Six New HABS Photo Surveys Accepted by Heritage Documentation Programs

 

Six diverse HABS projects were accepted today by Heritage Documentation Programs of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. These donated HABS photography surveys range from the earliest colonial history of the west to modern conveniences found in 4000 shopping center parking lots in the 1970s.

Acceptance letter for six HABS photo surveys

The oldest government building in America, The Palace of Governors (El Palacio Real de Santa Fe) in Santa Fe, New Mexico was photographed in 1934 by HABS and I recreated some of those views in 2023 in 4x5 black and white and 4x5 color transparency from the same camera positions and submitted them as an addendum to HABS-NM-2.

HABS Photographer Stephen D. Schafer -

El Palacio Real de Santa Fe (HABS NM-2 addendum)

The ubiquitous Fotomat booth from the 1970s was photographed on New Years Day of 2023 with 'Ansel Adams' clouds in Glendale, California on 5x7 black and white film.

HABS Photographer Stephen D. Schafer -

Fotomat Kiosk (HABS CA-2974)

Buhl United Methodist Church is a vernacular church in southern Idaho constructed of local black stone and not under any threat known by me when I drove past it with my 5x7 camera and stopped to add a single negative to the HABS collection.

HABS Photographer Stephen D. Schafer -

Buhl United Methodist Church (HABS ID-135)

The Chaves County Courthouse in Roswell New Mexico is another example of a handsome building being lit by afternoon sun as I drove by with my 4x5 camera in the car on the way home from a HABS documentation at Big Bend National Park in Texas. I had to stop and record the site which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

HABS Photographer Stephen D. Schafer -

Chaves County Courthouse (HABS NM-242)

The Fort Nelson building in downtown Louisville, Kentucky is a marvelous rehabilitation of what was a dilapidated commercial building into the renovated Louisville home of Michter's Whiskey. The building now houses the Michter's Fort Nelson Distillery with a gift shop, on-site stills and vats, a tasting room and the 'Bar at Fort Nelson' upstairs overlooking the Louisville Slugger Museum.

HABS Photographer Stephen D. Schafer -  

Fort Nelson Building (HABS KY-303)

The mid-century modern American Legion Building in Ontario, California is typical of Legion buildings with windowless bars, event spaces, offices and meeting rooms for Legion business that was unfortunately demolished for a housing project. Though the local mitigation specified only digital photos, I did bring the 4x5 film camera and take a couple for donation to the official HABS collection.

HABS Photographer Stephen D. Schafer -

American Legion Building (HABS CA-2967)

All of these HABS negatives and prints were donated to the HABS collection through the donation programs outlined here: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/heritagedocumentation/donated-documentation.htm

If you’d like more information about HABS, HAER or HALS photography take a look at the HABS FAQ page of our website.

HABSPHOTO.com

Stephen Schafer, HABS/HAER/HALS Photography,

Ventura, California

Phone: 415-857-HAER

E: [email protected]

A quote about the past.

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"The longer I wait,
the harder it is to get the past back."

-Stephen D. Schafer

 

 

 

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Underrecognized California: A pilot preservation grant program to inspire inclusive designations

Posted Jan 12, 2013.

 

 

Helping Students Achieve their Preservation Dreams

 

Help CPF Help Students! Spread the word among your friends and colleagues!

 

Watts Coffee House at Watts Happening Cultural Center. Photo by Stephen Schafer

 

Underrecognized California

A grant program to inspire inclusive designations

 

Underrecognized California: A Program to Encourage Inclusive Historic Designations

This program recognizes and protects historic resources associated with underrecognized histories and historic sites in California. This program also employs diverse students in historic preservation to work directly on the nomination of the chosen site. The students are matched with an eligible site to write a nomination under the guidance of a professional mentor, a critical first step in their career development. The stewards of the historic structure are also paired with a mentor to provide guidance for the long-term maintenance of their site. The program for 2023 will specifically focus on the Los Angeles region. 

Program Priorities. This matching program promotes the formal listing of publicly accessible historic places by connecting a diverse and underrecognized community structure in need of documentation with a paid student employee of CPF to research, write, and submit a local landmark nomination in the Los Angeles area.

Watts Happening Cultural Center. Photo by Stephen Schafer

 

Link to Underrecognized site nomination form

https://californiapreservation.org/advocacy/underrepresented-ca/

 

This program is generously supported by a gift from Stephen and Sherry Schafer, Liz's Antique Hardware

 

www.habsphoto.com

Lost in America the new book by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams - Book Review

LOST IN AMERICA - Photographing the Last Days of Our Architectural Treasures

By Richard Cahan and Michael Williams –  Just published by City Files Press.

Lost in America Book in limited edition slipcase

 

Lost in America is illustrated with exceptional black and white duotones of photographs sourced from the public domain collections of the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) at the Library of Congress. The book also features the research and writing of Cahan and Williams, the publishers of books on photographers Vivian Maier and Richard Nickel, and similar historical topics. 

 

1830s slave quarters and a 1857 plantation home on a spread from Lost in America. Photos by E.H. Pickering and Thomas Waterman.

 

Lost in America was begun by the authors as a Covid-19 lockdown road trip of our great nation through the magnifying glass of the HABS collection at the Library of Congress. The survey photos included in the book focus on one hundred structures, some recorded by HABS photographers as early as 1934 when the Historic American Buildings Survey as we know it was first established. At first flip, the book clearly comes across as coffee table worthy in the premium tradition of much more pretentious publishing houses, then upon immersion, it surprised me with its actual content.

 

1934 HABS Photograph of the Methodist Church in Cahaba, Alabama burned to the ground in 1954. Photo by W.M. Manning

 

Publisher/writer/historians Cahan and Williams, have crafted a book that's an engaging foray through the demise of lost architecture while at the same time the book is a celebration of the Historic American Buildings Survey itself. The Survey, celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, was a Civil Works Administration endeavor implemented as a make-work program for unemployed architects and photographers in the Great Depression.

HABS was imagined as a way to record vanishing American heritage before significant examples were lost to “The ravages of fire and the natural elements, together with the demolition caused by real estate 'improvements'...” as stated in the original proposal to form HABS in 1933. 

The HABS collection is by far the world's preeminent archive of architecture, engineering and landscape documentation and its continued existence makes it the longest running federal preservation program in America (and the only WPA program still in existence). Lost's narrative tells a hundred compelling stories about the missing places pictured, but also weaves in sketches on contemporary American culture, American architects, our fascination with progress and renewal, and vignettes of some of the HABS photographers who criss-crossed America recording our inherited environment.

 

Parker Center Police HQ 1955 - 2019. Recorded in 2018 Parker Center is the last demolition documented in the book Lost in America. HABS CA-2923-13 by Stephen Schafer

 

I'm honored to have a spread featured in such a serious book about American architecture along side my HABS photographer peers and some of my architectural photography heroes like Jack Boucher, Jet Lowe and Marvin Rand. The authors cover the documentation program itself with a forward by Catherine Lavoie, Chief of the HABS program at the National Park Service. Lost in America highlights the life and death of some of America’s architectural and historic treasures, “We didn’t just pick pretty buildings, but structures that play a part of U.S. history: slave quarters, plantations, Indian dance halls, ballparks,” say Cahan and Williams.

 

One of a few HAER photographs in the book, Jet Lowe's photo of the Bellows Falls Arch Bridge for the Historic American Engineering Record.

 

At the same time, Lost holds up a mirror to some of the questionable decisions that brought about the demise of the places presented. Bluntly put into perspective by Richard Nickel's quote, “Great architecture has only two natural enemies: water and stupid men.” Meek or magnificent, many of the lost structures pictured in the book (and in the HABS collection at large) had no chance when confronted with America's march of progress. This book in particular, and the Historic American Buildings Survey in general, try to countervail some of our disappeared heritage and transform them into art, knowledge and memory.

As Charles Peterson concluded in his original 1933 HABS proposal, “... if the great number of our antique buildings must disappear through economic causes, they should not pass into unrecorded oblivion.” 

Through Lost in America, these hundred shan't. 

 

-Stephen Schafer

September 29, 2023

 

 

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Lost in America is for sale on the CityFilePress website. As hardcover and as limited edition signed copies in a slipcase available here: https://www.cityfilespress.com/books/lost-in-america/

(Full disclosure, this is an independent, unsolicited review. I have a photo included in the book, but that photo (like all HABS photos) was used for free in the public domain and I receive no payment or affiliate compensation for this review or link)

 

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HABSPHOTO.com

E: [email protected]

Four National Register of Historic Places criteria ... a basic text slide

Sometimes I just have to make a quick image to remember a simple concept... The four (4) National Register Criteria for evaluation and nomination. 

 

Four (4) National Register of Historic Places criteria for evaluation (click to enlarge)

 

 

A Picture Perfect New Year 2023

Here's a fresh project. Many of my HABS/HAER/HALS photo projects are embargoed while moving through the regulatory process, so sometimes I don't know what I have shared and what I forgot to share.

HABS Photography of front facade of the former Fotomat Booth on Glendale Avenue in Glendale, California.

Here are some new 5x7" large format HABS photos from New Year's Day, 2023 (24 hours ago).

HABS Context Photo of former Fotomat booth across Glendale Avenue in Glendale California.

Since there is no client, and I'm donating these negatives (and a few more) to Heritage Documentation Programs at the National Park Service for inclusion in the Historic American Buildings Survey collection at the Library of Congress, I can show you this very, very recent project.

HABS Photograph of former Fotomat booth, facade with 12' scale.

 

HABS Photograph of a former Fotomat booth, Oblique.

I don't know if this Fotomat booth is threatened (Aren't they all really?). But it seemed like a relatively unmolested specimen and since there are no Fotomat booths documented in the Library of Congress... a trip to Glendale was in order.

(The Ansel Adams clouds don't hurt either.) 

Angel Island Immigration Station Hospital PDA Award

Angel Island Immigration Station Hospital The Angel Island Immigration Station Hospital of San Francisco is a winner for the 2022 Preservation Design Award for Rehabilitation. We created photographs for Project Lead Mike Garavaglia of Garavaglia Architecture in San Francisco.

About the Angel Island Immigration Station Hospital The former Immigration Station Hospital was rehabilitated for adaptive re-use as a museum for the immigrant story as well as a small conference center operated by California State Parks. The interpretive exhibits connect the past to current immigrant stories.

The 10,000 sf Hospital, constructed c.1908, represents a major part of the immigrant experience for those entering the United States on the West Coast. The Program Document and updated HSR, guided the team of preservation architect, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineers, and cost estimator to develop an overall rehabilitation design. The mix of funding sources and timing of funding required phasing of construction and the installation of the museum and interpretive elements.

 

If you’d like more information about architectural photography take a look at our website.

HABSPHOTO.com

Stephen Schafer, Architectural Photography,

Ventura, California

Ph: 805-652-1000

E: [email protected]

 

TIMES MIRROR HABS (2019)

A few of my projects didn't get shared here in a timely way because of that C-19 thing. But here is a HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY project that was really interesting and only about 50 years old. I did the forty-four, 4x5 large format HABS photographs in April 2019, and the report and captions are now up on the Library of Congress HABS website, but alas, the photographic scans will probably not be digitized for years. I have a few photos here but I have placed the entire set of black and white, large format HABS photographs up on my Adobe Behance Portfolio page so you can scroll through them in order, or look at them as a full-screen photo grid.

BEHANCE PHOTO GRID: https://www.behance.net/gallery/151825209/HABS-No-CA-2935-TIMES-MIRROR-BUILDING

TIMES MIRROR BUILDING, HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY

HABS No. CA-2935

HABS Context Photograph of Times Mirror Building. Number HABS CA-2935-1

 

TIMES MIRROR BUILDING AND PARKING STRUCTURE, 234 West 1st Street, Los Angeles, California.

(Selected text from 26 page report)  Architect: The Times Mirror Building and Parking Structure were constructed in 1970-73 for the parent company of the Los Angeles Times, the Times Mirror Company, and designed by William L. Pereira & Associates. Charles Kratka Interior Planning and Design was engaged in 1970 to design the interiors of the company’s corporate offices, which were initially located on the fifth and sixth floors of the Times Mirror Building.

HABS Overview Photograph of Times Mirror Building. Number HABS CA-2935-8

 

In 1970-71, William L. Pereira & Associates designed the Times Mirror Building and Parking Structure, which required significant alterations to the Times Press Building.20 The Times Press Building was structurally strengthened in 1970.21 A portion of the fourth floor was subsequently demolished and the skylights over the third floor were removed and the openings infilled in 1970- 71 The 1970-73 portion of the Times Mirror Building was constructed along the north exterior wall and above the third floor of the Times Press Building. The Parking Structure was constructed along the south exterior wall. The exterior of Times Press Building was reclad in granite. The window openings on the S. Broadway façade were reconfigured into three horizontal bands and new window sash installed. While the main entrance to the Times Press Building remains in the same location, the door opening has been recessed and the door replaced with new infill. An exterior walkway connecting the Times Mirror Building to the Parking Structure was constructed through the Times Press Building at the second floor. The interior of the remaining floors of the Times Press Building was entirely remodeled with new features and finishes except for the sub-basement, basement, stairwells, and former lobby, which retain original features and finishes.

HABS Oblique Photograph of Times Mirror Building. Number HABS CA-2935-12

 

The Times Mirror Building is significant for its association with the Times Mirror Company, the parent company of the Los Angeles Times. The southern portion of the building was originally constructed in 1931 to house the Times Mirror Printing and Binding House and the American Engraving Company, both subsidiaries of the Times Mirror Company. This 1931 building, known as the Times Press Building, was later incorporated into the design of the Times Mirror Building and Parking Structure in 1971–73. The Times Mirror Building served as the headquarters of the Times Mirror Company from its completion until it was sold to the Tribune Company in 2000.

The building is also significant for its association with Otis Chandler. Chandler served as the publisher for the Los Angeles Times between 1960 and 1980 and has been recognized as one of the most important newspaper publishers in the United States. He kept an office on the sixth floor of the Times Mirror Building from 1973 until he was ousted as the chairman of the Times Mirror Company in 1986.

HABS Interior Photograph of Times Mirror Building. Number HABS CA-2935-30

 

The Times Mirror Building and Parking Structure were determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria A and C and the California Register of Historical Resources under Criteria 1 and 3 as contributors to the Times Mirror Square Historic District. The Times Mirror Square Historic District occupies a city block in Downtown Los Angeles and is composed of five structurally distinct, but internally connected buildings that include the Times Building, Plant Building, Mirror Building, Times Mirror Building, and Parking Structure. It is significant for its association with the Los Angeles Times and Times Mirror Company under Criteria A/1 as well as representing a significant and distinguishable architecturally significant entity under Criteria C/3.

HABS Facade Photograph of Times Mirror Building. Number HABS CA-2935-16

 

The Times Mirror Building was determined individually eligible for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources under Criterion 1 for its association with the Times Mirror Company and under Criterion 2 for its association with Chandler.

HABS Parking Garage Photograph. Number HABS CA-2935-41

 

The Parking Structure was not identified as individually eligible for listing in the National Register or the California Register because it is a purely functional building and is not directly associated with the activities of the Times Mirror Company or Chandler; however, it is within the boundaries of the historic district comprising buildings associated with the Times Mirror Company...

Report by: Emily Rinaldi, GPA Consulting, July 29, 2019

Entire HABS CA-2935 captions, maps and report can be found at: https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/master/pnp/habshaer/ca/ca4300/ca4382/data/ca4382data.pdf

 

For more information take a look at the

Frequently Asked Questions 

section of our website if you’d like more information about HABS/HAER/HALS

 

www.HABS.photo

Stephen Schafer, Photographer

Ventura, California

805-652-1000

[email protected]

 

 

Asilomar Warnecke Historic District nominated to NRHP

Asilomar Conference Grounds Warnecke Historic District is located at the western edge of the City of Pacific Grove, overlooking Asilomar State Beach. The district consists of twenty-two buildings and associated landscape features designed by John Carl Warnecke & Associates after the State of California acquired the property in 1956. Originally a Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) camp designed by Julia Morgan, Asilomar’s initial stage of development was between 1913 and 1928, which was designated Asilomar Conference Grounds Historic District National Historic Landmark (NHL) in 1987. The resulting distinct architectural context and 1957 to 1968 period of significance permit a new standalone nomination rather than amending the earlier nomination with additional documentation.

Master architect John Carl Warnecke’s Asilomar design embodies distinctive characteristics of Second Bay Tradition architecture, a movement distinctively tied to both the time and place. The master plan for the site, which he developed in concert with landscape architect Michael Painter, exhibits dual harmony with both the natural environment and Asilomar’s older buildings. The district is an exceptional example of the contextualism that became a defining feature of Warnecke’s early career.

In Warnecke’s Master Plan, he expressed the importance that new buildings do not mar “the easy relationship of buildings to land.” Warnecke’s Master Plan called for a series of small complexes with a combination of lodging and conference buildings, which would nestle within Morgan’s site plan without making it crowded and serve as contained conference centers. At Asilomar, the work of fitting into the existing environment was twofold, as Warnecke aimed for harmony with both the natural environment and the site’s existing Julia Morgan-designed buildings.

The Asilomar Conference Grounds Warnecke Historic District was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places at the August 5, 2022 State Historic Resources Commission Meeting. Text taken from the nomination written by Kara Brunzell. National Register of Historic Places photography by Stephen Schafer

 

If you’d like more information about National Register photography take a look at our website.

HABSPHOTO.com

Stephen Schafer, Architectural Photography,

Ventura, California

Ph: 805-652-1000

E: [email protected]

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If you’d like more information about National Register photography take a look at our website.

HABSPHOTO.com

Stephen Schafer, Architectural Photography,

Ventura, California

Ph: 805-652-1000

E: [email protected]

HABS and HAER Photographs of Lost History

New Online Portfolio

https://www.behance.net/stephenschafer

This is a link to my portfolio of places lost to time or the wrecking ball; documented for the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) and Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) and transmitted to the Library of Congress HABS collection.

HALS Photography of Parker Center Police Headquarters. HALS-CA-138-4

 

If you’d like more information about HABS/HAER/HALS photography take a look at our website.

HABSPHOTO.com

Stephen Schafer, Architectural Photography,

Ventura, California

Ph: 805-652-1000

E: [email protected]