Category Archives: Preservation

‘A future, or just history’?

Posted on January 14, 2019 by

A Sunday Globe story, “A Future, or Just History,” about Boston caught my eye. I was arrested by the headline, whose kicker and subhead only added insult to injury: “Trapped in Time” and “No, Faneuil Hall isn’t ‘Boston’ anymore. But … Continue reading →

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Buildings that go extinct

Posted on October 22, 2018 by

Here is an interesting article in The Baffler, “The Archivists of Extinction,” by McMansion Hell blogger Kate Wagner. She focuses her microscope on folks who collect and post photos of old Kmarts, Toys ‘R’ Us’s, and the like, which are … Continue reading →

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North vs. South on Benefit

Posted on October 16, 2018 by

After a couple of centuries dodging various bullets, including the College Hill Study of 1959, Benefit Street has come under the wing of a new organization called the Mile of History Association. It held its first annual meeting Sunday in … Continue reading →

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Learn from Lombard Pozzi

Posted on October 12, 2018 by

Thursday evening I attended a lecture on the late Bristol architect Lombard Pozzi, who died in 2013. Lombard Pozzi – what a great name! More than anyone else, Pozzi is responsible for Bristol’s having managed to remain true to its … Continue reading →

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Preservation in Newport

Posted on August 22, 2018 by

Preservationists have a vital but relatively simple job that has been made more difficult, over the years, by preservationists. The purpose of preserving a historic building is to sustain the beauty it brings to its setting. How to do this … Continue reading →

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Semes in Newport Thursday

Posted on August 15, 2018 by

Steven Semes will be speaking at 6 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday, at the Redwood Athenaeum & Library about various fascinating matters which, while international in scope, are of interest not just to preservationists but to those interested in architecture in Newport. … Continue reading →

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Palmyrenes saving Palmyra

Posted on August 6, 2018 by

My eyes popped out when I saw last night’s segment on NBC Nightly News of Palmyrenes rebuilding Palmyra. Mostly they seem to be learning how to carve decorative elements of the ancient Roman city demolished by ISIS several years ago. … Continue reading →

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Steven Semes in Newport

Posted on August 4, 2018 by

The Redwood Library & Athenaeum will host a lecture by preservationist Steven Semes on Thursday, Aug. 16, at 6 p.m. Semes will discuss preservation news from around the world, partly about conventional misinterpretations of international preservation treaties, charters, texts and … Continue reading →

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Old Journal Building, ho!

Posted on July 18, 2018 by

Once developer Buff Chace started saving downtown Providence by rehabbing old buildings into lofts, no building seemed to elude his grasp more dishearteningly than the Old Journal Building, built in 1906. It was downtown’s holy grail, but for years its … Continue reading →

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Insurance for Mack rebuild?

Posted on July 16, 2018 by

Some spectacular good news about the Glasgow School of Art, whose main building, designed by Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, burned down a month ago. It seems the school’s insurance may be enough to pay for reconstruction after its recent … Continue reading →

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