AN INTERVIEW WITH JANET HALSTEAD, EXEC. DIRECTOR OF THE FLW BUILDING CONSERVANCY
Preserving the architectural legacy of America's most famous architect can often times be a daunting task. It is often a delicate balancing act between the needs of building owners, the interests of local governments or organizations, other not-for-profits and concerned Frank Lloyd Wright enthusiasts of all stripes. Luckily, the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy is up for that challenge.
Formed in the late 1980s in response to the alarming increase in the destruction and strip-mining of Wright-related buildings and artifacts, the decision was made to create an official non-profit organization called the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy. Since then, the Conservancy has played an integral role in the saving of a number of houses, including Auldbrass Plantation (1940, Yemassee, SC), the Allen Friedman House (1956, Bannockburn, IL) the Goetsch-Winckler House (1939, Okemos, MI), the Gordon House (1956, Wilsonville, OR), the Westcott House (1904, Springfield, OH), the Glasner House (1905, Glencoe, IL) and the Duncan House (1957, Lisle, IL). More recently, the organization partnered with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to help secure the vast archive of Wright materials that we're recently placed on the auction block at Bonham's. PrairieMod thought it would be a great opportunity to interview the Conservancy's executive director, Janet Halstead, to find out more about this fascinating and important organization.
Eric: What makes the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy
unique in comparison to the many other Wright-related organizations?
Janet:
We all share a deep appreciation for Wright’s work and the objective of
preserving that architectural treasure chest and we support each other
in the pursuit of those goals. However, the Conservancy works on a
national and even an international basis. We are advocates for all of
Wright’s buildings. Relationships with private homeowners are a big part
of our work – they are a very special group of stewards of this
architecture. Through their Conservancy membership they often share
experiences, advice and tips, so the Conservancy provides a framework
for that exchange as well as contacts with experts for restoration and
maintenance work. Also, we function in some ways as an informal umbrella
organization for Wright house museums and public sites. Much like the
great education and preservation work being done by a statewide network
like Wright in Wisconsin, we try to promote what all the groups and
organizations are doing and extend that reach nationwide.
Eric: The Conservancy maintains a fairly low profile in most of the preservation-related situations it involves itself in. Why is that?
Janet: Often the most successful path to a good preservation outcome is to work behind the scenes with key players. We try to learn about potentially problematic situations before they become serious preservation threats or headlines in the community. We try to identify alternative paths and suggest options. Sometimes a creative solution can be generated quietly. We contact the local preservation committees who know the local situation, market and politics and check with the SHPO (state historic preservation organization) to determine who or what combination of players is in the best position to influence the outcome positively.
When quiet discussions and persuasion do not achieve the results and demolition is imminent, however, the Conservancy has taken very public stances and generated publicity. We have several case studies on our website such as the Bradley House carriage house and the Glasner House, both in Illinois, as well as Auldbrass Plantation in South Carolina and the Ennis House in Los Angeles. A really interesting solution was found for the Gordon House in Oregon, but that would be a story for another interview.Eric: Do you feel that the vast number of independently-operated Wright organizations and museum sites helps or hinders the preservation process?
Janet: It is sometimes confusing. With such a rich legacy it is not surprising that Wright’s work has spawned a number of organizations. We get calls from people looking for the Wright Home and Studio, or think that the Conservancy has original drawings of Wright’s designs but we are happy to direct those inquiries to the appropriate organizations – that is part of our mission too – to make those connections.
The house museums obviously have a very focused mission – to preserve that particular house and share it with others through interpretive programs, and relate it to the larger picture of Wright’s work and architectural design. In general, the Conservancy believes that the best use is the original use, so a building designed as a private home is best preserved as a private home and maintained with private resources. When it is time to sell we try to link sellers with preservation-minded potential buyers. But sometimes the location, the specific design or size of the house, the economics of restoration and maintenance, or just the general state of the economy all combine to make the possibility of remaining in private hands unlikely. In those cases sometimes the solution is a house museum, but the economics of that undertaking are daunting. The Conservancy has played a middleman role in such transitions – as we did for example with the Westcott House in Springfield, Ohio. We encourage fledgling non-profits that are considering taking on this challenge to have a realistic business plan.Many preservationists feel that the number of historic house museums has reached a market saturation point. The overnight stay option is an attractive approach because it offers the experience of a private home. There are seven Wright properties now offering overnight stays and some are experimenting with combining tours and limited overnight stays.
Eric: The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy was
recently involved in helping to secure a collection of Wright-related
materials being auctioned off at Bonham's. Can you explain what the
Conservancy's role in the process was in more detail?
Janet: After learning about the impending sale from
Margo Stipe, registrar and curator of collections at the Frank Lloyd
Wright Archives at Taliesin West, a member of the Conservancy Board,
Harvard professor Neil Levine, alerted our executive committee of the
situation. Because of his prior research activities, Neil had seen the
collection several years earlier and knew first-hand the importance of
these items and why it was critical to ensure that the materials
remained intact as a collection and accessible to architectural
historians and others. Time was short before the auction. A special
task force was formed and immediately agreed that the Archives at the
Wright Foundation at Taliesin West was the obvious and best home for
such a collection.
The Conservancy task force encouraged the Foundation to mobilize and aggressively pursue acquisition. We proactively contacted other potential bidders to explain why we thought the Archives at Taliesin West should own those materials. Neil wrote a persuasive rationale and the Conservancy approached potential donors beyond those contacted by the Foundation to ask them to consider backstopping the financial resources if the bidding ran the purchase price beyond the funds that the Foundation was able to commit. In the end, that extra insurance funding was not necessary because the Foundation did a wonderful job of lining up donors. Conservancy Vice President Larry Woodin, who was asked to represent the Foundation in the bidding at Bonham’s, made the final and winning bid of $40,000. The Conservancy was very happy to lend its voice and support to the FLW Foundation’s efforts and was very pleased that those materials were added to the Archives. The Conservancy’s advocacy team works closely with the archivists at Taliesin and frequently refers Wright homeowners and restoration architects to the Archives for information vital to the appropriate maintenance and restoration of specific Wright-designed buildings. This leads ultimately to their long-term preservation.
Eric: Are there any other Wright-related preservation stories the Conservancy is involved with that you think people should know about?
Janet: We are very excited about the acceptance of the Conservancy’s group nomination of 10 Wright works on the U.S. World Heritage Tentative List. This nomination is working its way through the process of being selected for the World Heritage List of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). This is a list of both natural and man-made sites that meets the criteria of “outstanding universal value.” While most of the US sites on the list are natural sites, the Conservancy had the foresight several years ago to make this nomination a special project. In the US, nominations are coordinated and recommended by the Secretary of the Interior working through the US Park Service. The Wright nomination will be submitted to ICOMOS, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, who then decides what sites to accept for the international listing. Our Wright nomination is very complex since it encompasses 10 individual sites which were submitted in 2008 plus we are exploring the possible addition to the list of the Jacobs I House, the first Usonian. The complete international application requires extensive and detailed documentation. The Conservancy is leading the process and works closely with the nominated buildings. A list of the sites is posted on our website. Other US nominations are also pending, and although it will take two or three more years before we know the outcome, we are optimistic that Wright’s work will take its place on the list next to such sites as Monticello, Angkor Watt, Chartres Cathedral and the Sydney Opera House. This would be a tremendous international gesture of recognition and will encourage many more people to seek out Wright’s work. That visibility can only help in efforts to preserve all Wright buildings! pm
:: The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy website
:: More info on the Bonham's Wright archive auction
:: The Frank Lloyd Wright buildings nominated for The World Heritage List of UNESCO
:: How you can support the mission of the FLWBC in preserving Wright's legacy
Images courtesy of Bonham's and the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy
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