Preservation Delaware

Meet Our Newest Colleague Member, the Friends of the Patio

susan — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:30:17 +0000

The Friends of The Patio is a group of people interested in the preservation and restoration of the John J. Raskob estate at Archmere, particularly the mansion which has become known as “The Patio.” Raskob, his wife Helena and their 13 children lived at Archmere from 1910 to 1932. Among his many accomplishments, Raskob, a protégé of Pierre S. duPont, was a partner in the construction of New York’s Empire State Building and served as chair of the Democratic National Committee from 1928 through 1932. Archmere became the campaign headquarters of Alfred E. Smith during the 1928 presidential campaign.

According to W. Barksdale Maynard, author of Buildings of Delaware, Archmere is “Delaware’s finest example of twentieth-century residential Italianate.” The incredible home with its innovative stained glass skylight covering the courtyard and Escallette marble fountain is on the National Register of Historic Places. Since 1932 Archmere has been a private secondary school, Archmere Academy.

A Special Opportunity for Preservation Delaware Members!

susan — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:29:58 +0000

Please Join Preservation Delaware and The Friends of the Patio for the recital “In Celebration of Women”, part of the Green Concert Series at Archmere Academy. The recital commemorates the 35th anniversary of the graduation of women from Archmere and features Mary Ellen Schauber, Soprano & Nancy G. Pressley, Accompanist performing songs and arias by Vivaldi, Massenet, Puccini, Verdi, Strauss, Heggie and more.

Sunday, March 18, 2012
3:00 p.m.
The Patio Courtyard, Archmere Academy
3600 Philadelphia Pike
Claymont, Delaware 19703

***Special Price: $30 for Preservation Delaware Members***
$35 for Adults; $20 for Students
Proceeds benefit restoration projects in The Patio.

A high tea will immediately follow the performance, hosted by The Friends of the Patio and catered by Janssen’s Market. Please RSVP by Monday, March 12, 2012 to Ally McCord at 302-798-6632, ext. 706, or amccord@archmereacademy.com. You can also RSVP online at www.archmereacademy.com/friendsofthepatio or by filling out the response card and mailing it with payment to Archmere Academy, 3600 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont, Delaware, 19703, Attn. The Friends of the Patio.

Welfare Foundation Agrees to Match Donations to PDI Dollar for Dollar

susan — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:16:20 +0000

Now is the time to make your donation to Preservation Delaware! Any donations or membership payments received by Preservation Delaware through March 31, 2012 will be generously matched by the Welfare Foundation. Your generous donation will be doubled for Preservation Delaware! If you haven’t already contributed to the efforts being made by Preservation Delaware to help preserve historic landmarks and properties throughout the state, please consider making your contribution today.

Donations to Preservation Delaware may be made online by following the “DONATE” link. Or, if you prefer to send a check, please mail your contribution to

Preservation Delaware
P.O. Box 70
New Castle, DE 19720

To become a member of Preservation Delaware or renew an existing membership, please follow the “JOIN” link.
Thank you for your generous support!

DHCA to Hold Meetings for Public Input for State’s Historic Preservation Plan

susan — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:37:28 +0000

Press Release – February 3, 2012:

• Five meetings to be held at locations across the state

(DOVER, Del.—Feb. 3, 2011)—In order to solicit information for use in drafting Delaware’s 2013-2017 statewide historic-preservation plan, the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs will be holding five public meetings at locations across the state in late-February and early-March 2012. All meetings are free and open to the public. For directions and other information, call the division at 302-736-7400. In the event of inclement weather, notice of cancellation will be announced via local radio stations.

Public meetings will be held on the following dates:

• Monday, Feb. 27, 6 p.m., Lewes Public Library, 111 Adams St., Lewes, DE 19958.
• Wednesday, Feb. 29, 6:30 p.m., Brandywine Hundred Library, 1300 Foulk Road, Wilmington, DE 19803
• Monday, March 5, 1:30 p.m., The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover, DE 19901
• Monday, March 5, 6 p.m., Laurel Public Library, 101 E. Fourth St., Laurel, DE 19956
• Wednesday, March 7, 6:30 p.m. Old Middletown Academy, 216 N. Broad St., Middletown, DE 19709

Those interested in Delaware’s historic buildings, communities and sites are invited to attend these public meetings in order to share their thoughts on the future of historic preservation in the state. Public input will be incorporated into the updated historic-preservation plan which is scheduled to be released in January 2013. For background information, individuals may review the goals and objectives identified in the last planning process by accessing Delaware’s current historic-preservation plan.
In addition to the public meetings, participation in the preservation planning-process can be realized by taking the Delaware historic-preservation survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DelawarePreservationPlan) which contains nine questions requiring approximately 15 minutes to complete. Written comments may also be submitted to the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, 21 the Green, Dover, DE 19901; or via e-mail at preservationplan@state.de.us.
While the Delaware historic-preservation plan is extremely useful for the division, it is not a blueprint for state government alone. Rather, it includes goals and strategies that benefit preservation advocates across Delaware. The plan provides all Delawareans who are passionate about historic preservation with a framework for effective decision-making, for coordinating statewide preservation activities and for communicating statewide preservation policy, goals and values to the preservation constituency, decision-makers and interested and affected parties across the state.

Help Update the State’s Historic Preservation Plan

susan — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:46:35 +0000

The Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs is starting the process of updating the statewide historic preservation plan. This is a requirement of their Historic Preservation Fund grant from the National Park Service. More importantly, it is a way to focus on the broader goals and needs of Delaware’s preservation community for the next five years.

Producing the plan is a year-long process. Throughout, DHCA will be seeking the widest possible public comments so that they thoroughly understand the needs and desires of Delaware’s citizens for historic preservation.

• DHCA has developed an on-line survey to garner public comments on historic preservation views, desires, dislikes, and needs. This survey will be open from January through March 2012.

• DHCA will be sponsoring a series of public meetings in late February and early March 2012. They urge you to consider attending one of these meetings. You will hear more about exact times and locations as the time nears.

• In the late spring, DCHA will produce the first draft of the 2014-2018 plan and will be inviting more comments at that time.

• By mid-summer, the revised draft of the plan will be produced, and there will be a last comment period.

• The final draft will be submitted to the National Park Service for their review and comment in September 2012.

• In November 2012, DCHA will respond to any National Park Service comments and prepare the plan for final adoption by the State Review Board for Historic Preservation.

• The final plan will be submitted to the National Park Service for approval in December 2012.

• The plan will be published in January 2013 on the Division’s web site and in paper.

Right now, the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs needs your help. They would like you to participate in the on-line survey, so they can get your views and comments on the current state of historic preservation in Delaware. This will help them focus their public meetings and guide them in developing a list of trends and issues that concern their constituents most. The survey takes about 15 minutes. We greatly value your help and thank you for your time.

If you have other comments or suggestions, please e-mail us at preservationplan@state.de.us.

Devastating Blow to Preservation Efforts to Save the Murphy House

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:38:56 +0000

Efforts to preserve the endangered Murphy House in Wilmington have encountered yet another setback as Delaware Secretary of Transportation, Shailen Bhatt signed paperwork changing the usage of the property. The modification to the usage includes the razing of the Murphy house, keeping ownership of the property with the Nemours Foundation, and ensuring the the property remains open space. Though efforts have been made by residents, elected officials, Preservation Delaware, Delaware Greenways and other non-profits urging Nemours to forgo demolition of the Murphy House, it appears that this is what will happen. For more information, please see the article in the News Journal.

Cheskin Center for Chiropractic and Muscle Therapy

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:04:15 +0000

Help Us Find A New Owner For Cannon Hall

FieldRep — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:28:15 +0000

Poor Cannon Hall! Here it is over a year after it suffered the devastating fire and it’s still open to the elements. This historic house is a landmark in the truest sense of the word. Anyone who traveled from Laurel to Seaford via the Woodland Ferry knows that the view just isn’t the same with the imposing house looking so scarred. But just because it looks bad doesn’t mean it can’t be saved! Historic Architect Leila Hamroun and Engineer Rick Ortega from the Heritage Design Collaborative in Media, PA came to Woodland to see for themselves. The bones of the house are of large timbers which have so far withstood the fire and weather to remain as a reusable framework to rebuild upon. But time is of the essence! Another winter approaches. The building needs to be shored up so the elements can be kept outside where they belong. And soon. More details coming . . .

Robin

Saving the Murphy House – A New Partnership

susan — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:36:07 +0000

News Journal writer Harry Themal updates us on the status of the Murphy House and his opinion as to the viability of its rehabilitation in his article in the October 30, 2011 edition of the News Journal. The Murphy House had been one of the houses that was guaranteed to be preserved when the Concord area roads were reconfigured to accommodate AstraZeneca’s move to Delaware. Since that time, the house has been sold by DelDOT to the Nemours Foundation, which has approval to tear it down. The Nemours Foundation has explained that the Murphy House would require at least a million dollars to convert into useable commercial space, and has offered $50,000 to anyone to move or demolish the house.

Mr. Themal explains in the article that now a group of preservationists and environmentalists have proposed a partnership that would allow a practical reuse of the building. The Urban Bike Partnership, headed by Mark Chura, Executive Director of Delaware Greenways, would make use of the Murphy House as a bike-share trailhead facility. Bikes would be stored there, and used by children and staff at the hospital, Ronald McDonald House families, users of Delaware Greenways and the Youth Earn-a-Bike Program. Preservation Delaware President Dan Griffith explains in the article that the Murphy House is a house worth saving; it has local significance as one of the few area granite farmhouses still standing, it can provide a benefit to the local community if used as proposed by the Urban Bike Partnership, and the cost for repairs and restoration is reasonable (projected $120,000.) For more information, please see Mr. Themal’s entire article at http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20111031/OPINION1803/110310308/Murphy-House-worth-saving-only-s-financially-feasible?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CHome%7Cs

Why Buildings Fall Down: Lessons in Stewardship – The Future of the Banks Building

susan — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:20:15 +0000

On Wednesday evening, Oct. 12, 2011, Preservation Delaware and the City of New Castle are pleased to offer a slide-illustrated lecture by Richard O. Byrne, one of America’s leading architectural conservators. Mr. Byrne will recount the common pathologies that affect a building’s well-being which if left unattended, can lead to avoidable damage. Examples of damage to building elements caused by termites, carpenter ants, rot, UV damage, rising damp and paint failure will be on hand as Mr. Byrne illustrates how the Banks Building has suffered over the years. He will explain what it will take to return the Banks Building to good health and make it a useable building again in New Castle.

By attending this free lecture, you will hopefully gain a better understanding of the forces that affect a building’s health and what continued efforts to provide good stewardship can mean. The presentation is from 7:00 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. in the Community Room of the New Castle Public Library (304 Delaware Street, New Castle, DE.) Seating is limited, so please call Preservation Delaware at 302.322.711 to indicate your attendance.