Who was Johns Hopkins?

Seeing as my friend is now employed by Johns Hopkins University, we thought it fitting to spend some of our time in Baltimore exploring the campus. The campus is beautiful and very nicely taken care of. The architecture is nice brick, and the buildings were impressive. I think what struck me most, though, was the seeming consistency and plan of campus.

My main experience with college campuses is UNC, which maintains many of the signs of early efforts to plan a uniform and harmonious campus. There are clear quads with rectangular buildings of a matching architectural style. But there are also "riot proof" concrete blocks of buildings that sit beside some of the older structures. The campus clearly sprawled and adapted as the university grew. Granted, we only saw part of Johns Hopkins, but it all seemed much more planned and regular than to what I am accustomed.

That Johns fellow must have really known what he was doing when he designed all those buildings.

Good morning, Baltimore.

I realize that it has been almost a full month since I last shared an image. I apologize, but I've been busy having lots of adventures. I'll try to share them on a more regular basis.

I traveled to Baltimore a few weeks ago to have a mini reunion and visit a friend who is now working at Johns Hopkins. We enjoyed a lovely long weekend exploring the Charm City, wandering along the water, eating ice cream, and catching up. 

This old wharf building is in the area known as Fells Point (or apparently Fells if you want to sound cool). It was a nice section of the city along the water, and we found a grassy area with benches to sit and relax beside this massive old wharf building. Our sitting and relaxing quickly turned into laying down and napping, and I wouldn't have traded that option for anything. I found this large building with the graphic words particularly intriguing. I was determined to make a mental note of the full building name so that I could remember it later, but of course I have forgotten. It has been turned into some type of mixed use business building, and it was nice to see a successful adaption of a presumably historic building.

I also loved Baltimore's diverse, abundant, and diversely painted row houses. I don't think any of my pictures quite do them justice, but I loved walking around and being constantly surrounded by the urban house type. Maybe it is because I grew up in rural/suburban areas, but I am drawn to the claustrophobic nature of city architecture.

Sassy Savannah.

When I moved to Charleston, my friend Emily gave me the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. We were both fully aware that the book took place in Savannah, not Charleston, but it still seemed like a good read for someone moving further south. On Saturday, I went with a group of friends to Savannah, to see the city of spirits, parties, murder, and a walking streak of sex.

Since reading the book I had introduced 3 of the five people in the group to either the book or the movie, so of course we had to see the Mercer House. The Mercer House sits on Montgomery Square and was once the home of musician Johnny Mercer. In the book it is the residence of art collector Jim Williams, and it also serves as the setting for what becomes the major plot line of the story. Since the book is non-fiction, it was neat to see the house where everything really happened. It serves as an example of why I love houses and architecture: a building has seemingly little significance, until one learns of what has taken place inside. And this house could tell quite a few stories.

Disclaimer: It is very difficult to write a blog post about SavannaH when ones "h" key is sticking. I apologize for any missing "h"s that you may notice. I did my best to catch them all.

43 Meeting.

One of the perks of my job is that I get to see a lot of fancy private homes in Charleston. One of the houses that keeps finding its way into my work is the James Mitchell House at 43 Meeting Street. The house was on tour in the fall, and then used again for a reception for the recent Vitruviana symposium. I have now been in the house three times, and I would happily take any opportunity to return.

The house was built circa 1798 and is a typical Charleston single house. It has been through many alterations in its life, and at one time was bright pink and lacking a piazza. The house recently underwent a massive preservation effort that restored the piazza and returned it to a historic coloration, among other expansive tasks. The recent project earned the house a 2013 Carolopolis award recognizing it as a preservation success.

Maybe it is because I have gotten to see this house multiple times, but I do love it. I have some sort of attachment to it, as if I have an insider connection to the building. But I feel a similar claim to many of the houses I have written on in Charleston - I've just been lucky enough to also see this one.

Lois Lane Properties did a blog post on this house in March, which provides additional information and images, including pictures before and after various renovations and preservation projects. I strongly encourage you to CLICK HERE and take a look.

The Baptist Catholic, or the Catholic Baptist.

The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist sits on Broad Street. My work parking spot used to be in their lot, but I recently was moved to a neighboring space. Regardless of my assigned parking location, I see this cathedral just about every day. It is beautiful, large, and different. The brown exterior is different from the typical quite or gray church buildings found on the peninsula. The interior is grand, and reminded me of visits to old gothic cathedrals in Europe. It is much more elaborately embellished than churches I have experienced most, a reminder that I am a protestant. But buildings like this make the art history major in me wake up. Somehow I have managed to get used to the beautiful architecture of Charleston. I look at these buildings without really seeing them, but this is one worth seeing.

I do frequently have trouble remembering what denomination this church belongs to. I know if I really thought about it, it should be obvious that this building is Catholic. But it's the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, so I tend to think of this as a Baptist church. It most definitely isn't. It's a Catholic church named for a Baptist. Or something like that.

Definitely Presbyterian.

Since coming down to Charleston, my dad has been asking me if I have attended First Scots Presbyterian Church. Today, I finally went.

I tried to take a picture where you could read the sign, but nothing really came out. It was an overcast and rainy day, so taking a good picture was difficult.

First Scots was established in 1731, which makes it a very old Presbyterian church. The whole experience just reminded me of how strongly I identify as Presbyterian. They had the blue hymn books that are oh-so-familiar. The church strongly celebrates it's Scottish heritage, as suggested in the name, and at least one person in attendance today was wearing a kilt. The church has an annual Kirkin of the Tartan, which I sadly missed in September. And on top of being a comforting Presbyterian place, the interior of the building was really beautiful.

Getting Over It.

I mentioned in a previous blog post that I was preparing for the Cooper River Bridge Run. Today was race day and I successfully completed my first 10K. Before today, the most I had run was maybe 5.5 miles, so 6.2 felt like a lot. But I did it and I was able to run the whole way.

This is the pre-race picture. If you can't tell, it's still dark outside. The race started at 8:00, but with 40,000 in attendance, we had to get to the starting point rather early. I don't remember the last time I woke up at 4:30, and I don't plan to do it again any time soon. It was kind of nice to watch the sunrise, but not that nice. The race was fun, and it was nice to feel like a part of Charleston. People come from all over to run this race - the winner was from Ethiopia - but I felt like I had an advantage being local. I'd run over the bridge before. I got to run through areas of downtown that I don't frequently see, but that I am familiar with. I knew my way around the area after I finished. I don't think I'll sign up to do another 10K in the immediate future, but I am really glad I ran the bridge today.

Burbage's.

Corner grocery stores and shops are quite a trend in Charleston. I lived above one in the fall and it was really convenient. If I woke up and realized my milk had expired, I could just go downstairs and buy a new carton before work. A lot of the shops have closed or been converted into residential only buildings, but a number of them still function as groceries scattered about the peninsula.

Many of the old grocery stores were owned and operated by German immigrants and their families. Burbage's is no exception. It stands on the corner of Savage and Broad Streets, and it is the only corner grocery store that still exists south of Broad. It is just a short walk from the Preservation Society so today I walked over for lunch. They sell sandwiches, chips, drinks, and some produce - typical small grocery store items. I have read some on the Burbage family in my research for work so it was fun to finally see the shop, and it was a nice excuse to get away from my desk on a warm spring day.

The prankster Andrea Palladio.

Next weekend is the Vitruviana symposium hosted by a number of history and preservation minded groups including Drayton Hall (below) and the Preservation Society. While I haven't been involved with any of the planning, I've posted a few things on the society's Facebook and I am looking forward to attending some of the lectures.

I am rarely reminded of the fact that I work for a preservation organization without a preservation degree. One of the times that it seems most apparent, however, is when referring to specific elements or periods of architecture. I frequently lack the ability to describe the specifics of an architectural trend. When mentioning the Vitruviana conference, someone recently asked me what Palladian architecture was. My response? "Architecture inspired by the drawings of Andrea Palladio." Helpful...

Palladian architecture is considered to be classical architecture. It values symmetry and balance, and was inspired by the classic designs of ancient Greece and Rome. My favorite part of the classical importance of symmetry is the trend of false doors. Many Palladian and Adamesque (more neoclassical) have fake doors that never open and have nothing behind them. This is because of the need for symmetry. If it a room has an entrance on the left side, it better have a door on the right. It amuses me to think of people sitting around debating the need for an extra non-functional doorway. I appreciate visual balance, but for some reason I really find these door embellishments to be quite entertaining. 

Maybe it is because they are absolutely, without a doubt, purely decorative. And I can just hear the 18th-century accents discussing decorations. "This would make a nice big wall to hang a fine tapestry." "No, I disagree. Instead of room for a tapestry, let's add a false door. That will fool everyone." It's like the architects were playing tricks on their guests with an extra door. How clever, Andrea Palladio. How clever.

South of the Border.

This past weekend I visited UNC. I got to see quite a few friends, and I spent time with the American Studies and Folklore department meeting students and learning about the Folklore MA program that I will begin in August. On the road between Charleston and Chapel Hill is South of the Border, a "destination," gas station, and confusing interstate exit.

I didn't remember having ever stopped here, so I was excited to see what exactly this place as. I have since learned that as I child I begged my parents to stop here on our many trips from Virginia to Florida, but I have no memory of that. 

I knew that the stop included a statue (or really quite a few statues) of Pedro - a caricature of a man from Mexico. I did not expect just how embellished the stop was with stereotypical depictions of Mexican culture. In addition to the images at the stop, the interstate features billboards for miles advertising South of the Border. One of them stated simply SHALOM and had Pedro waving. I was riding with a friend who works for the Hillel at the College of Charleston. We found the billboard both confusing and amusing in its odd conflation of cultural references. 

And if you are wondering, #sobPedro is a refernece to South of the Border. Pedro is not crying.

Southern Surprises at Church.

This morning I attended Circular Congregational Church. It was founded in 1681 as a diverse congregation that believed in equality. The church today still holds strong to these values, and is vocal about the importance of inclusion of all people regardless of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, or any other social category.

When describing the Old South, the adjective "progressive" is not usually the first to come to my mind. Participating in worship today was a refreshing reminder that the South is filled with many types of communities, not all of which fill the stereotypes and ideologies that frequently are associated with the region. I have attended Christian services where leaders spoke of acceptance towards the gay community, but never one where the conversation was quite so blunt and honest about the needs for the church to participate in the fight for equality. I did not expect to have that experience in downtown Charleston, but I am very glad that I did.

A Preservationist.

People don't always know what exactly it means to work for a preservation society. To be honest, I wouldn't have known what it meant eight months ago. Some people think I work in reality, buying and selling historic houses. At least once I was asked if I work in construction. Walking down Broad Street, I noticed this man working on the mansard roof of an old home. I don't physically preserve any buildings. I don't even work in advocacy, so I frequently feel distanced from the actual work of preservationists. I rarely even get to touch the historic buildings, and it doesn't happen because I was invited to do so as I assume this man was.

I couldn't help but wonder if he has any since of his role as a preservationist. 

Cooper River Bridge.

When I was first offered my fall internship in Charleston, my dad's first comment was "are you going to run the bridge?" At that time, I had no idea what bridge he was talking about or that there was any significance to running the bridge. I looked it up and realized that there was a 10k over the Cooper River Bridge (also called the Ravenel Bridge) each April. My initial ten week internship was over well before April, but when I was offered an extension I decided that I would run.

I've never even run a 5k, so working towards a 10k has been difficult but fun. Today I ran the bridge with my two friends who have also registered for the race. On the way back over it, they both grabbed my phone and took pictures for me, so I can't take credit for this.

I'm now tired and sore but I'm glad to say I ran the bridge, and I'm excited for the race in two weeks.

Hampstead Village, Charleston and London.

Each year the Preservation Society chooses what we call Seven to Save. The list is seven sites in the Charleston area that are in desperate need of preservation. One of the 2013 sites is Hampstead Mall, a grass public space that sits in a larger neighborhood. The neighborhood of Hampstead Village was laid out by Henry Laurens in the 17th century, modeled after the typical English village design. The Mall has been split apart by roads and is in a general state of disrepair, but the society is hopeful that it can be restored to its original function as a community space.

Hampstead Heath, London

In an effort to gather up as much information about Hampstead Mall and Hampstead Village in Charleston, I was asked to look and see if there was a Hampstead in England. This assignment has been fun for me; in 2011 I had an internship at an art gallery called Printroom located in Hampstead Village, London. I have spent time at comparing historic and current maps of Hampstead, looking at drawings of the heath, and on Google Street View examining the buildings - and generally being nostalgic. 

It felt like Ireland.

Today is Saint Patrick's Day. Since being in the Lowcountry, I had heard that Savannah knew how to celebrate March 17th. Somehow it had never been mentioned that Charleston had a Saint Patrick's Day Parade.

Photo Credit: Paul Saylors

Around 10:00 I could hear bagpipes so I went to the office that overlooks King Street to watch the festivities. It was a rather short parade, though it included at least three different groups of bagpipers. After spending some time looking into the Irish immigrants in Charleston, it was neat to watch the parade and see the different participating groups and organizations that I have learned about in my research.

The cold rain felt appropriate for the day; hot and sunny just wouldn't be very Irish.

If I met Ryan Gosling, he would want to build me a house.

After a visit to Auldbrass (see previous post), my family headed to Boone Hall Plantation. While the house at Boone Hall is NOT the house that Noah fixes up for Allie in The Notebook, it is the grand summer home of Allie's family. For information about the homes used in the filming of the movie, check out this helpful blog post.

Look familiar?

The house was built in the 1930s in the Colonial Revival style, so it is not actually an antebellum plantation house. The site does include a "slave street" with brick houses built for sharecroppers, but that reflect the design and arrangement of previously existing slave cabins. While not much of the current architecture is from times of slavery, the site did a nice job addressing the layers of history that are present in the story of Boone Hall Plantation. 

And interestingly enough, this house was built in the same general period as the house at Auldbrass. This one was a conscious reference to a historic past, while Wright's house was an effort to find innovation and new designs. It was great to see both houses in the same day.

Title of post from youtube video found here.

Preservation Society Perks.

One of the perks of working for the Preservation Society of Charleston is that I get access to privately owned homes. Yesterday I visited Auldbrass, a plantation near Beaufort (in South Carolina "beau" rhymes with "spew"). While the land itself was a farm as early as the 18th-century, the site now features the buildings and designs of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Wright's designs emphasized a unity between architecture and landscape. Most of the buildings are low to the ground, slanted to match the lean of the live oak tree, and topped with green roofs reflecting Spanish moss. The long, low design of the main house made it difficult to take a picture that captures the interest and detail of the structures. Here you have one of the additional buildings on the site - the home of a few exotic birds. 

The current property owner also owns some zebra that were playing on the far side of the estate.

For more information, check out this National Register Nomination form for Auldbrass. 

Ghost signs and a long lost past.

I have walked by this sign countless times. I was aware of it, but had never really stopped to truly notice it. This time, I took a picture.

This "ghost sign" for Southern Furniture Co. decorates the side of a building on King Street. Painted on murals were common at one time, but many have since faded away from buildings. I love the look of a faded advertisement like this one, but I know that if nothing is done to maintain, restore, or preserve the painting, it will soon disappear completely. The sign reminded me of this article published by the Salisbury Post, discussing the preservation efforts taken to revive the fading murals of Salisbury. In a world of digital media, iPhones, and overwhelmingly instant technology, these old painted advertisements remind me of simpler days. They hold a romanticized nostalgia of a past I never experienced: when billboards were painted not printed, when locally owned stores sold quality products made in America, and when Coca-Cola only cost five cents.

The South Carolina Palmetto.

The South Carolina state flag features the palmetto tree and a crescent moon, but Charleston is the only place in the state where the palmetto grows. I have a complicated relationship with the palmetto. On one hand I like it because it is such a vacation-beach tree. On the other, I am not a big fan because I cannot understand that any season besides summer could exist in a location with palmettos. While Charleston is generally quite warm and I will argue did not have an autumn, it did have a winter. Palmetto trees covered in ice and snow are just confusing.

I was relatively sure that I remembered the significance of the palmetto, but I looked it up just to make sure. The walls of Fort Moultrie - a nearby fort on Sullivan's Island - were built of palmetto trees. During the Revolution, British cannons seemed to just bounce off of the rubbery palmettos, helping protect the Charleston area. The flag was later designed by war hero William Moultrie, and it pays homage to the tree that defended the land. 

On most days, I enjoy seeing palmetto trees scattered around downtown, along the battery, and randomly growing in my suburban neighborhood (like this one). They remind me that I am in Charleston and in the South. It just needs to be hot for me to fully accept their presence. But I will probably regret saying that in a few weeks time. 

Snow, sun, and a bungalow.

I did not post anything on Friday or Saturday, so tonight I give you two pictures.

On Friday after work, I drove to Winston Salem. I knew that the weather had been bad and that it had snowed, but I don't think it fully hit me until I was actually in Winston and saw the snow. For some reason my mind just didn't believe that there would actually be snow on the ground, but there was.

Then Saturday's high was 60 degrees. It is hard to believe that within 24 hours the weather fluctuated over 30 degrees. There's nothing quite like springtime in the South.

On Saturday I went to the Reynolda House, which is the historic house of the Reynolds family. The Reynolds family made their wealth off of tobacco, with cigarettes named Camel, Winston, and Salem. The house, though, was really the project of Katharine Smith Reynolds, the wife of businessmen R.J. Reynolds. The large, bungalow house does a wonderful job combining interior and exterior spaces - as typical of a bungalow design. There were fireplaces on the porches, and huge windows that allow the surroundings to encroach on the space indoors. The historic home has been preserved and turned into an American art museum.

Having spent a summer working at Duke Homestead, the site of Washington Duke's family house, I was quite surprised at the grandness of the Reynolda House. Granted, the success of Duke Tobacco was really due to the work of Washington Duke's son James Buchanan "Buck" Duke. Even with this in mind, the Reynolda house was much more elaborate and ornate than I ever imagined.

Pictures are not allowed of the interior of the house, and I was not satisfied with any of my efforts to get a picture of the exterior, so I give you the greenhouse. The greenhouse was closed by the time I got to it, but it matches the design of the pool house, and it was interesting to look at from the exterior. The general shape and design of the garden reminded me of the gardens of the Biltmore. The Biltmore estate is much larger and more extravagant than the Reynolda House, but there is a similar air of wealth and success in the properties. Visiting the sites makes it clear that both families are significant to the story of American history, as it takes someone of remarkable fortune to be able to construct homes of such magnitude.

I really enjoyed the surprise of the house. When going to the Biltmore, I knew to expect a building that exceeded - or at least matched - any home I had ever seen in size, embellishment, and magnificence. The Reynolda house was different; I knew I was visiting the bungalow of a successful North Carolinian. And I did visit the bungalow of a successful North Carolinian. I know now, though, that simply describing it in that manner is somewhat of an understatement.