Preservation Vote

statler

statler

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Boston.com - April 14, 2009
American Express unveils preservation finalists
April 14, 2009

American Express, the global payments and travel company, announced the names of 25 local landmarks and buildings that are eligible to win restoration grants that will total $1 million for preservation work in Greater Boston.

Possible recipients of the grants include the Eliot Congregational Church of Roxbury, the New England Aquarium, the Paul Revere House in the North End, Saint Peter's Church in Dorchester, and Vilna Shul on Beacon Hill, American Express said in a press release.

The grants from American Express are part of something called Partners in Preservation, a program that is an outgrowth of a partnership between American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization focused on revitalizing neighborhoods and communities, American Express said.

Through May 17, the program is asking people to go to its website to cast their votes on which of the 25 finalists should be awarded grants for restoration work; on June 16, American Express plans to announce the names of roughly 10 sites that will be awarded grants that total $1 million.

For more information, please go to www.partnersinpreservation.com; by the end of today, the website should have the list of the 25 Greater Boston finalists posted.

Greater Boston is the fourth region to be the focus of this preservation effort; previously, American Express said it has supported efforts in the San Francisco, Chicago, and New Orleans metro areas.

"Through the Partners in Preservation program, we seek to spotlight historic sites in Greater Boston, drive local tourism and business, while saving pieces of history,? Timothy J. McClimon, president of the American Express Foundation, said in a statement. "Every vote counts towards providing a better future for Greater Boston?s historic treasures. We encourage everyone to vote online daily and help us choose the winning sites to receive grant funding.?

Some other local sites on the list of American Express finalists include the Crane Estate in Ipswich, Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House in Concord, and the VillaVictoria Center for the Arts in the South End.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)
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Complete List:

Boston Center for the Arts, Cyclorama
Crane Estate
Edgell Memorial Library
Eliot Congregational Church of Roxbury
Jos? Mateo Ballet Theatre
Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House
Lowell's Boat Shop
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Museum of African American History
National Monument to the Forefathers
New England Aquarium
Norfolk County Agricultural High School Dairy Barn
Norfolk Grange Hall
Old North Church
Old Ship Meeting House
Paragon Carousel
Paul Revere House
Perkins School for the Blind
Salem Old Town Hall
Schooner Adventure
St. Joseph's High School, Coalition for a Better Acre
St. Peter's Church
United First Parish Church, ?Church of the Presidents?
Villa Victoria Center for the Arts
Vilna Shul, Boston?s Center for Jewish Culture
 
I'm leaning toward the New England Aquarium but I haven't read all the cases yet.
 
Credited with revolutionizing how aquariums were designed, built and experienced, the New England Aquarium set a new standard for aquariums around the world. A Partners in Preservation grant would help restore the interior concrete walls to their original finish, as they appeared when the building opened in 1969?a fitting tribute during the 40th anniversary of this historic waterfront landmark.
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they need to be careful about that. The noise level was terrible in the original design.
 
I think the people involved know this isn't going to solve all their problems, but $100,000 can go a long way in the right hands.
 
I wouldn't vote for any of the beloved landmarks like Old North Church... those will be fine without help from this PR stunt. I'd vote for one of the less known landmarks because they will always be scrapping by and desperate for money.
 
I had the same thought, but I limited my picks to Boston buildings only. It's a toss up between the Aquarium & the Cyclorama.

(Still no love for Paul's house, sorry ablarc)
 
The Cyclorama is such a darling of the Back Bay/South End glitterati that I doubt it'll ever be in any danger of needing funds. Also, Druker had to give them money in order to build Atelier - they are on solid financial footing.

My problem with the Aquarium is the scrap metal addition. How can they "restore" the building without removing the silly addition that mars its face/entrance?
 
A failed mimicry of a failure of a firehouse design no less!
 
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