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Freeport, IL 61032
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Phone (815) 233-2215
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In This Issue
HOUSE PLAN CRITIQUE
Quick Links
Hold That Hammer!!!
Before you even think about restoration on a historic home or building, know that there are tax incentives and grants available for restoration BUT for many incentives, you MUST meet the Secretary of Interior's Guidelines for Historic Preservation. This means that before you do any demolition or construction, it's wise to seek professional advice so as not to jeopardize the potential tax credits or other funding opportunities. We recomment that you call cf+a when you first start dreaming about restoration - we can make sure you're in compliance while also providing the right design and specifications to meet the standards while opening avenues for new uses for your building.
 
 
 
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Preservation as Tourism


"Every study of travel motivations has shown that an interest in the achievements of the past is among the three major reasons why people travel. The other two are rest or recreation and the desire to view great natural sights.  Among cities with no particular recreational appeal, those that have substantially preserved their past continue to enjoy tourism. Those that haven't receive no tourism at all. It's as simple as that. Tourism does not go to a city that has lost its soul. " 
Arthur Frommer, travel expert and writer.
Galena 2 
Historic buildings distinguish one town from another; each building is unique in design, characteristic of the local aesthetic and culture.  Compare a historic downtown or reclaimed riverfront comprised of one-of-a-kind, sometimes irreplaceable structures, with the standard suburban strip neighborhoods across this nation, with their sometimes cookie-cutter homes and franchise prototype buildings.  Well, there really is no comparison, is there?  That's why we cherish historic buildings and communities, and that's why we choose to visit them.
 southwest side addn
An entire industry has grown up around the idea of historic preservation.  The tourism industry and those communities who have consciously chosen to preserve their historic buildings, streets and culture, thrive on the millions of visitors every year who travel to view a glimpse of our past.  Look no further than beautiful Galena, Illinois in Jo Daviess County.  Did you know that Galena remains the second most visited tourist attraction in the nation, right after Chicago?  Over a million visitors stop by Galena every year to admire the historic architecture, the natural landscape (which they also strive to preserve) and the cultural history of the place - including the history of President Grant and several other Civil War generals, the history of lead mining and the history of river industry.  That's saying quite a lot!  Galena spent many years, took many risks, and had strong leadership that sought to preserve what they have in order to continue to thrive economically.  There's VALUE in history and in preservation.  And places like Galena prove it.
Galena Log House 
 
Above: A cf+a project.  Preservation of an old log house and addition to modernize,
Galena, IL.
 

www.galena.org and www.visitgalena.org
 
Featured Article

cf+a building

Above: Restored and preserved office building of cf+a on Main Street, downtown Freeport. 
 
Below: Interior shot of cf+a office.
The brick wall you see is the exterior brick wall from the building next door. 
 

Interior cf a

Below: Stephenson County Historical Society, former Oscar Taylor home, Freeport.
A cf+a project.
 

Oscar Taylor Home

Ten Basic Principles for Sensitive Rehabilitation (from Nat'l Trust website) Also known as the "Do's and Don'ts for First-Timers and Veterans."
 

1)     Make every effort to use the building for its original purpose.
 

2)     Do not destroy distinctive original features.
 

3)     Recognize all buildings as products of their own time.
 

4)     Recognize and respect changes that have taken place over time.
 

5)     Treat sensitively distinctive stylistic features or examples of skilled craft work.
 

6)     Repair rather than replace worn architectural features when possible.  When replacement  is necessary, new material should match the old in design, composition, and color.
 

7)     Clean facades using the gentlest methods possible.  Avoid sandblasting and other damaging methods.
 

8)     Protect and preserve affected archeological resources.
 

9)     Compatible contemporary alterations are acceptable if they do not destroy significant  historical or architectural fabric.
 

10)  Build new additions so they can be removed without impairing the underlying structure.

 

For More Information, Please see the Quicklinks Section.  

 
 
May is Preservation Month!
 
Instead of our usual critique of a new house plan, we thought we'd focus this month's newsletter on the beauty and value of restoration and adaptive re-use of existing buildings.  Here at cf+a, we've done a lot of that work over our 23 years in business.  Some of those projects can be seen in this issue, beginning with the "House of the Unicorn" - Chris's very first project after becoming a licensed Architect back in 1987.  This is a prime example of both preserving a historic building and adapting it for new uses.  The House of the Unicorn building was constructed originally as the as the offices of Dr. Fair, and was then the residence for the Blust Family and offices of Dr. Blust who saw patients there for many years.   Eventually it was converted into apartments and then, sadly, fell into disrepair.  The owners of the House of the Unicorn restaurant recognized the house's value.  It's restoration for the restaurant and retail shops is a shining example of how old buildings can evolve and continue to be an asset to a community.  Today, the house in some ways has come full circle as it once again serves as offices for a physician, and continues to be a beacon of historic beauty and of Freeport's past.
 
Unicorn House
 
We can enjoy our past while still keeping our eyes firmly focused on the future.  Using and re-using historic buildings is not just honoring what came before, it's also sound economic practice and it's "green"!  An important part of preservation and adaptive re-use is to develop a strategy for increasing a building's energy efficiency by adding insulation, weatherstripping windows and doors, installing storm windows, and caulking.  Installing energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment and installing "green roofs" or reflective roofs are also great upgrades while maintaining the historic aesthetics of a building and the fabric of a neighborhood.   The most sustainable design and construction is the preservation and re-use of existing buildings which allows us to avoid urban sprawl, keep communities dense, decrease piles in the landfills, reduce unnecessary consumerism, and wisely use our precious resources.   Preservation helps us build upon the past, which ensures a rich and diverse environment.
 
For more info on improving energy efficiency in old buildings:
http://www.nps.gov/hps/tps/weather/index.html
 
 
"Historic preservation makes sense in large measure because historic preservation makes dollars and cents, but it also saves dollars and cents. Historic preservation is a rational and effective economic response to over-consumption. To make a new brick today to build a building on a site where there is already a building standing steals from two generations. It steals from the generation that built the brick originally by throwing away their asset before its work is done, and it steals from a future generation by using increasingly scarce natural resources today that should have been saved for tomorrow."
Don Rykema
The Economics of Rehabilitation [1997]
Featured Article

Design Matters
May, 2010

Preservation is the History of the Common Man
 
Most of us, when we take a stroll through our own downtowns or when visiting in other communities, don't really think too much about history.  We see old buildings, old houses and maybe admire them on some level, but beyond that, we tend to focus more on the here and now - the trinkets in a shop window, or the tulips blooming by a front porch.  Preservationists, many of whom are Architects, think about history all the time - what it means to the culture of our communities and even the rhythm of our days.  They consider what came before - the blood, sweat and tears that built the buildings, created the culture, devised a way of life that made possible what we have - or don't have - today. 
 
PA 1906 

Many would eschew preservation as unnecessary - why preserve old buildings?  Why look to the past?  Why not focus on the future?  Funny thing is, preserving our past - our shared history and culture - allows us to be living for today and focusing on tomorrow.  It is through this conscious effort of preservation that we enjoy the strength and stature of our cultures and communities today, and that our children and grandchildren will know from what stock they were created.  
 
We strive in our schools to teach the history of this nation and of this world, but we often forget about the everyday works and actions that truly made us the nation that we are.  The bricklayers and masons, the carpenters and craftsmen, the designers and the dreamers, the road and rail builders, the factory workers who've churned out products and materials to build a sprawling new country - these are the people we honor when we choose to save old buildings, to restore, to refurbish, to rehabilitate.  As Grover Cleveland once said, "A truly American sentiment recognizes the dignity of labor and the fact that honor lies in honest toil."  Perhaps President Cleveland was making reference to unions and workers everywhere whose toil built this nation.  But for me, it's also a testament to the fact that those workers spilled their blood, toiled in incredible heat and bitter cold, and likely shed a few tears in pain, and in pride, over the accomplishment of constructing our downtowns, our homes, our factories and our skyscrapers. 
 
southwest side addn
 
Here's to History. Here's to Preservation.  And, here's to all of us who value both.

When is it OK to demolish and start over? 
 
Well, the jury is solidly out on this question as there
is a diversity of opinions as to what to preserve and
what to let go. What's historic and what isn't.  What
contributes to the historic or architectural fabric
and what is merely of interest. 
 
Sometimes demolition needs to occur when a
building was poorly constructed or maintained,
doesn't fit evolving needs, or the site needs to be
utilized more intensely.  If a building is considered
a "contributing" building to its historic district, all
avenues for preservation should be considered,
and if demolition is warranted, it should be
photographically documented and archived.  A
local example would be the former "Germania
Club" aka "City Lights" building in downtown
Freeport.  This structure was placed on Landmark
Illinois' "10 Most Endangered Buildings" list.
During the process of trying to save the building,
or at the very least document it, the severe lack of maintenance brought the building to a catastrophic collapse a few years back, on a beautifully clear,
sunny and windless day at the end of May.
 
Below: Demolition of the Myers
Ford Building, downtown Freeport.


Myers Ford Demo 
 
Chicago is well known for its fabulous architecture,
and for its controversies over demolition and
re-construction.  A couple of our favorite books
about this ongoing battle are Richard Nickel's book Chicago: Photographs of a Lost City and Richard
Cahan's book about Nickel's struggles to save
historic buildings, entitled They All Fall Down. 
 
Read an npr story about Nickel's book here:
Click Here
 

Here are a couple of Chicago examples:
Frank Lloyd Wright's Midway Gardens, Chicago 
Click Here 
 
The Chicago Stock Exchange Building, by
Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan; the entrance
arch of the Stock Exchange building was
preserved and installed near the Art Institute
on Columbus Street at Monroe. 
Even today, the debate continues.
One person's "iconic" architecture is another's
"old building that's just gotta go".
 
Stanley Tigerman's  Anti-Cruelty
Society building is currently being discussed
because of its original "Post-Modern" design
and the re-design that's being recommended.  
 
Read about it here: 
Click Here
 
What do you think?
Last Call
Louis Sullivan is famous for his beautiful buildings (the Marshall Field building in Chicago, for example) but did you know that it was Sullivan who said, (and it still rings true today!)
 
"It is the pervading law of all things organic... that life is recognizable in its expression, that form ever follows function."
 
Below you will see a series of 3 pictures, showing the evolution of a building. The first, is an 1890's view of the original Tarbox Building, located downtown Freeport on the corner of Stephenson St. and Chicago Ave.
 
 southwest side addn
The second photo below, is a 1957 view of the same building, now named the Smith Biulding.
  southwest side addn
 
This last photo, taken in 2008, with some current preservation/restoration completed.
southwest side addn 

If your group is interested in learning more, call us about our Power Point presentations - "Evolution of Buildings" and "History of Houses".  Form may well follow function, but history shows that functions can also change the look of buildings.
 
Christopher Fye and Associates

BE SURE TO LOOK FOR OUR NEXT ISSUE, COMING OUT June, 2010!