Do Bookstores and Historic Sites Share a Common Fate?

Bookstores, both small independents and now big chains, are struggling to survive with the introduction of e-books.  Even Borders, the second biggest bookstore chain in the U. S., has filed for bankruptcy and is closing up to 275 stores.  Studio360′s recent interview with Clay Shirky, an NYU professor and author of Here Comes Everybody, jumped out at me because bookstores share many of the same issues–and perhaps the same fate–as many historic house museums and historic sites.  He believes that if bookstores are going to survive, they have to move beyond thinking they are the best place to buy books. They also are an essential part of community life:

If you and I are both in the poetry section and those people over there are both in the physics section, the bookstore is actually aggregating people who may have something more in common with one another than if those people passed each other on the street.  If we lose the way the way that street level commerce actually causes neighbors to run into each other, then cities become less good places to live.

Studio360 explores several ways that bookstores are surviving including:

• one-time only events that can’t be experienced anywhere else
• places so loved by the community that most of the staff volunteer
• built around a non-profit mission and purpose
• the physical appeal of the place (a “temple of books”)
• move from being a book store to a “literary environment.”

Sound familiar?  Historic house museums and historic sites are in an ideal position to take advantage of these shifts if they’re willing to give up (or de-emphasize) some traditions and expectations, such as the typical lecture-style guided tours of period rooms, mindlessly copying events from other museums or places, or endlessly repeating the same event for the same people.  We’ll also need to figure out how to better infuse events, programs, and activities with the unique and distinctive spirit of the place and welcome the community to be on site and in the house for more than a tour.

Want to be provoked?  Listen to “Survival Strategies for Booksellers”.

True Green / Greening Historic Places Down South Part 2

One of the two Doullut Steamboat houses still standing in the Holy Cross Neighborhhood of the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans.

For much of my career (25 years this year) I have had the good fortune to travel around the continent to run projects, speak at conferences and to reconnect with colleagues I never want to let go of. While it is always wonderful when a project meeting is a success or people laugh at my jokes and applaud vigorously when I complete a speech (not as often as I’d like!), the most memorable business trips have been the ones where I come across a building or neighborhood that reminds me why I am in this business and meet dedicated volunteers who are changing their lives to help improve the lives and communities of others.  I had one of these rare and astounding experiences last month when I traveled to New Orlean’s Holy Cross neighborhood in the devastated Lower Ninth Ward to speak at Historic Green’s annual Spring Greening. 

Dine with and in Design at Glass House

Dine with Design at Glass House in June 2011

The Glass House, in association with Harvest to Heat: Cooking with America’s Best Chefs, Farmers, and Artisans, the critically-acclaimed cookbook by Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer, is hosting two unique culinary events to benefit the Philip Johnson Glass House, a National Trust Historic Site:

• Saturday, June 11, 2011, 12:00-3:00 pm: Dine with Design. This benefit event celebrates the connection between land and plate; chef, farmer and artisan. Guests are invited to explore the buildings, grounds and art collections of the Glass House site while enjoying dishes inspired by the property, created by the chefs of Harvest to Heat. Each guest will receive a signed copy of Harvest to Heat. Space is limited, $300 per person.
• Friday, June 10, 2011: Dine in Design.  A special dinner limited to 10 participants, $10,000 per plate. The evening begins with a private tour of the Glass House property and art collections, followed by cocktails and an exclusive donor dinner for 10 at Philip Johnson’s table inside the Glass House. A five-course tasting menu, created by internationally renowned Chef Michel Richard of Central Michel Richard in Washington, DC, and Chef Brian Lewis, formerly of the Bedford Post Inn, will be paired with fine wines. Guests will be provided chauffeur service to and from the Glass House.  Includes two tickets to Dine with Design on June 11. For more information, contact Christopher Roth at 203.594.9884 x33332 or christopher_roth@nthp.org.

Participating chefs and artisans include (all foodie destinations!):

• Internationally renowned Chef Michel Richard of Central Michel Richard, Washington, D.C. and Michel, McLean, VA
• Chef Brian Lewis, new restaurant opening September 2011 in New Canaan, CT; formerly of the Bedford Post Inn, Bedford, NY
• Chef Lee Chizmar of Bolete, Bethlehem, PA
• Chef Bill Taibe of LeFarm, Westport, CT
• Chef Derek Wagner of Nicks on Broadway, Providence, RI
• Baker Mark Furstenberg, founder of The Breadline, Washington, D.C.
• Jasper Hill Farm, Greensboro, VT
• Freddy Guys Hazelnuts, Monmouth, OR
• Theo Chocolate, Seattle, WA
• Tuthilltown Spirits, Gardiner, NY
• Rappahannock River Oysters, Topping, VA
• Peet’s Coffee & Tea

President Meeks Ideas on Sustainability Offers Ideas for Historic Site Interpretation

Stephanie Meeks traveled to Boulder, Colorado earlier this week to address the attendees of Historic Boulder‘s Annual Meeting. Stephanie discussed the National Trust’s sustainability efforts and its critical role in historic preservation, including these ideas that could be easily integrated into an historic site’s interpretation:

As many of you know, current energy codes are failing older buildings. They take a very prescriptive approach, often forcing owners and design teams to pursue specific retrofits, with no regard for

True Green / Greening Historic Places Down South – Part 1

Shadows-on-the-Teche, a National Historic Landmark built between 1831 and 1834 in New Iberia, Louisiana.

Last month I gave my notice at the National Trust – after five years of glorious work helping to preserve some of the nation’s great icons, it is time for me to go back into my private practice.  With April 15th as my last official day, I’ve been running around the country trying to tie up some projects, make my final public appearances.  The week of March 14th I traveled to Charleston and Louisiana and was impressed and humbled by some of the work I witnessed being implemented in the name of sustainable preservation – at both an iconic National Historic Landmark in New Iberia, Louisiana  and the devastated Ninth Ward in New Orleans.

A new green fence for Shadows-on-the-Teche - Part 1 of this Southern Tale

The historic painting showing the original fence at Shadows-on-the-Teche.

How do you design a new fence for a National Historic Landmark that is both authentic, sympathetic to its context and green?  By understanding the history of the site, its historic fence and the continuum of southern fences and throwing in some research on durable materials.  Elizabeth Milnarik, the Associate Architect for our Historic Sites Department worked closely with landscape architect Ted Viator of Viator and Associates and contractor Freddie DeCourt of Iberia Building Systems (IBS) to interpret a historic painting we had of the original fence and identify the most rot-resistant materials.

National Trust Historic Sites Meet at Kykuit

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The National Trust Historic Sites just concluded a three-day meeting at Kykuit, a National Trust Historic Site in New York, but it was significantly different than our usual semi-annual meetings because it included the Board Chairs and the president and nearly all of the chief executives of the National Trust.  Much of our time was devoted to vision and strategy for the Sites under the new strategic plan of the National Trust.  Estevan Rael-Gálvez, the new vice president of historic sites, led several discussions on a new vision of the Sites, imagining where we might be in ten years.  Tanya Bowers, director of diversity, laid out some strategies for attracting diverse talent to our staffs and boards.  Terry Richey, chief marketing officer, conducted a workshop to identify ways that the sites and National Trust can more effectively conduct joint marketing.  Debbie Feinberg of  Real Change Strategies helped us begin prioritizing the work of the Sites within the new Preservation Division for the next few years.  Kykuit provides an ideal setting for these strategy meetings because its state-of-the-art conference center allows participants to work together in an inspirational environment without the usual distractions.  Kykuit is also near two National Trust Historic Sites–Lyndhurst and Glass House–as well as the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture so we could easily explore their operations, management, and programming.   Thanks to the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Lyndhurst, Glass House, and Stone Barns for making this such a productive and welcoming experience.