As I stood under a truly spectacular fireworks display on First Night, it was hard not to reflect back on a great resettlement to Hartford.  Much has changed, much is stubbornly the same, yet this city remains one I love and want to be a part of for many years.  For those of us braving the cold, various delights awaited the adventuresome revelers.  Carousel rides, ice skating, hot music, the Old State House family events but the best ticket in town was The Big Game in City Hall. One giant board game of recycled materials beckoning players to advance with various instructions on how many steps to take.  Beware however because the player had to accomplish activities in order to advance.  I went to jail!  My ticket out was to sing “Amazing Grace”.  All in great fun and a clever interactive game for laughs.  Hartford is so fortunate to have the creative talent of Anne Cubberly whose imagination invites us to put away our self-consciousness.    I got the decal and picture to prove my win of the Game! 

So too it marked the anniversary of taking up the reigns of the Hartford Preservation Alliance.  We are in the midst of a strategic planning process which culminates a year of looking within and without the organization.  Historic preservation has an important role to play in community economic development.  It is not just about saving the “gems” but strategically acting in a way encourage the City to cherish what is unique as it looks to make itself a vibrant and livable place.  Hartford has an astounding historic fabric, not all of which is pretty, representing a history of innovation and technological advancement.  This is a city of workers so that not all the historic fabric is genteel.  However, the buildings and neighborhoods represent a Hartford often called the “Silicon Valley” of the 1800’s. 

HPA is known and well-regarded yet an external survey points out that we have friends and supporters who want to know about what we do.  It is my commitment to make our mission one which brings us recognition as the organization linking historic preservation to community development. We have much work to do and many directions to travel.  2014 is to be a year of promise for Hartford Preservation Alliance.  We invite you to come with us on the journey – make suggestions and comments, question us, demand us to do more, stay in touch!

I am just returned from the National Trust for Historic Places annual conference in Indianapolis. For a newbie to the historic preservation profession, it was an immersion into what I have practiced much of my career: why does historic preservation matter? Both personally and professionally, I have walked the walk of understanding how important old buildings are and, more to the point, how they can be reused and re-purposed to be vibrant contributions to communities.

The non-profit housing development I founded, Partners In Housing (we called ourselves the patron saint of dumps) reuses vacant and abandoned buildings to house the homeless. The community economic impact is direct and immediate. When taking plywood off windows and cleaning out the accumulated trash, suddenly a building has life. It takes no time at all before neighbors begin to see their community in a new light.
This was much of the theme I found throughout the conference in Indianapolis.

Most exciting was the presentation by the artist organization BigCar which has taken over an abandoned Firestone service center in a failed mall parking lot. Now it has been turned into a vibrant and lively center for the arts and community involvement.

I also participated in a charette of 90 preservationists brought together to re-purpose the former Indianapolis City Hall and I sat in with a team charged with exploring a reuse of this Beaux-Arts building as a boutique hotel. The possibilities were many and the “monetization” (can it make money) of the space was real!

More than anything I came away with the recognition of a philosophy I have always believed in my work of preservation that the gems can take care of themselves for the most part. It is the diamonds in the rough which can yield exciting reuse possibilities. Whether housing or commercial/office/retail space, these not-so-beautiful buildings have a purpose and contribute to our communities. In preserving and finding a viable reuse, we can restore them to the community fabric which cities such as Hartford want going forward.

I would welcome thoughts and comments. We at HPA are exploring new roles and responsibilities as we think strategically about the future of preservation in Hartford. Community participation in the effort is what we want. Please help to guide our thinking.

Several weeks ago the Hartford Old House Club (http://www.hartfordohc.com) held one of its summer meetings on Asylum Hill.  Our host was Jonathan Clark, a thirty-year veteran of Huntington Street and the lively neighborhood located in the shadow of the Aetna, the Hartford, St. Francis Hospital and St Joseph Cathedral.  Jonathan, a friend of many years, did a great job of giving us a tour of the Hill, more specifically, Sigourney Square, as he pointed out various strides in community improvement.  He had also resurrected several historic pictures and maps to give the group a taste of how Asylum Hill has developed.  Unknown to me was the installation the Lord’s Hill Reservoir which served the city briefly at the end of the 19^th Century.  Apparently it didn’t work.  It was situated where the Hartford’s office tower now stands.  Much of Sigourney Square was occupied in the early 1800’s by the Town Farm!

During the tour we had the opportunity to visit the new two-family house on Sargeant Street which has been renovated by Northside Institutions Neighborhood Association (NINA) and is now for sale.  Just a few steps from the Sigourney Square Park with the neatest water playscape.  This whimsy presents kids with a lively and imaginative water feature to stay cool in the summer.  Several of these playscapes are installed or being proposed around Hartford. 

 I have always been captivated by the spirit of the people living on Asylum Hill.  142 Collins Street was my first address in Hartford.  Many great people have come and gone but their work and dedication lives on.  Most recently I visited with Dulcie and Valerio Giadone and their son, Alex.  They have done some terrific renovations on houses they bought on Ashley Street.  These Italianates are lovely and make amazing contributions to the streetscape.  Sadly, the introduction of several apartment building in the 60’s truly dominates the original residential fabric of the neighborhood.  Still and all, commitment to neighborhood improvement and cohesiveness is so apparent on every block.  As neighborhoods go, this is one with much life and vitality.

 I had the distinct pleasure to participate in a luncheon meeting called by Mayor Pedro Segarra “Opportunities Hartford” – the citywide, strategically aligned, collaborative effort to enhance and expand existing educational, employment and economic empowerment opportunities in Hartford. This ongoing discussion and effort to coordinate opportunity for all Hartford residents was established in 2012 to create a pathway to economic independence. The team leaders of each segment gave talks on progress and milestones reached to date. In each area – Education, Employment, and Economic Empowerment -strides have been made to organize leaders from the city to address how to achieve goals. As the new guy, it was exciting to learn that so much good work has been accomplished. This is not a forum to allow people to talk but has actively engaged people to create methods of finding success.

Historic preservation does not leap to mind as a partner in this effort yet I see clear opportunity to make our work integral to Opportunities Hartford. Investment in Connecticut: The Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation, a statewide study completed in 2011 suggests that for every $ 100 spent on historic preservation $ 83 goes directly into the pockets of employees. This statistic exceeds other manufacturing sectors in Connecticut. Further, restoring or rehabilitating properties in neighborhoods contributes to overall community economic development. We who want to see the historic fabric of Hartford preserved recognize that creating jobs and sustainable growth are the true outcomes of our work. My point in introducing myself yesterday was to underscore that historic preservation can generate new employment opportunities. We know that renovation requires skilled labor. All too often we field requests for contractors with the experience and knowledge to renovate structures originally built by skilled craftsmen. It is my vision that historic preservation becomes a valued partner in any discussion regarding enhancing community in Hartford.

The Mayor spoke passionately of the work being accomplished to improve Hartford. It was rewarding to hear him specifically mention that historic preservation was a key element in future plans. His leadership is admirable and deserves our attention and support.

HPA’s very own “Tsarina of Tours,” Mary Falvey led a Civil War tour of Cedar Hill Cemetery on Saturday. Mary is currently working on a personal research project to document all of the veterans buried in Hartford cemeteries who served during “the War of the Rebellion” and has just started to blog about it at www.hartfordinthecivilwar.com. The indefatigable group who braved the inclement weather was treated to a walk through history. It can be said that Mary did a great job bringing alive a time when Hartford as well the country was touched by men (and women) as they marched off to war. Of course this history is made more real with the knowledge that Harriet Beecher Stowe, a Hartford resident, wrote “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” which did so much to spark the anti-slavery movement. Indeed Hartford history is entwined with the Civil War. Thanks to Mary’s terrific tour we learned about the lives, loves and defections of people buried in this cemetery.

I had the great pleasure to meet Beverly Lucas who is the executive director of the Cedar Hill Foundation. There is little doubt of her passion for the work as evident when she speaks about the many and varied events on the Foundation’s calendar. Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation’s mission is to preserve, protect and promote in perpetuity the art, culture, history and natural beauty of Hartford’s nationally-recognized (and National Register listed) Cedar Hill Cemetery. The list of events is terrific and ongoing and their Haunted Halloween Lantern Tour plays to sell-out crowds every year.