April, 3, Saturday, 9am-5pm. Germantown Friends School, 31 W. Coulter St. $10, $5 members. The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia instituted the annual Old House Fair to address an unmet need for the special expertise, goods and services that local homeowners need to meet the challenges of maintaining an old house. The Fair features over 70 vendor booths and an array of learning opportunities for owners of the old house to better maintain and restore their homes, including demonstrations, expert panels and other “hands on” assistance. More info here.
Preservation
Preservation Alliance | Old House Fair
April 3, 2010 9:00am - 5:00pm
Center for Architecture | Building Philadelphia Lecture Series
March 23, 2010 6:00pm - 8:00pm
March 23, Tuesday, 6-8 pm. Series runs through May 25. Center for Architecture, 1218 Arch St. 25 member, $30 general public, $15 under 35, register here.
Building Philadelphia: Architecture, History & Politics is the definitive course on the development of Philadelphia and its architecture. This engaging 10-part lecture series is taught by architects, urban planners, art historians and social historians from local universities and architecture firms.
The Evolution of a Campus: Urban Renewal at Penn 1950-2000
March 24, 2010 5:30pm - 7:00pm
The Evolution of a Campus: Urban Renewal at Penn 1950-2000
Wednesday, March 24, 5:30 – 7:00 PM
Golkin Room, Houston Hall
3417 Spruce Street, Philadelphia
John Puckett, a professor and historian at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, traces Penn’s history in West Philadelphia. Filled with dramatic photographs and detailed maps capturing 50 years of “before, during, and after” this 90-minute informal lecture will explore the University’s expansion and the impact of Penn-related urban renewal in West Philadelphia.
Come enjoy this journey into Philly’s past!
A reception will follow the presentation.
University City Updates: Baltimore Avenue redesign and Historical Society awards
UC Review: Discussion begins on Baltimore Ave. redesign from 4900-52nd Streets
The seven blocks of Baltimore Avenue beginning at Clark Park on 43rd Street through to the Dock Street Brew Pub at 50th Street burst with activity. From bookstores like Bindlestiff’s, to cafes like the Gold Standard, Atiya Ola, the Green Line, and the Satellite, to restaurants such as Vientiane and Dahlak, the strip is regarded as a vibrant commercial and residential corridor—though after the Dock Street Pub, Baltimore Avenue’s vitality begins to decline. Marred by vacant lots, buildings and storefronts, the corridor pales in comparison to the blocks that precede it.
That’s why Cedar Park Neighbors partnered with the Community Design Collaborative to begin discussions about ways to redevelop Baltimore Avenue from 49th to 52nd Streets. The surrounding community was then invited to attend one of two meetings held either last Wednesday, February 24th or Saturday, February 27th at the People’s Baptist Church to share their input.
Of the approximate seventy-five residents to attend last Wednesday’s meeting, nearly everyone present had lived in the neighborhood for at least five years, though only a handful had lived in Cedar Park for twenty years or more.
"Why are we here?" asked the Community Design Collaborative’s David Hincher at the start of Wednesday’s meeting. "To have a conversation with residents, business owners, and community leaders to discuss the future of this stretch of Baltimore Avenue."
"At this stage, it’s just a discussion," said Hincher, adding, "Nothing that is discussed here is set in stone either-though plans might be spawned from these workshops."
UC Review: University City Historical Society 2009 Awards
On Valentine’s Day, 2010, amidst the winter’s record-breaking snowstorms, the University City Historical Society hosted the annual members’ awards tea. A surprisingly large number braved the elements to come to the c. 1903 icicle-covered white marble "Castle" of Nick & Ellie Cernansky to enjoy tea and the spread and applaud those honored for outstanding preservation efforts in 2009.
These featured two recently restored Second Empire style twins in Powelton Village, one at 3404-06 Hamilton Street and the other at 3404-06 Baring Street sharing similar histories. On Hamilton, owner/contactor Larry Biond and Fran McGinnis had, since the 1960’s, worked to restore and preserve the multi-unit 3404, including its distinctive wooden porch, while watching its twin at 3406 suffer neglect and abandonment. In the new century they acquired it, gutted the interior, rebuilt & restored its exterior walls and the matching porch and gave the two halves a coordinated multi-colored paint scheme. They now enjoy their splendidly restoration twins from their new single family quarters at 3406.
Weekly Press: Frank Loyd Wright In Elkins Park
Weekly Press: Frank Loyd Wright In Elkins Park
When Rabbi Mortimer J. Cohen wrote to architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 1950s, he said that envisioned a wholly modern "American synagogue, a Mt. Sinai of light…wrought in modern materials."
The rabbi’s vision produced Beth Shalom of Elkins Park, the soaring concrete and glass building of space age proportions, the great architect’s only synagogue out of at least 1,000 projects. Completed in 1959 shortly after Wright’s death, this year marks the building’s 50th anniversary, an historic milestone for most buildings, but for Beth Sholom an especially important time because for half a century there have been no real restorations to the building save work on the synagogue’s glass ceiling, which has been subject to leaks over the years. This summer Philadelphia’s Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates (VSBA) initiated a new project: the carving out of a Visitor’s Center within Beth Sholom’s Robin Lounge, a heretofore unremarkable space that over the years had been crammed with memorabilia-filled display cases.
"The building is the same age as the Guegiehameim in New York, which was just restored," says James Kolker, principal at VSBA, who heads the creation of a new Visitor Center within the building. "The project has two components. One is taking a lounge that is used for many different purposes and restoring it. We took out these cases that have been put in it, bring back the original color and appearance. Within that space we added the exhibition components. The display cases were really just dumped there," Mr. Kolker adds.
Mr. Kolker says his participation in the project has special significance for him because he was Bar Mitzvohed at Beth Sholom some thirty years ago. "There’s a sentimental attachment here," he says.
VSBA worked with Picture Projects of New York since July to create a Visitors Center that is much more than plaques on a wall. The final product includes interactive videos, exhibits of the architect’s ink drawings, as well as the correspondence between Wright and Rabbi Cohen. A gift shop now sells Wright-related housewares, stationary and jewelry. The project was completed and opened to the public on November 15, 2009.
"Beth Sholom is a living and breathing institution, not a dead historic artifact," Mr. Kolker says, "but it’s a very inaccessible building for wheelchairs or elderly people because it has steps all over the place, so one of the major structural changes was replacing a little stairway with a ramp."
UPDATED: Publications and Newsletters, March 2010
GRID magazine is a new Philadelphia-based magazine for sustainability. Covering topics such as energy, food, shelter, transportation, ecology and culture.
DVRPC Focus Newsletter, March 2010
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission presents Focus, news and events for local governments within the DVPRC region.
Green Jobs Philly News #17, March 2010
GreenJobsPhilly.org makes it easy for Philadelphians to offer and request GREEN JOBS, green GRANTS and green LOANS. Our job is to help you connect with the people, money, raw materials and know-how you’ll need.
Councilman Darrell Clarke, 5th District Update, March 2010
This is Councilman Clarke's "5th District Update" which was created to keep you posted on ongoing events and happenings in our district. Click on the link above and feel free to forward to friends or other organizations of the 5th Councilmanic District. If there is anyone who would like to be on the list to receive the "5th District Update" please reply to darrell.clarke@phila.gov with the subject line "5th District Update Email List."
Preservation Alliance e-news, March 2010
The mission of the Preservation Alliance is to actively promote the appreciation, protection, and appropriate use and development of the Philadelphia region’s historic buildings, communities and landscapes.
Next Great City Newsletter, 8 March 2010
The Next Great City coalition is made up of diverse groups all working towards a common goal: making Philadelphia the Next Great City. The initiative is dedicated to creating a positive future for Philadelphia by advocating for common sense, cost effective policies that enhance environmental quality, strengthen neighborhoods and increase our economic competitiveness.
Federal Transit Administration, Transit Research and Industry News Update (January - February 2010)
The Federal Transit Administration's Transit Research and Industry News Update, a report that provides a variety of information about transportation-related research and technology.
University City Community Enews, March 3, 2010
Click here to read the community newsletter from the University City District, which includes updates on free events and workshops across the neighborhood.
PA Chapter of the American Planning Association Newsletter
The February 2010 Issue of The Vantage Point is now available. In this issue: PA Land Choices Teaches the Importance of Land Use Planning; Integrating Transportation and Land Use into Comprehensive Plans; Call for Presentations for the 2010 Annual Conference; Required Training Initative; PA Chapter Annual Awards - Applications Now Available
