Hillwood Square Endangered

Architects Heaton and Greely



Embassy Building Designed by Arthur Heaton

Arthur B. Heaton designed over a thousand structures in the Washington D.C. area including lavish apartment buildings, commercial buildings, theaters and private mansions. Examples of his work include the Altamont apartment building on Wyoming Avenue, the Embassy building on Connecticut Avenue, the National Geographic Society building, the Washington Loan and Trust Company building and what is considered the first planned neighborhood shopping center in the country, the 1930s Park and Shop Complex in the Cleveland Park Neighborhood.

Heaton was also the first supervising architect on the construction of the Washington Cathedral from 1908 to 1928.

In the late 1930′s and early 1940′s, Heaton designed four D.C. area housing projects for the federal government including Hillwood Square, a small planned community for WWII program workers.

Another famous landscape architect, Rose Greely, also worked on Hillwood Square. Rose was the daughter of General Adolphus W. Greely, Army officer, Arctic explorer and the first president of The Explorers Club.

In 1925, Rose Greely became Washington’s first female licensed architect and was also the only woman to work on the Advisory Committee of the Williamsburg Restoration Project.

In her forty-year career, Greely designed more than 500 landscapes, specializing in residential design and focusing on the integration of house and garden. Because she insisted on the highest quality of workmanship, Greely’s extremely well built projects have enjoyed exceptional longevity.

Hillwood Square

The Federal Works Agency Housing Authority (USHA) built Hillwood Square to provide housing for war program workers and their families moving into the Washington D.C. area during World War II. After the War, Hillwood Square was sold as a non-profit cooperative.

Architects Heaton and Greely paid careful attention to community site planning when designing Hillwood Square. Today Hillwood Square remains largely as it was during the 1940s-1950s. The approximately 20-acre park-like development contains forty-one original row houses and duplexes surrounded by walkways and green spaces.

Parking was restricted to areas behind the units. A community building, a large recreational space, two playgrounds and the original WWII victory garden still exist. Hillwood Square was added to the Fairfax County Historic Register in 2009.

Housing at Hillwood Square has long been among the most affordable in the Washington, DC area because residents purchase an equal share in the community when they move in and pay monthly fees into a fund that covers all maintenance costs as well as most utilities. Hillwood Square is now a diverse neighborhood that includes government employees, young families, seniors, Vietnamese and Latinos.

Endangered

Tree-lined walkway at Hillwood Square

Currently all of the mostly low-income families residing at Hillwood Square face mass evacuation after Hillwood Square was sold to a developer who plans to demolish the original buildings and build luxury high-end apartments. The land has a current estimated value of $85 million to $106 million because it is the largest singly-owned piece of property inside the Capital Beltway.

Resident Tabi Yothers is Fighting to Save Hillwood Square from Demolition

Many of the long-time residents are stunned by the sale and some are fighting to save Hillwood Square from demolition, stating that Hillwood is not only historic but it is also their home and that the original charter opposes land speculators and focuses on a close-knit community intended to be sustained in perpetuity. A website about Hillwood Square has been created for those who want more information.

Preservation Virginia is undertaking a project to help raise awareness and protect tobacco barns in Southside Virginia. As part of the project, Preservation Virginia recently held a poster contest for Pittsylvania County Middle School students to help raise awareness on the importance of protecting the barns and the agricultural heritage of the region.

The theme of the poster contest was “Preserve Our Barns So They Are More Than A Memory.”  Sixty-eight posters were entered into the contest. The posters were judged by local artists on the creativity and originality of the artwork and on how effectively the contest theme was presented. 

1st Place Poster by Casey Sparks

The winners received ribbons and gift certificates. Casey Sparks, from Dan River Middle School was the first place winner and Cayla Keen, also from Dan River Middle School, was the second place winner. The third place winner was Autumn Womack from Gretna Middle School. Jordan Paquette, Kaitlyn Carter and Kaden Lewis from Chatham Middle School received honorable mentions.

The first place poster will be reproduced and displayed in various locations across the region. All of the posters will be displayed at an upcoming workshop this fall for the barns project. The survey portion of the project will also begin this fall.

For more information on the tobacco barns project or the poster contest, contact Sonja Ingram, Field Representative at 434-770-1209.

The Bucket Brigade at Cape Henry Lighthouse

The iconic Cape Henry Lighthouse has implemented a new strategy to raise money for the protection of its exposed and eroded limestone foundation. In partnership with the Virginia Department of Transportation, Preservation Virginia is raising the money necessary to replenish the sand on the top of the dune, to once again protect the foundation of the lighthouse.



Yours for a $5 donation!!!



Cape Henry's Bucket Brigade provides visitors a tangible way to help the lighthouse in this endeavor. Sand pails with the "Bucket Brigade" logo are available as a keepsake for a $5 donation. Visitors can fill the bucket with sand (located right before the ascent up the dune). New signs explaining the history of Bucket Brigades dot the ascent to the top of the dune. Once they reach the top, there is an allocated sand dumping spot. We are hoping that this "preservation in action" approach will move the lighthouse quickly, in the direction of having a completed dune restoration with in the next two years.

Local interest about the topic has been peaked, as is evident by the Tidewater Newspaper, the Virginian-Pilot: http://hamptonroads.com/2012/04/cape-henry-lighthouse-get-erosion-protection

Cape Henry Lighthouse Site Coordinator, Charles Morgan shows some of the wear around the base of the lighthouse

So come out to Cape Henry Lighthouse during your summer trip to Virginia Beach, buy a bucket, and be part of preservation history!

Revisiting Most Endangered Sites: Historic Cemeteries

In 2010, Preservation Virginia listed abandoned cemeteries to our Endangered Sites list. Since then, we have had many people contact us for assistance with abandoned, neglected and vandalized cemeteries.

A few weeks ago I visited two cemeteries in Chesterfield County. One was in a wooded area across from a local school. The cemetery had a partially standing rock wall surrounding several grave markers. Every marker was vandalized in some fashion including several large obelisks that had been pushed over and broken.

Virginia cemetery laws prevent the desecration and vandalism of cemeteries; but unfortunately people continue to get away with it. And it is not only bored teenagers, last year I visited a church–owned cemetery that had been scraped by a backhoe, presumably so that room could be made for new burials.

A broken crypt and several older grave markers were in a jumbled pile in the tree line. What shocked me was that it appears that the church may have actually arranged for the backhoe work!

Preservation Virginia hopes that listing cemeteries to our Endangered Sites list has made people more aware of this issue and reminded people that cemeteries contain essential historical and genealogical information and —not to mention— the remains of someone’s deceased family member.

In order to provide cemetery preservation education, Preservation Virginia in partnership with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR) is offering a series of Cemetery Conservation & Documentation Workshops. The next workshop will be held May 18-19, 2012 at the historic Christ Episcopal Church at 16304 Courthouse Road, Eastville, VA, located on the Eastern Shore.

On Friday, May 18th the workshop will run from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Saturday it will run from 9:30 a.m. to noon. The first day's presentations will cover topics ranging from funerary symbolism to training in the appropriate care and maintenance of grave yards, to genealogy, mortuary archaeology and Virginia burial law.

The second day, May 19th, will feature on-location training sessions in Christ Church's cemetery focusing on stewardship issues for cemeteries, including techinques for photographing historic funerary markers, and identification of symbols used on grave markers, among other topics.

Early registration is encouraged as the workshop has limited space. The fee for both days in $60 and $40 for just Friday. Participants must attend Friday's session in order to attend the Saturday workshop. Both days of the workshop are held rain or shine.

For registration information, please contact Dee DeRoche at VDHR by email at dee.deroche@dhr.virginia.gov or by phone at 804-482-6441.

In addition to the workshops, more information about issues relating to historic cemeteries is available through a blog established by VDHR's Jolene Smith, Archaeology Inventory Manager in the agency's Archives. The blog is available online here.

PRESERVATION VIRGINIA IS NOW SEEKING APPLICATIONS TO OUR 2012 ENDANGERED SITES LIST. THE DEADLINE IS APRIL 13TH. SEE LINK FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Life of a Soldier: Preserving the History of the American Civil War

Today we introduce another guest blogger. This post is written by Jared Smith. Smith is a young historian and educator in Danville, Virginia. He has a profound interest and love for all things historical since he was a small child, and he enjoys traveling and encouraging other folks to take an interest in their history. He is particularly interested in the American Civil War (he is an avid participant in reenactments of that period) and 20th century European history, with an emphasis on both World Wars and the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.


As many folks may know, the United States is currently honoring those who served in the “War Between the States” over the next few years as part of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War. During those four years of 1861-1865, this nation was torn apart due to various political, social, and economic issues. Without getting involved with the political correctness of the war, Americans should be aware of the bravery, sacrifices, and legacy of veterans of the blue and the gray.

As Virginians, you can become aware of the legacy of veterans from both sides of the American Civil War by visiting battlefields, attending museums and lectures, and by witnessing a firsthand recreation of history through reenactments of important battles and military campaigns.

Over the next few months, I will continually update you all on the significance of the American Civil War, and the day-to-day functions in the life of a Civil War soldier. Since we are commemorating the 150th anniversary of the war, 2012 will be a fun and exciting starting point to immerse yourself in Civil War history. For example, there are many key battle reenactment events being held this year such Shiloh (Tennessee), Second Manassas/Bull Run (Virginia), Antietam/Sharpsburg (Maryland) and Fredericksburg (Virginia). I will post updates on each major event in the near future.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Bacon's Castle Stair Tower Half-Plastered

The stair tower restoration at Bacon's Castle is a classic example of the enigma of historic structure repair. What started out as a simple replaster job mushroomed into so much more. Close examination showed the existing plaster loose, the bricks behind it crumbling, and the hewn white oak beam that was inset four inches into an eight inch wall, severely decomposed. Plaster removal revealed that the pavers, identical to the early pavers that made up the kitchen floor, had been used to make up the brick bond under the beam. The brick bond under the beam was Flemish, while English bond was employed above the beam. The brick used was very similar to the brick in the whole of the 1665 section of the house, and the mortar contained shell and charcoal. Visible at the lower left of the exposed brick photos is the infill to the early semi-circular window arch, later replaced by the only jack-arch in the entire house. Approximately 50 bricks, and of course a new white oak beam, had to be replaced to stabilize the wall and provide a good surface to plaster to. The interior of the brick wall was so uneven that 1.5 inches of scratch and brown coat had to be used to bring the wall flush. The crew will have to reset their scaffold to plaster the area above the beam.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Falmouth's Union Church: Making a Comeback from Endangered

For this blog post we are glad to welcome our first guest blogger. This post was written by T. Logan Metesh. Logan is Co-Chair of Fundraising and the Social Media Coordinator for the Union Church Preservation Project. He can be reached at LMetesh@gmail.com.

Since being listed on Preservation Virginia's list of Most Endangered Historic Sites in 2006, great strides have been made to ensure the Union Church's preservation. In 2008, the church was designated as a Virginia State Landmark and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Then, in 2009, “Trustees of the Union Church Historic Site” was formed as a 501(c)3 to care for the church. The Trustees have done a great job spearheading the preservation efforts, but it became clear that the effort needed to expand if it was going to succeed.

A more specific fundraising arm, “Union Church Preservation Project,” was created in 2010. The Union Church Preservation Project has been actively pursuing preservation funds and spreading awareness since the moment of inception. A website and Facebook page soon followed to help spread the word.
In the summer of 2011, a grant from Stafford County, Virginia, was secured to repair the holes in the roof to prevent further damage from rain and snow. A series of clean-up days were held in 2011 to scrape and repaint the church doors, improve drainage at the rear of the structure, remove dead vines from the back wall, and clean up general clutter. In June 2011, the group held its first fundraiser and had over 40 people attend – a big crowd for such a new organization! It was clear that the community still cares deeply about the endangered Union Church.

A group of volunteers lowered the historic 1868 bell from the belfry in December 2011 to make the structure safe for roof repair work to begin. The bell will be returned to its original location once the work is completed. A roofing contractor has been selected and the project began last week!

2011 was a big year for the Union Church Preservation Project. However, 2012 promises to be even bigger! Our first clean-up of the year is scheduled for March 24 and our second annual fundraiser is scheduled for April 21. Other events this year include a bus tour in May, an open house and bake sale in June, raffles, and more!

Even though the preservation project is off to a strong start, we are always looking for more volunteers and, frankly, donations. If you would like to know more about this extraordinary structure, its history, and how you can help us preserve it, please visit our website, http://www.falmouthunionchurch.org/, and be sure to “like” us on Facebook by searching for “Falmouth Union Church Preservation Project.” We also offer t-shirts, coffee mugs, and more at www.cafepress.com/ucpp.

Together, we can help remove the Falmouth Union Church from Preservation Virginia’s list of Most Endangered Historic Sites!

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