Seeing Green. Touring Green. Contemplating Green.

There’s been much discussion recently about Adaptive Reuse. I’m pleased. And not just because I like the topic. I’m pleased because the discussion is taking place here in New Albany and there has been something rare in these parts – consensus.

I’m speaking of the historic Coyle building of course. Click below to start a slideshow of the current building.

I commend all involved in the potential project and look forward to this historic building and large block being reused and contributing to the continued revitalization of New Albany.

Good Timing

Call it a stroke of planning genius (or dumb luck) but back in May a visit had been planned to The Green Building in Louisville. A group of interested New Albanians, including city representatives, wanted to see this historic and LEED certified building. The tour was yesterday. Click below to view the slide show.

It was an inspiring tour. The Green Building sets a standard in the area. There’s much to learn and take away from the project. Perhaps one day soon we’ll be giving tours of our own standard setting project at the Coyle site?

Don’t Be Afraid of the Friendly Street

There has been a posting hiatus here at Our History because of recent travels. The hiatus is now over.

One of my recent destinations was Germany. The most amazing thing about the visit, besides the breweries in and around Bamberg, was how easy it was to move around town without a car.

Which leads me to this question:

Is there anything scary in this photograph?

That street is walkable and bike accessible. It’s a friendly street. Why are some New Albanians so afraid of this photograph? Why is there fear-mongering about traffic calming, bike lanes and converting one-way drag strips to two-way streets?

Can anyone honestly tell me that an investment to upgrade an existing street in New Albany to look like this would be a bad investment? Would this not be an improvement to “quality of life” in the area?

Perhaps it is just “change” that frightens some. Unfortunately the world is changing. The future that is coming includes streets that look like this one.

Done. Again. The End of the Box Gutter Saga.

Done. Again.
It has been a ride to hell and back. The box gutter war is over. I’ve lost many of my battles with them. But the war has been won. I danced in the street last night.

We’ve gone from poorly restored and leaking gutters to gutters lined with gold (actually, it’s copper but the check I wrote felt like it was gold). Water now pours into my house only in my nightmares. That musty smell is starting to fade. Plaster repair and painting of water damage will be underway soon.

Amazingly, from the time the work began in late April to completion yesterday, we’ve received over 7 inches of rain. That’s nuts. It made it difficult for the contractor, Patina Copper & Slate, and extremely stressful for me. A couple Fridays ago, we got a storm that a meteorologist called an “inland hurricane”. I’d never heard the term. I cursed him. But it is all over now.

It’s time to move on and make more stupid restoration decisions that will cost me thousands :-)

Here are more photographs of work in progress taken by Kurtis Hord, owner of Patina Copper & Slate.

Windows, Windows, Windows - Workshop this Tuesday

Even I'm getting a little tired of my continued ranting on not destroying historic wood windows.

So just don't do it.

Instead, learn how to repair them at our Preservation Workshop this Tuesday, May 19. Learn more here. Bring a receipt from a dining establishment downtown and be entered to win a prize!

On the topic of windows, have you heard about the tax credit being offered for replacing your windows? I’m not giving you a link because I’m pissed off. I'm firmly in the Obama camp, but this is completely irresponsible. I can only assume a plastic peddling scumbag lobbyist has gotten a nice fat bonus. I hope he/she chokes on it.

There is nothing "green" about destroying existing resources. There is nothing "green" about failing to maintain your windows. There is nothing "green" about replacing historic wood windows with an inferior product that will fail and have to be replaced again. That's irresponsible.

Get your butt to the workshop and learn something. Or buy a damn book. Or Google until you find instructions. Or visit one of the links below. Just don’t give in to the scare tactic sales pitches from hot chicks or some greasy looking salesman on TV telling you that you need new windows.

Green Home Tips
Historic Wood Window Tip Sheet
Window Repair Video

Save the Windows!

Perspective from 2005, Downtown New Albany

I’m lucky. Every May I work with some extremely dedicated preservationists to help plan Preservation Month events in New Albany. We’ve been doing this for several years. We’ve even expanded the operation to include events outside of May – Newport forum and Windows Workshop.

Fellow planner, David Barksdale, made a great point the other day. In 2005 the situation downtown was much different than what we have today (2009). Sixteen properties were available along the Pearl and Market Street corridors. Large swaths of blocks were unoccupied. Today, in the same area, there are only 4 properties available.

The weakness, and one I’ll take my share of the blame for, is the lack of tracking of important data like this. Local activists focus on the current and in many cases the ugly issues. Seldom do we take the time to look back and appreciate just how much progress has been made. We don’t do a good job of defining the outcomes desired either. I will endeavor to help change that.

As I related to a large group of people recently, the quality of life here has improved here. While I have no data to support this, I do believe the image for the area is changing in a positive way. And this is being done without any coordinated strategy whatsoever. Just imagine if we tried?

I have to go now because it’s the opening day for the Farmers Market. I also have to stop at our local bookstore, Destinations Booksellers, to do some shopping. At 11:00 I’ll be attending a walking tour downtown with dozens of visitors, touring buildings downtown that are in progress of being restored. Then I have to hit River City Winery to pick up two bottles of wine for my Dad’s birthday. I’ll have to grab lunch somewhere along the way, probably at Studio's. Then a stop at the Gallery on Pearl for a Mothers Day gift and a welcome gift for a gal from California who is buying a house on my street. A workout at the YMCA may get squeezed in there or maybe a run along the Greenway (workouts will need to increase, as Wicks Pizza opens in July). And I’m really looking forward to dinner at Bank Street Brewhouse this evening.

Best of all, it’s going to be a “no car” weekend, as I can do all the above walking.

Indeed, 2005 sure seems like a longtime ago.

Get out this Saturday and Do Stuff in New Albany

Gym, Gems, and “Guice” seen together only on a walking tour of historic downtown New Albany

On May 9, 11 AM, meet at the new YMCA, 33 State Street, New Albany, to participate in a tour of the “Gems” of Pearl Street. This exclusive tour, based on the year-old guide to historic downtown New Albany, not only browses the facades of the wonderful buildings.

Participants explore the inside of the old Fashion Shop at 213 Pearl, the White House Centre at 222 Pearl, and the old Kresge Building at the corner of Pearl and Market. It’s the opportunity for the curious to see how the Fashion Shop and the Kresge Building have evolved since they’ve been closed to the public. The tour ends at River City Winery, the historic Baer Building, where participants sample “Guice,” exclusively named for this event.

With the tour ending at noon, participants can visit the Farmers Market, open 8 AM–1 PM, at the corner of Bank and Market, and downtown merchants during the First Saturday event, 10 AM–5 PM.) Floyd County Historian David Barksdale, leads the tour.

Free and open to the public. This event is co-sponsored by New Albany Historic Preservation Commission, Develop New Albany, and Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana.

Submitted by: Judy Martin, Program Assistant
Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana
812-284-5434

New Albany Kicks Off Preservation Month with Preservation Conversation

Connecting preservation of historic buildings with the green movement, Steve Wiser, Louisville architect, shares his visualization as far into the future as 2035 of how preserving the built environment can influence southern Indiana communities.

Tuesday - May 5, 2009
Cornerstone Evangelical Methodist Church
418 East Spring Street, New Albany
7:00 – 8:30 PM

Join the conversation on how restoring a building rather than tearing down and building new significantly reduces landfill waste and increases the need for human labor, while the neighborhood and its community stay in tact. Potentially, choices to rehabilitate, restore, and repair our inherited structures influence the lives of the community’s residents and visitors well beyond our own lives.

This event is free and open to the public. The co-sponsors include New Albany Historic Preservation Commission, Develop New Albany, and Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana.

What’s my motivation?

Motivation to get going on the exterior rehabilitation work has been hard to come by lately. I’ve found it entirely too easy to get caught up in the whirlwind and be tossed about.

In case you are new to the Our History experience, my house has undergone a rebirth in recent years, being removed from the “plastic baggie” so to speak:

The plan this spring and summer (and I don’t do much without a plan) is to start small. Windows will get much needed attention. I’ve had a tendency to move along the house leaving them for later and later is now. Nice weather last weekend and about 6 hours of work resulted in this:

The dreaded box gutters are being relined by a professional. That alone, when done, will help me sleep at nights. Then there’s a ton of detail work to do as I return to areas of the house to apply the final coat of paint. And yes, the devil really is in the details. And then there’s the rear of the house. It’s untouched and pristine but will get hit hard with the goal being to complete before cold weather hits.

It’s an ambitious work plan. I’ll keep you posted on progress.

And speaking of windows, you really need to check out this website. The Kansas State Historical Society has posted several videos giving great detail about window rehab. From the site:

For decades, consumers have been led to believe that replacing their old wood windows with new vinyl, metal or clad windows will improve their home. Replacement windows have been marketed as energy efficient, and therefore environmentally friendly, and economical, by saving the homeowner money over the lifespan of the window. In reality, properly repaired wood windows can be equally energy efficient, are more environmentally friendly, are a better financial investment, and preserve one of the most important character-defining features of a historic home.

Vinyl siding and a good deal on real estate in Florida

The justification is easy. No more painting. You can put plastic on your house and “never have to paint your house again.” It's maintenance free!

Yeah. Right. And I’ve got some swampland down in Florida to sell you too.

Here’s an example of maintenance free vinyl.

This is a home not far from mine in New Albany. The resident did not apply the vinyl. He only has to clean up the mess as a result. Water was getting behind the vinyl and the homeowner had no idea.

The application of vinyl to a home, on top of the original surface, covers up original architectural detail. It diminishes the character of not just the individual home, but also the surrounding neighborhood. It also leads to hidden maintenance issues like this that could result in major structural damage.

Plastic has many great uses (like Wiffle balls and bats!). Keep the integrity of your historic home intact and keep the plastic off of it. Thanks.

Further reading:

New Albany Design Guidelines for Siding and Trim

New Albany Weird - The Reno Brothers Short Visit in 1868

A friend has inspired me to dig up and recount some of the weirdest history and people of New Albany. We’re an old river town after all, and we had characters aplenty coming and going as often as a train pulled in or a steamboat tied up. Some put roots down here and went to procreating, providing us with a healthy dose of distinctiveness that carries through to today.

So begin several posts in which New Albany’s strange and little-known history will be shared and discussed.

The Night the Reno Brothers Hung Out in New Albany

Think of the wild American West and it’s doubtful that New Albany, or even Indiana, would be in your thoughts. Train robberies and shootouts just don’t seem to fit. However, if you are familiar with the Reno Brothers Gang then you know that would be a mistake.

You can read about the Reno Gang at their Wikipedia page. They were troublemakers, and damn good at it. They relished swindling travelers in shady card games and swindling the U.S. government by enlisting in the Army during the Civil War under multiple names, collecting enlistment bounties and then bolting. These scoundrels (from the Seymour area) are also credited with the first three peacetime train robberies in the United States.

My focus will be on the Reno Gang members who visited New Albany. It was the last place they visited.

The Gang appears to have robbed one train too many. They’d taken $96,000 in cash and bonds from a train in May 1868 and soon after had attempted to sell some of the bonds in Syracuse, New York. The railroad company was alerted and arrests were made. Gang members Frank Reno and Charles Anderson were tracked down across the border, in Canada. Simeon and William Reno were arrested in Indiana shortly thereafter. All were brought to New Albany, which was known to have the sturdiest jail in the region. A photograph of the jail is below – it was located at the northeast corner of State and Spring (current location of the PNC Bank).

Previous law enforcement failures to stop the Reno Gang had given rise to some vigilante justice in and around the Seymour area. A group calling itself the “Southern Indiana Vigilance Committee” had had some success in tracking other gang members down. Lynching was the justice they dispensed.

Having four Reno Gang members in New Albany was a juicy target the Committee could not pass up. At 3:30 am, December 12, 1868, about 70 members of the Committee arrived by train from Seymour. This was a business trip and their business was hanging the Renos.

Upon arrival, the Committee stormed the jail and shot Sherriff Thomas Fullenlove (not fatally) in the shoulder and got the cell keys. They were in and out in twenty minutes. The engraving below depicts how they dispersed around the jail while the deed was done.

The Reno Gang was hanged from the jail catwalk, one at a time. Frank Reno was first. Charles Anderson last. The mob then made their way down to the train station at the base of State Street and headed off back to Seymour. No charges were ever filed.

After the hangings, this simply delicious proclamation was issued by the “Southern Indiana Vigilance Committee.” Click the link to read the entire thing.

Do not trifle with us, for if you do we will follow you to the bitter end and give you a short shrift and a hempen collar. As to this our action in the past will be a guarantee for our conduct in the future.

So there you have it. The first train robbers in the United States had their butts hanged right here in New Albany, at the current location of the bank where I do my business. It’s some damn strange history and enough to give me the shivers when I visit the bank.

More Reading:

Reno Brothers on Wikipedia

A Reno Brothers Blog

Blogging with Roger Bloom, The Reno Brothers

The Reno Brothers Gang and the Floyd County Jail

Images provided by the Floyd County Historical Society

Good Stuff at S. Ellen Jones Elementary

Role models are important. Not everyone has the benefit of having a good one. However, the kids at S. Ellen Jones Elementary do: Officer Chad Armenta of the New Albany Police Department. Last year the Horseshoe Foundation awarded a grant to the school that pays for Officer Armenta to work 2 hours a day to perform liaison/truancy duties.

Attendance at the school has improved – that was the goal. Friendships have also been formed, as well as a positive respect for law enforcement. The daily presence in the neighborhood has also helped bring an improved sense of safety and stability.

Yesterday the school staff, children and the S. Ellen Jones neighborhood got the chance to thank Officer Armenta and the Horseshoe Foundation. It was a fun program that was followed by popsicles for everyone.

Call me a softy if you want, but hearing a choir of 1st graders sing tugs mightily at the heartstrings. It was also moving to see the hugs Officer Armenta got at the end of the ceremony. It was an inspiring afternoon and a bit of good news I wanted to share.

Repeating the Message Again, Again, Again....

The message may get repetitive, but it will continue to be delivered. The world can’t build its way to sustainability. We’ve got to work with what we’ve got and make it more efficient.

Please take a minute to read this entire Op-Ed piece (by Richard Moe) from the New York Times.

“Experience has shown that virtually any older or historic house can become more energy-efficient without losing its character. Restoring the original features of older houses — like porches, awnings and shutters — can maximize shade and insulation. Older wooden windows perform very well when properly weatherized — this includes caulking, insulation and weather stripping — and assisted by the addition of a good storm window. Weatherizing leaky windows in most cases is much cheaper than installing replacements.”

Save the Windows!

To Preserve is to Sustain - Let’s get Green together

Yes, it is better to reuse than to toss out. That applies to just about everything, except maybe old toothbrushes.

It is most applicable to our building stock. To emphasize this point, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is walking the walk and talking the talk. The Trust has launched a Sustainability Program. If you care about the environment and our climate problems, the Trust website should be a regular stop for you. You should also consider giving them some of your money. They do and have always done great work.

The Trust has recently launched Preservation Green Lab, headquartered in Seattle. Here’s an excerpt from the Trust website:

As a key component of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Sustainability Program, the Preservation Green Lab will focus on these three goals:

Good Policy, Green Results: The greenest building is often the one that is already built, which is precisely why the Preservation Green Lab will work in various cities and states to develop and implement policies that support green retrofits and adaptive reuse, as well as reinvestment in existing communities.

Greening by Example: To demonstrate that older and historic buildings can, in fact, be retrofitted to achieve high levels of energy efficiency, the Preservation Green Lab will launch a number of green retrofit projects in pilot cities across the country.

The Go-To for Going Green: The Preservation Green Lab will lead the conversation on best practices and model policies for greening our country's prized older and historic buildings, functioning as the go-to resource for those navigating the intersection of historic preservation and sustainability.

We just might have to coordinate a visit from these folks. Or maybe we need our own New Albany Green Lab?

The Riverfront of Today and Yesterday

I know the New Albany riverfront as a place where joggers roam, skateboarders litter and an amphitheatre sits silently. I also know it had a life before the flood wall severed it from the day to day life of New Albany. New Albany was a river town. And nobody can take us back to that time and set the scene of river town life like Mark Twain.

From Life on the Mississippi, Chapter 6, page 30-31

“After all these years I can picture that old time to myself now, just as it was then; the white town was drowsing in the sunshine of a summer’s morning; the streets empty, or pretty nearly so; one or two clerks sitting in front of the Water Street stores, with their split-bottomed chairs tilted back against the wall, chins on breast, hats slouched over their faces, asleep-with shingle shavings enough around to show what broke them down; a sow and a litter of pigs loafing along the sidewalk, doing a good business in watermelon rinds and seeds; two or three lonely little freight piles scattered about the levee; a pile of skids on the slope of the stone-paved wharf, and the fragrant town drunkard asleep in the shadow of them; two or three wood flats at the head of the wharf, but nobody to listen to the peaceful lapping of the wavelets against them…"

He wasn’t writing about New Albany, but he could have been. The following image, provided by the Floyd County Historical Society, is an appropriate companion to the marvelously crafted description of Mr. Twain.

You’d probably think that physical evidence of that time in New Albany would be long gone. You’d be wrong. Fellow shutterbug Stephen Pacciano snapped the below images during a recent drought. The first is of our own stone-paved wharf and the second of a still intact mooring ring awaiting the next steamboat to tie off.

Thank you Stephen. I will look at the riverfront with a new appreciation thanks to these material connections with the past.

This Place Matters – Preservation Month May 2009

Here's a preview of events coming in May. More details will follow here and at Develop New Albany. We've also got a return of our popular "Shotgun" home event planned for June.

The theme this year is This Place Matters. And it really does matter. See you in May.

May 5
Preservation Forum - “Going Green”. Forum presenter Steve Wiser (AIA) - Author and Architect.

May 9
Downtown event: “Gym, Gems & Juice – A Historic Downtown Walking Tour”

May 12
House Histories Workshop

May 19
Window Restoration Workshop

May 20
Facelift Awards Presentation

May 26
Floyd County Historical Society, “Cardinal Joseph Ritter, A 20th Century Religious Leader.”

May 30
Scribner House Open House & Walking Tour of Historic Mansion Row

Making the point – Of Adaptive Reuse, Beer and Progress

It goes without saying that I’m tickled pink that downtown New Albany is the new home of the New Albanian Brewing Company Bank Street Brewhouse. The Brewhouse will bring more people downtown. Some will figure out they can avoid the drive to get here by moving here. It will happen. Beer, good beer, is a big reason I moved to New Albany 7 years ago. Trust me, I’m not the only one who has the same appreciation.

This addition to our downtown contributes to a recent winning streak that includes a downtown YMCA, rehabilitation of the Whitehouse, an impressive reuse of a bank building by Schad & Palmer at 223 East Spring, the pending opening of the River City Winery, the arrival of Toast on Market and more. I don’t have access to balance sheets for these projects, but we’re talking millions of dollars of investment.

While some bemoan the lack of revitalization downtown, I’m reminded of a saying about not being able to see the forest for the trees. It’s quite possible that we’ve been wishing for revitalization for so long that we’re not able to see it as it occurs.

And now for the preservationist take on the Brewhouse. This unassuming building where discount bread was once made is flanked by two parking lots. It was a strong candidate for demolition, adding to our supply of ample parking.

The building is not historic. It is not protected by a local historic district. It is admittedly an “ugly duckling” of a building. But thankfully in this case, a precious few had the vision and the imagination to look beyond the ugliness. Reuse was the first option. The streetscape is now maintained and enhanced. Valuable resources have been reused instead of being sent to a landfill. Vibrancy has been added to our downtown.

This is precisely the creativity and imagination we need for our building stock downtown. And while I’m thankful for the beer, I’m much more thankful for the example this sets for the future developments that will be spurred as a result of this project.

Newport Forum this Tuesday: It's good to learn from others, right?

It was several weeks ago when a letter to the CJ about the success of Newport, KY caught my attention. After a couple phone calls and emails, we found a good spokesperson (Robert Yoder) that could come and share the story of Newport with us.

It promises to be time well spent learning how another river community has turned itself around. We’ll hear the depths that Newport had sunk to and then learn how decades of work, leadership and vision have made it a tourist destination and a community with a strong housing market.

Come on by the YMCA (corner of State & Main) Tuesday evening at 7:00pm for this important educational lecture and public forum. Visit the Develop New Albany website for more information on this and other upcoming events downtown.

And sign up for the e-news group so you don’t have to learn about this stuff by reading my blog.

Worst Window Replacement Ever?

Worst window replacement ever? It gets my vote. That's an abomination. It's wrong on so many levels.

If you want some new pearly whites, please go to the dentist to get them not the local discount big box hardware mega-store.
Below are some web resources to help provide guidance for would be destroyers of historic wood windows. As you'll read, your home likely has bigger issues than windows. Insulate your attic. Plug up your foundation. Weatherstrip your doors.

Replacing windows doesn't make economic sense. Put the crowbar down and please slowly step away from the windows.

I Need An Energy Audit Stat, by Jane Koncius, Washington Post

The Must Read Tip Sheet from the National Trust

Tips to Make Your Home Green, from PreservationNation.org

PreservationNation blog posting by Rebecca Williams

New Albany Historic Preservation Commission, Window Design Guidelines

This Old House - on the Bough

My buddy and neighbor, Nora, had a birthday party for her house when it turned 100. This Old House magazine thought that was a swell idea and featured her on page 14 of the March edition.

This Old House sent Dan Dry to take a few photographs. And of course I took photographs of him taking photographs.
Thank you Nora for what you did to feature your home and bring attention to our little river town. I’m proud to be your neighbor.

The 100K house – get small, get cheap, get green

Despite carrying the “preservationist” label (which seems to carry a load of negative stereotyped baggage along with it in these parts) I’m also a huge fan of modern architecture. New construction design that mimics or replicates an earlier architectural style looks fine if you are walking down Main Street at Disney, but looks absolutely ridiculous in the real world. Design has been a topic covered before on this blog. New Construction needs to look new.

Our focus in these parts should be our existing housing stock. Building reuse is an absolute no-brainer. It is not rational to destroy resources that can be adapted and reused. This is true for entire structures and the elements that make up the structures (yes, even windows which are filling up our landfills at an alarming rate).

There is, however, plenty of room in our center city neighborhoods for new construction. This project (The 100K House) caught my attention recently. The project leaders have a conviction that "green" and "affordable" can go hand-in-hand. They are actually building that conviction.


The design is modern. It’s green. It’s LEED Platinum certified. It’s affordable.

How about we do it here?