DC Preservation League

Save the date for the District of Columbia Awards for Excellence in Historic #Preservation! Join us on January 28th, 2025 to celebrate the best in local preservation at DAR Constitution Hall. Sign up online today: https://lnkd.in/e_mvqaQF

The DC Preservation League is pleased to announce the selection of Studio Plat to produce a National Register Multiple Property Document (MPD) identifying Significant Sites Designed by Black Architects in Washington, DC. This MPD will establish a #historic context and identify themes related to the professionalization of Blacks in design and their influence on DC's built environment through time. ?The project will also formally identify/document properties that are representative of the impact Black architects have had on the city of #WashingtonDC. ?The MPD will include one new nomination to the National Register and set the stage for nominating more properties to the DC Inventory and the National Register in the future. Studio Plat helps mission-driven organizations build greater capacity by using qualitative and human-centered research methods—from primary source archival research to conducting interviews and community surveys—to derive actionable and meaningful insights. The research team is led by Jay Cephas, an architectural historian with over 20 years of research experience, including more than a decade of dedicated research into the various roles played by Black's in shaping the built environment.?He is currently writing a book about Black architects and builders in the nineteenth century. Additional team members include: Jeremy L. Wolin, a doctoral candidate in the PhD program in architectural history at Princeton University.?His research concerns the role of Black architects in carrying out the federal Model Cities program in the 1970s. Melvin Mitchell, FAIA, NCARB, NOMA, CEO of @Bryant Mitchell Consulting Architects, is an architect and writer with deep and extensive knowledge about Black architects and buildings in Washington, DC.?He is writing a book titled Building Washington, DC: The Role of Howard University and HBCU-Trained Architects, 1920-2020. Michelle A. Jones, a Washington, DC-based documentary filmmaker and community preservation advocate.?She was the driving force behind the creation and development of the 2012 documentary Master Builders: African American Architects in the Nation's Capital, which, for the first time, narrated on film a deep history of Black building practices in Washington, DC. Funding for this project comes from the National Park Services' Underrepresented Communities Grants Fund, from the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. ?The fund supports efforts to identify historic and cultural resources related to communities that have often been overlooked in traditional planning and preservation efforts. ?The program also encourages nominations to the National Register of Historic Places to increase representation for traditionally underrepresented communities of color. DC Office of Planning DCNOMA #blackarchitects #historicpreservation #history #builtenvironment

Want to learn about the history of the supposedly #haunted St. Elizabeths Hospital? Keep reading to learn about the intriguing past of this longstanding DC institution... Established largely through the efforts of Dorothea Dix, the leading mental health reformer of the 19th century, Saint Elizabeths Hospital was chartered by Congress in 1852 as the Government Hospital for the Insane, with a mission of providing “the most humane care and enlightened curative treatment” for patients from the Army, Navy, and District of Columbia. The hospital opened in 1855, and shortly after the outbreak of the Civil War, it became a general hospital for sick and wounded combatants. It was these wartime patients who originated the use of the name Saint Elizabeths, after the property’s 17th-century land patent, out of reluctance to use the hospital’s formal name. Congress officially renamed the institution in 1916. The building was an early example of the “linear plan” for mental hospital wards developed by reformer Thomas Kirkbride. Several more buildings were constructed to treat veterans after the Civil War, and by the 1890s, the institution had grown into a complex of residential and treatment buildings, as well as a central kitchen, boiler house, ice plant, bakery, dairy, firehouse, gatehouses, and barns. Gardening became part of patient therapy, as did work on the hospital farm, which lasted into the 20th century. Over 150 years, the hospital treated perhaps 125,000 patients, and at its mid-20th-century peak, it housed 7,000 patients with a staff of 4,000. By the 1960s, Saint Elizabeths began to fall into disrepair. The patient rights movement and community alternatives to mental health care led to decreased federal funding. As the hospital became more of a city-run institution, its size and policies became problematic. Many of the buildings were abandoned at the turn of the twenty-first century, and the vacant buildings became a dangerous site of vandalism, trespassing, and crumbling interiors. Thousands of former patients are believed to be buried in unmarked graves across the campus, and several hundred Civil War soldiers are interred in two small cemeteries. The institutional buildings are supposedly haunted by a variety of spirits, disturbed and desperate. With the appearance of a horror film set, the vacant buildings retain brain slides, abandoned medical equipment, and dusty patient records. Lobotomies were common practice at Saint Elizabeths, and left many individuals disabled. Now a designated National Historic Landmark, the campus is undergoing renovations for federal use. The General Services Administration (GSA) offers public walking tours of the historic St. Elizabeths Hospital campus in Washington, D.C. on the second Friday of each month at 11 AM. The 90-minute tour covers about 1.5 miles of the 176-acre campus, including the Center Building, panoramic views, and other supporting buildings.

Looking to learn a new skill? Oak Hill Cemetery is proud to present another Fall Session of their popular Stone #Carving Seminar: Carving at the Carriage House. All skill levels are encouraged, especially those who have never held a hammer and chisel before. All materials will be provided including limestone, sandstone, marble, hammers and chisels, and pneumatic tools. This class will be led by Oak Hill Historic Preservation Foundation Board Member and second-generation stone carver, Andy Seferlis. Andy has led several stone carving seminars at Oak Hill, as well as at River Arts in Maine, and the Mendocino Art Center in California. Dates: Sunday October 26 - Sunday November 2, from 10am-2pm daily. Class will be held at the cemetery's Carriage House. Price: $275/week, or drop in for $50/day, with all fees supporting the Oak Hill Cemetery Historic Preservation Foundation. Sign up on EventBrite: https://lnkd.in/eFwmK4wP

Do you have historic #windows in your home or office? Join DCPL and Cleveland Park Historical Society for a panel discussion with an expert group of architects, architectural historians, and preservationists. Through a series of brief presentations, panelists will cover the common issues of repairing vs. replacing windows, #historic compatibility considerations, options for materials and energy efficiency levels, permit application requirements, and working with contractors. There will be a Q&A session for audience participation with the panelists following the #presentations. Panelists include: John Sandor, Architectural Historian at National Park Service Gretchen K Pfaehler, FAIA, Preservation Architect with Insite Consulting Architects, DC Historic Preservation Board member Todd Jones, Historic Preservation Specialist at the DC Historic Preservation Office and staff officer for the Cleveland Park Historic District Stephen Hansen, Historic Preservation Specialist and Executive Director of the Cleveland Park Historical Society Date:?Wednesday, October 16th, 2024 Time:?6:30 PM - 7:45 PM Location:?Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave NW This is a free event, but?registration is required. Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gKnqMXyT

Buildings deserve birthdays too! On September 18th, Hampshire Gardens celebrated its 95th anniversary. Located in the Brightwood Park section of Petworth in Ward 4, it was one of the first housing co-ops and garden-style apartment buildings in Washington, DC. It opened in 1929 and is listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and as a DC Historic #Landmark for its #Tudor revival style that includes half timbering, crenellated towers, and entrances trimmed in carved stone. Hampshire Gardens residents are grateful to be a part of DC's rich and varied #heritage, reflecting our city's historic charm as well as the enduring example of cooperative communities.

Preservation is directly connected to the health of the built environment. Utilizing existing affordable housing is a vital step towards creating #equity in American neighborhoods--and preservation can contribute to solving the ongoing crisis of #affordability. Learn more about the vital role of existing buildings in this recent article by Bonnie McDonald!

On July 25, 2024, the Historic Preservation Review Board designated the Old Korean Legation (1500 13th Street NW/15 Logan Circle) as a historic #landmark. Today, the Old Korean Legation Museum in Washington D.C. held a ceremony to unveil the new National Register plaque that commemorates the building's designation. This wonderful event celebrated the enduring friendship between Korea and the United States through a unique celebration of mutual history. The former legation building now houses the Old Korean Legation Museum in Washington D.C. and is owned by the Republic of Korea. The nomination is a result of the Korean Americans in Washington, DC: A Historic Context Study, which is being finalized and will soon be available to the public. The landmark nomination was submitted to the Historic Preservation Office earlier this year by the DC Preservation League (DCPL). The Old Korean Legation was initially a private residence designed by Thomas M. Plowman in the Second Empire style and constructed by Joseph Williams in 1877. The United States and Korea established formal diplomatic relations shortly thereafter, in 1882, and the Korean Legation moved into the former residence in 1889. Following Japan’s victory in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, a treaty was forced on Korea, resulting in the closure of the Korean Legation that same year. By 1910, Japan had annexed Korea. That same year, a Japanese minister sold the former legation building to a private American citizen. Over the following decades, the closed legation inspired independence activists and the wider Korean diaspora. In 2012, the Republic of Korea purchased the former legation – 107 years after its closure. From 2015 to 2018, Korea's Cultural Heritage Administration restored the property to its 1889 to 1905 appearance. Today, you can visit the Old Korean Legation Museum (located inside the building) by making an online reservation. Learn more about the building on DC Historic Sites: https://lnkd.in/eDNHQ6MV Video courtesy of Zachary Burt.

From the eerie apparitions that wander the hallowed halls of the White House to the tragic specter of Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, the nation's capital has a ghostly past that refuses to be forgotten. With tribal histories dating back thousands of years, DC has been home to a variety of residents--many of whom remain buried in the city's limits. This October, DCPL's theme is "Spirits of DC," with events focused on historic properties with storied pasts. To kickstart your fall, join DCPL for historic preservation with a slightly spooky twist. The first event, Vintage Game Night, is scheduled for October 2nd so don't miss out! Visit the website to learn more and sign up: https://lnkd.in/eMzchskN

Don't miss out! There is limited space #available for this year's amazing crab feast. Sign up for this Saturday's #event: https://lnkd.in/ePB-WX_P Join the DC Preservation League and the?Capital Pride Alliance?for their?annual Crab Feast at the historic?Washington Canoe Club, one of DC’s most picturesque locations on the banks of the beautiful Potomac River. This event takes place entirely outdoors, with canoes and paddle boards?available for adventures on the water.? Date & Time:?Saturday, September 28, 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm? Tickets:?$75 for ages 13+; $25 for kids 12 and under.?Includes: all-you-can eat crabs, shrimp, corn on the cob, hot dogs, and ice cream + beer, wine, soda, and water available. Limited seating available:?Get your tickets now! Cancellations/Refunds:?Requests for refunds will only be considered more than?5 days prior to?the event, and transaction fees will be subtracted from the refund total.?Cancellations 5 days or less from the event?will not?be refunded, but the ticket cost can be converted to a tax-deductible donation.??