Andrew Hazlett

Feb 1 / 4:55am

Obama budget would end Save America's Treasures for lack of "metrics"

From the White House budget press release:

Cutting Save America’s Treasures and Preserve America grant programs at the National Park Service. Save America’s Treasures program was started to mark the millennium and was supposed to last for two years. Both programs lack rigorous performance metrics and evaluation efforts so the benefits are unclear.

via whitehouse.gov

Update: The National Trust for Historic Preservation responds to the budget announcement:

Not since the 1980’s has there been such an assault on the programs that protect America’s heritage. Since 2000, SAT has been the federal government’s most successful tool to preserve the important places that tell our nation’s story. Due to the broad, bi-partisan Congressional support it has on the Hill, the program has saved over 700 of America’s most significant places in all 50 states, supporting jobs and economic development in every single project it covers.

Read more at the National Trust website.

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Filed under // Architecture History Politics

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Dec 30 / 7:31am

Sad news: Bannerman’s Castle on an island in the Hudson River is crumbling

Bannerman’s Castle was already an enigmatic ruin in the middle of the Hudson River, a dreamy landmark for passing train travelers and a passionate cause for preservationists.

But then in the silence of last Saturday night, a large chunk of history suddenly disappeared when the castle’s stone, brick and cement sighed under a century’s weight of weather. Overnight, two-thirds of the eastern tower was gone, as well as one-third of the adjacent southern wall, leaving a gaping hole and concern over how to stop the crumbling.

A strange and beautiful American ruin is decaying faster than ever.

Public radio station WTMD has big plans for Baltimore's Senator Theatre

via wtmd.blogspot.com

The Senator Theatre, a magnificent and historic art deco movie palace not far from where I live, has been lurching from crisis to crisis for years now. In a less-than-transparent process involving the Baltimore City government and various other local actors, it now seems clear that the Senator will be changing hands.

A number of proposals have been submitted to redevelop the theater--an anxiety-provoking turn for many architectural and cultural preservationists. One of the proposals is from WTMD, an outstanding public radio station based out of Towson University. Here's what they've posted on their website:

WTMD and Towson University have submitted a proposal that would transform the Senator into a multi-use film and concert theater that would also house the WTMD studios and offices.
We envision a space where film retrospectives, gala premiers and themed movie festivals are showcased in the same space as the musical artists you hear on WTMD every day. We want to fill the halls of this beloved palace with children’s programming, fundraisers for community groups and even showcase the multi-media work done by Towson University students. Our goal is to make sure the Senator is alive all day, every day.

Sounds great--as long as indie rock doesn't drown out great films. In the right hands, the Senator has a bright future as a cultural hub that could combine a well-preserved heritage and exciting new activities.

The worrisome thing is that the fate of the Senator will be determined by unknown forces within the Baltimore City government...

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Filed under // Architecture Baltimore

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Nov 16 / 8:09am