continued

The Chinese Historical Society

The restored home of the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum & Learning Center in San Francisco hub was originally designed as the Chinatown YWCA in 1932 by prominent architect Julia Morgan. Her intention was to integrate Chinese motifs and Western architecture.

Over the years, the landmark building suffered from earthquakes and neglect, but was recently restored to its new life as a museum and community center for Chinese Americans. Barcelon & Jang Architects repaired the original historic structure and fitted the interiors with contemporary utilities.

Restoring Buildings and Neighborhoods

In the mid 1990s, when the Central Library of Kansas City, Missouri needed a new, larger home, eyes turned toward the vacant First National Bank building. This historic structure was reworked to accommodate the needs of a modern library and fitted with bookshelves, an art gallery, a cafe, a rooftop garden, and a theater located in the original bank vault.

Outside the bank building, the preservationists also rehabilitated the streetscape, converting former office buildings into apartments and creating a diverse, urban neighborhood. The Central Library restoration has been recognized for playing a pivotal role in the redevelopment of downtown Kansas City.

Another National Trust award winner has proven to be a catalyst for revitalization of its surrounding area. A beaux-arts theater built in 1903 in Boston had been repeatedly modified to accommodate evolving trends in entertainment and had fallen into serious decline. Now owned by Emerson College, the newly restored Majestic Theatre has inspired further revitalization of the city's Theater District.

The theater's 20-year restoration effort included modernization, terra-cotta facade repair, rebuilding of the stage floor, restoration of lobby murals, and expansion of amenities. The restoration uncovered historic finishes of marble, brass, tile, and stained glass, and the grand theater now plays host to productions by Emerson College students and local arts groups.

The Hawkeye Center

When commercial construction and demolition threatened the only remaining grain elevator in rural Red Lodge, Montana, concerned community members led the charge to save the historic landmark that had served as a mainstay for the small town's economy since 1908.

The restoration maintained as much of the structure's original character as possible, kept the original walls exposed, and maintained old equipment. Grains found in the mill were planted as landscaping. The old mill has now become the Hawkeye Center, a central community meeting place and a museum that pays tribute to the building's history.

One of the National Trust award recipients is the American Express Company for its funding of World Monuments Watch, a program of the World Monuments Fund (WMF) founded in 1995 that helps to preserve historic monuments worldwide.

The corporate partnership between American Express and WMF raises awareness about endangered historic sites and supports their preservation. Every two years, the WMF issues the World Monuments Watch list of 100 Most Endangered Sites and American Express awards grants to support their protection.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to protecting the irreplaceable. The National Preservation Awards are annually bestowed on individuals, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and corporations that have given new meaning to their communities through preservation of their architectural and cultural heritage.

Discuss this article in the Architecture Forum...

The restored structure of San Estevan del Rey at Acoma Pueblo is a mission church dating back to the 17th century, its restoration a community effort. Photo: Virginia Manheimer The Schroeder Saddletree Factory Museum in Madison, Indiana was for nearly a century a flourishing center of saddle technology. Now restored as an industrial heritage museum. Photo: Historic Madison, Inc. When eroding bluffs threatened the historic buildings and residents of Natchez, Mississippi, the city embarked on a bluff stabilization and preservation effort, completed in 2002. Photo: City of Natchez The Founders of Main Street received a National Trust for Historic Preservation honor award for their work revitalizing nearly 2000 historic downtowns throughout the United States. Photo: National Trust for Historic Preservation The Fourth Ward School in Virginia City, Nevada was built in 1876 to serve children in the Historic Comstock Mining District. Now restored and expanded as a historical museum. Photo: Historic Fourth Ward School Foundation The Parker Courthouse is one of many structures protected under the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, based in Austin. Photo: Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.