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National Historic Landmark Designation As a Strategic Asset: Three Case Studies

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National Historic Landmark Designation As a Strategic Asset: Three Case Studies University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Theses (Historic Preservation) Graduate Program in Historic Preservation 2002 National Historic Landmark Designation as a Strategic Asset: Three Case Studies Patricia Ann Connolly University of Pennsylvania Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses Part of the Historic Preservation and Conservation Commons Connolly, Patricia Ann, "National Historic Landmark Designation as a Strategic Asset: Three Case Studies" (2002). Theses (Historic Preservation). 380. https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/380 Copyright note: Penn School of Design permits distribution and display of this student work by University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Suggested Citation: Connolly, Patricia Ann (2002). National Historic Landmark Designation as a Strategic Asset: Three Case Studies. (Masters Thesis). University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/380 For more information, please contact [email protected]. National Historic Landmark Designation as a Strategic Asset: Three Case Studies Disciplines Historic Preservation and Conservation Comments Copyright note: Penn School of Design permits distribution and display of this student work by University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Suggested Citation: Connolly, Patricia Ann (2002). National Historic Landmark Designation as a Strategic Asset: Three Case Studies. (Masters Thesis). University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. This thesis or dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/380 Ba^M^s^ i*5.S,"i M\Ui !!.' *..'*(' i.i'' i:v{ ip ifs: UNivERsmry PENNSYLVANIA UBRARIES NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION AS A STRATEGIC ASSET THREE CASE STUDIES Patricia Ann Connolly A THESIS in Historic Preservation Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial FulfiUment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SQENCE 2002 "yf^ Mi Supervisor Reader David Hollenberg WilHamfc Bolder Associate Regional Diieaor National HiStCJnc Landmaiks PnDgram Manager Northeast Region, National Paik Service Northeast Region, National Paik Service Lecturer in Historic Preservation -XZa M^aXqvo Graduate 3roup Chair Frank G. Matero Associate Professor of Architecture .ic: p\Ai€_ Av^-TS l^h (o5i ok COS ( Om^ UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA LIBRARIES Acknowledgements Special thanks go to my advisor, David Hollenberg, for his guidance, insights, connections, patience, and good humor. My gratitude also goes to Susan Glassman of the Wagner Free Institute of Science, Sally Elk of Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, and Ken Finkel, now at my old home of WHYY, who served as invaluable sources of information and ideas. And to m>- reader Bill Bolger, wearer of many hats, who generously offered his time and thoughts on the New Century Guild and the National Historic Landmarks Program, as well as agreed to review my work. Finally, my most heartfelt thanks to my husband, Robert Altman, who provided much needed editorial assistance and moral support and graciously put up with me through all these months. Contents Acknowledgements u Illustrations 1. Introduction 2. The National Historic Landmarks Progiam Enabling Legislation: Historic Sites Act and National Historic Preservation Act National Historic Landmark Designation Criteria: Significance and Integrity 8 The National Historic Landmark Designation Process 10 Protection, Management, and Stewardship: Contrast with World Heritage Sites 11 3. Support for National Historic Landmarks 14 The Plaque on the Wall: Honorary Public Recognition 15 Protection: Section 106/110 Review and the Section 8 Report to Congress 17 Financial Assistance: Grants, Loans, and Tax Incentives 20 National Park Service: Technical and Planning Support 28 4. Eastern State Penitentiary 34 A Forced Monastery, A Machine for Reform 35 Political Support: Making the Case Against Redevelopment 37 Decay is Interesting: Interpretation as a Museum and a Ruin 39 lU 1 5. The New Century Guild 46 Giving Working Women a Chance 47 Organizational Challenges and Effects on Integrity 49 Using Designation to Guide Renewal 5 6. The Wagner Free Institute of Science 56 A Remarkable Survivor from the Nineteenth Century 56 Seeking Designation as Part of a Strategic Plan 59 Accessing Direct and Indirect Benefits of National Historic Landmark Status 61 7. Conclusion 67 Bibliography 71 Index 76 IV Illustrations Tables 1. Comparison of case studies. 4 2. Overview of financial support for which National Historic Landmarks in Philadelphia may be eligible. 30-33 Figures 1. Example of a National Historic Landmark plaque. 16 2. Eastern State Penitentiary. Exterior, Fairmount Avenue facade showing main gate and guard towers. 43 3. Eastern State Pemtentiary. Plan showing Haviland's design (1837). 44 4. Eastern State Penitentiary. Interior, cellblock nine corridor (1890s). 45 5. The New Century Guild. Exterior, Locust Street facade. 54 6. The New Century Guild. Interior, reception room. 55 7. The Wagner Free Institute of Science. Exterior, Montgomery Avenue and Seventeenth Street facades. 65 8. The Wagner Free Institute of Science. Interior, exhibition hall showing display cases, specimens, and school group. 66 1. Introduction National Historic Landmark designation is the liighest, most exclusive, official recognition the United States government bestows on historic resources. These buildings, sites, distncts, structures, and objects possess exceptional value in illustrating and interpreting the rich and diverse heritage of the countr)^. Regardless of geographic location, they represent events, people, ways of life, ideas, and aesthetic expressions related to national developments in history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture. As such, National Historic Landmarks are among America's most significant places. Despite their status. National Historic Landmarks often struggle with issues of management, maintenance, public awareness, funding, relevance, programming, and interpretation. They are also open to threats from abandonment and neglect; disconnection between the site and its historic use; redevelopment pressures; lack of support; mismanagement; poor maintenance; and demolition. As the nation's most significant historical resources, it is all the more important that these sites have adequate resources to ensure their preservation and use for the beneht of future generations. Designation can - and should - serve as more than an honorar)- distinction. National Historic Landmarks have access to certain limited opportunities because of their status. These direct and tangible benefits include technical and planning assistance through the National Park Service's National Historic Landmarks Assistance Initiative; some level of legal protection in Section 106 and Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act; reporting to Congress and the general public on endangered National Historic Landmarks in the so-called Section 8 Report; and funding from the J. Paul Gett}' Tnist and the Save America's Treasures program. All National Historic Landmarks are also listed in the National Register of Historic Places through which other opportunities are available to them as well. In addition, National Historic Landmarks can leverage designation to tap into a range of indirect assistance (i.e., those not limited to officially designated properties) and secure other, often intangible, types of support. For example, the official government validation represented by National Historic Landmark designation can serve as confirmation of the relevance of a site and/or the institution that owns or operates it; it can inspire a change in attitude on the part of an owner, a communit>s local government, private funders, or others; and it can help a steward better understand, define, and interpret the significance of the site for which it is responsible. This study examines how National Historic Landmarks have incorporated designation into their management strategies to achieve a variety of objectives, such as preserving the structure; raising money; building political, communit}-, and institutional support; clarifying mission and purpose; improving programming and interpretation; renewing relevance; and saving the site. Three National Piistoric Landmarks were selected as case studies: Eastern State Penitentiary, the New Cenuir}^ Guild, and the Wagner Free Institute of Science. All three are located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This was a conscious choice to ensure that the sites have had the same opportunities based on their local environment. In all other ways, however, the subjects of the case studies display a range of characteristics, conditions, and issues related to the resource and its ownership and stewardship. (See Table 1 for a comparison of the selected National Historic Landmarks.) The case studies represent different timeframes since designation. The>' vary in types of owners and stewards (i.e., local government, charitable non-profit, and private institution). At designation, each site had retained the use for which its significance is associated (i.e., a prison, a guild for working women, and a scientific society and museum). Today, two of the three have been able to maintain their use, while the third is a tourist attraction. Two of the three are open to the public. Two of the three are listed in the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, which may some day be meaningful in their protection, although the city does
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