Non-Profit Org.
U. S. Postage
PAID
WasHINGTON, D. C.
Permit No. 40803
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Mrs. Mildred Taylor
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PRESERVATION NEWS
National Trust for Historic Preservation
815-17TH STREET, N.W. WASHINGTON 6, D. C.
FEBRUARY 1962, Volume II, Number 2
IN COOPERATION WITH THE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, the National
Trust is developing a program whereby the historic sites and buildings
operated by the Trust and affiliated member organizations will be pro-
moted by the Travel Service abroad. This service was created last year to
encourage foreign travel to this country. The Travel Service has seven
Overseas travel offices, and an arrangement for supplying travel informa-
tion in five other countries. The National Trust has provided 12 sets of
leaflets on members' properties from the supply left at last year's annual
meeting. Organizations are being sent a questionnaire to determine their
interest in this overseas promotion;and for a supply of printed materials.
"BANK FINDS PATINA OF AGE ASSET in seeking new quarters here," writes
the New York Times. "Office buildings seldom improve with age. But in the
case of one downtown building, age and pedigree were important factors in
closing one of the largest foreign bank leases ever made in the financial
district. An $8 million lease was entered into by the Bank of London and
South America, Ltd., for 50 per cent of the space in the 17-story office
building at 84 William Street. The bank's decision was prompted in part
by the fact that this was not a new building. Another factor was that it
had originally been erected in -the-early 1900's for a British company. In
addition to providing a prime location,the building offered an opportunity
to adapt a seasoned structure with modern conveniences. Yet it still
would retain the original British flavor."
HISTORIC BUT OF LITTLE VALUE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES, the old Wes-
leyan Conservatory on Wesleyan College campus, Macon, Ga., has been sold
to the United States government for a half-million dollars. The building
will be destroyed and the site made available for a new post office. The
Sale marked defeat for Wesleyan alumnae who had struggled for many years
to preserve the Conservatory as either a state or national historic site.
Center portion of the Conservatory was built in 1836 when Wesleyan was
organized as the first college for women. This portion was remodeled and
the building enlarged in the Victorian era.At this time it was called "the
most elegant and complete edifice for educational purposes,north or south"!
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Referring to Indianapolis - there stands in the center of our
town the Monument Circle. The monument in the center of that
circle is one of the curiosities of the world. Such a combina-
tion of incongruous forms, shapes, sculptures, fountains and
central shaft I have never seen. Dedicated after the Civil War
to its war dead, it epitomizes the extremes in all that is bad
in art, sculpture and composition. And yet, s0 lovingly and
sincerely and confidently is it put together, and so consistent-
ly bad is it as to become, in a peculiar way, a work of art. It
will, I pray, always remain. -- Nathaniel A. Owings
"TWO MEN LOOK AT HISTORIC PRESERVATION" in the February issue of the
Journal of the American Institute of Architects. The article features the
address of the Honorable Stewart L. Udall, Secretary of the Interior, at
the annual dinner of the Downtown Lower Manhattan Association and the
speech of Nathaniel A. Owings,FAIA, at the annual meeting of the National
Trust. Reprints at $.10 each are available from National Trust head-
quarters, 815-l7th Street, N. W., Room 240, Washington 6, D.C.
CHARLES VAN RAVENSWAAY, director of the Missouri Historical Society,
St. Louis, and member of the board of trustees of the National Trust, has
been elected president of Old Sturbridge Village. Mr. Van Ravenswaay
succeeds Frank O. Spinney who has accepted the position of director of the
Saint-Gaudens Museum, Cornish, N. H.
"SHELL OIL COMPANY, one of the nation's leading outdoor advertisers,
has announced plans to discontinue its billboard advertising program.
Abandonment of the company's highway advertising program was described in
a recent issue of Harper's Magazine." ASLA, Land, January 1962
Awards and recipients are: the George McAneny Historic Preservation Medal,
Mrs. Fanny Hanna Moore, Convent, N. J.; the Horace Marden Albright Scenic
Preservation Medal, Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr., St. Louis, Mo.;the Cornelius
Amory Pugsley Medals -Gold, Allen T. Edmunds, regional chief of the divi-
sion of recreation resource planning of the National Park Service, Phila-
delphia; -Siiver, Charles Alvin DeTurk, director of the California Depart-
ment of Parks & Recreation; -Bronze, Frank Gass McInnis, director of the
Detroit Zoological Park, Mich. Citations of Merit went to Mrs. Arthur
Hays Sulzberger and Otto E. Koegel, New York City, and Edward J. Grassman,
Elizabeth, N. J.
MARYLAND'S GOVERNOR J. MILLARD TAWES recently appointed representa-
tives of Historic Annapolis, Inc., the Historical Society of Annapolis
and Anne Arundel County, as a commission to undertake "research surveys
involving land evidence records, location of property lines, changes of
ownership and other activity relative to defining the physical history of
Annapolis." An appropriation of $5000 will be used to defray the cost of
the research services of the commission, and Maryland's Hall of Records
has been designated as the depository for the material to be compiled.
ANTI-UGLIES -- "This country could use a movement like that of the
Anti-Uglies of Britain -- a group of young citizens who protest bad archi-
tecture, said Walter Gropius. He spoke in New York City after receiving
the $20,000 Kaufmann International Design Award for 1961."AIA Memo, Jan.1L5.
fight for permission to demolish the historic Woods-Gerry House. After
weighing the school's appeal for seven months, the Providence Zoning Board
of Review sustained the February 1961 decision of the Historic District
Commission to refuse a permit to raze the structure. Still open to the
school which bought the Gerry Mansion in 1959 at a cost of $100,000 is an
appeal to the courts. The structure, built in 1863, is on the second
priority list established when the College Hill historic zoning district
was created in September 1960. In denying the School of Design appeal,the
zoning board found that the evidence presented to it had demonstrated the
mansion to be of substantial historical value. In cooperation with the
Providence Preservation Society, the commission sought unsuccessfully over
a two-month period to work out some acceptable plan that would save the
Gerry house. When efforts failed it disapproved the demolition permit.
MAKE MINE MANHATTAN is the subject of Henry Hope Reed's March 20 talk
on New York’s ruling families, 1700-1930, one of a series of lectures
being held by the Museum of the City of New York. The popularity of the
walking tours sponsored by the Museum and directed by Mr. Reed indicated
a growing desire among New Yorkers to know more about their city, more of
actuality and more of anecdote. The Museum initiated the lecture series,
on widely diverse subjects but each one essentially of New York,each high-
lighted by a speaker distinguished in his field.
COMMITTEE FOR PRESERVATION OF PORT HUDSON BATTLEFIELD, Baton Rouge,
La., and the American Bank & Trust Company are presenting an exhibition of
original lithographs published by Currier and Ives, from the collection of
The Travelers Insurance Companies, Hartford, Conn. The object is to
awaken public interest in the role played by Port Hudson in the early Anm-
erican scene. On display with the Currier & Ives prints is the "Port
Hudson Collection,"'consisting of 15 sheets containing 20 etchings of Civil
War scenes in Baton Rouge and Port Hudson. Copies of the collection may be
obtained for $2.25 from the Arts & Science Center, Old State Capital Bldg.
PLANS ARE BEING MADE FOR THE NATIONAL TRUST'S 16TH ANNUAL MEETING in
San Francisco, October 4-7. Recognizing the large number of members on
the East Coast who will be attending the meeting, exploratory talks have
been held with airlines regarding charter service between Washington and
San Francisco. It is necessary to know in advance how many persons would
be interested in charter service which would cost approximately one-half
the regular commercial fare. Proposed flights would depart Thursday,
October 4, and return Monday, October 8.
Trips to Hawaii may also be scheduled, if sufficient interest is
evidenced by the members. This would be planned by a travel agent, with
special hospitality and visits to historic sites planned for National
Trust members. The excursion would leave San Francisco on Monday,October
8,and return the end of the week.
Please fill in the form below to indicate interest in any of the pro-
posed flights. The annual meeting program and additional activities will
be announced in future newsletters.
I would be interested in round-trip charter service,Washington-San Francisco
I would be interested in one-way charter service,Washington-San Francisco
or San Francisco-Washington
I would be interested in a planned tour of Hawaii
NAME
ADDRESS
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is actively seeking new members. Mail
or give this to a friend. Memberships available: Individual—Associate (Student,
Teacher, Professional) $5 Active $10 Contributing $25 Sustaining $100 Life $1000;
Organization—Active $25 Contributing $50 Sustaining $100; Corporation—$100 and up.
Non-Profit Org.
U. S. Postage
PAID
WasuincrTon, D. C.
Permit No. 40803
Mrs. Mildred Taylor
35 Phelps St.
Lyons, N. Y. A
PRESERVATION NEWS
National Trust for Historic Preservation
815-17tTH STREET, N.W. WASHINGTON 6, D. C.
NOVEMBER 1962, Volume II, Number 11
DAVID E. FINLEY, chairman of the Board since 1947, was named chairman
emeritus and honorary trustee for life of the National Trust at the 1962
business meeting in San Francisco. Mr. Finley told the more than 400 dele-
gates: "I believe strongly in the wisdom of rotation in office; and so I
advised our Nominating Committee several months ago, as regards the chair-
manship of the Board, that I would not run, if nominated, and would not
serve, if elected. That, I believe, is the correct formula to be used when
one is quite definite about such matters."
Mrs. Hermann G. Place,on behalf of the Board and the staff, presented
Mr. Finley a George III English silver tankard. Made in London in 1801 by
Robert and David Hennell, the piece is a close match for one already owned
by Mr. Finley. An attached silver medallion read: "David Edward Finley -
Chairman and Leader - The National Trust for Historic Preservation 1947-
1962 - with admiration and affection - The Trustees and Staff."
GORDON GRAY was elected chairman of the Board to succeed Mr. Finley.
A former Secretary of the Army,Mr. Gray is a member of President Kennedy's
Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. He is also a trustee of the Corcoran
Gallery of Art and the Brookings Institution, and a director of the R. J.
Reynolds Tobacco Company and Champion Papers, Hamilton, Ohio. He has been
active in a program to make Washington a model capital,and in January 1962
was elected president of the Federal City Council, a group of influential
business and civic leaders of the community which acts in an advisory ca-
pacity on matters of legislation, redevelopment and general welfare of the
District of Columbia.
Mr. Gray,reared in North Carolina,is chairman of the board and presi-
dent of the Piedmont Publishing Company which owns the Winston-Salem, N.C.
Journal and the Twin City Sentinel, and also operates TV and radio station
WSJS. He graduated from University of North Carolina in 1930, returning as
its president 20 years later. He received an LL.B.degree from Yale Univer-
Sity Law School and is a member of the New York and North Carolina bars.
1962 BUSINESS SESSION OF THE ANNUAL MEETING was held October 5 in San
Francisco. The membership received the Annual Report of the Chairman with
a standing ovation for Mr. Finley. John Walker made a motion, which was
passed unanimously, that the members record a resolution of appreciation
for the many years of devoted service given to the Trust by Mr. Finley.
Treasurer's Report, presented by Robert C. Baker, treasurer,consisted
of highlights of the 1962 Audit. He stated that all members of the Trust
would receive condensed balance sheets and operating schedules at a later
date.
Re-elected to the Board of Trustees for the next five-year term were
Henry Clay Hofheimer, Il, Henry Flynt, Gordon Gray, Ronald F. Lee and
Mrs. Henry P. Russell. Members confirmed the appointments to the Board,
since the last annual meeting, of Barry Bingham to fill the unexpired term
of the late Robert Woods Bliss,and Robert C. Baker to fill the unexpired
term of C. F. Jacobsen. Elected officers of the Board were Gordon Gray,
chairman; Mrs. Hermann G. Place and Ralph P. Hanes, vice chairmen;H. Alex-
ander Smith, Jr., secretary; and Robert C. Baker, treasurer. Board members
elected to the Executive Committee:John Clifford Folger,Carlisle H. Humel-
sine and Ronald F. Lee. Re-elected for one-year terms: William J.Murtagh,
assistant secretary; David W. K. Peacock, Jr., J. L. Sheldon and Edward A.
Dent, Jr., assistant treasurers. The Nominating Committee's report was
presented by H. Alexander Smith, Jr., chairman, Mrs. Ernest L. Ives. and
Mrs, Richard B. Wigglesworth.
Schedule for forthcoming annual meetings was announced by Robert R.
Garvey, Jr.: Washington, D. C., 1963 (October 17-21, headquarters: Shore-
ham Hotel); St. Louis, Mo., 1964; and Winston-Salem, N. C., 1965.- Mr.
Garvey acknowledged, with appreciation for the Board, the many invitations
received by the National Trust from cities and member organizations.
1963 Trustees Nominating Committee presented by Mr. Finley was_ con-
firmed by the membership: Mrs. Hermann G. Place, chairman; James Brown,IV,
of Chicago; and John Nicholas Brown of Providence.
A resolution supporting preservation of the San Francisco Mint,recom-
mended by the Board of Trustees,was unanimously adopted by the membership.
It reads: WHEREAS, the United States Mint Building in San Francisco,is one
of the few monumental buildings to survive the fire and earthquakeof 1906;
one of the finest examples of federal architecture in the West; one which
has played a distinguished role in our national history; and which fully
qualifies under the Criteria of the National Trust for Historic Preserva-
tion as nationally significant in our American history and culture:
THEREFORE, be it resolved: THAT the National Trust urge the federal
government to preserve in perpetuity this structure which has been under
its jurisdiction since its construction almost a century ago, and further
to adapt it to appropriate federal purposes:
THAT should some use for this structure and site, other than federal
be more desirable, it will not be demolished; and unqualified assurance of
its preservation be required if disposed of through sale or otherwise."
GIFT MEMBERSHIPS
NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Use this form to present memberships in the National Trust~for
Christmas gifts. he membership card announcing your gift,
inscribed as you request, will be mailed prior to Christmas;
names of persons given gift memberships will be entered on our
rolls to receive the January newsletter and Volume 14,Number 4
of the quarterly journal, to be-mailed early in January 1963
ADDRESS
GEFT INSCRIPTION
NAME
ADDRESS
GIFT INSCRIPTION
NAME
GIFT INSCRIPTION
Gift made by
NAME
ADDRESS
Contributions are deductible for tax purposes
Make checks payable to NATIONAL TRUST
Enclose this form with check and mail to: National Trust for Historic Preservation
815 - 17th Street, N. W., Room 240
Washington 6, D.C.
1962 BUSINESS SESSION OF THE ANNUAL MEETING was held October 5 in San
Francisco. The membership received the Annual Report of the Chairman with
a standing ovation for Mr. Finley. John Walker made a motion, which was
passed unanimously, that the members record a resolution of appreciation
for the many years of devoted service given to the Trust by Mr. Finley.
Treasurer's Report, presented by Robert C. Baker, treasurer,consisted
of highlights of the 1962 Audit. He stated that all members of the Trust
would receive condensed balance sheets and operating schedules at a later
date.
Re-elected to the Board of Trustees for the next five-year term were
Henry Clay Hofheimer, II, Henry Flynt, Gordon Gray, Ronald F. Lee and
Mrs. Henry P. Russell. Members confirmed the appointments to the Board,
Since the last annual meeting, of Barry Bingham to fill the unexpired term
of the late Robert Woods Bliss,and Robert C. Baker to fill the unexpired
term of C. F. Jacobsen. Elected officers of the Board were Gordon Gray,
chairman; Mrs. Hermann G. Place and Ralph P. Hanes, vice chairmen;H. Alex-
ander Smith, Jr., secretary; and Robert C. Baker, treasurer. Board members
elected to the Executive Committee:John Clifford Folger,Carlisle H. Humel-
Sine and Ronald F. Lee. Re-elected for one-year terms: William J.Murtagh,
assistant secretary; David W. K,. Peacock, Jr., J. L. Sheldon and Edward A.
Dent, Jr., assistant treasurers, The Nominating Committee's report was
presented by H. Alexander Smith, Jr., chairman, Mrs. Ernest L. Ives and
Mrs. Richard B. Wigglesworth,
Schedule for forthcoming annual meetings was announced by Robert R.
Garvey, Jr.: Washington, D. C., 1963 (October 17-21, headquarters: Shore-
ham Hotel); St. Louis, Mo., 1964; and Winston-Salem, N.C., 1965. Mr.
Garvey acknowledged, with appreciation for the Board, the many invitations
received by the National Trust from cities and member organizations.
1963 Trustees Nominating Committee presented by Mr. Finley was con-
firmed by the membership: Mrs. Hermann G. Place, chairman; James Brown,IV,
of Chicago; and John Nicholas Brown of Providence.
A resolution supporting preservation of the San Francisco Mint ,recom-
mended by the Board of Trustees,was unanimously adopted by the membership.
It reads: WHEREAS, the United States Mint Building in San Francisco,is one
of the few monumental buildings to survive the fire and earthquakeof 1906;
one of the finest examples of federal architecture in the West; one which
has played a distinguished role in our national history; and which fully
qualifies under the Criteria of the National Trust for Historic Preserva-
tion as nationally significant in our American history and culture:
THEREFORE, be it resolved: THAT the National Trust urge the federal
government to preserve in perpetuity this structure which has been under
its jurisdiction since its construction almost a century ago, and further
to adapt it to appropriate federal purposes:
THAT should some use for this’ structure and Site, other than federal
be more desirable, it will not be demolished; and unqualified assurance of
its preservation be required if disposed of through sale or otherwise."
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PLANS FOR A NEW FEDERAL OFFICE BUILDING on Lafayette Square, which
will retain the residential and historic character of the "president's
front yard," were announced October 18 by Bernard L. Boutin, director of
General Services Administration, at a press conference attended by Mrs.
John F. Kennedy. The National Trust owns Decatur House on the Square and
was evicted five years ago from its headquarters at 712 Jackson Place on
the west side of the Square, one of the 19th-century houses which was to
have been razed. The National Trust at that time, with the American Insti-
tute of Architects, the National Park Service, the Department of Interior
and other organizations and individuals,proposed retention of the historic
aspects of the Park and Square,while providing for efficient modern office
space. Executive Office Building No. 7, re-designed by John Carl Warnecke
& Associates of San Francisco, will set back from Jackson Place; the 19th-
century buildings around the Square and the Court of Claims will be re-
tained. A reprieve was also given for the Old State,War and Navy Building
which adjoins the White House. This structure, designed by A. B. Mullet,
has been in danger for several years.
President Kennedy, in endorsing the plan for Lafayette Square, has
given urban renewal experts and city planners a new guide for the reten-
tion of note-worthy structures in the metropolis. In expressing concern
for the environs of the White House and the saving of historic and archi-
tectural monuments, Mr. Kennedy said, in part, "I have been reflecting on
the significance of this work, not only in the terms of the importance of
it to the environs of the White House and our capital,but to what it means
in a broader sense to other cities and communities throughout America.
"As you know, I am fully cognizant of the progress made by American
Architects and Planners in their contribution to our country in contempor-
ary design. This coupled with equal progress made in our cities by their
respective governing bodies in forging ahead with vast programs of urban
renewal and redevelopment leads me to comment on the manner in which these
plans are actually carried out. There are throughout our land specific
areas and specific buildings of historical significance or architectural
excellence that are threatened by this onward march of progress. I be-
lieve that the importance of Lafayette Square lies in the fact that we are
not willing to destroy our cultural and historic heritage but that we are
willing to find means of preserving it while still meeting the require-
ments of growth in government. I hope that the same can be done in other
parts of our country.
"I am particularly pleased that in this case you and the architects
were able to express in the new buildings the architecture of our time in
a contemporary manner that harmonizes with the historic buildings."
THE LOUISE DU PONT. CROWNINSHIELD AWARD of the National Trust was
given to Mrs. Katharine Prentis Murphy, distinguished patron of the arts
and donor to historic structures. Mr. Finley presented the sculptured
testimonial - a gold-plated eagle on a base of polished green stone -
citation and $1000 stipend to Mrs. Murphy at the annual meeting banquet.
After summarizing the history of the Award, Mr. Finley read the citation:
"The National Trust for Historic Preservation established the Louise du
Pont Crowninshield Award in 1960, to recognize superlative achievement in
the preservation and interpretation of sites, buildings and objects Signi-
ficant in American history and culture. It is fitting that this Award be
presented to Mrs. Katharine Prentis Murphy of Connecticut and New York,one
of the nation's foremost collectors of 17th- and 18th-century antiques.
"In 1950-51 she gave the New-York Historical Society the Prentis Col-
lection of Colonial New England Furnishings,which under her direction were
installed in original early rooms. To this munificent gift she added a
choice collection of toys from three centuries, and a superb collection of
porcelain.
"In 1957 she equipped and furnished five rooms in the Prentis House
at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont. To the New Hampshire Historical Soc-
iety at Concord she presented four Prentis-Murphy Rooms, furnished chiefly
with rare regional antiques. Her generosity extended to the White Horse
Tavern, Newport, R.I.; St. Luke's Church, Smithfield, Va.; three notable
restorations in Connecticut; and the museum of decorative arts being
assembled at Bayou-Bend, Houston, Texas.
"For her many and diversified contributions to an understanding of
the social history of earlier days as represented in the finest examples
of the arts and crafts of silversmiths and cabinetmakers, displayed in
appropriate settings,the National Trust presents the Louise du Pont Crown-
inshield Award to Mrs. Katharine Prentis Murphy."
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is actively seeking new members. Mail
or give this to a friend. Memberships available: Individual—Associate (Student,
Teacher, Professional) $5 Active $10 Contributing $25 Sustaining $100 Life $1000:
Organization—Active $25 Contributing $50 Sustaining $100; Corporation—$100 and up.
Non-Profit Org.
U. S. Postage
PAID
WASHINGTON, D. C.
Permit No. 40803
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PRESERVATION NEWS
National Trust for Historic Preservation
815-17tH STREET, N.W. WASHINGTON 6, D. C.
DECEMBER 1962, Volume II, Number 12
A TWO-WEEK CONFERENCE FOR HISTORIC MUSEUM ASSOCIATES, sponsored by the
National Trust,will be conducted January 21-February 1 at Woodlawn Planta-
tion, Mt. Vernon, Va. The conference, limited to 15 persons, is designed
to provide paid staff and volunteer workers of historic house museums and
other history museums an Opportunity to discuss problems of museum func-
tion and administration. Participants will visit the Library of Congress;
National Archives; White House; National Park Service and Smithsonian In-
stitution laboratories; The Octagon,headquarters of the American Institute
of Architects; and Decatur House. They will make special tours of Alexan-
dria, the Custis-Lee Mansion,Gunston Hall and Mount Vernon, and will visit
Wakefield, Stratford, Kenmore, the Mary Washington House and the James
Monroe Law Office Museum and Memorial Library in Fredericksburg. The
group will also go to Delaware and, Pennsylvania to see Winterthur Museum,
Ephrata Cloisters and the Landis Valley Museum.
Members of the staff of the National Trust,the National Park Service,
the Smithsonian Institution, the National Gallery of Art and other museum
organizations in the Washington area will lead the discussions.
The tuition fee of $85 includes course registration, tour transporta-
tion, room and meals (except those on weekend tour), and entry to exhibi-
tion buildings. Additional information may be obtained from William J.
Murtagh, director of the National Trust's Department of Education.
DELAWARE'S CANNON BALL HOUSE,which bears scars of the bombardment of Lewes
by the British Navy on April 7, 1813,will be purchased and restored by the
Lewes Historical Society. The cypress-shingled dwelling built before 1790,
is also known as the David Rowland House after its original owner. It is
a two-story structure with a one-story wing which is believed to be the
original part. A marker indicates where the cannon ball struck. With the
purchase of this structure, the newly formed society will own three his-
toric buildings. The Ingram-Burton House and the Country Store are the
other two. The society is planning to re-enact the bombardment of Lewes
on its two Historic Lewes Days in 1963, marking the 159th anniversary of
the attack.
THE REPUBLIC - left
THE CABLE - below
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THE CABLE AND THE REPUBLIC are two Chicago buildings lost while the fate
of the Garrick Theater was being decided. "Cable, built in 1899, and
Republic, 1905-09," wrote Thomas B. Stauffer, president of the Chicago
Heritage Committee (NI member), "were designed by the great firm of Hola-
bird and Roche and are excellent examples of the Chicago style, expressing
steel frame construction in clear architectural terms. The Republic in
particular, noble in conception and elegant in execution, is one of the
latest examples of the distinctive Chicago style, erected just before a
wave of confused eclectic taste buried the native genius of the American
cities for a generation." A $6 million, 15-story office building for Home
Federal Savings & Loan Association, designed by Skidmore,Owings & Merrill,
is being constructed on the Republic's site. A $15 million, 22-story
office building, has been completed on a large plot, a portion of which
was occupied by the Cable. This structure, designed by Naess & Murphy, is
the headquarters of the Continental Assurance Company,Continental Casualty
Company and Western Office of National Fire Insurance Company.
RECENT NEW MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS--Antiquarian Society of Huntsville (Ala.);
Block House Bottom Restoration Society (Ky.); Carlisle Beautification and
Restoration Association (Pa.); Hillsborough Garden Club (Calif.); Histori-
cal Landmarks Foundation (Ind.); Hudson Heritage Association (Ohio) ;Junior
League of Pittsburgh (Pa.); Junior League of San Francisco (Calif.);Pied-
mont Garden Club (Calif.); Pasadena Garden Club (Calif.); Pioneer Arizona
Foundation; Wyoming State Archives and History Department.
The SPECIAL LIBRARY SUBSCRIPTION to National Trust publications, including
the quarterly and the newsletter, will be increased from $2.00 to $3.00
per year. The change will be effective when the new postage rate goes in-
to effect the first of 1963. New postal regulations also require that the
postal zone numbers be used to insure delivery.
OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY is trying to save Portland's Pioneer Post Of-
fice, its status now debatable, although it is still used for government
purposes. It was built 1869-73, and designed by A. B. Mullet when he was
supervising architect of the Treasury Department. "It is the only edifice
in downtown Portland which is at all symbolic of eras past," said the late
Senator Richard Neuberger. "If it is torn down...it never can be duplica-
ted. That part of Oregon's rich history will be lost for all time."Marion
D. Ross, associate professor of architecture at the University of Oregon,
writes, it is "the earliest important public building still standing in
Oregon. The Post Office was built in a conservative manner when in other
parts of the country a robust Second Empire was the fashion.Its restrained
design makes it seem all the better to modern eyes. It has a quiet dignity
that is truly classical."
RECOMMENDED FOR READING is the article, "America the Beautiful -- Heritage
or Honky-Tonk?" pp. 7-10 in the November issue of Changing Times. "Before
you read this report on the state of some of America's natural wonders and
historic shrines," cautions the preface,"relax and calm yourself. The word
picture to follow is harsh but truthful. By the time you're through read-
ing, you may feel upset, or even mad. Face it squarely and proceed from
there to exercise your pride in community and nation."
torical Society. Mother Seaton, a convert to Catholicism, founded the
Sisters of Charity in America, the first order of American born nuns in
this country. She also established a free school in Emmitsburg, Md., in
1809 which later served as a model for the parochial school system in the
United States. The restoration committee hopes to raise $40,000-$50,000
by private donations to restore the house to its original appearance.
A NOVEMBER 6 BALLOT VOTE SAVED MATHEWS MANSION, Norwalk, Conn., with a
2,508 majority, 8,632 to 6,124 -- all wards favoring the preservation of
the 1863 building. Councilwoman Eleanor Grosby, chairman of the Parks and
Recreation Committee of the Common Council,said: "I will recommend that an
appropriation be made as soon as possible for repairs on the mansion to
keep it from deteriorating any more and to protect it from the winter wea-
ther."' The people of Norwalk, Mrs. Grosby said, "have voted to preserve
the building and this is the first step until a decision is made as to
what use should be made of it." The Norwalk Evening Hour reported on May
6, "Getting out the vote on the question was the task of the Common Inter-
est Group (NI member), headed by Carroll Calkins and other residents who
offered their efforts. The victory was a tribute to their perseverance in
the face of opposition from various city officials and planning boards.
Those who want to see the building used as a museum for the display of
Norwalk's historical artifacts, or as a tourist attraction,or as a meeting
hall and/or a combination of all of these, fought tirelessly for their
cause. It will be incumbent upon then, Says City Hall sources, to follow
through with their plans, providing the council accepts the results of the
referendum."
IN A RECENT TALK AT FORT TOTTEN, NORTH DAKOTA'S Governor William L. Guy
pledged that he would make every effort to accelerate a program to pre-
serve the state's historic sites. "We cannot continue to let such histori-
cally important points as the Fort Totten Cavalry Square slip beyond the
point of restoration. The development of our western heritage and the
expansion of our tourist attractions will depend in large measure on how
carefully we preserve the historic structures of our pioneer past. The
Fort Totten Cavalry Square,'' he continued "is the last remaining military
fort which contains its original buildings intact. We will ask the federal
government to join hands with the state of North Dakota in an accelerated
program of preserving North Dakota's historic points for the generations
of Americans yet to come."
THE ADIRONDACK MUSEUM OF BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE, N.Y., is preparing for publi-
cation a biography and check list of Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait (1819-1905),
an American painter known chiefly for his Currier & Ives scenes and animal
pictures. Members are requested to write Warder H. Cadbury, research
associate, at the Museum if they own or know of the location of any paint-
ings by Tait in private or institutional collections.
THE 1963 TRUSTEE NOMINATING COMMITTEE is now preparing a slate to fill ex-
pired terms and other vacancies on the Board for presentation to the mem-
bership at the 1963 business meeting in Washington, October 18. Names for
consideration, with biographical information, may be submitted to the Com-
mittee at the headquarters address. Members of the Nominating Committee
are Mrs. Hermann G. Place, chairman; James Brown, IV, of Chicago and John
Nicholas Brown of Providence.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is actively seeking new members. Mail
or give this to a friend. Memberships available: Individual—A ssociate (Student,
Teacher, Professional) $5 Active $10 Contributing $25 Sustaining $100 Life $1000;
Organization—Active $25 Contributing $50 Sustaining $100; Corporation—$100 and up.
Non-Profit Org.
U. S. Postage
PAID
WasHINGTON, D. C.
Permit No. 40803
Mrs. Mildred Taylor
35 Pheips: St.
Lyons, N. Y. A
PRESERVATION NEWS
National Trust for Historic Preservation
815-17tTH STREET, N.W. WASHINGTON 6, D. C.
JANUARY 1963, Volume III, Number 1
THE NATIONAL TRUST WILL CO-SPONSOR a Seminar on Preservation and Restora-
tion with Colonial Williamsburg September 8-11 at Williamsburg, Va. Dis-
cussions during the three and one~half day conference will focus on essays
by eight American and European authorities on the preservation movement.
The speakers, whose papers will be circulated prior to the meeting, are
Jacques Dupont and Mlle. Raymonde Frin of Paris, Charles B. Hosmer, Jr.,
of Principia College, Stephen W. Jacobs of Cornell, Stanislaw Lorentz of
Warsaw, Peter Michelsen of Copenhagen, Sir John Summerson of London, and
Christopher Tunnard of Yale. Subjects to be discussed are the historical
basis and philosophy of preservation; the influence of governmental parti-
cipation and private philanthropy on the movement; and the practical and
educational uses of sites and buildings preserved for this historic asso-
ciation. A statement of principles for the guidance of preservationists
will be formulated at the seminar, to which preservation leaders through-
out the nation will be invited.
ROBERT R. GARVEY,JR., NATIONAL TRUST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, is studying pres-
ervation programs in Germany as the guest of the Press and Information
Service of the Federal Republic of Germany. He was welcomed by a repre-
sentative of Inter Nationes in Bonn on December 27, and before his depar=
ture January 17 will visit Munster, Hanover, Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt,
Nuremberg, Munich and Freiburg. Mr. Garvey will meet with preservation
authorities in Paris and London before his return to Washington.
THE FLATTS, residence of the famed Schuyler family, near Albany, N.Y., was
destroyed recently by flames that a fire official said were "definitely
set." The brick and frame building, on land that had been sold as a site
for a shopping center, had been vacant for several years. The Albany
County Historical Association had started a move to preserve the house.
State Historian Albert B. Corey said one of the first occupants of the
mansion was believed to have been Richard Van Rensselaer, who moved into
the house in 1668 and lived there for two years. Gen. Philip Schuyler, the
Revolutionary War leader, lived there shortly after his marriage.
AT THE PRESENTATION OF A BRONZE PLAQUE DESIGNATING DECATUR HOUSE* a Re-
gistered National Historic Landmark on December 11, Conrad L. Wirth, Dir-
ector of the National Park Service,credited the Trust property with exert-
ing an influence upon the recent decision to retain the residential quali-
ty and scale of this Lafayette Square area of the nation's capital. He
stated that the proper preservation of such notable landmarks serves as a
bulwark against the improper development of an area.
Wirth also expressed appreciation of the close cooperation between the Na-
tional Park Service and the National Trust, and noted their parallel ca-
reers in preservation over the past sixteen years. In accepting the award
on behalf of the National Trust,the Honorable Gordon Gray,recently elected
chairman of the Board of Trustees, paid tribute to Stephen Decatur and the
succession of other naval heroes and patriots identified with naval his-
tory and with the Latrobe-designed house on Lafayette Square.
Wirth was introduced by Rear Adm. Ernest M. Eller, U.S.N. (Ret.),Director
of Naval History. The ceremony was attended by members of the Board of
Trustees, the Decatur House Committee and staff of the National Trust, the
National Park Service, the National Capital Parks, the Smithsonian,the Am-
erican Association of Museums, the Naval Historical Foundation, the Ameri-
can Institute of Architects, and the press.
*Participants pictured above are, left to right: Robert G. Stewart, Direc-
tor of Properties, National Trust; John Littleton, Chief, National Survey
of Historic Sites and Buildings,National Park Service;Joseph A. Patterson,
Executive Director,American Association of Museums;Herbert E. Kahler,Chief
Historian, National Park Service; Mrs. Loring Christie,chairman, Trust De-
catur House Committee; behind Mrs. Christie, Admiral Eller; Mrs. John Farr
Simmons, Decatur House Committee; Mr. Gray; Mr. Wirth; Dr. Leonard Car-
michael, Director, Smithsonian Institution; Mrs. Paul Magnuson, Decatur
House Committee; Joseph Watterson, Editor, AIA Journal; Ronald F. Lee,
trustee, National Trust; and T. Sutton Jett, Regional Director, National
Capitol Region, National Park Service.
GRUNGE OE OWE eee
Historic Landmark status. According to Secretary of the Interior Stewart
L. Udall, this list is "a sweeping panorama of prehistory and history from
the ancient Birnirk culture of Alaska to Captain James Cook's first land-
fall in Hawaii, to the nineteenth-century home of writer Ralph Waldo Emer-
son in Massachusetts...."
Additional sites and structures will be added to the list as they are re-
commended by the Advisory Board on National Parks, Historic Sites, Build-
ings and Monuments, from studies prepared by the National Survey of His-
toric Sites and Buildings. They are selected on the basis of exceptional
value and national significance in commemorating the history of the United
States. They are not administered by the National Park Service, but recog-
nized with a certificate and bronze marker.
The sites are studied by thematic groups, and among the themes which re-
sulted in the designation of the first group of 378 are: Alaska Aboriginal
Culture; Literature, Drama and Music; Travel and Communication; the Fur
Trade; Dutch and Swedish Exploration and Settlement; The War for Indepen-
dence; and Political and Military Affairs, 1783-1830.
TEE CEI eT EERE TEN Te Se te | Ge ote
marking the renovation of Lotta's Fountain. The 36-foot-high monument was
presented to the city in 1876 by Lotta Crabtree, the entertainer who be-
came the favorite of Gold Rush miners. Under a program authorized by the
Board of Supervisors, it now has been restored to its original golden sur-
face and detail. Refurbishing was supervised by the California Historical
Society;the cost was underwritten by Home Mutual Savings and Loan Associa-
tion, whose new office building is near the fountain.
A MADISON RESIDENCE OF SEN. ROBERT M. LAFOLLETTE, SR., one of Wisconsin's
greatest statesmen, has been bought by a Canadian couple with 8 daughters.
They plan to restore the mansion to the condition it was when occupied by
the senator and his family from 1881 to 1906. LaFollette organized his
early political campaigns for governor and for senator from the house.
President Theodore Roosevelt was a guest there. Civil War hero, Gen.George
E. Bryant, the "political grandfather of LaFollette”" was also a visitor.
William Portal-Foster, the new owner, states, "If I should have to leave
Madison and the lovely old LaFollette house, and have it sufficiently re-
stored, I believe that the city or state should acquire it as a historical
Site for the generations of other years to see.... Surely, isn't the La-
Follette home the most historical building in Wisconsin?"
A PROPOSAL THAT UTAH ARCHITECTS UNDERTAKE a phase of the national program
on inventorying historical structures is being considered by the Utah
Chapter, American Institute of Architects. "We are interested in the pro-
blem and undoubtedly will want to do something about it,” said M.E.Harris,
Jr., chapter president. The proposal came from D. James Cannon, director
of the Utah Tourist and Publicity Council, who said continued destruction
of old buildings "because they are old, is threatening to destroy irrev-
ocably some structures which should be retained because of their histori-
cal value and of their value as tourist attractions."
CHRISTMAS TIDINGS TO THE MEMBERS OF THE WYCKOFF HOUSE FOUNDATION carried
announcement of the purchase of the Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House in
Brooklyn. Wyckoffs lived in the house from 1652 to 1908. The Foundation
will take possession of the house on January 10; engineering study ses-
sions and an open house are being planned.
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WISCONSIN and the American Association for
State and Local History have announced plans for a historical agencies
summer workshop to be held annually at the Society's headquarters on the
University of Wisconsin campus. The workshop will be offered on a schol-
arship basis to ten professional or semi-professional directors of staff
members of historical agencies selected from applicants. Additional in-
formation may be obtained from the State Historical Society of Wisconsin,
816 State Street, Madison 6.
SIR FRANK FRANCIS, DIRECTOR OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM, makes the following
request which comes to the National Trust via its member organization,
Colonial Williamsburg. "I wrote to Lyman Butterfield a short time ago
asking him about a problem which is exercising a Scottish friend of mine
who lives at Crail in Fifeshire. He has asked me whether there is any
institution in Canada or the United States likely to be interested in
taking over all or part of the box pews from the Crail Parish Church.
These are, in some cases, in need of repair but the box pew seating of
the church is complete and is an excellent example of what such seating
must have been like at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th
century. Do you think that this seating would be of interest to any body
in the U.S.? I imagine that the conditioning factor would be the expense
of transportation and, ultimately, of repair."
THE LEAGUE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE ARTS AND CRAFTS hopes to move into its new
headquarters in Manchester next summer -- a recently saved house,built in
the 1840's. Abbott Lowell Cummings, assistant director of the Society for
the Preservation of New England Antiquities, examined the house and re-
ported it an "excellent example of its period and its preservation is ex-
tremely worthwhile." Since Manchester did not develop until the mid-19th
century, the house is one of the town's earliest remaining structures.
GEORGE OBERHEIDE, URBAN RENEWAL DIRECTOR for Independence, Mo., has re-
quested a study and report on historically valuable buildings, streets
and areas within the Jackson Square urban renewal project from the Jack-
son County Historical Society. "In our planning of this project, we want
to take cognizance of the need to protect such historical points ,Mr.Ober-
heide wrote. "We need to know, for our re-use planning, the condition of
the long range plans for the city. For instance, shall the structures be:
restored for public use; rehabilitated for private use; moved to a new
Setting; or regretfully abandoned. The study and report we are suggesting
be performed by the Jackson County Historical Society will help us mater-
ially to capture a pride and affection for the old home town that is to
be found among Independence citizenry."
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is actively seeking new members. Mail
or give this to a friend. Memberships available: Individual—Associate (Student,
Teacher, Professional) $5 Active $10 Contributing $25 Sustaining $100 Life $1000:
Organization—Active $25 Contributing $50 Sustaining $100; Corporation—$100 and up.
