This is the last a four part series. You can find the first part here.
Historic preservation has a set of myths. Some originate from a grain of truth, many are outright wrong, and still others require a more nuanced understanding. We run across these myths all the time in our work and constantly push back against them through education, persuasion, and the wisdom of our own experiences. In this series, we take on the four most persistent and sometimes damaging myths in our field.
Myths pervade most aspects of life and they can be very persistent. Whether it’s “we only use 10% of our brain” or “George Washington had wooden teeth” these myths can be relatively harmless – or they can really get in the way of true understanding and action.
Historic preservation has its own set of myths. Some originate from a grain of truth, many are outright wrong, and still others require a more nuanced understanding. » Continue Reading.
A recent opinion piece in the New York Times targeted historic preservation as an out-of-touch field that negatively impacts communities, as well as a movement that does not support building a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly planet. Alongside the responses of my historic preservation colleagues, I’d like to respectfully disagree with the Times piece, too.
Of the dozens of ways that historic preservation makes communities more vibrant, humane, and sustainable, I’d like to highlight a little understood and little appreciated virtue and value of existing buildings – their embodied energy.
At Adirondack Architectural Heritage we’ve invented a word for this value – Embedawatt. » Continue Reading.
Newcomb’s Camp Santanoni hosts three winter weekends each year, which provide an opportunity for people to have access to the Great Camp buildings that are not open year-round. The first winter weekend is January 18-20, with the next two set for February 15-17, March 14-15.
Don’t forget the Great Camp Santanoni is always open to the public, but these Winter Weekends provide public access to the interior of the remaining historic buildings on the property as well as historical educational information. » Continue Reading.
Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) is set to present its annual Preservation Awards on Monday, September 9 to six recipients that exemplify extraordinary stewardship of individual historic properties and ongoing preservation work in communities across the Adirondacks.
The recipients of the 2019 AARCH Preservation Awards are: » Continue Reading.
The Hadley-Lake Luzerne Historical Society is set to host a program entitled Preserving our Adirondack Architecture, with guest speaker Steven Englehart, Executive Director of Adirondack Architectural Heritage. » Continue Reading.
Because of their intended function, horse blocks were accessible to anyone and there was no reason to guard them — except for one night of the year. Pranksters annually targeted them in several ways on Halloween: flipping them if they were too heavy to carry off, piling several on the property of an unsuspecting owner, or placing them in unusual locations, like in the middle of road intersections.
A drastic change in transportation technology — the automobile — marked the beginning of the end for horse travel and several related items that were present just about everywhere: horse blocks, hitching posts, and watering troughs. Progress required the removal of many horse blocks, which had become obstructions to pedestrians and were frequently struck by cars, sometimes causing fatalities. (Driving skills were seriously lacking early on, and there were few regulations, so accidents were common.) » Continue Reading.
The most popular genre by far on nighttime television through the 1960s? Westerns. While children were allowed to watch some of them, several shows specifically geared towards the younger set were shown on Saturday morning. Watching heroes — Roy Rogers, the Lone Ranger, and Zorro, three of the best — escape tense situations and catch bad guys was unforgettable.
Among the skills of any cowboy star (or stuntman stand-in) worth his salt were the hurried mounting and high-speed dismounting of horses (usually their own faithful steed, of course). It’s an impressive feat when you consider that horses are pretty high off the ground — which brings us to our main subject: how to get down off a horse. » Continue Reading.
Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH), the historic preservation organization for the Adirondack Park region, has opened nominations for its 2019 Preservation Awards.
For over 23 years, this annual awards program has recognized the sensitive restoration, rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse of historic structures throughout the region, and highlighted individuals who have promoted historic preservation revitalization efforts in their communities. The awards honor the preservation work of organizations, municipalities, and individuals who make the Adirondack region a better place to live, work, and visit. » Continue Reading.
On September 23, the National Park Service announced the latest round of grant funding under its Save America’s Treasures program and Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH), the private nonprofit historic preservation organization for the Adirondack region, received an award of $370,000 for conservation and restoration work at Camp Santanoni in the Essex County town of Newcomb.
This was one of only nine historic building conservation grants awarded nationally in this round, according to an announcement made by AARCH. » Continue Reading.
For the first time, Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) is hosting a modern homesteading tour, according to Deputy Director Virgina Siskavich.
“We want to continue to embrace modern builders,” says Siskavich. “We feel that at some point these modern buildings will be a part of history and we want to remember them. We also want to continue to offer tours that have not been offered before.”
Additional AARCH tours are scheduled from May to October at a range of historic and modern locations. » Continue Reading.
Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH), the historic preservation organization for the region, has opened nominations for its 2018 Preservation Awards
These annual awards recognize sensitive restoration, rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse of historic structures throughout the region, as well as individuals who have promoted historic preservation and community revitalization consistent with AARCH’s mission. » Continue Reading.
The pressure by local governments and historic preservation groups on the state to keep the inner Gooley Club buildings shows some of the challenges the state has had in organizing a coherent management program for buildings on the Forest Preserve. This is not a new issue.
It’s been a struggle for decades. Different administrations have dealt with the issue in different ways over the decades; some making ad hoc choices with long-term implications for Forest Preserve law and policy, and others trying to sort out durable long-term solutions. This is the first of three articles that look in depth at the issue of buildings on the Forest Preserve. » Continue Reading.
Steven Engelhart is set to give a lecture on Camp Santanoni, a historic great camp located in Newcomb, on Sunday, March 11 at 2 pm at the Albany Institute of History & Art.
Engelhart is the Director of Adirondack Architectural Heritage. This lecture will examine the influence of Japanese architecture on the construction of the camp, the Pruyn family of Albany, and the history of the use of Camp Santanoni. This lecture is open to the public and included with museum admission. » Continue Reading.
Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) has announced that Valerie Pawlewicz has joined the AARCH staff as their new Educational Programs Director. An announcement form the historic preservation organization said she plans to focus on continuing and expanding AARCH’s educational programming including the popular series of summer tours throughout the Adirondack region.
Valerie Pawlewicz comes to AARCH with a background in educational travel planning, event coordination, oral history, and garden design. Valerie has worked for the Smithsonian Institution, the Baltimore Museum of Art, St. John’s College and on contract for the Maryland Historic Trust. » Continue Reading.
Latest News Headlines
Latest News Headlines
The Adirondack Almanack is a public forum dedicated to promoting and discussing current events, history, arts, nature and outdoor recreation and other topics of interest to the Adirondacks and its communities
We publish commentary and opinion pieces from voluntary contributors, as well as news updates and event notices from area organizations. Contributors include veteran local writers, historians, naturalists, and outdoor enthusiasts from around the Adirondack region. The information, views and opinions expressed by these various authors are not necessarily those of the Adirondack Almanack or its publisher, the Adirondack Explorer.
General inquiries about the Adirondack Almanack should be directed to editor Melissa Hart.
To advertise on the Adirondack Almanack, or to receive information on rates and design, please click here.Catch up on all your Adirondack
news, delivered weekly to your inbox
Help us keep bringing you the Adirondack information you value.
Email
Twitter
RSS
Facebook
Recent Almanack Comments