Category Archives: Preservation

Landmarking the NYPL

Posted on August 8, 2017 by

The New York Landmarks Preservation Commission has spoken. May we strive to decipher its garbled voice? Who can deny the good sense of protecting the glorious interiors of the New York Public Library – from the likes of its own … Continue reading →

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The old new Nave at Yale

Posted on August 7, 2017 by

The Nave, as the entrance hall of the Sterling Memorial Library at Yale has long been known, was meticulously restored by Helpern Architects in 2014, revealing forgotten glories in the stonework by the original architect, James Gamble Rogers. I visited … Continue reading →

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Save twin B’way cast-irons

Posted on August 2, 2017 by

In its length and breadth, Manhattan is a free art museum for all of those who will open their eyes, whether they are Knickerbocker heirs or hoboes from Hoboken. To walk down the street is to encounter museum-worthy works of … Continue reading →

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Just one crane in Providence

Posted on July 15, 2017 by

GoLocalProv.com has a story complaining about the paucity of cranes – not birds but rigs to lift heavy construction loads – in Providence compared with other cities. “Top 12 U.S. Crane Cities Have Nearly 300; Providence Has One” is the … Continue reading →

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News for preservationists

Posted on June 28, 2017 by

The author of one of my bibles, The Future of the Past, is Steven Semes, the Notre Dame scholar whose thinking pops up on this blog a lot. In 2014, he was named chairman of the new graduate program in … Continue reading →

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WaterFire crib opens today

Posted on June 19, 2017 by

Barnaby Evans, the creator of WaterFire Providence, toured me through the new WaterFire Arts Center yesterday, mere hours before its ribbon-cutting scheduled for 10:30 this morning. The sun played hide and seek with the clouds at 4 yesterday, finally letting … Continue reading →

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Antidote to gentrification

Posted on June 17, 2017 by

The other day, in “Mehaffy on ‘gentrification,” I posted on that sensitive subject, directing readers’ attention to a post by urbanist Michael Mehaffy, “Beware of Voodoo Urbanism,” on the blog Livable Portland. In a comment on my post, Steven Semes, … Continue reading →

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As the WaterFire turns

Posted on June 13, 2017 by

Another day, another accolade for WaterFire Providence. Yesterday, PBS Channel 36 broadcast a segment on WaterFire for its show “Weekends with Yankee,” a 13-part series showcasing visits by plane, train, boat and foot to various exciting places around New England. … Continue reading →

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Saving the history underfoot

Posted on May 30, 2017 by

Robin Williams, an architectural historian at the Savannah College of Art & Design, delivered a TED talk to explain “How Historic Street Pavement Modernized the City.” Williams has a pleasant manner that conveys his conviction that historic pavement is a … Continue reading →

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Own a free villa in Italy

Posted on May 26, 2017 by

Truly! Since not everyone is logged in to the roster of programmes gushing from Italy’s bureaucracy, such as it may be, check out this from the website Hyperallergic. Yes, Italy is giving away free castles, villas and other unused historic … Continue reading →

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