Dick Moe's Preservation Sustainability Speech

Dick Moe was honored by the National Building Museum with the Vincent Scully Prize for his work as President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in keeping historic preservation relevant and contributing to our ever changing society.  Dick used the occasion to kick off the Trust's Sustainability Initiative and spelled out the "essential role" preservation has to play in fighting climate change. It's an entirely new direction for the Trust, and we thought you would be interested in seeing the full text of Dick's speech, which is below.  We encourage you to read it, think about it, react to it and, hopefully, pass it on.  Share it with a policy maker, a decision maker or even a friend, but by all means share it, so that we can start to get out the message that we can't build ourselves out of this crisis but must recognize the significance of preservation in addressing climate change.

Click here to read the entire speech.
Written by: Tabitha Almquist

Date Added: 12/16/2007

Architectural "Wonder" Geodesic Dome Demolished by Kansas City Southern Railroad

Outrage, anger, grief, and dismay were expressed by Louisiana preservation leaders when they awoke on Tuesday to personal accounts of the demolition of one of the state’s and the nation’s most significant architectural structures, a Buckminster Fuller Geodesic Dome, located in the northern section of East Baton Rouge Parish. The dome was demolished by the owner, Kansas City Southern Railroad, Nov. 15 when KCS obtained permits to demolish the building. The structure was known as the Union Tank Car Geodesic Dome and fondly as Baton Rouge’s “Bucky Dome.”

The structure, designed and constructed in 1958, has been on the Foundation for Historical Louisiana’s recent “Treasures in Trouble” preservation advocacy list for the capital region and the Louisiana Trust’s Top 10 Endangered State Properties list, said Lenore Feeney, Foundation Chair.

Full Story...

Date Added: 11/28/2007

Trying to figure out what to wear to the October 25th Gala?

Then you need to join FHL members and friends on Thursday evening, October 4 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for another Preservation Salon on the “Fabulous Fashions of the Forties” presented by Pamela Rabalais-Vinci of the renowned LSU School of Human Ecology. Mrs. Rabalais-Vinci is Curator of the LSU Textile & Costume Museum, with expertise in historic textiles and apparel, modern western fashion, and the fashion industry. There will be a powerpoint presentation and clothing of the period on display. Attendees are invited to bring their items of apparel that date to the decade of the forties. Reservations appreciated by calling 225-387-2464. The Preservation Salon will take place in the East Room of the Old Governor’s Mansion, 502 North Boulevard. The event is free to members and potential members. The Foundation for Historical Louisiana is Baton Rouge’s historic preservation organization with the mission of preserving the cultural and architectural heritage of Louisiana, especially the capital city. A membership drive is currently in place. Dues start at $25.00 for students.

Date Added: 9/19/2007

Fabulous 40's Fundraiser Preserves Baton Rouge History • September 10th, 2007

Jitterbug lessons offered

War-time USO posters, Uncle Sam wanting YOU, and a 1944 Swing Band roll out the red-white-&-blue carpet for America's Greatest Generation. The "Fabulous Forties" takes this year's Foundation for Historical Louisiana Gala back at Louisiana's Old Governor's Mansion, which itself is a Foundation preservation project. The Gala is FHL's major fundraiser for year-round projects. Tickets start at $100 for members and sponsorships are available.

Slated for Thursday, October 25, the 9th Annual star-studded spectacular is chaired by television personality and Gov. Edwin Edwards biographer Leo Honeycutt and his wife Jackie Honeycutt. The Honeycutts accepted the challenge, saying, "Preservation equals memories and that's what ties a community together, generation to generation." Leif Pedersen's authentic 1944 Big Band takes center stage along with critically-acclaimed reincarnations of the Andrews Sisters, the Pfister Sisters. A number of World War II vets will be special guests as well as Miss Louisiana USA Elizabeth McNaulty. Black and white pictures of Baton Rouge during the war decade will line the walls.

But long before USO bunting returns to the mansion for the first time in 60 years, the East Room will be hopping with jitterbug lessons (small charge) on Tuesday evenings, September 18 and 25 and October 2 and 9 from 7-8 p.m., along with a presentation of 1940's fashions and textiles on October 4 at 6:00 p.m. Grand prizes will be awarded Gala night for "Best Jitterbuggers" and "Best 1940s Costume." While 1940s-era costumes, uniforms and "characters" are encouraged, black tie is fine, too.

This year's FHL Gala is also going high-tech. Most of the 100 valuable and unique silent auction treasures will be on EBay-like display at http://www.blacktie-louisiana.com. Bidders can shop and start bidding long before Gala night. Auction chairs Sylvia Duke and Emily Wilbert still seek the exotic collectible. All donations are tax deductible.

Founded in 1963, the Foundation for Historical Louisiana is Louisiana's official local partner to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and worked to have Baton Rouge named a "Preserve America City" by First Lady Laura Bush. Aside from "standing up" for historic buildings especially in the capital region and now New Orleans since the hurricanes, FHL has a variety of programs and activities that promote the preservation of our cultural and architectural heritage. FHL also relieves Louisiana taxpayers by operating the Old Governor's Mansion with the State of Louisiana and welcomes thousands of school children and visitors to this landmark which also serves as preservation headquarters. For more information and reservations, contact the Foundation at 225-387-2464 or on the web at www.fhl.org.

Date Added: 9/11/2007

 

 

Dance Lessons, Contest, Gala Scheduled • October 25th, 2007

To Benefit Historic Preservation in Baton Rouge

The Foundation for Historical Louisiana (FHL) announced today its annual October fundraising gala scheduled October 25 will feature the era of the 1940s. Jitterbug lessons will begin in September, culminating with a jitterbug contest scheduled at the FHL annual gala.

Dance lessons begin on Tuesday, September 18, running for four consecutive Tuesdays from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Old Governor’s Mansion. Prizes will be awarded for the first, second, and third place winners of the jitterbug contest at the Gala and names will be announced and featured in the FHL newsletter and on the website.

Miss Louisiana USA 2007, Elizabeth McNulty, will be attending the dance lessons and will participate in the jitterbug contest at the Gala on October 25. Ms. McNalty’s participation in the events emphasizes her commitment to historic preservation. .

"We urge dancers and non-dancers to move forward and consider joining the fun for this great cause, said Leo and Jackie Honeycutt, Gala chair couple of this year's event. "This is a great way to help the Foundation and to add some sparkle to the Gala,” said Leo Honeycutt. The Leif Pederson Big Band will be performing at the event. Funds raised at the FHL gala provide a major portion of the preservation organization's annual budget.

Dance instructor Beverly Cook will conduct the one hour dance lessons beginning at 7 p.m. at the Old Governor's Mansion on September 18 and 25 and on October 2 and 9. Cook said she will teach the basic jitterbug and waltz steps at each lesson, adding new steps to each session for participants who attend all four lessons. Cook says both the waltz and jitterbug are defined dance styles from the 40s.
The cost of the four lessons is $35 per person or $50 per couple, which also covers an individual or family membership to the Foundation for Historical Louisiana. Current members of the FHL will be provided free admittance to the lessons but are urged to make a donation.

Reservations for dance lessons are required by calling 387-2464, ext. 15 or 18. Information is also available on the website about gala tickets at www.fhl.org.

 

 

FHL Press Release • July 30th, 2007

Foundation for Historical Louisiana Announces “Treasures in Trouble”

In a continuing effort to fulfill its mission of historic preservation, the Foundation for Historical Louisiana (FHL) called on the Capital Region to nominate and spotlight endangered historic properties or “treasures in trouble” and the organization has named five properties termed “Endangered.”

The properties, released at the FHL annual preservation awards banquet held on July 19, are the architecturally significant Union Tank Car Geodesic Dome, located in North Baton Rouge; the French House and the LSU Historic District on the LSU Campus; Old St. Gabriel Church on Highway 75, Iberville Parish; Carville Historic District in Iberville Parish; and St. Mary’s Church (formerly an Episcopal Church), Weyanoke, West Feliciana Parish.

“We want to draw attention to these unique properties so communities can learn more about their historic, architectural and cultural “treasures”, and so individuals and organizations can come together to develop a plan of action to bring these neglected properties back to being the economic and cultural jewels they once were,” said Michele Deshotels, FHL board member and chair of FHL’s Heritage Education Committee. Also serving on the committee are Lenore Feeney, Darryl Gissel, William Brockway, AIA, David Norwood, John W. Wilbert, Jr., J. Michael Desmond, Peggy Hunt, Anne Price, and Carolyn Bennett.

The Union Tank Car Geodesic Dome, off Scenic Highway in East Baton Rouge Parish, is architecturally significant because it was designed by scholar, philosopher and mathematician Buckminister Fuller, who patented systems specifically applicable to the development of geodesic dome structures. The Baton Rouge dome, built in 1958, will withstand up to 230 mile an hour winds. Fuller was in Baton Rouge during the construction period of this "great grandfather" dome to thousands of geodesic domes which followed across the globe. The Foundation has been in contact with a descendant of Fuller's and the family is interested in assisting in anyway possible. The Union Tank Car Geodesic Dome is currently unoccupied and in deteriorating condition.

Old St. Gabriel Catholic Church, Hwy 73, was constructed by Acadian refugees who settled in St. Gabriel, near the Mississippi River banks in the 1770s. It is listed on the National Historic Register and is known to be the oldest wooden church in the entire of the length of the Mississippi Valley from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Although the church is under the watchful eye of the Old St. Gabriel Church Commission, it is in need of foundation work, restoration of stenciling in its interior, and does not have a sprinkler system, says Eugene LeBlanc, nominator. The church, constructed in Classical Revival architectural style, was completed in 1776. The building was modified from 1850-1870.

St. Mary’s Church in Weyanoke, Highway 66 in West Feliciana Parish, is now in grave condition with no roof and no windows. The once pristine and beautiful Gothic Revival church now in a cow pasture was listed on the National Historic Register in 1980. It was deconsecrated as an Episcopal church in 1949 and is now held in a foundation trust, according to nominator Carolyn Thornton.

LSU French House, located in the LSU Historic District on Highland Road, is in major disrepair and is currently closed due to water damage. The Renaissance-style building, designed by architects Weiss, Dreyfous and Seiferth, opened in 1935 as a center for intensive study of French language, literature and culture. It closed in the 1970s because of neglect and was opened ten years later when it was converted to a dormitory. Most recently it has been home to the LSU Press, The Southern Review, and the Honors College. According to a recent Advocate report, it is in disrepair and in need of major renovations. Nancy Clark, dean of the Honors College, is working with the administration to bring major renovations to the historic French House for LSU’s highly prized Honors College. President Emeritus William Jenkins has said that the $6 to $10 million project is one of the top priorities of the University’s fundraising efforts. In addition, the FHL Committee also wants the public to know that many properties in the LSU Historic District are in need of funding for repairs and maintenance.

The Carville Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The compound has a deep and extensive architectural, medical, social and cultural history. The property was formerly a working plantation and later became the only mainland national leprosarium, Hansen’s Disease Center. A U.S. Public Health Service Hospital was on the grounds. Today's campus is largely the product of a massive building program begun in 1939 and completed in 1941. Almost all of the major buildings are in the Classical Revival style. Although the buildings have received some changes over the years and there has been some new construction, the campus easily retains sufficient integrity from its 1941 completion. The property includes the original plantation home, Indian Camp, built in 1859 by noted architect Henry Howard, who also designed Nottoway. There is also a museum on the grounds dedicated to Hansen’s disease education. Walking tours are offered monthly. The Foundation committee notes that the site is a unique landmark property with beautiful and extensive grounds that must be safeguarded and brought to public attention. It is a compelling heritage district within the capital city region and just a short drive from Baton Rouge. According to nominee Kathleen Callaghan, many buildings are in serious need of restoration and repair.

Deshotels praised individuals and communities for making the recent nominations to this important listing. She asked communities and organizations, as well as individuals, to come forward and to work with the FHL and other preservation resources in the community to save and restore the properties.

FHL Chair Lenore Feeney says that the organization will review nominations each May, as part of its national preservation month activities. The properties will be announced at the FHL annual banquet in July and the organization will provide technical assistance to communities. “There are individuals in each of these communities that are reading this and saying, “Oh, we must do something to make sure that “treasure” is saved,” said Feeney, “and that person may be you.”

“Many of the properties on this year’s endangered list are of interest to not just to citizens in those communities, but to visitors,” added FHL Director Bennett. “Historic tourism is a large market force and an economic development engine. In addition, at least one of these structures would make a world class corporate headquarters.”

Bennett noted that in the FHL’s 44-year history, the organization has advocated on behalf of endangered and threatened properties, including assisting other preservation organizations to publicize endangered properties. The Foundation’s list complements a statewide endangered list published by the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 11 Most Endangered List for the whole United States. In addition, the FHL has provided extensive advocacy and resources to the preservation of Magnolia Mound, Historic City Park Golf Course, Old Governor’s Mansion, Hotel Heidelberg (now called the Baton Rouge Hilton Capitol Center), Historic Magnolia and Highland Cemeteries, the Pentagon Barracks, and others. The organization is also currently focusing on two other properties in need of restoration in New Orleans, Shushan Lakefront Airport and Charity Hospital, both designed by Weiss, Dreyfous and Seiferth, who designed the Louisiana State Capitol and Old Governor’s Mansion, as well as the LSU French House, on this year’s list.

For more information, contact Carolyn Bennett at 225-387-2464 or write to fhla@bellsouth.net.

Date Added: 7/30/2007

 

 

FHL Press Release • July 30th, 2007

Patriotic Commemorative Ceremony in honor of the 1862 Civil War Battle of Baton Rouge

Saturday, August 4, 10 a.m. to 11.a.m.

The Foundation for Historical Louisiana (FHL) invites the public to attend a patriotic ceremony at Historic Magnolia Cemetery this weekend . The free event is scheduled from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. on Saturday, August 4, at Historic Magnolia Cemetery, located at Florida Boulevard and 19th Street.

The 24th annual program will feature a color guard, cannon firing, wreath laying, taps, a vocalist, and civil war enthusiasts in period dress. BREC Superintendent Bill Palmer will be the guest speaker. There will be a tent, chairs, and water available. Children are encouraged to attend. Civil War books and heritage items will be on sale from the Foundation for Historical Louisiana’s museum store. For further information call Foundation headquarters at 225-387-2464.

Magnolia Cemetery was established in 1852. Following the war, due to a poor economy, Magnolia Cemetery fell into disrepair. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Civil War Discovery Train, the cemetery is being restored thanks to FHL, the Magnolia Cemetery trustees, BREC, and others. Ory Poret, a member of the board of FHL and the trustees, serves a chairman of this annual Civil War commemorative event. This sacred and historic site is also the location of the Foundation’s “Magnolia’s Memories” in the spring.

The Battle of Baton Rouge took place on August 5, 1862 on the grounds of Magnolia Cemetery. Louisiana seceded from the Union on January 25, 1861. On May 29, 1862, Union troops led by Brigadier General Thomas Williams began the Federal Occupation of Baton Rouge.

On August 5 at 4 a.m., Major General John C. Breckinridge and his 2,600 troops from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky entered Baton Rouge and began fighting Union forces. The Confederate army forced the Union troops back toward the Mississippi River. But, in order to recapture Baton Rouge, the Confederates needed their iron clad ram, the C.S.S. Arkansas to destroy all the Union ships on the river. The Arkansas, however, suffered engine trouble and was burned and set adrift by its crew four miles upriver from Baton Rouge. Unharmed, the U.S. S. Essex and four other Union gunboats bombarded the Confederate troops until they withdrew and marched out of Baton Rouge that same day. Among the soldiers that fell were Brigadier General Williams and A.G. Todd, half-brother of Mary Todd Lincoln, President Lincoln’s wife.

For further information contact the Foundation for Historical Louisiana at 387-2464.

Date Added: 7/30/2007

 

 

FHL Press Release • May 17, 2007

Announcing the Baton Rouge City of Landmarks Walking Tour Brochure

Two Baton Rouge organizations, the Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (BRCVB) and the Foundation for Historical Louisiana (FHL), unveiled today a brochure designed to enhance and promote both heritage tourism and historic preservation in the city.

The joint effort promotes the capital city’s rich and unique history and many of its major landmarks and beloved buildings through a newly created and published pictorial brochure and map.

Called Baton Rouge, A City of Landmarks Walking Tour, the free brochure is designed to spotlight historically significant buildings, heritage sites, and vintage homes, in the downtown area.

The full-color brochure, includes a map of approximately a mile, and covers the North Boulevard Promenade, Capitol Park, the Riverfront, Central Business District, including numerous buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, three Historic Districts, and nine downtown museums. It includes a photograph and brief description of each of the landmarks and earmarks their location.

“This new guide offers a treasure trove of historical information on over 45 buildings of architectural distinction,” said Carolyn Bennett, FHL executive director. “The Foundation has wanted to produce an informative and user-friendly piece like this for many years. The community has been asking us to do just this and I’m sure this first printing of 10,000 copies will go quickly. We are already at work on a second edition and want the public’s comments,” said Bennett.

"This attractive map and walking tour of our historic landmarks is a much-needed addition to our tourism program. We are proud to join with the Foundation for Historical Louisiana in unveiling this great new product," said Paul Arrigo, executive director of the Baton Rouge Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We know that this creative walking tour map will give visitors, local residents, and students of history new insights into our past and will present Baton Rouge as a city with deep and rich historical significance," he added.

Bennett and Arrigo acknowledged graphic designer Diane Joseph Madden, photographer Reggie Keogh, teacher Melanie Hanley and her class from Glasgow Middle School, and local historian John Sykes for assistance in developing the new map.

The brochure, which folds to purse and pocket size, is available from the Foundation for Historical Louisiana at the Old Governor's Mansion, 502 North Boulevard, the BRACVB office at 730 North Boulevard, the Capitol Park Welcome Center and The Shop at the Top on the 27th of the State Capitol.

For more information, call the FHL at 225-387-2464.

Date Added: 6/7/2007

 

 

FHL Press Release • April 16, 2007

Foundation for Historical Louisiana Seeks Endangered Historical Properties Nominations

The Foundation for Historical Louisiana (FHL) is calling for nominations for historic properties that have potential for restoration and redevelopment or are “endangered.” The multi-parish capital region is the focus of this effort to protect and preserve these unique "treasures," said FHL Executive Director Carolyn Bennett.

The nomination deadline is Monday, May 10th. FHL Chairman Darryl Gissel and the Board of Directors will announce...

Date Added: 4/16/2007

 

Baton Rouge Area’s Most Endangered List Nomination Form
PDF Format • Word Format