New Exterior Additions to Historic Buildings

Because a new exterior addition to a historic building can damage or destroy significant materials and can change the building's character, an addition should be considered only after it has been determined that the new use cannot be met by altering nonsignificant, or secondary, interior spaces. If the new use cannot be met in this way, then an attached addition may be an acceptable alternative if carefully planned. A new addition should be constructed in a manner that preserves significant materials and features and preserves the historic character. Finally, an addition should be differentiated from the historic building so that the new work is not confused with what is genuinely part of the past.

See this article for more information.

Preserve Funds for America's Heritage

The Public Land Management Act, which recently passed in the Senate and should be approved this week by the House of Representatives contains authorization bills for Save America’s Treasures (SAT) and Preserve America (PA), as well as increased protection for historic places on public lands. These two programs, established by Former First Ladies Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush respectively, have saved hundreds of historic structures, art, documents, and cultural landmarks that outline the history of our Nation.

And you thought the Revolution had already begun in 5 Points

Plug In To Easy Energy Efficiency

Manage-My-Home offers some of the simplest ways to save money during energy spikes. These include weather stripping and programmable thermostats. But you may also want to consider more expensive attic fans and having your windows restored. Make your home more energy-efficient without a contractor, architect-or even a toolbox. Click here to find 10 no-sweat ways to cut down on bills and save power.

Calling All RAM Artists and Vendors

The time has come to submit your Riverside Arts Market Application!

FINALLY, we have gotten the go-ahead from the city and state agencies, and we are now ready to receive applications. Click on this link to go to the RAM website to print your application form. You can submit your application by email or by U.S. Mail.

Once we receive your application, it will be reviewed and you will be notified shortly. If you are accepted (highly likely!), you will then make a reservation for your booth space (a different form, which you'll receive after you are accepted.) Please do not delay - remember, it's first-come, first-served. The earlier you get your application in, the better location you'll get.

The Market will start on Saturday, April 4th, 2009, so time is of the essence! Crank it up! Get your application in the mail ASAP, and start making beautiful works of art to sell at the Market. We are working 24/7 to get everything ready to make this a wonderful experience for you, as well as a spectacular event for the city of Jacksonville. Thanks for your participation!

The 22nd Annual Flowering Tree Sale

Saturday, February 28th

7:00 am - 1:00 pm
Intersection of Phillips Hwy. & Emerson St.
RAIN OR SHINE

Twenty one years of providing quality plant material will be celebrated as the Greenscape Flowering Tree Sale gets underway at 7am. The sale will take place in a parking lot located in the southeast quadrant of the intersection of Emerson Street and Phillips Highway (US 1). Plan to come early as past years have been very successful and often sellout . This annual event provides deeply discounted trees to the public and serves as a fundraiser for Greenscape of Jacksonville, the local non-profit tree planting volunteer organization. By Mayoral Proclamation, the Flowering Tree Sale is Jacksonville’s official Arbor Day.

Thousands of trees and shrubs will be presented for sale at $10.00 each. Varieties include East Palatka Holly, Live Oak, Nuttal Oak, Winged Elm, Redbud, Dogwood, Red Maple, Japanese Magnolia, Drake Elm, Crape Myrtle, Riverbirch, Bald Cypress, Azaleas and Knockout Roses. Proceeds from the Sale support tree planting programs for Greenscape in Jacksonville.
As in the past, representatives from the Division of Forestry, tree nursery owners, the Duval County Master Gardener Program, JEA Forestry and the American Society of Landscape Architects will be on hand to answer questions and assist in your selections. Free mulch will be available to the public – please bring your own bags!

Greenscape acknowledges JAXPORT for their generous support. Additional sponsorships from The Florida Times Union, WJXT- Channel 4, OE&S Office Environments and Systems, Coastal Equipment Systems, Demetree Brothers, and Folio Weekly, help in the success of this event. Trees will be sold by Board Members and volunteers of Greenscape of Jacksonville, a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching our community through the planting, protection and promotion of trees. For more information, see www.greenscapeofjacksonville.org.

The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has an interesting take on the new stimulus plan that President Obama just signed into law. Read how this could effect preservation.

Northeast Florida Foreclosure Prevention Workshop

State Representative Jennifer Carroll will host a Northeast Florida Foreclosure Prevention Workshop on Saturday, February 28, 2009 from 9 AM to 2 PM at Florida Community College at Jacksonville (FCCJ), Cecil Center Branch, 5640 New World Avenue , Jacksonville , Florida .

The workshop will give citizens an opportunity at no cost to meet one-on-one with mortgage experts, to receive effective and personalized solutions to save their homes. Among those present to assist residents will be: Banks, Credit Unions, Housing Counselors, U. S. Housing & Urban Development (HUD), Florida Department of Financial Services, and Jacksonville Legal Aid.

“During this time of economic down turn; families are faced with losing their biggest asset, their homes. I feel it is important for me to provide them with information or access to measures that can help save their homes.” said State Representative Jennifer Carroll, R – Fleming Island “This workshop will enable individuals to have a face-to-face with people in the industry, both financial and legal, that will provide guidance or assistance.”

Space is limited, call to pre-register and reserve your space at (904) 573-4997. Get directions.

Annual Membership Meeting This Wednesday!

Don't miss this meeting! We have a lot to cover including a review of 2008 and a preview of some of the major changes ahead for RAP in 2009. We'll announce the winners of RAP’s Annual Preservation Awards, elect our new Board and listen as the fabulous Dr. Wayne Wood takes us on a Magical Mystery Tour of the Riverside Avondale Historic District.

5 Points Theatre
Wednesday, February 18th, 6pm

Stick around after the meeting and see the current movie, Friday the 13th! RAP members can see it for only $5! And many thanks to Jack Shad and the terrific folks at the theater for letting us use their extraordinary space.

Lost Buildings

Dezeen, one of the most popular and influential architecture and design blogs on the internet, has teamed up with publishers Carlton to give away five copies of Lost Buildings by Jonathan Glancey. Described as “an elegy to places we will never see,” the 256-page book presents 100 buildings that have either been demolished or only ever existed in imagination. Glancey examines buildings destroyed by war, natural disasters and political acts alongside those from myth, children’s stories and ambitious designs that were never built.

To enter the competition email your name, age, gender, occupation and postal address to competitions@dezeen.com with “Lost buildings book competition” in the subject line. We won’t pass your information on to anyone else; we just want to know a little about our readers. Competition closes 2 March 2009. The five winners will be selected at random and notified by email

Riverside Fine Arts Series

Cypress String Quartet
Friday, February 27, 2009 // 8:00 PM // Church of the Good Shepherd

This remarkable ensemble has performed at major concert venues around the world, including the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Columbus and Honolulu Chamber Music Societies, Stanford Lively Arts, Krannert Center, Ravinia Festival, and many more. The Riverside Fine Arts Series brings violinists Cecily Ward and Tom Stone, violist Ethan Filner and cellist Jennifer Kloetzel to Jacksonville. Don't miss them.

Preservation Employment Service Launched

In response to the tightening job market in the historic and cultural resource preservation fields, PreservationDirectory.com has launched a new employment email alert service and blog. After signing up for the service, interested job seekers will receive bi-weekly email notifications of recently posted jobs in preservation-related fields. Postings include internships and employment opportunities in historic preservation, cultural resource management, museum jobs, architecture, and building restoration.

To sign-up for the Preservation Directory.com email alert service click here, then enter your email address and click "subscribe".

Hot Topics in Preservation Workshop

Feb 27 2009
Jacksonville City Hall
9:30am - 4:30pm

This interactive workshop will focus on common issues that come up with compliance and enforcement of your preservation ordinance. Speakers will cover property rights, takings, and demo-by-neglect, and include a discussion on the challenges when local leaders choose new development over preservation.

Register online.

Co-Sponsored by the City of Jacksonville.

Historic Real Estate

Preservation Directory.com launches a new site that focuses solely on historic real estate and provides resources for those selling historic homes and those looking to purchase historic homes, as well as those searching for agents who specialize in historic real estate. HistoricForSale.com is a separate website that works closely with PreservationDirectory.com's current historic real estate directory to maximize exposure for the wonderful historic homes for sale, as well as our directory of real estate agents who specialize in historic real estate.

Riverside Fine Arts _Organ Series

Jan Kraybill
February 15 - 3:00 pm
at Jacoby Symphony Hall

Have some popcorn with your Milk

Comic Book Art Show - Saturday, Feb. 7

The Outer Box brings us news of a new show over at Bogda Gallery featuring original pages from Detective Comics, Lobo, Superman and more. Bogda is located at 1253 S. Macduff Ave.

First Friday in 5 Points

Thanks to Urban Jacksonville.

RAM almost a reality

The Riverside Arts Market is set to launch Saturday, April 4. If you haven't yet heard, RAM will be the weekly market under the Fuller Warren bridge for artisans of all types – from painters and jewelers to herb growers and musicians. The Times-Union has a good recap of the recent meeting held at First Guaranty Bank as does The Urban Core. It is also a topic of discussion at Urban Jacksonville here.

If you are interested, visit the new RAM website. RAM is being brought to reality by Riverside Avondale Preservation.

The Preservation and Repair of Historic Clay Tile Roofs

Clay tiles are one of the most distinctive and decorative historic roofing materials because of their great variety of shapes, colors, profiles, patterns, and textures, and they are frequently seen throughout the historic district. Traditionally, clay tiles were formed by hand, and later by machine extrusion of natural clay, textured or glazed with color, and fired in high-temperature kilns. The unique visual qualities of a clay tile roof often make it a prominent feature in defining the overall character of a historic building. The significance and inherently fragile nature of historic tile roofs dictate that special care and precaution be taken to preserve and repair them.

Clay tile has one of the longest life expectancies among historic roofing materials-generally about 100 years, and often several hundred. Yet, a regularly scheduled maintenance program is necessary to prolong the life of any roofing system. A complete internal and external inspection of the roof structure and the roof covering is recommended to determine condition, potential causes of failure, or source of leaks, and will help in developing a program for the preservation and repair of the tile roof. Before initiating any repair work on historic clay tile roofs, it is important to identify those qualities important in contributing to the historic significance and character of the building.

This Brief will review the history of clay roofing tiles and will include a description of the many types and shapes of historic tiles, as well as their different methods of attachment. It will conclude with general guidance for the historic property owner or building manager on how to plan and carry out a project involving the repair and selected replacement of historic clay roofing tiles.