep up the wonderful work.
Kathy L. Kottaridis, Executive Director
Historic Boston Incorporated
Boston, Mass.
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Name Isn't Mud
Dear Mr. Schwartz,
This concerns the recent article on Fort Jackson, in which the author, Carlos Harrison, referred to Dr. Samuel Mudd as a co-conspirator in the plot to do in Lincoln.
Considering the facts uncovered over the years that cleared Dr. Mudd, I think Mr. Harrison should have referred to Dr. Mudd as an alleged co-conspirator.
I recommend to Mr. Harrison an extensive article in the "Maryland Historical Magazine" (Winter 2007, p. 276-299) in which Booth's diary revealed information that Booth "couldn't possibly have informed Mudd down on the Maryland farm what was to happen that evening" (Booth's shooting Lincoln, p. 292). Dr. Mudd was later pardoned, but Mrs. Surratt was executed by military personnel.
So, as Dr. Mudd was a neighbor to my mother's family in Charles County, I like to keep Dr. Mudd's family and name free and clear from those terrible events.
Yours very truly,
Philip Ridgely
Washington, D.C.
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Field of Forgotten Dreams
In the November/December 2009 issue of Preservation, in the article "Field of Forgotten Dreams" on p. 24, the author writes "The stories of both Paterson, NJ., and Hinchliffe Stadium begin with the Great Falls of the Passaic River, second in height only to Niagara Falls in the eastern United States." This is not correct.
Taughannock Falls in the Town of Ulysses in Tompkins County, New York. It is 215 feet high. It is one of the highest single drop waterfalls in the eastern United States. Niagara has two heights, 167 and 176 feet, depending on which drop. Information on the heights on-line is somewhat contradictory. For example, Taughannock is stated to be 33 feet higher than Niagara, but this clearly does not fit the above heights. Great Falls is about 77 feet tall.
The Taughannock Creek formed the falls. It empties into Cayuga Lake on the west side less than a mile below the falls.
Roger S. Rutter
Oswego, N.Y.
Editors repond: Great Falls in Paterson, N.J., is the second largest falls east of the Mississippi in volume, not in height. Preservation regrets the error.
• • •
To Move or Not To Move
There is more of consequence to the story of the Barnes' art collection move to Philadelphia than suggested by the Eric Wills article. The irony of the dispute has its roots in the long and successful opposition by suburban neighbors to limit access to the Foundation in its current location, a short, narrow street that does not lend itself to accomodating a fraction of the crowds the collection will attract in Philadelphia. ... The dispute continued by the "Friends" should be seen for what it is: opposition to the opportunity for greatly increased numbers to enjoy the Barnes Collection.
Lawrence Houstoun
Philadelphia, Pa.
• • •
To the Editor:
Readers would appreciate a pronunciation guide for names not pronounced as most Americans would expect. The guide could follow the first appearance of the name in text. For example Neutra (NOY-tra). Several years ago, a small item about Neutra in The New York Times facetiously linked his name to the diet product Nutrisystem in ignorance.
Sally Hunter
Alexandria, VA
• • •
To the Editor:
Your readers have been well served by the American College of the Building Arts article in your last issue. Its work provides much needed expertise for preservationists everywhere, as well as an opportunity for individuals to develop life skills in a rewarding field. Your readers may also be interested in La Fondation de Coubertin, located outside Paris, which each year trains 30 select young artisans in their chosen architectural craft of either wood work, metal work or stone work. Coubertin fellows are selected from young applicants who already have the trade experience, basic skills and desire to develop into masters of their chosen craft. The fellows work at historic sites using ancient techniques, and also work on new construction. The Web site www.Coubertin.fr contains information about the works and programs. A U.S. affiliate, American Friends of Coubertin, Inc., raises fellowship funds to pay for young American craftsmen and women to train at Coubertin, including room, board, language immersion course if necessary, living allowance and air fare. Applications and announcements for the year beginning September 2010 may be found at www.afcoubertin.org.
Jeffrey JahnsTreasurer
American Friends of Coubertin
Chicago
• • •
Name Dropping
Dear Editor,
For all the beautiful buildings noted as "Saved" or "Restored" in the Sept/Oct issue, I couldn't help but commiserate with Dwight Young ("Name Dropping") on all the things we've lost. Some of them were chains like Woolworth's—and, oh, how I miss Woolworth's. But some of them were strictly local. Baltimore had three wonderful, local department stores: Stewart's, Hutzler's and Hochshield Kohn—all gone now (but the buildings were saved!). And there was one, outstanding shoe store: Hess.
Hess shoe store had a sliding board, literally 10 feet long, in the kids department. And there was an x-ray machine—before we knew the dangers of x-rays—where we kids would stand and gaze at the bones in our feet and wiggle our toes. (We all say that if any of us get cancer, it will be cancer of the toes!) And in the front window, there was an old-fashioned barber pole and chair, where kids would get their hair cut. It was, quite frankly, a place that, as a child I looked forward to going, and I loved the fact that when my daughter was little, I got to share the experience with her. It was lost during the last recession, but I have one thing extant: a shoe box which dates back to about 1961.
I've sent along a picture of it. It hangs on my wall, a reminder of days when it was fun to shop for shoes, and when Baltimore was a mecca for shoppers. (Note the name of the shoes: Pandora's.)
Thank you for all you do,
Lynda Case Lambert, member
Baltimore, MD
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Redesigned
Yes, things are changing fast! The new issue of Preservation looks great. I'm also delighted to see someone under the age of 70 on your cover! A friend had just mentioned the High Line Restoration project to me on Friday so it was fun to see beautiful images of it in your pub.
Also, I loved the story of the Neutra home restoration. Columbus, Indiana, is home to 70 modernist buildings. Here, at the Columbus Visitors Center we offer daily tours of this collection and our tour business is up this year. We think the popularity of Midcentury Modern is part of the reason.
Best,
Cindy Frey, associate director
Columbus Area Visitors Center
• • •
Name Dropping
I wanted to comment on the nature of this column,
whose topic has recently been on my mind. I don't know if I could have
addressed it nearly as well as Dwight Young did. He was so right about
the loss of businesses whose very existence was integral to our
development, both to us personally and to the country as well. I find it
extremely sad that everywhere you go now, there are only generic "big
box" stores where everything is undistinguished. Even those stores who
purport to carry "brand names" seem to have their own version of
product, distinct from what might be carried by the old-fashioned type
stores. Not only are the businesses gone, but as he reminds us, if the
buildings have survived, they are often not recognizable or used in the
same way. I don't remember when this trend started, but I wish someone
had been prescient enough to have put a stop to it before this current
state of affairs. The ultimate pity to me is that whole generations of
people will be growing up with no frame of reference to anything other
than shopping mall structures and as Dwight said, everyplace turns into
anyplace! Thank you for letting me say my piece.
Sylvia Dohnal
