f.o. r. .u. .m . .j. o. .u. r. .nn. .a. .l . Winter 2008 • Volume 22 • No. 2 Preservation Matters! . Speeches from the 2007 National Preservation Conference St. Paul, Minnesota Periodicals Postage Paid 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036 Washington, D.C. Return Postage Guaranteed Address Correction Requested Published by National Trust Forum, a program of the National Trust’s Center for Preservation Leadership ...............................................................................................................foru m journal National Trust Forum Peter H. Brink Senior Vice President, Programs Katherine Adams Director, Center for Preservation Leadership Elizabeth Byrd Wood Editor Kerri Rubman Assistant Editor Ron Woods Business Manager National Trust for Historic Preservation Richard Moe President David J. Brown Executive Vice President Peter H. Brink Senior Vice President, Programs Gregory A. Coble Vice President, Business and Finance David Cooper Vice President, Development Paul Edmondson Vice President and General Counsel Stanley A. Lowe Vice President for Community Revitalization Dolores McDonagh Vice President, Membership Jan Rothschild Vice President for Communications and Marketing James Vaughan Vice President, Stewardship of Historic Properties Emily Wadhams Vice President, Public Policy National Trust Forum Advisory Board Paul Bruhn Preservation Trust of Vermont Pratt W. Cassity University of Georgia Alan Downer National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers E. Renee Ingram African American Heritage Preservation Foundation, Inc. Bruce D. Judd, FAIA Architectural Resources Group Heather MacIntosh Preservation Action Ann McGlone National Alliance of Preservation Commissions David Mertz National Council for Preservation Education David Morgan Former Kentucky State Historic Preservation Officer Marcel Quimby National Trust Board of Advisors Nancy Miller Schamu National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers Donna J. Seifert Society for Historical Archaeology John Simone Connecticut Main Street Center Antone G. Souza, Jr. Downtown Partnership of Sarasota, Inc. de Teel Patterson Tiller Goucher College The National Trust, concerned about the responsible stewardship of the environment, has published this journal on recycled paper that meets the EPA mandate of containing at least 50% waste paper. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a private, nonprofit membership organization, champions preservation by providing leadership, education, advocacy, and resources to people working to preserve, improve, and enjoy the places that matter to them. Its Washington, DC headquarters staff, six regional offices, and 28 historic sites work with the Trust's 270,000 members and thousands of local community groups in all 50 states. For more information, visit the National Trust’s website at www.nationaltrust.org . Forum Journal , a Journal of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, (ISSN 1536-1012) (USPS Publication Number 001-715) is published quarterly by the Center for Preservation Leadership at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1785 Massachu - setts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 as a benefit of National Trust Forum membership. Forum members also receive six issues of Forum News , and six issues of Preservation magazine. Annual dues are $115. Periodicals paid at Washington, D.C. Postmaster: Send address changes to National Trust Forum, 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. Copyright © 2008 National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States. Printed in the United States. Of the total amount of base dues, $6.00 is for a subscription for Preservation magazine for one year. Support for the National Trust is provided by membership dues; endowment funds; individual, corporate, and foundation contributions; and grants from state and federal agencies. National Trust Forum Journal is a forum in which to express opinions, encourage debate, and convey information of importance and of general interest to Forum members of the National Trust. Inclusion of material or product references does not constitute an endorsement by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. ....................................................................... 1 W INTER 2008 This issue of Forum Journal features speeches from the 2007 National Preservation Conference in the Twin Cities. Award- winning singer-songwriter Cari Cole kicked off the opening plenary session with this specially written song, co-written with Alex Moe. c...............................................................................................................ontents Winter 2008 • Volume 22 • No. 2 Heart of My Town by Alex Moe and Cari Cole Behind the counter we worked our days At the hardware store on Fifth and Main President’s Report Husband and I, pioneers with a map Richard Moe . 4 Had come from the shore to Mamaroneck It’s gone now, with half the town, Spearheading Preservation Action: My Personal Challenge to make room for parking places Nellie Longsworth . 12 The old school yard, the corner store, will there be any traces? Celebrating the City Garrison Keillor . 17 CHORUS: Heart of my town Making the Preservation Message Resonate with Donors Railway station Built us a nation Jay Steenhuysen . 25 Part of this town On the sidewalks of Main Street Valuing Heritage: Re-examining Our Foundations On the tracks of Union Station Brenda Barrett . 30 When I was a girl we tore out across the plains Root Shock and the Gulf The sky was burning red, the smell of fire and sage Mindy Thompson Fullilove . 35 Daddy got a job working with the grain I’d sit and watch the river move and listen for the trains The Taste of Place Out where there was nothing, just the sky and the steam Arlin Wasserman . 42 I found a home there waiting, heard something calling me Life in the city and across the prairie land What we made, we made with our hands CHORUS Where there was a field, they saw a town Built it up from the rocky ground In the center they put a square To this day we still gather there Cover photo: As the sun slips down over St. Paul town Rooftops and roads, history layers the ground Landmark Center. Photo courtesy of St. Paul RCVA. Out on the back streets and over Highland pond ...............................................................................................................3 The stories of our children will live on and on W INTER 2008 CHORUS rediscovered. When I left that we put the site on our 11 Minnesota 35 years ago, it was Most Endangered list in 2006. virtually impossible to access The rebirth of the riverfront President’s Report the river or even catch a is a great thing, but it brings glimpse of the St. Anthony the threat of overdevelop - ...............................................................................................................Richard Moe Falls, which powered the ment that could destroy the mills that made Minneapolis historic character that makes The National Preservation good thing at one time, but the flour-milling capital of the neighborhood so appeal - Conference is always a high - it went on a little too long.” the world. Today a riverfront ing; in other words, the river - light of the preservation calen - Misguided notions of what park provides a close-up look front area is endangered by its dar. And this year’s conference constitutes “progress” robbed at the falls, the remains of the own success. is really special for me because Minneapolis and St. Paul of mills, and the canals and Still, even with these we’re meeting—for the first many historic buildings, and tailraces that made the whole big challenges, the good news time ever—in my home state time and weather and neglect complex work. A two-mile- is that Minneapolis and St. of Minnesota and in the cities destroyed many others over long heritage trail winds Paul are preserving and cele - where I spent a major part of the years. through the park, crossing the brating their heritage in ways my life. I regret that it’s taken Happily, those “bad old Mississippi on the restored that are creative, useful, and 15 years for me to get us here, days” are gone. Today the Stone Arch Bridge built in even inspiring. I’ve always been but it’s great to be back in the Twin Cities are honoring their 1882. The area known as St. proud to claim Minnesota as Twin Cities, especially because past in a way that also serves Anthony Main has already my home. Now the new there’s a new preservation their future. Preservation is become a lively entertain - preservation spirit here in spirit here. improving the livability and ment destination, and the the Twin Cities—and in other Preservation was a bit late economic vitality of older resi - ongoing renovation of his- communities across the in taking root here. To be sure, dential and commercial areas. toric buildings in the area, state—gives me new reason to In October 2007, the there were some important Vigorous smart growth initia - coupled with new construc - be proud. Twin Cities welcomed the early success stories: Citizens tives are fighting sprawl and tion, is sparking the emer - What’s happening here National Preservation rallied to prevent the demoli - encouraging reinvestment in gence of a real riverfront in the Twin Cities is mirrored Conference, which was tion of St. Paul’s historic court - older areas. Historic buildings neighborhood. The center - in other communities from based in St. Paul with house and turned it into Land - are being given innovative piece of