On November 20th, PHPO held its first Preservation Pub Crawl!  Architectural historian Francis Morrone led a group of 12 on a meandering tour of three historic watering holes on the West Side of Manhattan.  We began at the White Horse Tavern, where Dylan Thomas drank his last drinks, and then we ambled past Jane Jacobs‘ house on Hudson Street.  After peeping through the gate at Grove Court, we wandered down Leroy Street past the Cosby homestead.  Then it was time to warm up  at the good old Ear Inn on Spring Street.  From there the hearty bunch hurried down to the Triangle Below Canal where we ended our tour at Walker’s, famous neighbor to both JFK Jr. and the Ghostbusters’ firehouse.   Though chilly, it was an informative and exciting evening, full of fantastic NYC trivia!

Oh!klahoma where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain! So, some PHPO’ers went to Tulsa for the annual National Trust for Historic Preservation conference.

First of all, Art Deco. It’s everywhere. This Deco boom town was nouveau riche ripe with OIL! when they built it. We walked some of the shiny, shapely and well loved lobbies on our tour of downtown.

Secondly, people from Tulsa are nice, and in a good way! Not annoying at all.

And finally, like everywhere else, Tulsa is what you make of it. They celebrated their centennial last year; it’s a baby of a city and has toddler like tendencies. It’s fun and ridiculous, but after a certain amount of time you want to hand it back to mom and return to the adult party.

I tell you what, we can’t wait for Nashville next year!

On Sunday, September 14, a few students participated in a tour of Coney Island sponsored by the Historic Districts Council led by Melissa Baldock, Kress/RFR Fellow for Historic Preservation and Public Policy at the Municipal Art Society and architectural historian Jane Cowan. The dynamic duo presented the past, present and proposed future(s) of Coney Island. Post tour we discussed what we learned over hot dogs at Nathan’s and shared a terrifying ride on the Wonder Wheel.

PHPO visited Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan, CT on September 5th. Built in 1949, it predates Mies Van Der Rohe’s Farnsworth House by two years. Upon the death of Philip Johnson in 2005, the Glass House and its 47 acre campus became a stewardship of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The mission of this International Style residence is “to be come a center point and catalyst for the preservation of Modern architecture, art and landscape design.”

Tickets for the Glass House go on sale for the 2009 season on Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 9am. Tickets are $30 for 90-minute tours and $45 for 2-hour tours.

Perched above Los Angeles in Griffith Park, the Griffith Observatory was designed by John C. Austin in 1935. It was the dream of Colonel Griffith Jenkins Griffith to provide a park and observatory to the public for both recreation and education. In 2002, the city-owned observatory was closed in order to undergo a four-year, $93 million renovation.

This Art Deco gem is a pop culture icon, best known for its feature role as back drop in Rebel Without a Cause [and subsequent ripoffs like Paula Abdul’s Rush Rush video and Dylan & Kelly’s touching first date on 90210].

- Tara

In 1932, Frank Lloyd Wright established his Fellowship for students in architecture. Built in 1937, Taliesin West continues to house the school and studio during the winter months. As headquarters of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, tours are available throughout the year. [I don’t recommend visiting in the summer — it’s HOT!]

Nearby in Phoenix is the Arizona Biltmore, officially designed by Albert Chase McArthur. A protege of Frank Lloyd Wright, he studied under the famous architect in Chicago from 1907-09. Built in 1929, FLW was close at hand while working on Taliesin West, and thus had a large impact on the final design of the hotel.

- Tara

Built in 1908, Greene & Greene’s Gamble House turns 100 this year! This masterpiece of the Arts & Crafts movement in Pasadena, CA is a National Historic Landmark. In addition to the standard house tour, the bookstore offers a self-guided tour of the neighborhood which is chock full of beautiful Arts & Crafts “bungalows.”

If you’re not up on your architectural history, you may still recognize the garage from from a certain 80s flick.

- Tara

Back in June, Professor Ron Shiffman led a group of Pratt planning and preservation graduate students on a trip to Berlin. In addition to visiting the big sites like the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag, we learned about less familiar monuments like the People’s Palace and Tempelhof Airport.

We also drank beer…

Thanks for a great trip Ron!

The Madonna Inn is oh so charming! The buildings are cheesy, the lobby seedy, the interior overly pink… and boy is she beautiful! Rebuilt in 1967 after a fire, the hotel has been nestled in the hills of San Luis Obispo like a pretty little sugar coated Swiss Alps lodge for just over fifty years. She has reached that tender preservation age; will/should/can she be landmarked?I ‘ll let you decide for yourself, but it’s pretty obvious which way I’m leaning. If you are ever in the area, stay a night in one of the 109 unique rooms. At the very least, stop in for a piece of pie at the Copper Cafe.For more info, read this great 1982 article about the Madonna Inn in the travel section of the New York Times.

- Delaney

Here are some pictures from my recent visit to The Breakers in Newport, RI. Boy, oh boy - it’s a Gilded Age extravaganza! It took a staff of 40 to maintain this 70-room ’summer cottage’ for the Vanderbilts. I mean, the Morning Room has platinum walls!

And… 10 properties are owned and operated by the Preservation Society of Newport. They are all within walking distance of each other & tours are free with a $35 student membership! OR you can take a private helicopter tour from Boston for $3,000…

- Tara