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NORTH CAROLINA PRESERVATION opened as Loews Philadelphia Hotel, fea- their jurisdictions . A number of Modern turing furniture and decorative arts of structures in Raleigh have already been "timeless modernity. ' Philip Johnson's put on the National Register, and IMP Glass House is now owned by the µ Modern houses in Charlotte and Mt. National Trust for Historic Preservation . r < ` ,, �►+''' € Airy are currently on the study list. However, the real world of tomorrow M _ • After we research and designate has been less than kind when looking these landmarks , we must publish and back at its own first steps. Tragic remod- publicize their colorful histories. We cling and wanton demolition of many ,. , should take every opportunity to high- great Modern buildings have already light the value of these Modern build- taken lace and man of the remaining ings . They are important, and they are place, y g examples of this period are endangered _ R quickly disappearing. by new development. Why? - `•� • Wherever possible , these Modern structures should be safeguarded by pro- * Appreciation for Modern architec- Als tectAt ive covenants, preservation easements Lure is an acquired taste . Man modernist - " `° q y z ' -` "' _ and/ or local landmark designation . buildings are considered cold and sterile, '`; ' `�& , Without protection, they are in jeopardy. lackin in detail . `` g For example, the nephew of Dean • Modern architecture has not yet 2 _ Kamphoefner donated a preservation been well inventoried and evaluated. easement in April 1996 on the Preservation of the architecture of the tit _ 1940s, 1950s and earl 1960s is a new - Kamphoefner House in Raleigh to y s Preservation North Carolina . Two years endeavor, even for preservationists , and it Nome Federal Savings & Loan , later, after the unexpected death of the is not well understood by professionals or Charlotte , Mecklenburg County house's new owner, the easement saved laymen . Because the style promoted sim- the house, on prime real estate, from ple, unadorned buildings, it is hard for Preservationists and historians in being destroyed . Now, new buyers, work- laymen to differentiate the important North Carolina need to serve as advo - 0Ing with an architect who was a student buildings from cheap imitations . cates for Modern design and educate and colleague . of the dean, are planning a • A number of Modern structures people on its historical value . sympathetic renovation and addition for have developed serious structural prob . Architecture and sculpture are two mon- the house . The nearby Gregory Poole lems because they were built with new, umental and visible pieces of our history. House, designed by George Matsumoto, experimental technology and materials . Preservation encapsulates these moments was not so lucky. The spectacular house Some of Frank Lloyd Wright's most in history. Preserving Modern architec- sold for more than $750,000 and was prominent commissions have required ture is essential to interpret this impor- immediately torn down to make way for substantial structural work to solve prob - Cant period of North Carolina's cultural a "tract mansion." lems that may be attributed to experi- heritage , mental designs . Maintenance can be dif- How can preservationists bring atten- Modern architecture is remarkably ficult for contractors and non to this rapidly disappearing legacy significant in North Carolina . Just as do - it-yourselfers unfamiliar with the of North Carolina's cultural history? Oak Park, Illinois , is nationally known inherent failures of these materials and for the architecture of Frank Lloyd designs . • We need to educate people by orga- Wright, North Carolina may someday be • Many laymen consider Modern nizing field trips and planning educa- known as an important repository of architecture as too recent to be " his- tional events such as tours , exhibitions Modernism — if the buildings survive . toric . " It is worth noting that many dis- and lectures . People need to see these Education is key to preserving this puted the historic significance of the buildings in person and get inside them . important piece of our state 's history. state's Victorian architecture a mere ten Buildings are difficult to fully appreciate or fifteen years ago. through photographs . They need to be experienced first-hand . Marcella Rippel is the Director of Public • And all too often, the economics of p Education at the Bellamy Mansion Museum, the marketplace dictate the destruction of • We need to inventory and evaluate a PNC stewardship property in Wilmington. Modern treasures . Many of North Modernist architecture in North Carolina's finest Modern houses are si tu- Carolina . The North Carolina Historic tu- ated on large suburban lots that can be Preservation Office has been in the fore- subdivided at great profit, and the houses front of researching the architecture of are too small for today's tastes . Without the recent past. Local preservation commits deed restrictions or public land- missions and nonprofit organizations mark regulation, their survival is unlikely. should discover or assess the treasures in 2 Protecting the Irreplaceable7" in North Carolina since 1939