It's the last day of the year....adios 2010. For me, that means that the school year is over, my Historic Preservation degree is completed, and I'm headed to Kansas City to start the new job.
Because I already have a B.A. degree, many of the credits transferred over to my preservation studies. That means I was able to complete the Associates degree in only 3 semesters (including an intense internship in the summer). And since I am no longer a student of Colorado Mountain College- this blog will be placed in the archives. Makes me kind of sad really.
Though this blog was short lived, I think I was able to cover a lot of information about a large realm of preservation related activities and ideas. This was a good exercise for me- challenging me think about the important and relevant preservation topics I was exposed to, and sometimes searching for new ones.
I hope my readers learned a few things or at least found themselves thinking about things they normally would not have. Most of all, I hope that this blog helped readers to gain a new appreciation for preservation, and think about how crucially important it is to our world.
It's been fun writing, and now it's time to hang it up. I hope another preservation student will pick up where I leave off, but I'm not sure that's going to happen. Be sure to check in with Urban Ranger Corps http://urbanrangercorps.org/ often. I hope to have a new blog for my work with them.
If I don't see you there, thanks for reading! It's been fun getting responses and challenging my own viewpoints. Keep on Preserving!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Going to.....Kansas City......Kansas City here I come.....
I've sung that song so many times before, but I never knew I would sing it again and mean it! As I've written in previous posts, I grew up in Kansas City, and I love it there, but I never could imagine myself living there again. (not enough mountains, oceans, or other outdoor extremes).
Well, as fate would have it, I will be living there for the next couple of years at least. I was offered a job that I simply could not refuse. Mind you I was not looking in Kansas City, but as my family still lives there and personal connections abound- I became aware of an amazing opportunity.
This coming Monday, January 3rd, I will begin my new job as Assistant Director at Urban Ranger Corps. This isn't exactly the preservation job I was seeking, but given my background in non-profits, my love of construction and hands-on work, and my passion for 'saving the world', this position almost seems made for me.
Urban Ranger Corps provides learning opportunities for at-risk inner city youth in Kansas City. This primarily consists of working with low-income neighbors by cleaning up yards, painting houses, and doing small repair work on homes in the surrounding neighborhoods. As the website states: Through an eight and one-half hour work days (30 minutes is provided for a nonpaid lunch period), four days a week, 9-weeks summer phase, at-risk youth learn important pre-employment skills (summarized as, “Be on time, Dress appropriately, and Speak respectfully”) by being assigned to a Work Team of six rangers and projects to repair, paint and restore the yards of homes owned by low-income families, especially the homes of seniors or households headed by a single parent or (often) grand parent.
Additionally, the Corps has expanded to support these Rangers throughout the school year: When the school year begins in September , the year-round phase of ICP Management/Coaching phase begins. The work of this phase is based on the Individual Career Plan (ICP) developed for each ranger during the summer phase. The ICP Manager/Coach meets with rangers on a bi-weekly basis to ensure they are carrying out the action steps set forth in their ICP’s.
The Urban Ranger Corps was founded in July 2003 by the Rev. John Wandless while he was pastor of St. Louis Catholic Church, an inner Kansas City parish (2001 – 2006). The successes experienced by the program are outstanding. You can read testimonials of participants and read news articles written about Rangers on their website: http://urbanrangercorps.org/index.asp
In addition to administrative non-profit responsibilities, I will also be conducting CPR/First Aid training for the Rangers, identifying and acting as project manager for a home to be rehabilitated and sold for program income, planning 'study abroad' trips and projects for the rangers and supervising (likely in New Mexico or surrounding area), helping plan logistics for summer work projects, among many other tasks. The Rangers would also like to become involved with bike trail development as well as work with the Forest Service or Park Service. How fantastic is all of that!!
Needless to say, I am very excited about this opportunity. These are amazing youth and I am honored to get the chance to work with them. I hope to create a blog or some sort of social media outlet for my work with the Rangers. Please take an opportunity to visit the website and check for updates regarding a social media project- it will be very exciting!
Well, as fate would have it, I will be living there for the next couple of years at least. I was offered a job that I simply could not refuse. Mind you I was not looking in Kansas City, but as my family still lives there and personal connections abound- I became aware of an amazing opportunity.
This coming Monday, January 3rd, I will begin my new job as Assistant Director at Urban Ranger Corps. This isn't exactly the preservation job I was seeking, but given my background in non-profits, my love of construction and hands-on work, and my passion for 'saving the world', this position almost seems made for me.
Urban Ranger Corps provides learning opportunities for at-risk inner city youth in Kansas City. This primarily consists of working with low-income neighbors by cleaning up yards, painting houses, and doing small repair work on homes in the surrounding neighborhoods. As the website states: Through an eight and one-half hour work days (30 minutes is provided for a nonpaid lunch period), four days a week, 9-weeks summer phase, at-risk youth learn important pre-employment skills (summarized as, “Be on time, Dress appropriately, and Speak respectfully”) by being assigned to a Work Team of six rangers and projects to repair, paint and restore the yards of homes owned by low-income families, especially the homes of seniors or households headed by a single parent or (often) grand parent.
Additionally, the Corps has expanded to support these Rangers throughout the school year: When the school year begins in September , the year-round phase of ICP Management/Coaching phase begins. The work of this phase is based on the Individual Career Plan (ICP) developed for each ranger during the summer phase. The ICP Manager/Coach meets with rangers on a bi-weekly basis to ensure they are carrying out the action steps set forth in their ICP’s.
The Urban Ranger Corps was founded in July 2003 by the Rev. John Wandless while he was pastor of St. Louis Catholic Church, an inner Kansas City parish (2001 – 2006). The successes experienced by the program are outstanding. You can read testimonials of participants and read news articles written about Rangers on their website: http://urbanrangercorps.org/index.asp
In addition to administrative non-profit responsibilities, I will also be conducting CPR/First Aid training for the Rangers, identifying and acting as project manager for a home to be rehabilitated and sold for program income, planning 'study abroad' trips and projects for the rangers and supervising (likely in New Mexico or surrounding area), helping plan logistics for summer work projects, among many other tasks. The Rangers would also like to become involved with bike trail development as well as work with the Forest Service or Park Service. How fantastic is all of that!!
Needless to say, I am very excited about this opportunity. These are amazing youth and I am honored to get the chance to work with them. I hope to create a blog or some sort of social media outlet for my work with the Rangers. Please take an opportunity to visit the website and check for updates regarding a social media project- it will be very exciting!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
City or Suburbs Part VI
So far we've seen several problems facing the suburbs. The low density, large land use design of the suburbs is bad for the environment, bad for our health, and bad for our pocketbooks. What many people fail to see, is the value in our historic buildings and historic neighborhoods.
America is a society that thrives on new, bigger, better. But we all know that this is not a sustainable way to live. When we stop to listen to the wisdom of our ancestors, we can see the value in their often simpler ways of life.
If you look closely at historic neighborhoods, you'll find that they were designed around the pedestrian. They are very walkable. As I've alluded to in the previous posts, this lack of walkability in the suburbs is a key element to the problems they face. When we embrace our lower density designed areas, suddenly we do not rely on the automobile, saving us money and time. We can walk to work or to the store, or to the doctors office, and get fresh air and exercise simultaneously. We're producing less carbon emissions and we have more interaction with our neighbors. You can see how walking is a HUGE benefit to high density areas. It address the environment, our health, our budget, and our community.
We also help the strength of the entire city when we live in our historic areas. By moving back to the cities roots, the city requires less sprawl, it protects green lands from being developed, it keeps the embodied energy of the historic building, requires less infrastructure to extend, and strengthens the cities economy by revitalizing the 'downtown' and 'main street' areas.
An interesting phenomena I found while writing this paper was that there is in fact a growing trend of moving back to the city. Since America is good at following cues from pop culture, we can see this in the last decades most popular TV shows. Think, E.R., Friends, Seinfeld and Frasier. I guess I was a little late to make the connection, but life in the city is the hot new thing. This is very good for preservation. However, much to my dismay, there are now a completely new set of issues to worry about. This trend is reversing so much, that in some parts of the country we now see the suburbs becoming the slums. Not exactly what I wanted to see.
There is hope however. Many of you have likely heard of the New Urbanism movement. This is a way of designing our neighborhoods with all of these concerns in mind. The principles of New Urbanism are as follows:
1. Walkability
2. Connectivity
3. Mixed-use and Diversity
4. Mixed Housing
5. Quality Architecture and Urban Design
6. Traditional Neighborhood Structure
7. Increased Density
8. Green Transportation
9. Sustainability
10. Quality of Life
To read more about New Urbanism, visit this website: http://www.newurbanism.org/
It's pretty exciting for me to see there are people trying to solve these problems and address these issues head on. Obviously we can't ALL live in the city, but there are ways to restructure some of our suburban areas to make them more livable. This is one factor the New Urbanism movement attempts to address.
So while I certainly don't have all of the answers, I am even more convinced in the importance of having strong support for preservation in our country. In fact, it's critical for the improvement of our economy, our planet's health, and our communities. In addition, we must embrace New Urbanism to address some of the issues that preservation can't address. I know this doesn't solve everything, but it's a very good place to start.
America is a society that thrives on new, bigger, better. But we all know that this is not a sustainable way to live. When we stop to listen to the wisdom of our ancestors, we can see the value in their often simpler ways of life.
If you look closely at historic neighborhoods, you'll find that they were designed around the pedestrian. They are very walkable. As I've alluded to in the previous posts, this lack of walkability in the suburbs is a key element to the problems they face. When we embrace our lower density designed areas, suddenly we do not rely on the automobile, saving us money and time. We can walk to work or to the store, or to the doctors office, and get fresh air and exercise simultaneously. We're producing less carbon emissions and we have more interaction with our neighbors. You can see how walking is a HUGE benefit to high density areas. It address the environment, our health, our budget, and our community.
We also help the strength of the entire city when we live in our historic areas. By moving back to the cities roots, the city requires less sprawl, it protects green lands from being developed, it keeps the embodied energy of the historic building, requires less infrastructure to extend, and strengthens the cities economy by revitalizing the 'downtown' and 'main street' areas.
An interesting phenomena I found while writing this paper was that there is in fact a growing trend of moving back to the city. Since America is good at following cues from pop culture, we can see this in the last decades most popular TV shows. Think, E.R., Friends, Seinfeld and Frasier. I guess I was a little late to make the connection, but life in the city is the hot new thing. This is very good for preservation. However, much to my dismay, there are now a completely new set of issues to worry about. This trend is reversing so much, that in some parts of the country we now see the suburbs becoming the slums. Not exactly what I wanted to see.
There is hope however. Many of you have likely heard of the New Urbanism movement. This is a way of designing our neighborhoods with all of these concerns in mind. The principles of New Urbanism are as follows:
1. Walkability
2. Connectivity
3. Mixed-use and Diversity
4. Mixed Housing
5. Quality Architecture and Urban Design
6. Traditional Neighborhood Structure
7. Increased Density
8. Green Transportation
9. Sustainability
10. Quality of Life
To read more about New Urbanism, visit this website: http://www.newurbanism.org/
It's pretty exciting for me to see there are people trying to solve these problems and address these issues head on. Obviously we can't ALL live in the city, but there are ways to restructure some of our suburban areas to make them more livable. This is one factor the New Urbanism movement attempts to address.
So while I certainly don't have all of the answers, I am even more convinced in the importance of having strong support for preservation in our country. In fact, it's critical for the improvement of our economy, our planet's health, and our communities. In addition, we must embrace New Urbanism to address some of the issues that preservation can't address. I know this doesn't solve everything, but it's a very good place to start.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
City or Suburbs Part V
Today I'm going to talk about community life, and why city dwellers may have more connection to their neighbors than suburbanites do.
The idea of this seemed a little radical to me. I mean, I grew up in the suburbs, and my parents still live there, and they're very involved in their community. What I found was that this might not be the norm however. There are many people that believe the suburbs are highly anti-social. Apparently this is not a new idea, though it was a new idea to me.
When you think about it, there is some logic to this idea. A person can literally wake up in the morning, get into their car in the garage, drive all the way to their place of employment, park in an underground parking lot, take the elevator to their floor, and enter their cubicle without ever seeing another person. The fact that practically all people living in the suburbs have to drive to school, work, shopping, etc., they are constantly surrounded by several thousand pounds of steel and glass and have little opportunity for spontaneous meetings and getting to know their neighbors.
Contrast this with living in the city which are designed to be walkable and where people are able to develop more personal relationships with their neighbors and family run corner stores.
Community life is very important, whether we think about it or not. According to Mark Kingswell, professor of philosophy at the University of Toronto,
“Humans have always found meaning by living together with each other. And in fact, if you go back millennia, many political theorists from Aristotle on, think that community is what defines us as who we are, and without community we’re less than ourselves. We’re either beasts or gods he said. Well since most of us are not gods, we probably end up being beasts if we don’t have people around.
Cities grow up over the course of centuries, a grand migration of people towards the kinds of diversity, excitement and opportunity that close proximity of other humans offers them. The fascinating thing about the development of the suburbs as an ex-urban or anti-urban form of building is that it is the reverse movement under the conditions of the urban. That is, people have come together seeking each other, and they’re fleeing from each other into isolation.”
The suburbs have lost the traditional community based structures of our historic areas. They have no central meeting places, no community arts centers, no public forum places etc. The performing arts centers, theaters, libraries, city halls, and other community minded places are all downtown. The suburbs induce privacy, where the city promotes gett"ing to know your neighbors.
There's a quote in the movie "Radiant City" which pretty much sums it up:
“What is it doing to the very idea of citizenship when we don’t share public spaces with each other and we spend no time whatsoever in a community with our fellow citizens. This isn’t just about the car. The car is a handy bashing point but it’s not about the car, It’s about how we have chosen to live. My particular worry I guess would be the deteriorating sense of citizenship when people live so isolated from themselves….Community becomes just a word in the overheated rhetoric of advertising for most of these developments. Community is shorthand for cluster of houses with people inside them not talking to each other. It’s not at all community in any meaningful or deep sense. So you can talk about the community in the sense of that named suburb or that tract but in many cases if not most, there’s no community there."
That's a pretty frightening outlook. It's also a very difficult thing to quantify. So you may or may not agree with it. I am at least glad that people are having the conversation, and that we are becoming aware of the potential problem.
Stay tuned for the next post where I explain how preservation can help to solve some of the suburban problems.
The idea of this seemed a little radical to me. I mean, I grew up in the suburbs, and my parents still live there, and they're very involved in their community. What I found was that this might not be the norm however. There are many people that believe the suburbs are highly anti-social. Apparently this is not a new idea, though it was a new idea to me.
When you think about it, there is some logic to this idea. A person can literally wake up in the morning, get into their car in the garage, drive all the way to their place of employment, park in an underground parking lot, take the elevator to their floor, and enter their cubicle without ever seeing another person. The fact that practically all people living in the suburbs have to drive to school, work, shopping, etc., they are constantly surrounded by several thousand pounds of steel and glass and have little opportunity for spontaneous meetings and getting to know their neighbors.
Contrast this with living in the city which are designed to be walkable and where people are able to develop more personal relationships with their neighbors and family run corner stores.
Community life is very important, whether we think about it or not. According to Mark Kingswell, professor of philosophy at the University of Toronto,
“Humans have always found meaning by living together with each other. And in fact, if you go back millennia, many political theorists from Aristotle on, think that community is what defines us as who we are, and without community we’re less than ourselves. We’re either beasts or gods he said. Well since most of us are not gods, we probably end up being beasts if we don’t have people around.
Cities grow up over the course of centuries, a grand migration of people towards the kinds of diversity, excitement and opportunity that close proximity of other humans offers them. The fascinating thing about the development of the suburbs as an ex-urban or anti-urban form of building is that it is the reverse movement under the conditions of the urban. That is, people have come together seeking each other, and they’re fleeing from each other into isolation.”
The suburbs have lost the traditional community based structures of our historic areas. They have no central meeting places, no community arts centers, no public forum places etc. The performing arts centers, theaters, libraries, city halls, and other community minded places are all downtown. The suburbs induce privacy, where the city promotes gett"ing to know your neighbors.
There's a quote in the movie "Radiant City" which pretty much sums it up:
“What is it doing to the very idea of citizenship when we don’t share public spaces with each other and we spend no time whatsoever in a community with our fellow citizens. This isn’t just about the car. The car is a handy bashing point but it’s not about the car, It’s about how we have chosen to live. My particular worry I guess would be the deteriorating sense of citizenship when people live so isolated from themselves….Community becomes just a word in the overheated rhetoric of advertising for most of these developments. Community is shorthand for cluster of houses with people inside them not talking to each other. It’s not at all community in any meaningful or deep sense. So you can talk about the community in the sense of that named suburb or that tract but in many cases if not most, there’s no community there."
That's a pretty frightening outlook. It's also a very difficult thing to quantify. So you may or may not agree with it. I am at least glad that people are having the conversation, and that we are becoming aware of the potential problem.
Stay tuned for the next post where I explain how preservation can help to solve some of the suburban problems.
Monday, December 13, 2010
City or Suburbs? Part IV
Yikes, how much more of this can I have? Surprisingly more than you'd think! This time I'm going to talk about money- that is, how expensive the suburbs really are.
I mentioned earlier that your money will go a lot farther in the suburbs. Your money will buy a lot more house than in the city. However, there is SO much more to consider. For one, you need to think about how much more money is spent on gas when living in low density areas. Like I mentioned before, you have to drive virtually everywhere- and with today's gas prices, this puts a dent in your pocketbook very quickly.
Next let's talk about something most of us have never given a single thought to. Infrastructure. Have you ever thought about who paid to have those sewer lines extended all the way to 210th street? What about your phone line? Electricity? Extending infrastructure outside of the city is very expensive. Who do you think pays for this? You do of course, right through your taxes. And what about Fire Houses, and Police Stations, Emergency Medical Services? Low density suburbs require significantly more of these than in the compact city. Again- welcome to your taxes. One quote in my paper reads as follows "The lifetime cost of low-density suburban development is 40 to 400 percent greater than more compact development." Uh, yikes.
Then there's the jobs available with preservation projects. This really surprised me too, the economic gains of a rehabilitation project outweigh new single-family construction, new multi-family construction, new commercial and industrial construction and new highway construction. Per project, the financial gains for job creation, income generated, wealth and revenue from taxes are all greater for rehabilitation than the four other categories. That means there is more opportunity and income generated in Historic Preservation!!
When your city is financially healthy, you have a much better chance of being financially healthy as well. That's why preservation pays on so many levels. In addition to bringing in more jobs, preservation also brings in more tourists. When you visit a new city, does anyone take you to see the suburbs? No, you go the historic areas most likely. They're interesting, are nice to look at, and have a special ambiance lacking in generic places.
Alive and well historic areas also attracts small business. According to preservationist Carolyn Douthat, "The type of space available in historic buildings is especially suited to small businesses and retail shops. These buildings typically provide a diverse supply of office and retail space at prices which attract small and start-up businesses. In addition, high-end small businesses are attracted to identifiable historic districts because of the character of the neighborhood and the scale of spaces." This is very important because small businesses have generated over 65% of new jobs in the last two decades. That means more job opportunities for you!
I could go on, but I know this post is a little heady. Hopefully you get the point, preservation is good for business, good for jobs, and good for your pocketbook!
I mentioned earlier that your money will go a lot farther in the suburbs. Your money will buy a lot more house than in the city. However, there is SO much more to consider. For one, you need to think about how much more money is spent on gas when living in low density areas. Like I mentioned before, you have to drive virtually everywhere- and with today's gas prices, this puts a dent in your pocketbook very quickly.
Next let's talk about something most of us have never given a single thought to. Infrastructure. Have you ever thought about who paid to have those sewer lines extended all the way to 210th street? What about your phone line? Electricity? Extending infrastructure outside of the city is very expensive. Who do you think pays for this? You do of course, right through your taxes. And what about Fire Houses, and Police Stations, Emergency Medical Services? Low density suburbs require significantly more of these than in the compact city. Again- welcome to your taxes. One quote in my paper reads as follows "The lifetime cost of low-density suburban development is 40 to 400 percent greater than more compact development." Uh, yikes.
Then there's the jobs available with preservation projects. This really surprised me too, the economic gains of a rehabilitation project outweigh new single-family construction, new multi-family construction, new commercial and industrial construction and new highway construction. Per project, the financial gains for job creation, income generated, wealth and revenue from taxes are all greater for rehabilitation than the four other categories. That means there is more opportunity and income generated in Historic Preservation!!
When your city is financially healthy, you have a much better chance of being financially healthy as well. That's why preservation pays on so many levels. In addition to bringing in more jobs, preservation also brings in more tourists. When you visit a new city, does anyone take you to see the suburbs? No, you go the historic areas most likely. They're interesting, are nice to look at, and have a special ambiance lacking in generic places.
Alive and well historic areas also attracts small business. According to preservationist Carolyn Douthat, "The type of space available in historic buildings is especially suited to small businesses and retail shops. These buildings typically provide a diverse supply of office and retail space at prices which attract small and start-up businesses. In addition, high-end small businesses are attracted to identifiable historic districts because of the character of the neighborhood and the scale of spaces." This is very important because small businesses have generated over 65% of new jobs in the last two decades. That means more job opportunities for you!
I could go on, but I know this post is a little heady. Hopefully you get the point, preservation is good for business, good for jobs, and good for your pocketbook!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
City or Suburbs? Part III
If you read the previous post, you know that the suburbs are in grave danger due to the impending oil crisis. Maybe you're one of those people that are just not worried about that. You don't really think about this because you're sure that someone will come up with an answer. Ok fine, if you're going to ignore that, let's look at the other issues faced by the 'burbs.
First of all let's talk about your health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average suburban adult is 6.3 pounds heavier than the average urban adult. In 1969, 50% of kids walked or biked to school. In 2001, 90% were driven to school (due to low density suburban design). Many recent studies are beginning to link features of suburban sprawl such as shopping centers and a lack of sidewalks and bike trails to deadly health problems. Do you see something ironic about the fact that so many people drive to the gym?
In addition to your physical health, there's plenty of people that believe the suburbs are bad for your mental and spiritual health. Just look at pop culture, the parodies of suburban life are everywhere. Very coincidentally, and ironic, is the fact that my new favorite band 'The Arcade Fire' just released an album titled...what else...'The Suburbs'. I told it was ironic! It's an amazing album and has the additional benefit of subtly exposing suburban idiosyncrasies.
Plenty of other bands have taken on this task, as have TV shows, movies and comedians. Ever notice how the biggest TV shows in the 70's and 80's were all about the fantastic life in the suburbs. Yet in the last two decades the biggest shows were all in the city! Think about it, what was popular then: The Brady Bunch, Leave it to Beaver, Happy Days, Father Knows Best, etc. And lately: E.R., Friends, Seinfeld, Sex in the City, Fraser. Hmmmm...think that means anything?
While doing my research for this paper I made an amazing discovery. There are books written about the empty suburban life. One that stood out in particular was Death by Suburb, How to Keep the Suburbs from Killing your Soul This is a religious book written by David L. Goetz who lives in the suburbs with his family. On the back cover we see the following:
“In his exploration and examination of faith and the suburban life, Goetz delves into what every suburbanite knows but is terrified to say out loud: the life that people appear to posses and the life they actually lead are two very different things. Goetz is a suburban “insider,” so his spiritual advice is neither theoretical nor abstract. He has experienced the emptiness himself. This book is filled with stories of ordinary people who have found a way to live what he calls the “thicker life” while residing in today’s supposed suburban utopia.”
Um, what?!!? Ok if that isn't telling then I don't know what is. Certainly I know that not all suburbanites feel this way, nor live this way. But I think many of us might be surprised how many do. And if that's not enough, stayed tuned for Part IV- more alarming discoveries...
First of all let's talk about your health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average suburban adult is 6.3 pounds heavier than the average urban adult. In 1969, 50% of kids walked or biked to school. In 2001, 90% were driven to school (due to low density suburban design). Many recent studies are beginning to link features of suburban sprawl such as shopping centers and a lack of sidewalks and bike trails to deadly health problems. Do you see something ironic about the fact that so many people drive to the gym?
In addition to your physical health, there's plenty of people that believe the suburbs are bad for your mental and spiritual health. Just look at pop culture, the parodies of suburban life are everywhere. Very coincidentally, and ironic, is the fact that my new favorite band 'The Arcade Fire' just released an album titled...what else...'The Suburbs'. I told it was ironic! It's an amazing album and has the additional benefit of subtly exposing suburban idiosyncrasies.
Plenty of other bands have taken on this task, as have TV shows, movies and comedians. Ever notice how the biggest TV shows in the 70's and 80's were all about the fantastic life in the suburbs. Yet in the last two decades the biggest shows were all in the city! Think about it, what was popular then: The Brady Bunch, Leave it to Beaver, Happy Days, Father Knows Best, etc. And lately: E.R., Friends, Seinfeld, Sex in the City, Fraser. Hmmmm...think that means anything?
While doing my research for this paper I made an amazing discovery. There are books written about the empty suburban life. One that stood out in particular was Death by Suburb, How to Keep the Suburbs from Killing your Soul This is a religious book written by David L. Goetz who lives in the suburbs with his family. On the back cover we see the following:
“In his exploration and examination of faith and the suburban life, Goetz delves into what every suburbanite knows but is terrified to say out loud: the life that people appear to posses and the life they actually lead are two very different things. Goetz is a suburban “insider,” so his spiritual advice is neither theoretical nor abstract. He has experienced the emptiness himself. This book is filled with stories of ordinary people who have found a way to live what he calls the “thicker life” while residing in today’s supposed suburban utopia.”
Um, what?!!? Ok if that isn't telling then I don't know what is. Certainly I know that not all suburbanites feel this way, nor live this way. But I think many of us might be surprised how many do. And if that's not enough, stayed tuned for Part IV- more alarming discoveries...
City or Suburbs? Part II
America's suburbs offer lots of promise- open spaces, privacy, clean air, nice new homes, and much more house for the money. So why wouldn't we all want to live here?
Unfortunately, all of these promises can't be delivered. The sad truth is that the suburbs face imminent doom. That may sound dramatic, but can you remember a time when gas prices were under a dollar? Have you noticed your heating bills going up, up, up! Are you wondering what this has to do with anything??
The design of the suburbs is a very low-density design. Everything is very spread out. Essentially, when you're in the suburbs, you drive everywhere. You commute (often long distances) to work, drive the kids to school, drive to the grocery store, the doctor's office, to the gym, to the bank etc.
The problem with this is the end of cheap oil. The earth is past its peak oil production. That means its harder and harder to extract oil from the ground. We've used up the best fossil fuels and they're in limited supply. Gas and oil prices will only continue to increase, making it harder and more expensive for us to heat our homes and drive our cars.
Let's add to the fact that America is the second largest contributor of CO2 (greenhouse gas), second only to China. We have a huge carbon footprint. To calculate your carbon footprint, go here: http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/ This is quite an alarming tool. For as eco-conscious as I think I am, my footprint is still above the national average, and WAY above the world average.
This is mainly due to our dependency on the car, and our lack of a mass transit system (think the ever efficient rail system in Europe). Why don't we have a mass transit system? Why didn't we learn anything from Europe? Hmmm, maybe it has to do with General Motors buying up all the street cars in order to increase dependency on the automobile? I'm not making this up, they were actually convicted of this fraud. For more read here: http://www.xtimeline.com/evt/view.aspx?id=121722 or here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_streetcar_scandal.
Simply, the suburbs are not sustainable. We can't keep up our consumerist, car dependent society for much longer. If we don't do something about this now, we will face huge problems. Most Americans don't really want to change their cushy lifestyles however, and can't really fathom that this crisis will effect them. They think someone will come up with a solution, and everything will be fine.
I really wish that were true. But the evidence can't be argued with. If you want more in-depth information about this, I highly recommend the movie THE END OF SUBURBIA: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream. It's very enlightening, and quite alarming!
Sadly, this is only one of the problems faced by the suburbs. Stay tuned for Part III where I divulge other disturbing issues.
Unfortunately, all of these promises can't be delivered. The sad truth is that the suburbs face imminent doom. That may sound dramatic, but can you remember a time when gas prices were under a dollar? Have you noticed your heating bills going up, up, up! Are you wondering what this has to do with anything??
The design of the suburbs is a very low-density design. Everything is very spread out. Essentially, when you're in the suburbs, you drive everywhere. You commute (often long distances) to work, drive the kids to school, drive to the grocery store, the doctor's office, to the gym, to the bank etc.
The problem with this is the end of cheap oil. The earth is past its peak oil production. That means its harder and harder to extract oil from the ground. We've used up the best fossil fuels and they're in limited supply. Gas and oil prices will only continue to increase, making it harder and more expensive for us to heat our homes and drive our cars.
Let's add to the fact that America is the second largest contributor of CO2 (greenhouse gas), second only to China. We have a huge carbon footprint. To calculate your carbon footprint, go here: http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/ This is quite an alarming tool. For as eco-conscious as I think I am, my footprint is still above the national average, and WAY above the world average.
This is mainly due to our dependency on the car, and our lack of a mass transit system (think the ever efficient rail system in Europe). Why don't we have a mass transit system? Why didn't we learn anything from Europe? Hmmm, maybe it has to do with General Motors buying up all the street cars in order to increase dependency on the automobile? I'm not making this up, they were actually convicted of this fraud. For more read here: http://www.xtimeline.com/evt/view.aspx?id=121722 or here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_streetcar_scandal.
Simply, the suburbs are not sustainable. We can't keep up our consumerist, car dependent society for much longer. If we don't do something about this now, we will face huge problems. Most Americans don't really want to change their cushy lifestyles however, and can't really fathom that this crisis will effect them. They think someone will come up with a solution, and everything will be fine.
I really wish that were true. But the evidence can't be argued with. If you want more in-depth information about this, I highly recommend the movie THE END OF SUBURBIA: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream. It's very enlightening, and quite alarming!
Sadly, this is only one of the problems faced by the suburbs. Stay tuned for Part III where I divulge other disturbing issues.
Friday, December 10, 2010
City or the Suburbs? Part I
So what's your preference, would you rather live in the city, or in the suburbs? A lot people's immediate reaction is to say the Suburbs of course! Less congestion, open spaces, more house for the money, more privacy, quite, safe etc.
That is certainly how I grew up, as you can see in the photo above. (My parents still live here!) I felt the same way about the suburbs like most Americans do. Recently however, my view has been challenged. For my current Historic Preservation class, Business, Law and Economics- I have written a lengthy paper on just this topic. I had initially started out to write about how preservation effects low income neighborhoods, but somehow it evolved to a comparison between the city and the 'burbs. And I'm glad it did- my research was VERY enlightening.
As I said, the paper turned out to be about 25 pages or so, much longer than I have room for here. So I'll try and hit on some of the main points in multiple posts. Have you had enough time to decide where you'd rather live? Make sure you really think about, and the reasons why. Then we'll see if you still have the same view after reading what I have to say about it.
What's your image of the suburbs? Is it a beautiful home like this:
And what is your view of the city, is it perhaps a view like this:
If that's correct, then you're on par with most of Americans. We have come to believe that the 'American Dream' is a big house with a yard and at least two cars. In fact, after WWII- owning a home in the suburbs became very affordable, as did gas. This is mostly due to government policies that encouraged suburban sprawl (ie, development) and the Great American Streetcar Scandal. You know, the scandal where General Motors bought up all the streetcars and discontinued them. Subsequently Americans had to rely on buses and private automobiles. Ever wonder why America has virtually no large mass transit? Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_streetcar_scandal
Ok, so the suburbs are now in vogue and the city is not. What's the problem? Well,there are in fact, many problems. I like to keep my posts as short as possible so that people might actually read them. In that case, we're going to have to wrap this one up. This is the simple introduction to our nation's biggest unknown problem. Stay tuned for Part II where I get more specific. In the meantime...keep thinking about where you live, what you like about it, and what you don't.
That is certainly how I grew up, as you can see in the photo above. (My parents still live here!) I felt the same way about the suburbs like most Americans do. Recently however, my view has been challenged. For my current Historic Preservation class, Business, Law and Economics- I have written a lengthy paper on just this topic. I had initially started out to write about how preservation effects low income neighborhoods, but somehow it evolved to a comparison between the city and the 'burbs. And I'm glad it did- my research was VERY enlightening.
As I said, the paper turned out to be about 25 pages or so, much longer than I have room for here. So I'll try and hit on some of the main points in multiple posts. Have you had enough time to decide where you'd rather live? Make sure you really think about, and the reasons why. Then we'll see if you still have the same view after reading what I have to say about it.
What's your image of the suburbs? Is it a beautiful home like this:
And what is your view of the city, is it perhaps a view like this:
If that's correct, then you're on par with most of Americans. We have come to believe that the 'American Dream' is a big house with a yard and at least two cars. In fact, after WWII- owning a home in the suburbs became very affordable, as did gas. This is mostly due to government policies that encouraged suburban sprawl (ie, development) and the Great American Streetcar Scandal. You know, the scandal where General Motors bought up all the streetcars and discontinued them. Subsequently Americans had to rely on buses and private automobiles. Ever wonder why America has virtually no large mass transit? Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_streetcar_scandal
Ok, so the suburbs are now in vogue and the city is not. What's the problem? Well,there are in fact, many problems. I like to keep my posts as short as possible so that people might actually read them. In that case, we're going to have to wrap this one up. This is the simple introduction to our nation's biggest unknown problem. Stay tuned for Part II where I get more specific. In the meantime...keep thinking about where you live, what you like about it, and what you don't.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Masonry Work...
While it is definitely winter here in Leadville, it's much warmer in Salida. And since our Masonry teacher is from Salida, our class has been lucky to get some real hands on experience at masonry restoration.
Our teacher, owner of Stone Craft Masonry Restoration and Preservation in Salida, does preservation work all over the state. Currently he's working on a project in Salida at the Touber Building. Currently Salida's city hall, it was once a hospital.
I think it's a pretty awesome building, so when I got to work there by myself one day, I was super excited! The building is actually in pretty good shape- especially for being about 100 years old. There is a good amount of weathering on the brick however. And the building owners are doing the right thing by addressing it now rather than waiting for total disrepair. Much of the stone work and brick needs to be repaired, a few cracks need to be patched, and as always with masonry work, joints need to be cleaned and re-pointed.
This is where I was able to help. With my limited skills I could still clean out the joints and re-point them. I cleaned out the joints with some simple tools, then mixed a batch of mortar consisting of two parts sand and one part lime. After that I began to re-point the joints with the mortar. This was super fun, I really enjoy getting my hands dirty and actually contributing to life of this historic building.
I also removed some bricks from the stairwell that all need to be replaced. The joints in this area are not solid, and for the structural integrity of the building, it's best to remove them all, save the good brick, and replace with good mortar.
Besides the work that I did, we also visited the building as a class a few times. This is a great classroom let me tell you! One very cool thing that I discovered happened when I was cleaning out a joint underneath a window. This particular window happened to have a large stone lintel under it. The joint here was pretty big. As I was cleaning it out, I found a whole bunch of newspaper stuffed in the back. It was very brittle and I couldn't find a date anywhere, but if I had to guess, I'd say the paper was from the first few years of the 20th century. Really cool! This was a great experience to learn first hand knowledge of masonry restoration work.
The buildings choice of fountains however I must question. I found this one particularly creepy...why is he looking at his boot like that...??
Our teacher, owner of Stone Craft Masonry Restoration and Preservation in Salida, does preservation work all over the state. Currently he's working on a project in Salida at the Touber Building. Currently Salida's city hall, it was once a hospital.
I think it's a pretty awesome building, so when I got to work there by myself one day, I was super excited! The building is actually in pretty good shape- especially for being about 100 years old. There is a good amount of weathering on the brick however. And the building owners are doing the right thing by addressing it now rather than waiting for total disrepair. Much of the stone work and brick needs to be repaired, a few cracks need to be patched, and as always with masonry work, joints need to be cleaned and re-pointed.
This is where I was able to help. With my limited skills I could still clean out the joints and re-point them. I cleaned out the joints with some simple tools, then mixed a batch of mortar consisting of two parts sand and one part lime. After that I began to re-point the joints with the mortar. This was super fun, I really enjoy getting my hands dirty and actually contributing to life of this historic building.
I also removed some bricks from the stairwell that all need to be replaced. The joints in this area are not solid, and for the structural integrity of the building, it's best to remove them all, save the good brick, and replace with good mortar.
Besides the work that I did, we also visited the building as a class a few times. This is a great classroom let me tell you! One very cool thing that I discovered happened when I was cleaning out a joint underneath a window. This particular window happened to have a large stone lintel under it. The joint here was pretty big. As I was cleaning it out, I found a whole bunch of newspaper stuffed in the back. It was very brittle and I couldn't find a date anywhere, but if I had to guess, I'd say the paper was from the first few years of the 20th century. Really cool! This was a great experience to learn first hand knowledge of masonry restoration work.
The buildings choice of fountains however I must question. I found this one particularly creepy...why is he looking at his boot like that...??
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Rocking Women...
The field of architecture has been predominantly dominated by males the world over. However, this blog is dedicated to one amazing female architect that was clearly a pioneer of her day. She's even more spectacular to me because not only did she grow up and practice in Kansas City, but my very own grandparents lived in one of her houses!
Mary Rockwell Hook was born in Junction City, Kansas in 1877. After graduating from Wellesley College in 1900, Hook went to the Art Institute of Chicago enrolled in the architecture department- the first women! Even more impressive, Hook went to Paris to study under Marcel Auburtin at the École des Beaux-Arts in 1905. If you know anything about the history of architecture, you know that École des Beaux-Arts is big time!
Of course this was not without struggle, some stories tell of the discrimination she faced while at school and as a professional. It is said that French male students flung buckets of water at her as she ran across the campus. This did not deter her however.
Hook went on to design some fabulous homes. Here are a few pictures of my grandparents home. They lived here in the 1980's, and I can barely remember it. Coming back to this house some 30 years later and now understanding the architectural significance was an awesome experience!
I love the unique features on this house, like the small stone portico next to the driveway, and the random asymmetric windows on the side of the house. I especially love the extension on the back of the house that acts like a bay window on the first floor and a closed in porch on the upper floor. So cool! My dad recently told me that my grandfather used to sleep on the porch about 10 months out of the year for the fresh air and 'outdoor' experience. Now I know where I get it from!
Here's the house next door that she also designed. Gotta love the stone and the sun room!
Hook was mostly known for her Italianate design and her influence from trips to Asia and Europe. I think her work is fantastic and they definitely stand the test of time. With the struggles she endured and the awesome work she continued to produce, Hook is clearly an inspiration to women everywhere!
Mary Rockwell Hook was born in Junction City, Kansas in 1877. After graduating from Wellesley College in 1900, Hook went to the Art Institute of Chicago enrolled in the architecture department- the first women! Even more impressive, Hook went to Paris to study under Marcel Auburtin at the École des Beaux-Arts in 1905. If you know anything about the history of architecture, you know that École des Beaux-Arts is big time!
Of course this was not without struggle, some stories tell of the discrimination she faced while at school and as a professional. It is said that French male students flung buckets of water at her as she ran across the campus. This did not deter her however.
Hook went on to design some fabulous homes. Here are a few pictures of my grandparents home. They lived here in the 1980's, and I can barely remember it. Coming back to this house some 30 years later and now understanding the architectural significance was an awesome experience!
I love the unique features on this house, like the small stone portico next to the driveway, and the random asymmetric windows on the side of the house. I especially love the extension on the back of the house that acts like a bay window on the first floor and a closed in porch on the upper floor. So cool! My dad recently told me that my grandfather used to sleep on the porch about 10 months out of the year for the fresh air and 'outdoor' experience. Now I know where I get it from!
Here's the house next door that she also designed. Gotta love the stone and the sun room!
Hook was mostly known for her Italianate design and her influence from trips to Asia and Europe. I think her work is fantastic and they definitely stand the test of time. With the struggles she endured and the awesome work she continued to produce, Hook is clearly an inspiration to women everywhere!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Mesa Verde!
What better way to spend the Thanksgiving holiday than visiting an amazing site of America's Native Peoples. I have dreamed of going to Mesa Verde since I was a child, given my long infatuation and respect for Native American cultures, archaeology and the building trades. I'm not sure why I didn't make it here sooner, but no matter, I made it there this weekend, and it was incredible!
I was lucky enough to have my good friends Amy and Casino join on this trip. While I was busy looking around and pondering the amazing craftsmanship, they were actually listening to the tour guide and could thus pass on the answers to my questions that I could have heard had I only listened.
If you've never been to Mesa Verde, it is truly an amazing place to witness. Located in the Four Corners region in Colorado, it is a National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was created in 1906 to protect the cliff dwellings of the Anasazi, or Puebloan people. These cliff dwellings are mind boggling. Before going there, I hadn't realized that these sites were literally carved into the sides of cliffs. I love to rock climb, but I wouldn't dare climb into these dwellings without a rope and harness. If the people that lived here came to a modern rock climbing competition today, they would blow away all the competition with one hand behind their back, laughing all the way while not wearing shoes. This stuff is insane. You see this picture below, right in the middle there, that big crack between the massive boulders, look really closely and you can see some dwellings. Now imagine how they must have gotten there! Plus, they had to leave to hunt, gather water and food and other resources every day- then haul it all back up there! And to think that we complain when we drive to the mall and have to park 100 feet away from the door!!
This incredible architecture was built out of the surrounding stone and mud in the canyon area. Though the Puebloans lived here for centuries, these cliff dwellings were only built and occupied between the 12th and 13th centuries. It's not exactly understood why they left here when they did.
The homes were located in shallow caves and under rock overhangs along the canyon walls. Similar to our masonry buildings today, they were made of blocks of hard sandstone, held together and plastered with adobe mortar. They also carved hand and toe holds into the rock for climbing. Makes me feel pretty ridiculous in my $100 climbing shoes, harness and chalk bag! What is even more amazing is how well preserved these structures are. Of course a lot of this has been restored, but to think that the basic structures of these homes are still standing, thousands of years later, is astounding. Can we say that about the buildings we're creating today with all of our knowledge and technology??
Perhaps we need to put down the engineering books and learn a few things from these amazing peoples. Besides the architecture, there a lot to learn about their lifestyle- from the ceremonial kivas, to the basket weaving, lineage traditions, and basic mores, they're fascinating- yet beyond the scope of this blog.
If you want to learn more about this amazing place, I strongly recommend a trip to Mesa Verde. There is so much to learn and so much to see. We just got a brief taste of all the park has to offer. An extended camping and hiking trip would be even better. One thing is guaranteed, you will be amazed, and have an excellent time!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
18th and Vine- baseball and jazz!
A Tribute to Legends. That's the motto of the 18th and Vine district in Kansas City, Missouri. Back in the day, this part of the town was the heart of Kansas City culture. With the Southward expansion of the city, this area declined and sadly became somewhat deserted. In the last few years however, there has been a massive revitalization of the district, helping to revitalize a very important piece of Kansas City history.
As I travel across the country, I find that most people have no idea that Kansas City has a very rich history of Jazz. In fact, it is often said that Jazz was born in New Orleans, and grew up in Kansas City. Kansas City Jazz is often credited with marking the transition from the structured big band style to the musical improvisation style of Bebop in the 1930's. (taken from Wikipedia where you can read more about KC Jazz: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City_jazz). As you can see from the picture above, the Jazz Museum is even in Kansas City, located at the infamous 18th and Vine district. Across the street from the museum, you'll find the 100 year old Gem theater, famous for its annual American Jazz Museum’s national concert series, “Jammin’ at the Gem.”
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In addition to Jazz, baseball played a very important role in this cultural epicenter. No, I'm not talking about the Kansas City Royals, keep your jokes to yourselves! I'm talking about the Kansas City Monarchs- the longest running franchise of baseball's Negro Leagues. Unlike the Royals, this team was good!! The Negro Leagues were founded in 1920 spearheaded by the Chicago American Giants owner Andrew "Rube" Foster. In fact, Foster an a few other Midwestern team owners had a meeting Kansas City's very own Paseo YMCA were the league was formed. While in the area last week, I took a photo of this building because I was struck by the architecture and superb condition of the building, along with the fabulous red fire escape. I had no idea that THIS was the place!
Soon after this meeting, other teams joined from the Eastern and Southern states. According to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum website, "The Leagues maintained a high level of professional skill and became centerpieces for economic development in many black communities." visit the website here: http://www.nlbm.com/s/history.htm. The Monarchs however, were the Negro Leagues version of the NBL's New York Yankees. According to Wikipedia: "The Monarchs won ten league championships before integration, and triumphed in the first Negro League World Series in 1924. After sending more players to the major leagues than any other Negro League franchise, the team was finally disbanded in 1965." Now why they couldn't have transferred that talent to the Royals is beyond me. I was glad however, to still see evidence of Monarch pride even today. As I was driving around the YMCA building to get a better photo, I found this mural on the other side:
How awesome is that! As a preservationist it was so fantastic to see this whole area revitalized. Most areas like this across the country are nothing but rubble and abandoned buildings. This area was so important to Kansas City's history, it's very heartening to see that people have cared enough about it to keep it going. But then, if you have this kind of backup, I guess anyone would do the same: "Under the rule of Mob Boss Tom Pendergast, the 1920s, 30s and 40s saw the Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District as an epicenter of activity, often coined as the "Paris of the Plains." (taken from http://www.americanjazzmuseum.com/). Uh, yes, that's right, in addition to great baseball, jazz and bar-b-que, KC has a legacy of the mob, but that's an entirely different blog altogether.
Don't let that last fact scare you, they don't control so much in KC these days. If you are ever in the Kansas City area, don't miss a chance to visit 18th and Vine, the history is amazing!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
New Body...Same Soul
Don't worry, I'm not inappropriately using my historic preservation blog to flaunt the awesomeness of one of the best NFL teams in the league. Nor am I taking an opportunity to boast how incredible the Kansas City Chiefs FANS are. No, no, I am actually talking about preservation here.
You see, this past Sunday I had a chance to visit the 'New' stadium in Kansas City. It just happened to be during game time so I decided to stay and watch the Chiefs just barely beat the Buffalo Bills in the last 5 seconds of overtime. But that's besides the point. The point is, Arrowhead Stadium has just gone under a $375 million renovation.
So yes, this is a story about preservation, just on a much larger scale. I mean, preservation isn't just for houses right? The renovation of a major league stadium that holds 76,000 people might not seem like true 'preservation', but indeed it is. Think about the alternative- the destruction of thousands of tons of infrastructure and all of the embodied energy in that building, and the creation of a huge new stadium utilizing thousands of tons of new materials and transportation to get it there.
You might think that such a project has no business being labeled 'preservation'. But the simple fact of the matter is that we live in America, and football is a defining characteristic of American culture. It's citizens have supported it, even encouraged it, and continue to fund its survival and growth. It's not going away- just becoming more and more encompassing as the years pass. Whether you like it or not, its here to stay. And so, stadiums have become part of our landscape. Just think of Wrigley Field or Soldier Stadium. They've become icons in Americas cities.
That being established, let's get on with Arrowhead. The Chiefs stadium was built in 1972. The stadium was designed by Denver architect Charles Deaton and Steadman. It was such an efficient design that it became the influence for many NFL stadiums thereafter. It has long been considered a nice, clean, convenient stadium, as well the loudest stadium in the league. (Attending many games in this stadium, I can vouch for that. What can I say, Chiefs fans LOVE their Chiefs!)
It's no surprise then that Jackson County voters voted for a tax increase in 2006 in order to fund the stadium renovation. What's new at the 'Sea of Red'? The concourses have been widened by 60 percent, concession stands were expanded and there was 100 percent increase in the number of restroom fixtures. There's a new state of the art Chiefs store, Chiefs Hall of Honor and Chiefs Sports Lab- truly inviting fans to experience the passion of the game. Suites and Field boxes have been updated. There is also a new Founders Plaza honoring Lamar Hunt and his lifelong dedication to the NFL.
After visiting the stadium on Sunday, I agree with it's new mantra- New Body, Same Soul. I was impressed with the convenient new additions, especially the increased bathrooms. I didn't have to wait in line once! The concession stands were much nicer. Though I still refuse to pay $11 for a margarita! Overall the new face lift was nice. Though I probably will never benefit from the new suites and field boxes, it did look nice. As we cheered the Chiefs to victory, the spirit was absolutely still there. You could feel it even before kickoff, as the National Anthem was sung, fans paying tribute to our nations flag, saluting the flyover and service men and women in the stands, and singing along with such passion for America's greatest sport....O'er the laaaaaaand of the freeeeee and the hooooome of the.....CHIEFS!!!!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Adaptive Reuse at it's finest!!
Those of you familiar with Historic Preservation know that there are four basic treatments for a historic building- preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction. Depending on the building and the extent to which the historic fabric is saved, altered, changed etc., a truly historic building will fall into one of these categories.
Today I want to talk about rehabilitation, and what is in my opinion, an optimal way to rehab a building. First let me explain that I grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. The downtown area of K.C. was all but abandoned in the last few decades as is so common with many cities downtowns. (Ala, suburban expansion). Fortunately, there has been a major revitalization of many downtown areas thanks to the Main Street Program. Kansas City has enjoyed such a revival in it's own downtown and industrial district in the last few years.
There are some really amazing old industrial buildings all around K.C., and it's great to finally see them being used again. There are a few buildings however, that were way ahead of the trend. Particularly, I'm talking about this building here:
It appears to be a fairly unassuming building I think. Looks like an abandoned industrial building of some type, in a quite deserted area of town. If you're from Kansas City however, you know this is not quite the case. Look a bit closer and you'll get some clues:
Ahhh, that's right folks, this is the infamous EDGE OF HELL! One of the world's finest Haunted Houses. Growing up I took for granted how amazing this haunted house was. The West Bottoms area of KC boasts about 4 world class haunted houses. I never knew just how spectacular they were until I moved away from Missouri. I've lived in many different places since then, and every October I'm on the lookout for great Halloween fun, but I can never find a real haunted house. Sure I've been to dinky ones where you go through one floor in 10 minutes and see your standard blood and guts and random boo's! But seriously, they don't come close to the KC standard. I mean, just look at the Chambers haunted house:
It's that grey building there in the center. Now that is a haunted house, the entire building. You see in KC, haunted houses aren't just a small time gig for a few weeks a year. These buildings stay as they are, all year round. The Edge of Hell has been here since 1975. It's a five story building, it's so elaborately decorated that it would be asinine to try and take it all down. So, it stays a haunted house all year long. As do the others. I'm telling you, these are first class, terrifying haunted houses. I mean, just look at this review from the Edge of Hell: "The Edge of Hell is constantly re-inventing it's five floors. New scenes are always added to the cast of 45 live performers with the newest state-of-the-art technology. The air crackles, your fingertips sizzle. One million volts surge to grab you. A Vampire lunges, his hot breath violates your lungs. A 20 foot live Anaconda's eyes dart left then right, poised to crush his live prey."
They're not kidding, it's crazy scary. But it's soooo fun! I have loved going to these haunted houses since I was a kid. It scares the heck out of you but I guess it's such an adrenalin rush that you keep going back year after year, forking over another $30!
One of my favorite features from these Halloween wonderlands are the slides. That's right, the slides are the best! Typically you slide from some kind of absurd scary heaven straight down into the jowls of Hell, sliding right into the Devil himself!
Ahh, fantastic! Seeing as Halloween is my favorite day of the year, it's no wonder I'm infatuated with these fantastic fun houses. I just wish they were as common in other parts of the country. I also wish they were open for longer. Granted, these KC attractions are usually open from the end of August until the beginning of November. That's a pretty decent Halloween season in my opinion. They are also open throughout the year for team-building events, meetings, birthdays, field trips, even weddings! That's right folks, you can even get married there. Check out these on-site wedding pics: http://www.edgeofhell.com/meetings-events/weddings.html
I know most of you will think that's absolutely absurd, but I'd do it! Looks pretty awesome to me. I also wish I could show some night time pictures and pictures from the inside, but no photos are allowed inside for obvious reasons, so you'll just have to use your imagination and trust me that they are as awesome as I say. Ya sure these buildings could have been turned into super cool modern 'Lofts' or office space, or a number of other things, but then we couldn't visit the Edge of Hell, or the Beast, or the Macabre, and you wouldn't want that, would you??
Today I want to talk about rehabilitation, and what is in my opinion, an optimal way to rehab a building. First let me explain that I grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. The downtown area of K.C. was all but abandoned in the last few decades as is so common with many cities downtowns. (Ala, suburban expansion). Fortunately, there has been a major revitalization of many downtown areas thanks to the Main Street Program. Kansas City has enjoyed such a revival in it's own downtown and industrial district in the last few years.
There are some really amazing old industrial buildings all around K.C., and it's great to finally see them being used again. There are a few buildings however, that were way ahead of the trend. Particularly, I'm talking about this building here:
It appears to be a fairly unassuming building I think. Looks like an abandoned industrial building of some type, in a quite deserted area of town. If you're from Kansas City however, you know this is not quite the case. Look a bit closer and you'll get some clues:
Ahhh, that's right folks, this is the infamous EDGE OF HELL! One of the world's finest Haunted Houses. Growing up I took for granted how amazing this haunted house was. The West Bottoms area of KC boasts about 4 world class haunted houses. I never knew just how spectacular they were until I moved away from Missouri. I've lived in many different places since then, and every October I'm on the lookout for great Halloween fun, but I can never find a real haunted house. Sure I've been to dinky ones where you go through one floor in 10 minutes and see your standard blood and guts and random boo's! But seriously, they don't come close to the KC standard. I mean, just look at the Chambers haunted house:
It's that grey building there in the center. Now that is a haunted house, the entire building. You see in KC, haunted houses aren't just a small time gig for a few weeks a year. These buildings stay as they are, all year round. The Edge of Hell has been here since 1975. It's a five story building, it's so elaborately decorated that it would be asinine to try and take it all down. So, it stays a haunted house all year long. As do the others. I'm telling you, these are first class, terrifying haunted houses. I mean, just look at this review from the Edge of Hell: "The Edge of Hell is constantly re-inventing it's five floors. New scenes are always added to the cast of 45 live performers with the newest state-of-the-art technology. The air crackles, your fingertips sizzle. One million volts surge to grab you. A Vampire lunges, his hot breath violates your lungs. A 20 foot live Anaconda's eyes dart left then right, poised to crush his live prey."
They're not kidding, it's crazy scary. But it's soooo fun! I have loved going to these haunted houses since I was a kid. It scares the heck out of you but I guess it's such an adrenalin rush that you keep going back year after year, forking over another $30!
One of my favorite features from these Halloween wonderlands are the slides. That's right, the slides are the best! Typically you slide from some kind of absurd scary heaven straight down into the jowls of Hell, sliding right into the Devil himself!
Ahh, fantastic! Seeing as Halloween is my favorite day of the year, it's no wonder I'm infatuated with these fantastic fun houses. I just wish they were as common in other parts of the country. I also wish they were open for longer. Granted, these KC attractions are usually open from the end of August until the beginning of November. That's a pretty decent Halloween season in my opinion. They are also open throughout the year for team-building events, meetings, birthdays, field trips, even weddings! That's right folks, you can even get married there. Check out these on-site wedding pics: http://www.edgeofhell.com/meetings-events/weddings.html
I know most of you will think that's absolutely absurd, but I'd do it! Looks pretty awesome to me. I also wish I could show some night time pictures and pictures from the inside, but no photos are allowed inside for obvious reasons, so you'll just have to use your imagination and trust me that they are as awesome as I say. Ya sure these buildings could have been turned into super cool modern 'Lofts' or office space, or a number of other things, but then we couldn't visit the Edge of Hell, or the Beast, or the Macabre, and you wouldn't want that, would you??
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Kansas City Love Affair
I'll admit it, I'm having an affair. I'm in love with my hometown. I grew up in Kansas City- Missouri, NOT Kansas. (Please don't get that wrong because it will drive Kansas City Missourians CRAZY!). I left Kansas City when I was 18 to attend college at Creighton University in Nebraska. Since then, I have lived in eight different states, never returning to Missouri. Well, I visit often, but I haven't lived there since I was 18.
I'm very curious by nature, and I just don't get the point of returning to a place that I know so well. There is soooo much to see out there in the world, I want to explore it all, and that's what I've been doing. Most of my family still lives in Kansas City however, so I do visit several times a year. After living in places like Oregon, Montana, Alaska and Colorado, it's hard to feel satisfied in the plains. At least for an active person like myself. If I can't find a place to go mountain biking, hiking, or skiing, I feel somewhat claustrophobic. I wish it wasn't so, but the facts are the facts.
I wish it wasn't so because I love Kansas City. I never realized how great of a town it was when I was growing up, but I appreciate it more and more every time I'm there. It's even more impressive now that I've been studying Historic Preservation. Kansas City has first class art museums, professional sporting venues, funky art and a great music scene. It's quite hip. It even has outstanding architecture, I just never really knew that before. I mean, just look at the Country Club Plaza:
This awesome photo was taken from http://www.eyefetch.com/
For some time KC has been known as the city of fountains. Indeed, it boasts more fountains than Rome and more Avenues than Paris. I'm serious!
One of my favorite things about visiting KC is bringing friends along. Almost every time I bring a 'first-timer' to visit they're always very surprised. "Wow, I never knew Kansas City was so cool!" "It's not flat here?! There's hills everywhere!" "Look at those incredible houses? I never knew Kansas City had so much history?" "This art museum is really incredible! Who knew?" Just check out the Nelson Art Gallery:
The list goes on, Kansas City is really a well kept secret. And I haven't even touched on the Zoo, Crown Center, the award winning Bar-B-Que, the Jazz, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum...Kansas City really is where it's at! I went to KC this past weekend to visit family and celebrate my favorite day of the year, Halloween. I got to get around town a little bit, so stay tuned for a series of blogs on the fabulous places of the town. Oh if only it had mountains!
I'm very curious by nature, and I just don't get the point of returning to a place that I know so well. There is soooo much to see out there in the world, I want to explore it all, and that's what I've been doing. Most of my family still lives in Kansas City however, so I do visit several times a year. After living in places like Oregon, Montana, Alaska and Colorado, it's hard to feel satisfied in the plains. At least for an active person like myself. If I can't find a place to go mountain biking, hiking, or skiing, I feel somewhat claustrophobic. I wish it wasn't so, but the facts are the facts.
I wish it wasn't so because I love Kansas City. I never realized how great of a town it was when I was growing up, but I appreciate it more and more every time I'm there. It's even more impressive now that I've been studying Historic Preservation. Kansas City has first class art museums, professional sporting venues, funky art and a great music scene. It's quite hip. It even has outstanding architecture, I just never really knew that before. I mean, just look at the Country Club Plaza:
This awesome photo was taken from http://www.eyefetch.com/For some time KC has been known as the city of fountains. Indeed, it boasts more fountains than Rome and more Avenues than Paris. I'm serious!
One of my favorite things about visiting KC is bringing friends along. Almost every time I bring a 'first-timer' to visit they're always very surprised. "Wow, I never knew Kansas City was so cool!" "It's not flat here?! There's hills everywhere!" "Look at those incredible houses? I never knew Kansas City had so much history?" "This art museum is really incredible! Who knew?" Just check out the Nelson Art Gallery:
The list goes on, Kansas City is really a well kept secret. And I haven't even touched on the Zoo, Crown Center, the award winning Bar-B-Que, the Jazz, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum...Kansas City really is where it's at! I went to KC this past weekend to visit family and celebrate my favorite day of the year, Halloween. I got to get around town a little bit, so stay tuned for a series of blogs on the fabulous places of the town. Oh if only it had mountains!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Let the job search begin!
This probably sounds like a familiar refrain to many people. With unemployment rates at such a high level right now, many of us are looking for jobs! I keep hearing that the job market is so tight right now, people aren't hiring, there isn't any work out there, etc. etc.
While this may be true, I prefer not to pay attention to the negative and feed the increasing fear in our communities. The more and more attention we give it, the larger and larger it grows. The more gloom and doom stories we watch on TV or listen to on the radio, the more fearful we become, and the worse the situation gets.
I know that looking for a job is not easy. Indeed it can be a very stressful event. I do believe however, that the more positive your outlook, and the more confidence you have in the search, the easier time you'll have in gravitating toward that job that was meant for you. I really believe in the mantra that 'whatever you put your attention on, expands and grows.' I cannot then, put my attention on the dark gloomy stories everyone is telling these days. I know there are jobs out there- just look at the ads online, there's ton of them!
Now the tricky part is going to be to find where that job is, and exactly what type of job it is that I want. I'll be finished with my historic preservation degree a semester early, that means I'll be done in mid-December. That's a short two months away. Now is the time for me to start making some contacts and getting my resume out there. Since I'm already in Colorado, and I'm quite fond of the mountains, climate, proximity to home, and central location, it seems like a good idea to be looking in the general area. I'm not opposed to moving elsewhere, but its a place to start anyway.
In my studies over the last year, I've learned that there are sooo many aspects to preservation. There are countless ways to be involved, from a surveyor to a mason, to a carpenter, to an administrator, to a architect, archaeologist, professor, politician, community planner, cultural resource specialist, historian, etc. etc. It's quite exciting to have so much diversity and all be working together toward the same goal.
Exactly where I fit in is still to be determined. I've had plenty of experience in the administrative non-profit world. I know I would do well with advocacy and planning. I also got my undergraduate degree in Anthropology and have thoroughly enjoyed my experiences with cultural resources and archaeology. Additionally I am completely in love with the hands-on trades of preservation. The construction and rehabilitation work I did this summer was fantastic. I could definitely see myself excelling in the trades arena.
I would be happy with many variations of the above. Perhaps a job that has a little of all- perfect! Now it's just a matter of getting down to business, researching what is out there and making it all happen. Oh, and if anyone happens to come across any fabulous preservation opportunities, please send my way!
While this may be true, I prefer not to pay attention to the negative and feed the increasing fear in our communities. The more and more attention we give it, the larger and larger it grows. The more gloom and doom stories we watch on TV or listen to on the radio, the more fearful we become, and the worse the situation gets.
I know that looking for a job is not easy. Indeed it can be a very stressful event. I do believe however, that the more positive your outlook, and the more confidence you have in the search, the easier time you'll have in gravitating toward that job that was meant for you. I really believe in the mantra that 'whatever you put your attention on, expands and grows.' I cannot then, put my attention on the dark gloomy stories everyone is telling these days. I know there are jobs out there- just look at the ads online, there's ton of them!
Now the tricky part is going to be to find where that job is, and exactly what type of job it is that I want. I'll be finished with my historic preservation degree a semester early, that means I'll be done in mid-December. That's a short two months away. Now is the time for me to start making some contacts and getting my resume out there. Since I'm already in Colorado, and I'm quite fond of the mountains, climate, proximity to home, and central location, it seems like a good idea to be looking in the general area. I'm not opposed to moving elsewhere, but its a place to start anyway.
In my studies over the last year, I've learned that there are sooo many aspects to preservation. There are countless ways to be involved, from a surveyor to a mason, to a carpenter, to an administrator, to a architect, archaeologist, professor, politician, community planner, cultural resource specialist, historian, etc. etc. It's quite exciting to have so much diversity and all be working together toward the same goal.
Exactly where I fit in is still to be determined. I've had plenty of experience in the administrative non-profit world. I know I would do well with advocacy and planning. I also got my undergraduate degree in Anthropology and have thoroughly enjoyed my experiences with cultural resources and archaeology. Additionally I am completely in love with the hands-on trades of preservation. The construction and rehabilitation work I did this summer was fantastic. I could definitely see myself excelling in the trades arena.
I would be happy with many variations of the above. Perhaps a job that has a little of all- perfect! Now it's just a matter of getting down to business, researching what is out there and making it all happen. Oh, and if anyone happens to come across any fabulous preservation opportunities, please send my way!
Monday, October 25, 2010
A Pint of Preservation
That's right folks, this week we're talking about beer. It may seem completely unrelated to historic preservation, but stick with me for a moment and you'll see that it has everything to do with it.
In my historic preservation law and economics class, we're reading an interesting book called The Restoration Economy written by Storm Cunningham. In the book I came across a fascinating story of the William Brothers Brewing Company in Scotland.
You probably know that beer has been a major staple of most cultures for millennia. Without a refrigeration system, letting grains and yeast ferment was a safe way to preserve food supplies. In some places of the world fermented beverages were also a healthier alternative to local water. According to Cunningham, archaeologists have discovered remnants of brewing sites in Scotland dating back over 4,000 years. The Scots have a long history of ales that used such local ingredients as leaves, flowers, berries, pine needles, bushes and even seaweed. Heather ale is likely the most well known. As Scotland is so famous for its beautiful Heather this is no surprise.
This image was taken from: www.lastminutecottageholiday.co.ukCunningham further notes that these homemade brews were forbidden by English invaders. Thus, many of the original recipes were lost. Instead, Scots were required by law to only make beer using ingredients like barely malt and hops. For those of you sold on 'American Lager', I must include this quote: "Of course, even this formula is far superior to the corn-based chemical soup that comes from the major U.S. industrial brewers, many of whom add plastics to form a longer-lasting head." Ouch!
As the House of Lords owned all of the hop farms, we can see why this law was enacted. Indeed those were dark days for the Scots, but rejoice in the fact that the Williams Brothers have brought these original homemade brews back to life! These beers have quite the reputation world wide, winning countless awards along the way. Please visit their website for a bit more on the history and the outstanding different flavors: www.williamsbrosbrew.com
Besides making a great brew, the brewery operates out of an early 18th century mill which was restored under the non-profit Scottish Heritage. Furthermore, the brewery saved a square mile of peat-and-heather-based ecosystem known as flat moss from being turned into a monoculture tree farm. The widely popular Fraoch ale relies on this moss, and the brewery pays the tenant for its harvests. If anyone is going to Scotland soon, or if there's an extremely well stocked liquor store in your area, would you please buy me one of these, I'm dying to try one!
Actually, scratch that, I think I'd rather try a Kelpie. Ok, if there was ever a beer that was good for you this has got to be it:
A beer both good for you and the earth! The Kelpie brew is made with bladderwack seaweed. This is important because a traditional Scottish method of fertilizing fields uses this seaweed. This use was dying out in recent times but has enjoyed a bit of recovery thanks to the brewery. Seaweed is an incredibly rich resource of vitamins and minerals, and quite tasty too! The barley used in their production is organically grown on a farm that has revived this important practice.
This is truly a brewery I could stand behind. I've never given much thought to beer production in the past. And coming from Missouri I can't say I've ever felt much loyalty to Budweiser. But a brewery that has revived an ancient method of brewing, using recipes that were lost for thousands of years, brewing in a historic building, and encouraging environmentally sound practices, I'll toast to that!
*This blog is dedicated to Jimmy and Tyler- you know why!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Computer Aided Drawing (Design)
One of my classes this semester is CAD class. Before starting the class I can't say that I had any particular expectations, but I knew it would be cool to play around with 3-D drawings on the computer.
Cool indeed! It's a lot of fun to learn how to draw like an architect without needing all that complicated equipment and learning those writing techniques. Man we have it so much easier these days! In the past you had to take many many classes of learning how to draw like an architect, and even how to write like an architect. I always thought it was odd that every architect I knew wrote so neatly. Now I know why, they actually have to take a class to write like that!
Instead, we spend time learning how to use ArciCad, a really amazing computer program that let's you draw your 3-D home with all the important specifications. Just look at what my future kitchen will look like:
I know that's not the greatest picture. But if you can tell, I have a great set up with eco-friendly stainless steel appliances, a great chrome island and super cute red and grey pantry cabinet in the corner. Here's a start of what the outside will look like...
That's right, I love me some purple and red. I know you think it sounds absurd but it's going to look super cool. That's the great thing about ArciCad, the sky's the limit and you can do anything you want!
Cool indeed! It's a lot of fun to learn how to draw like an architect without needing all that complicated equipment and learning those writing techniques. Man we have it so much easier these days! In the past you had to take many many classes of learning how to draw like an architect, and even how to write like an architect. I always thought it was odd that every architect I knew wrote so neatly. Now I know why, they actually have to take a class to write like that!
Instead, we spend time learning how to use ArciCad, a really amazing computer program that let's you draw your 3-D home with all the important specifications. Just look at what my future kitchen will look like:
I know that's not the greatest picture. But if you can tell, I have a great set up with eco-friendly stainless steel appliances, a great chrome island and super cute red and grey pantry cabinet in the corner. Here's a start of what the outside will look like...
That's right, I love me some purple and red. I know you think it sounds absurd but it's going to look super cool. That's the great thing about ArciCad, the sky's the limit and you can do anything you want!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Mixing mud and laying brick!
This reason I chose Colorado Mountain College for my Historic Preservation degree was because it's one of very few colleges that offer a trade based program. Needless to say, the hands-on classes are by far my favorite. So last week when we got to lay some brick in my Masonry class, I was really excited!
Our class is at Hayden Ranch- our colleges very own historic laboratory. One of the old bunk houses desperately needed some attention to its chimney. Here it was before:
The existing mortar on the 15 courses you see here was incredibly fragile. We could literally pick up the bricks with our hands and remove them from the course below. The original chimney had 22 courses- so we intended to restore it to the original. (I wish I could say the age of this particular building but I really don't know.)
There are so many things to consider when restoring brick. It's very important to match the color of the mortar, the color of the brick, the strength and make-up of the mortar and brick as well. It might seem pretty simply, but that's a lot to get right. You have to consider the mixture of the mortar- what's the recipe? Is it one part lime, one part portland cement, six parts sand? There are actually many different recipes for different needs. Different masons have different opinions as to the best recipe. Some masons truly believe in using hydraulic lime only. So many options....to see more about mortars click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lime_mortar
The first thing we needed to do for this chimney was make up some sample mixes or mortar to see if we could at least match the color. This bunk house has not been occupied for a long time, and there are no plans to change that, so this chimney will not be functioning. The main purpose of the restoration is for aesthetics and basic structural integrity. Fortunately for us that meant we didn't have to get things absolutely perfect, just pretty close. So we mixed up a few batches until we got a close match:
After letting each batch dry, we had a better idea of what the color was. After coming up with a pretty close mix, we were ready to lay some brick!
This was the exciting part. I love getting my hands dirty and actually making something. You know, something you can actually touch and feel and see. I also love being on roofs. I'm not sure why exactly, but I've always loved it. Maybe it's because you're not supposed to be on a roof, it feels a bit mischievous. Maybe its because you gain a new perspective, everything looks smaller from up high, and your worries do too. Maybe it's just because the view is so awesome!
Whatever the reason, it was great to be up there and learn some masonry skills. Our teacher, Terry Alexander has been a mason for practically his whole life (learning the trade from his father.) He's a great mason and a good person to show you the basics. On the homepage of his website you can see a really beautiful sculpture that his father made. Who would of thought of a brick sculpture!? You can visit his website here: http://gostonecraft.com/index.php
We only had about 7 courses of brick to lay, but it took much longer than I would have thought. Fortunately we had most of the original brick from the chimney, but not quite all of it. Well, I think we did have all of it but a lot of it crumbled and was unusable. So, we did our best to find a color that was close and would blend in well. That was not an easy task. You'll be able to see from the picture below which bricks were not original. The good thing about that however, is that time will lay a nice patina on these bricks, and eventually they'll fade right in.
I think the finished product looks pretty dang good for our first try. And remember, time will be to our advantage with the aesthetics. I think I really like masonry. No sharp chisels, no splinters or hammered thumbs, no table saw kick-backs. It so much more peaceful than working with wood!
Our class is at Hayden Ranch- our colleges very own historic laboratory. One of the old bunk houses desperately needed some attention to its chimney. Here it was before:
The existing mortar on the 15 courses you see here was incredibly fragile. We could literally pick up the bricks with our hands and remove them from the course below. The original chimney had 22 courses- so we intended to restore it to the original. (I wish I could say the age of this particular building but I really don't know.)
There are so many things to consider when restoring brick. It's very important to match the color of the mortar, the color of the brick, the strength and make-up of the mortar and brick as well. It might seem pretty simply, but that's a lot to get right. You have to consider the mixture of the mortar- what's the recipe? Is it one part lime, one part portland cement, six parts sand? There are actually many different recipes for different needs. Different masons have different opinions as to the best recipe. Some masons truly believe in using hydraulic lime only. So many options....to see more about mortars click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lime_mortar
The first thing we needed to do for this chimney was make up some sample mixes or mortar to see if we could at least match the color. This bunk house has not been occupied for a long time, and there are no plans to change that, so this chimney will not be functioning. The main purpose of the restoration is for aesthetics and basic structural integrity. Fortunately for us that meant we didn't have to get things absolutely perfect, just pretty close. So we mixed up a few batches until we got a close match:
After letting each batch dry, we had a better idea of what the color was. After coming up with a pretty close mix, we were ready to lay some brick!
This was the exciting part. I love getting my hands dirty and actually making something. You know, something you can actually touch and feel and see. I also love being on roofs. I'm not sure why exactly, but I've always loved it. Maybe it's because you're not supposed to be on a roof, it feels a bit mischievous. Maybe its because you gain a new perspective, everything looks smaller from up high, and your worries do too. Maybe it's just because the view is so awesome!
Whatever the reason, it was great to be up there and learn some masonry skills. Our teacher, Terry Alexander has been a mason for practically his whole life (learning the trade from his father.) He's a great mason and a good person to show you the basics. On the homepage of his website you can see a really beautiful sculpture that his father made. Who would of thought of a brick sculpture!? You can visit his website here: http://gostonecraft.com/index.php
We only had about 7 courses of brick to lay, but it took much longer than I would have thought. Fortunately we had most of the original brick from the chimney, but not quite all of it. Well, I think we did have all of it but a lot of it crumbled and was unusable. So, we did our best to find a color that was close and would blend in well. That was not an easy task. You'll be able to see from the picture below which bricks were not original. The good thing about that however, is that time will lay a nice patina on these bricks, and eventually they'll fade right in.
I think the finished product looks pretty dang good for our first try. And remember, time will be to our advantage with the aesthetics. I think I really like masonry. No sharp chisels, no splinters or hammered thumbs, no table saw kick-backs. It so much more peaceful than working with wood!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Ahh, Remember the Drive In!
That should bring back some memories! Remember when drive-ins where cool?! You know, the days before you could tape a movie on your VCR, before Blockbuster, then Pay-Per-View, then Tevo, then Netflix?? Remember the days when people actually had to leave their homes to see the latest feature? I can remember it clearly, it wasn't that long ago. In fact, I remember being about 7 or so and hiding between my sisters legs in the front seat of the car while she read the newspaper over my head in order to hide me. Meanwhile, my brother was in the trunk. What a valiant attempt to hide us both and save the $2 entry fee for us. Only to find out later the admittance was per car, not per person. Thanks Liz!
This childhood trauma is not what inspired this blog however, I became inspired to write about the dying Drive-In industry after yet another 'bike ride find'. Last weekend I decided to take my road bike down to Buena Vista, about 30 miles South of Leadville and generally 20 degrees warmer. I had no plans on where to go, I just thought I'd get on the bike and let the wind take me where it chose. (Quite literally, there was a crazy headwind that day.) I like doing this, you never have any idea what's around the next turn. Sometimes it's just boring open expanses of nothing, sometimes you find cool stuff like this old Drive-In!
Normally I might have just ridden on past something like this, but I was struck by several things on this day. First, this Drive-In seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. I guess they usually are for obvious reasons, but I never expected to see it here. I have also never seen quite a backdrop for a movie theater before. Everywhere you look you see grand Rocky Mountains behind the screen. Pretty cool. The deserted feel was also kind of spooky. There was tall grass and weeds growing all along the parking area and speakers. (Needless to say I was very surprised to learn that this drive-in had been in use until 2008!) -more on that in a second. The last thing that caught my attention was the name.
That's right, Comanche Drive-In! You just wouldn't get away with such political incorrectness today. Though we have a lot to learn on this front, I believe we've come a long way in the 36 years I've been alive. I can remember learning all kinds of crazy culturally insensitive things when I was little. Those same things just wouldn't happen today.
Besides the name, the drive-in itself is an example of a great, yet dying, American tradition. A little poking around online dug up some interesting facts on the history of the drive-in. From the information I found, it appears that the alternative movie watching venue creator was Richard Hollingshead. It was his attempt to combine two great American loves: movies and cars! In the early 1930's he played around in his own driveway with a Kodak projector and a sheet nailed to some trees with a radio behind it. After lots of trial and error, Richard opened the first drive-in in June of 1933. This first drive in was in Camden, New Jersey and the price of admission was 25 cents for the car and 25 cents per person.
Drive-ins where slow to catch on, but when they did, they boomed! In 1946 the number of theaters was about 150. By 1948 that number grew to 820! By 1958, there were almost 5,000 drive-ins! This is actually the peak of the business. From here, the numbers begin to decline. The 60's and 70's were fairly stagnate, and the 80's saw a huge decline. Theater's began to be torn down for lack of attendance. (Hmmm, I believe my family got it's first VCR around 1983ish...). There was a very small resurgence in the 90's, well, nostalgia really. The around 400 dive-ins that are left are really trying to hang on, and there's plenty of people out there advocating for their survival. Americans are quite nostalgic after all.
The Comanche Drive-in I've shown you hear was built in 1966 by John Groy. It was owned and operated by the Groy family until 2008. It appears that Mrs. Groy suddenly passed away in 2008 and the rest is history. I'm amazed it was still going strong until so recently. I for one, would definitely go to a drive-in if there was one close by. (Actually, I would probably ride my bike instead of drive but its the same concept.) How wonderful to enjoy a movie in the fresh air, under the stairs, in the wide open! I think we may need to start a preservation movement here. I'll tell you one thing though, I'm not hiding in the front seat, or in the trunk for that matter to save a couple of bucks!
*Interestingly it appears that a documentary on drive-ins is currently in the works, check out the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMfVfWkx4Og&feature=player_embedded
All of the information for this blog was taken from the following websites: http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa980121.htm, http://www.driveintheater.com/,
http://cinematreasures.org/theater/11721/
This childhood trauma is not what inspired this blog however, I became inspired to write about the dying Drive-In industry after yet another 'bike ride find'. Last weekend I decided to take my road bike down to Buena Vista, about 30 miles South of Leadville and generally 20 degrees warmer. I had no plans on where to go, I just thought I'd get on the bike and let the wind take me where it chose. (Quite literally, there was a crazy headwind that day.) I like doing this, you never have any idea what's around the next turn. Sometimes it's just boring open expanses of nothing, sometimes you find cool stuff like this old Drive-In!
Normally I might have just ridden on past something like this, but I was struck by several things on this day. First, this Drive-In seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. I guess they usually are for obvious reasons, but I never expected to see it here. I have also never seen quite a backdrop for a movie theater before. Everywhere you look you see grand Rocky Mountains behind the screen. Pretty cool. The deserted feel was also kind of spooky. There was tall grass and weeds growing all along the parking area and speakers. (Needless to say I was very surprised to learn that this drive-in had been in use until 2008!) -more on that in a second. The last thing that caught my attention was the name.
That's right, Comanche Drive-In! You just wouldn't get away with such political incorrectness today. Though we have a lot to learn on this front, I believe we've come a long way in the 36 years I've been alive. I can remember learning all kinds of crazy culturally insensitive things when I was little. Those same things just wouldn't happen today.
Besides the name, the drive-in itself is an example of a great, yet dying, American tradition. A little poking around online dug up some interesting facts on the history of the drive-in. From the information I found, it appears that the alternative movie watching venue creator was Richard Hollingshead. It was his attempt to combine two great American loves: movies and cars! In the early 1930's he played around in his own driveway with a Kodak projector and a sheet nailed to some trees with a radio behind it. After lots of trial and error, Richard opened the first drive-in in June of 1933. This first drive in was in Camden, New Jersey and the price of admission was 25 cents for the car and 25 cents per person.
Drive-ins where slow to catch on, but when they did, they boomed! In 1946 the number of theaters was about 150. By 1948 that number grew to 820! By 1958, there were almost 5,000 drive-ins! This is actually the peak of the business. From here, the numbers begin to decline. The 60's and 70's were fairly stagnate, and the 80's saw a huge decline. Theater's began to be torn down for lack of attendance. (Hmmm, I believe my family got it's first VCR around 1983ish...). There was a very small resurgence in the 90's, well, nostalgia really. The around 400 dive-ins that are left are really trying to hang on, and there's plenty of people out there advocating for their survival. Americans are quite nostalgic after all.
The Comanche Drive-in I've shown you hear was built in 1966 by John Groy. It was owned and operated by the Groy family until 2008. It appears that Mrs. Groy suddenly passed away in 2008 and the rest is history. I'm amazed it was still going strong until so recently. I for one, would definitely go to a drive-in if there was one close by. (Actually, I would probably ride my bike instead of drive but its the same concept.) How wonderful to enjoy a movie in the fresh air, under the stairs, in the wide open! I think we may need to start a preservation movement here. I'll tell you one thing though, I'm not hiding in the front seat, or in the trunk for that matter to save a couple of bucks!
*Interestingly it appears that a documentary on drive-ins is currently in the works, check out the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMfVfWkx4Og&feature=player_embedded
All of the information for this blog was taken from the following websites: http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa980121.htm, http://www.driveintheater.com/,
http://cinematreasures.org/theater/11721/
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Beautiful Kennecott Alaska!
Wow, that's a great sight huh! Of all the amazing places in Alaska, Kennecott remains one of my favorite. Located in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, this abandoned mining camp is a historical treasure. As the story goes, the camp was started around 1900 when two prospectors located a nice green patch where they could graze their horses. Of course this green patch turned out to be copper ore. Seizing this opportunity, a group of men promptly created the Chitina Mining and Exploration Company.
The mine was extremely profitable, some saying it was the richest copper mine in the world. It operated for about 25 years and extracted about $210 million worth of copper.
How they made this happen is unbelievable. Today, there is a road that leads (almost) to the town. I say almost, because you still have to get out and park your car about 5 miles from the mine. And I haven't even told you about the road coming in! The drive to Kennecott is one of the bumpiest, flat-tire producing, slowest roads I've been on. But this is a good thing, keeps all those dang tourists away! Of course, tourists still come, but at very manageable numbers. My point being, this is a very remote, very difficult place to get to. I can not even fathom how these men got all of this equipment here in 1900. This should make my point:
That's some insanely hard work to produce some copper. I hope you're all appreciating those pipes and electrical cables most of us take for granted!
In the early 1930's, the mine was pretty much abandoned after most of the high grade ore was depleted. They had some watchmen for a few years but eventually they left too. It's a harsh winter out here, and getting supplies and food can be quite the challenge, even deadly. I don't blame them for not sticking around. So the mine was left to it's own. When I visited in 2004, I was amazed that the entire place was not condemned. There were SO many accidents waiting to happen. Buildings holding on by a single nail that I was sure were going to collapse to the ground at any moment. Of course, this did not stop me from climbing inside them and exploring every nook and cranny I could find. Dangerous maybe, but too lucrative to stop me!
You can see from this picture above that the building has really aged, just look at that 'ladder'. That's how most of the mine's buildings looked when I was there. There has been a tremendous amount of work done since then however. It likely looks pretty stable to you now. Kennecott was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986. The National Park Service has been stabilizing many of the buildings in the last few years. They've done some amazing work! Though the precarious ghost town was fun to run around in, I'm glad these buildings will saved for many generations to enjoy. It tells such a great story of our past, and what man will do for survival and money.
Though the camps were very primitive in the beginning. They had such success they began to live quite nicely in camp.
This was such a massive production site, they've even started to give guided tours through the mine. Getting a look at the inside were all the real production happened was amazing. I still can't believe they actually got all of this heavy equipment here!
There's so much to explore and see here, I could on and on. But you get the main idea. This is truly an amazing and inspiring site to see. If you ever get to Alaska, don't miss a trip to Kennecott, you'll be glad you did. Just remember to bring some instant flat-fixer- that road is precarious!
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