Queens, New York The Douglaston Historic District in Queens, N.Y., is one of New York City’s most suburban neighborhoods. Situated on a mile-long peninsula jutting out into Little Neck Bay from the northern shore of Long Island, this certified local historic district has more than 500 historic homes – many with bay views – lining […]
Preservation by Prevention: Window Inspection
Spring is here, but summer’s blistering heat won’t take hold for a while yet. It’s the perfect time of year to throw open the windows and freshen the inside of my house with warm spring breezes. If your windows are anything like mine, they – along with the screens and storm windows – need a […]
Reduce, Reuse, Rehab: Historic Buildings and Energy-Efficient Roof Treatments
In recent years, green building advocates have proposed alternative roof treatments for the achievement of greater energy efficiency. Green building certifications – like LEED and others – place particular emphasis on green roofs. In 2009, United States Secretary of Energy Steven Chu advocated cool roofs for greater energy efficiency – a method most recently adopted […]
Architectural Ambler: Gaslamp Quarter Historic District
San Diego, California It may be “America’s Finest City” today, but San Diego wasn’t always that way. In the 1880s and ‘90s, the city’s wharf-side commercial strip was known as the “Stingaree” – a redlight district where one could get “stung” (robbed, abducted, etc.) just as badly as in the stingray-swarming San Diego Bay, or […]
Preservation by Prevention: Historic Row Houses: the Rear Ell
As I conducted some of the Trust’s annual monitoring inspections in New York City recently, I was repeatedly struck by the ubiquity of the rear ell in row house designs throughout New York. This urban housing type is found in other cities where the Trust works, as well, including Baltimore and Boston. Often when visiting […]
Reduce, Reuse, Rehab: Green Cleaning and Historic Exteriors
As spring blooms and temperatures rise, the effects of the harsh winter weather become apparent on historic exteriors. Excessive precipitation and wind can leave biological growth, dirt, grime, and rust clinging to walls, which, if not cleaned properly, can cause damage to the historic fabric. In the September issue of Reduce, Reuse, Rehab, Laura L. […]
Architectural Ambler: Allenhurst Residential Historic District
Allenhurst, New Jersey For most of the second half of the 19th century, the strip of New Jersey shore now known as Allenhurst was farmland. Sometimes, farmer Abner Allen would rent out his house to seaside vacationers, but otherwise, it was pretty quiet… …until August 1895, when the Coast Land Improvement Company bought Allen’s 120-acre […]
Preservation by Prevention: Spring Maintenance
Spring has finally arrived in Washington after a long, cold, and unusually snowy winter. It’s not just the calendar that says so. Daffodils and tulips are sprouting in flower beds around the region, and the buds are just becoming apparent on trees. The first warm days of the year are a perfect excuse to spend […]
Reduce, Reuse, Rehab: Cambridge City Hall Annex
Cambridge, Massachusetts The City Hall Annex in Cambridge, Mass., is an excellent model of how historic preservation and sustainable design can work together to simultaneously cut costs, lower carbon emissions and preserve historic buildings. In 2005, following a one and a half-year renovation project in which 85 percent of all construction waste was recycled, the […]
Architectural Ambler: Old Towne Historic District
Orange, California This month, we travel to Orange, California, to explore the Old Towne Historic District, the largest National Register Historic District in its state. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, the Old Towne Historic District is approximately one square mile in area. Its boundaries encompass over 1,300 buildings representative of […]