Posts tagged Cat:historic
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What should historic preservation really protect?
Yesterday, the DC Historic Preservation Review Board declined to approve the N Street Follies hotel, proposed for the six boarded-up townhouses on N Street between 17th and 18th Streets, NW. Numerous Dupont residents, including myself, testified against a specific element of the project: its impact on the adjacent Tabard Inn. The Historic Preservation Office recommended… Keep reading…
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LeDroit “country house” could become 14 homes
A 19th-century country house at 1922 Third Street NW is one of the LeDroit Park’s gems. It is about to receive some much needed attention. At Thursday’s ANC1B meeting, Community Three Development presented this concept to renovate the main house, to renovate the carriage house, and to build a new townhouse at the southern edge of the property. The developer… Keep reading…
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Preservation shouldn’t stop future history at Falkland Chase
“Whenever there is a project plan that involves a historic property, designated or not, we will testify against the project,” said Mary Reardon of the Silver Spring Historical Society. It’s not surprising that an organization devoted to preserving the history of Downtown Silver Spring would fight to save historic landmarks. In the case of Falkland Chase,… Keep reading…
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Arlington’s systemic streets
Earlier this year, we explored the nature of Washington’s street-naming system. Across the Potomac, Arlington County also has rhyme and reason to street names. While Arlington was originally part of the District of Columbia (until 1846), it was not incorporated in the plan of Pierre L’Enfant. Unlike its larger neighbor, Arlington’s streets don’t… Keep reading…
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Lunch links: Train stations and stationary trains
A grand station and community in New Carrollton?; Riders still confident in Metro; Not just a “situation” or “disruption”; Google Transit in Fairfax; DC budget crisis, again; Suburban living not inherently better, thanks. Keep reading…
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They’re not historic, but shouldn’t be a parking lot
The first post on Greater Greater Washington about historic preservation that didn’t deal with Third Church dates to March 10, 2008, and bears the title, “Historic preservation: a blunt instrument for design review.” Today, the historic preservation process remains a very blunt instrument for design review, and an even more blunt instrument for use regulation. Keep reading…
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Reinvent memorialization, maybe; reinvent plazas, no
Today, Post architecture critic Philip Kennicott weighs in on the choice of Frank Gehry to design the Eisenhower Memorial. The commission document calls for a “plaza-type” memorial, including a canopy and a small building. It also asks Gehry to design “a new vision of memorialization: a new paradigm for memorials.” Is that really what we need? Certainly,… Keep reading…
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Lunch links: New news on old issues
The bag man vs. the bag bill; Eisenhower memorial or Gehry memorial?; Anacostia trolley delayed until 2012?; Sidewalk safety and suburban styling in Silver Spring; HPRB rejects sidewalk cafe, house move; How smart is it?; Ward 7 development latest to ask for parking exception. Keep reading…