PAMPA The panoramic horizon was broken by a red Robinson R44 helicopter. Below it, precious cargo. Two of the Chisum Ranchs many pronghorn dangled under the chopper like wind chimes.

The pronghorn came in for a soft landing, and a group of wildlife professionals quickly huddled around them.

Both animals were picked up and ushered to nearby tables. There, wildlife specialists and veterinarians went to work.

The workers toiled in hushed tones as to not spook an animal that is highly sensitive even when it hasnt just taken a wild ride in the sky.

Age and sex were documented, blood samples taken. Each pronghorn was given an ear tag and fitted with GPS collars. The animals were given water along with a spate of immunizations. Antibiotics, a long-term dewormer and a mix of vitamins were administered to give the pronghorn a boost while heading to their new home.

The two pronghorn were loaded onto modified trailers, where they would await more of their own.

This process was repeated over the course of three days in late January. Texas Parks and Wildlife officials, biologists, veterinarians, researchers and students from the Borderlands Research Institute, private landowners and other professionals assisted with the capture and relocation of 110 pronghorn from the Panhandle to the Rocker b Ranch near Barnhart, just southwest of San Angelo.

Pronghorn relocation projects have been going on for nearly a decade in the West Texas Trans-Pecos region, but this was the first restoration operation made to the Rocker b, a 180,000-acre cattle ranch on the western Edwards Plateau. Pronghorn restoration efforts have been highly successful in West Texas, and the hope is to continue that trend at the Rocker b.

Pronghorn are probably one of the best examples we currently have for restoration, said Lalo Gonzalez, the Nau Endowed Professor of Habitat Research and Management at Borderlands Research Institute.

An isolated herd, the Rocker b population represents the easternmost extent of pronghorn distribution. That herd has seen tough times lately.

The Rocker b historically had pronghorn, and lots of them. The ranch, owned by the Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas, once had over 2,000 and was a source for pronghorn relocation projects in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. It is the Rocker bs turn to receive pronghorn now, with its population down to about 200.

Brush encroachment is to blame for the challenges pronghorn have faced on the Rocker b. An intrusion of thick mesquite has diminished the open habitat that pronghorn require.

Habitat is top priority. Without habitat improvement, populations are simply not going to increase. Pronghorn are very, very picky on the type of habitat they utilize, Gonzalez said.

Each area of the pronghorns domain in Texas the Panhandle, Trans-Pecos and Rocker b is different from the others, but they all look like scenes out of John Wayne movies. The vast, treeless blanket of open range is the habitat on which pronghorn thrive.

Bulging eyes, the biggest of any of North Americas hoofed animals, are the greatest asset for pronghorn on the open plains. Pronghorn can see the slightest of movements from predators for miles, sending them flying from danger with the incredible speed of the fastest mammals on the continent. It is why pronghorn are perhaps the most challenging pursuit of all big-game species.

Brush undermines all of this. Pronghorn cant see around it, which takes away the animals biological advantage.

First the habitat shrinks, then the forage, then the population.

Fences, too, can cause problems for pronghorn. The animals are not adept jumpers, so fences fragment their habitat. Travelers in West Texas sometimes can see them standing along the highway fence line and gazing at the unattainable beyond.

The Rocker b has worked diligently over the past several years to remedy these issues.

Thousands of dollars have been poured into brush management. Thousands of acres of mesquite have been sprayed with herbicide and removed by tractors. Fences have been modified to allow for easier pronghorn passage by lifting the bottom strand of wire about 18 inches so the animals can pass under.

A group of 20 resident pronghorn were collared with GPS trackers at the Rocker b last year to better understand these issues. Of the 110 brought in from the Panhandle, 45 also were wearing GPS collars.

The Rocker b has made long-term investments into protecting this remnant pronghorn herd for future generations. Meanwhile, future generations of wildlife managers assisted with the Rocker b restoration efforts and made strides in their blossoming careers.

For Sul Ross State graduate student Jacob Locke, the Rocker b project was his first hands-on experience relocating pronghorn.

Its just awesome. The fact that we are able to move pronghorn, said Locke, whose masters studies focus on the species.

Locke grew up near Nacogdoches, far away from any pronghorn. But his fascination with the west and the distinctive landscapes and wildlife it holds led him to his involvement with pronghorn-toting helicopters on a chilly winter morning in the Panhandle.

His research with Gonzalez, his adviser, involves identifying carrying capacity in restoration areas of the Trans-Pecos region and a comparative study of cattle grazing techniques and how they impact pronghorn forage production.

Locke was in awe of the magnitude of working with the animals up close, and his time in Pampa was a professional milestone.

Theyre just cool animals. Theyre the most unique land mammal in North America.

Locke might be a little biased, but he has plenty of evidence to back that up.

Not quite a deer. Not quite an antelope. Not quite a goat.

In fact, the only remaining member of the Antilocapridae family is more closely related to the giraffe than any of the latter.

The image of pronghorn on the open plains is mesmerizing. Theyre a blur of sandy fur splotched with white bellies, sides, throats and rumps. Adult males are regal with short, black horns mirroring dark faces and cheeks.

The namesake horns are truly one of a kind. When looking directly at you, the outline of the bucks horns can take the shape of a heart. Their composition, too, is unorthodox. The horns are made of sheaths of keratin, like true horns, but shed every year like a true antler.

One of Mother Natures countless anomalies, pronghorn are still as baffling to look at today as when Lewis and Clark stumbled upon them over 200 years ago.

Pronghorn provide a visual conduit to the past; another important reason why preserving Texas herds today is so important.

The current Rocker b project is an extension of the pronghorn restoration efforts that have taken place in the Trans-Pecos region since 2011.

While there were about 17,000 pronghorn in the Trans-Pecos during the late 1980s, the population hit rock bottom in 2012 at about 2,800.

Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Borderlands Research Institute, the Trans-Pecos Pronghorn Working Group and other groups are committed to reversing this trend. The collaborators have moved about 750 pronghorn from the Panhandle to grasslands near Marfa and Marathon over six separate relocations from 2011 to 2018.

Conservationists have worked to combat numerous issues that have contributed to population decline in the Trans-Pecos. Some of the issues were similar to those at the Rocker b, such as habitat loss, fragmentation and accessibility issues because of fencing.

Other issues were more localized, such as predation and disease. Problems with the Barbers pole worm, an internal parasite, were exacerbated by drought and restrictive fencing that kept pronghorn from freely moving about the range.

The work over the past several years in the Trans-Pecos has pronghorn numbers back on the rise. Gray said the population is now 5,000-6,000, roughly halfway to the departments goal of 10,000.

Weve still got a ways to go, but theyre bouncing back, said Shawn Gray, Texas Parks and Wildlifes pronghorn program leader.

Were doing something right, Gonzalez said. For the past 20 or 30 years, youve seen those populations do nothing but decline until we initiated pronghorn restoration efforts. Then you started seeing the populations shift to an upward trend.

The project is a testament to what can be accomplished with the bridges built between private landowners and state agencies, both committed to preserving an emblem of the West.

Were making gains. I cant say enough about the cooperation of the local landowners and local communities, Gray said. Everybodys all in.

Relocations were not attempted in the Trans-Pecos the past two years because of dry range conditions. The Trans-Pecos project is set to resume with a relocation to the Van Horn area next year if weather conditions allow.

In the meantime, those invested in Texas pronghorn hope the restoration success seen in the Trans-Pecos will replicate at the Rocker b.

matt.wyatt@chron.com

twitter.com/mattdwyatt

Read the rest here:
Airlifts have Texas pronghorn on the rise - Houston Chronicle

As a result of the dam removal project, approximately 1,000 feet of previously-impounded aquatic habitat will be restored!

The removal of the two ScotlandPond dams on Conococheague Creek is one of many major infrastructural upgrades GreeneTownship, Franklin County, PA, is adding to improve their township for localsand visitors alike.

In Fall 2019, two dams functioning as one on ConococheagueCreek were removed by Greene Township in Pennsylvania in collaboration with AmericanRivers, the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC), Scotland Campus,Inc. (SCI), ECS Mid-Atlantic (lead engineer) and RiverLogic (construction firm).

Prior to the 18-day long deconstruction, the two damssat adjacent to one another on either side of a small river island on ConococheagueCreek. Approximately 1,000 feet of the creek has now been restored and supportsmore biodiverse habitats, aquatic wildlife and natural transport of richsediments downstream for the breeding grounds of native aquatic organisms.

Like many other dams, the Scotland Pond dams had faroutlived their original purpose. They had become deteriorated and posed a riskto public safety in addition to their negative ecological impacts and thefinancial burden of maintenance.

Greene Township (the Township), Franklin County, hometo more than 16,000 residents and located within the Chambersburg designatedMicropolitan Area, is currently experiencing a municipal renaissance. Overthe last several years, the Township has worked diligently to promote, develop,and plan for infrastructure and recreational improvements in the community projects that will ultimately have a significant impact on how residents andvisitors spend their leisure and travel time in the area. Upon completion ofthe improvements, a significant revitalization in the targeted Scotlandcommunity will be realized. Scotland is home to the Greene Township MunicipalPark, Corker Hill Barn and Homestead, Scotland Campus, Inc. (SCI) and willeventually contain a portion of the proposed Conococheague Trail. In addition, theConococheague Creek runs through several Franklin County municipalities,including the Village of Scotland.

So far, four other dams (Birch Run Reservoir, SiloamDam, Wilson College Dam and Wolf Lake Dam) have been removed from theConococheague Creek, leaving just one more remaining dam that is known of. Ifthat final dam is removed, the 57 miles of its 80 mile stretch in Pennsylvaniawould flow completely freely and uninterrupted.

The decision to remove the Scotland Pond dams allowed GreeneTownship to move forward with projects to add impactful recreationalopportunities, such as the creation of a water trail along the creek and akayak/canoe launch. Greene Township now benefits from beautiful, healthy waterwaysthe local people and visitors can enjoy and will hopefully inspire others totake the same initiatives in their communities. This is a notable model projectfor any municipalities considering removing an outdated dam.

This project received financial support from AmericanRivers through a subgrant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, aswell as the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development,Commonwealth Financing Authority Watershed Restoration and Protection Program Grant.

Special thank you to American Rivers intern, HannahPiatak, for her contributions to this blog and her help compiling our annuallist of 2019 dam removals. Check out our updated map and database of damremovals here.Additional gratitude to Greene Township for their contribution to this blog.

See the rest here:
Cheers to Greene Township on Scotland Pond Dam Removal - American Rivers

Comerica Park -- home of the Detroit Tigers -- has a carousel featuring two chariots and 30 hand-painted tigers behind the first-base area. Kansas Citys Kauffman Stadium has a carousel, too. Its become a ballpark thing, probably because families seem to love them both.

So forgive me for taking more than a passing interest in the news conference scheduled at noon today in Southeast Portland where Mayor Ted Wheeler, a restoration nonprofit, philanthropists and the Portland Diamond Project are expected to reveal the details of a new carousel partnership.

The famous C.W. Parker Four-Row Park Carousel has been in storage for some time. Maybe you know it better as The Jantzen Beach Carousel and you might have even ridden the thing as a kid. My wife remembers climbing on one of the horses as a 9-year-old during Rose Festival, looking up at Parkers handmade work and thinking, this is big, amazing and beautiful.

Im hoping your children will one day get to ride it in front of a Major League Baseball stadium in Portland. But thats getting way ahead. Because this column and this day is mostly about the spinning journey of this 116-year-old carousel.

Its been on some ride, hasnt it?

12

Portland Diamond Project and Restore Oregon team up for Jantzen Beach Carousel restoration project

Built for the 1904 St. Louis Worlds Fair, moved to Venice Beach where it operated in the 1920s, and later, sold to the Jantzen Beach Amusement Park, which later became a shopping center. Then, thrown in storage. Then, missing for a while, until it was revealed that the mall owner sold the thing to a real estate company. Then, it landed in the hands of Restore Oregon, a nonprofit that aims to restore the carousel to its magnificent glory.

That project took money, though.

Also, because of its massive size, it needed a location a building.

Thats when the Portland Diamond Project surfaced with financial support. One of the groups charter investors, husband and wife Harvey and Sandy Platt, also made a significant philanthropic contribution. Platt, the former CEO of Platt Electric, is a Portland-born kid. He knows and loves that carousel and rode it as a kid alongside his grandmother.

Platts childhood recollection?

Ice cream," he said, "and no worries.

Its not a surprise that the Platt family, the city, a restoration nonprofit and the MLB to PDX effort have found common ground. Im just hoping this all goes where I think the carousel would work the best out front of a new ballpark on the waterfront someday.

In a larger statement, the Platt family said: As parents and grandparents, over the years we have watched families come together and enjoy two great bonding experiences: A day at the amusement park featuring a vintage carousel, and a day at the ballpark watching our favorite team. Unlike a lot of other popular activities, both offer the time to enjoy, carry on a conversation, and create a lasting memory. We are now very fortunate to have the opportunity to support both of these great family activities.

The Portland Diamond Projects interest in this is a fascinating element. Given the scope of their development plan, their mission to either to bring an MLB team to Portland via expansion or relocation, and $1.5 billion in financial commitments, weve all taken them seriously.

But like that carousel and us all, time marches against it.

The diamond project needs momentum, including traction in the MLB world. Oaklands stadium conundrum is part of this. So are plans from baseball commissioner Rob Manfred to expand his league. The MLB to PDX effort needs to be able to outlast those stalls while retaining its valuable financial commitments.

The Portland Diamond Project has secured land rights and commissioned studies and stadium renderings. Theyve met with Manfreds team. Theyve printed T-shirts and bumper stickers and gathered nearly 50,000 signatures on their MLB to PDX petition. And now, it looks like the project just might have a world-famous carousel for its proposed ballpark.

Every horse on the carousel needs to be restored by hand. And that will take time. Also, the restored carousel will need a new building to house it and land to sit on. But I cant wait to see kids ride it again.

Go here to see the original:
Canzano: The spinning journey of the Jantzen Beach Carousel takes on an MLB to PDX twist - OregonLive

The final phase, which will last 18 months, will include repair work to the inside and outside of the main mill and kiln, before services can be put in across the site and infrastructure work completed.

Once that is complete, the final fitting-out of the inside of the building will be carried out, before the opening in Summer 2021.

The restoration has been designed to create a 'learning and enterprise' quarter in the Ditherington area of the town.

When complete the building will include offices for "the regions growing creative industries and small business start-ups", as well as a visitor centre and a caf.

Councillor Alan Mosley, chairman of the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings, said it was wonderful that after 30 years of looking upon a derelict site, the community could look forward to the re-opening of one of Shrewsbury's landmark buildings.

He said: "It is fantastic to see the restoration of these historic buildings reach the final phase of construction.

"For 30 years, the community has become used to seeing the Main Mill and Kiln standing empty and in poor condition or shrouded in scaffolding but have been thrilled to see the progress in the last few years.

"It will be wonderful for local people to see these iconic buildings revealed and being fully restored, over the next 18 months, as we move towards their long-awaited opening in summer next year."

Councillor Steve Charmley, deputy leader and portfolio holder for assets, economic growth and regeneration for Shropshire Council, said the project would be a huge economic boost to the town and the county.

He said: "Were delighted with the progress of work to transform the historic Flaxmill site into a centre for learning, leisure and business.

"Work has now reached the stage where, as we promised back in 2010, we will now contribute 1m to help the project proceed to completion, and were happy to do so.

"The development and regeneration of the site will provide a huge boost not just to this area of Shrewsbury, but to the town as a whole, and to the Shropshire economy, and I look forward to welcoming businesses and visitors to the site in the not too distant future.

Construction work on the Grade I listed main mill and the Grade II listed kiln began in 2017 after a 20.7 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Site owners, Historic England, and project partners, the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings, also committed to contribute significantly towards the project, and a fundraising campaign run by Historic England has raised nearly 900,000 from charitable trusts, foundations, individuals and local companies, so far.

Duncan Wilson, chief executive at Historic England, said: The Flaxmill is one of the most extraordinary historic places in the world. Not only has it played a central role in Shrewsbury for hundreds of years, but its pioneering design preceded the modern day skyscraper and has influenced architecture worldwide.

"This partnership with Shropshire Council and the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings has been crucial in enabling this project to happen. It is a pleasure to see these unique buildings coming back to life as we enter the final stages of the restoration of the main mill.

Dating back to 1797, the building operated as a flax mill until 1886 and then as a maltings from 1897 to 1987.

It was also a temporary barracks and training centre during the Second World War.

Its iron frame was truly pioneering, the work of British engineers who were determined to overcome the problem of timber-framed mills and factories being destroyed when fires broke out. The design gave birth to the modern skyscraper.

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Final stage of Shrewsbury's Flaxmill restoration under way - shropshirestar.com

A remarkable extension that incorporated a dingy alley space into a home in Lambeth has been named London's best renovation project.

With flexible living areas plus a new double-height extension that connects the ground-floor living space and mezzanine study The Soffit House, by Proctor and Shaw Architects, won first prize at New London Architecture's Don't Move, Improve! awards this week.

More than 200 entries were whittled down by award judges last month, resulting in a 25-strong shortlist of clever home improvement projects each playing Tardis-like tricks to maximise space and light through the use of innovative design.

In addition to The Soffit House, six other projects were recognised as special prize winners for their response to challenges of living in London - a city where every inch of space must work harder than ever.

"Whether on a tiny triangular plot in the inner city, or out in the suburbs, the entries show the contribution that good design makes to our capital," says awards judge and London Festival of Architecture director Tamsie Thomson.

"We've seen an amazing diversity of approaches to colour, light and materiality - with some of the bolder designs totally reimagining the arrangement of the standard home," she adds.

The judges praised The Soffit House project for the simple addition of the extension, formerly a disused alley at the back of the property. It transforms the sense of space, connecting the areas of the house with each other and the garden.

The excavated ground floor in a limestone finish acts as a middle point between the garden and the basement, without compromising the ceiling heights, while a rich wooden soffit the underside of the ceiling sweeps upwards to reveal a frameless skylight that allows daylight into the centre of the transformed home.

A modern interpretation of a Georgian house, this project in Islington is centred around a striking new staircase in a triple-height space.

The project involved a dramatic interiors revamp and a reconfiguration of the floor levels - taking the home from two to three storeys.

Judged were particularly impressed by the bold and playful personality of the home.

A terrazzo and marble chequerboard floor in the hallway leads to a new kitchen-dining space through a vibrant green-arched tunnel giving it an Alice in Wonderland vibe, says awards judge and property journalist Anna White.

This Victorian terrace house in Waltham Forest has been transformed into a bright and airy home through careful rearranging rather than extending.

Judges admired the cost-saving decision to work with an existing bathroom rather than relocate it.

Now, an open space seems to flow through the living and dining areas, through the galley kitchen to the bathroom cleverly hidden at one end and out to the back garden.

Double doors can separate the kitchen and the bathroom for privacy but, left open, they can also open in two parts to provide an unobstructed view to the garden.

In this project, three new zinc boxes were added to a Thirties house on a corner plot of Dartmouth Park conservation area to create top-floor accommodation and roof terraces.

Bedrooms sit in a lower zinc box, while the corner box has a living room which has been set back to create a corner balcony. The end block contains a kitchen, dining room and herb garden.

Living spaces open to a large private roof terrace on top of the lower zinc box.

Needed to adapt an open-plan layout for working from home and raising teenagers, this project saw a timber-frame terrace house transformed into a home that meets the needs of all four of its inhabitants.

A new roof was installed, with three rooms underneath all linked by a curving, white, steel staircase.

This two-storey apartment was designed as a solid piece of joinery inserted into a Victorian buildingwith a living space created from more than 30,000 individual oak cross-section blocks.

A narrow, cramped Victorian terrace house in Camberwell has been radically remodelled and extended to the rear and side.

The kitchen now has extra width, thanks to the side extension, and skylights to flood the dining space with daylight; while the rear extension cuts into the garden, allowing for a window bench where the owner can sit and read in the evening sun.

This year's 25 shortlisted projects ranged in cost significantly. The cheapest project cost 66,000 while the most expensive was 1.1 million. The shortlist average cost was 312,000.

Last year's winner was a once-ruined chapel in Camberwellwhich had been transformed into a dramatic family home, complete with vaulted geometric ceiling and mezzanine level housed in a 'tent' roof.

Previous winners include Sun Rain Rooms in Islington, an extension and restoration of a Georgian townhouse with a rainwater tank that floods the patio at the touch of a button, transforming it into a reflecting pool.

See the article here:
Don't Move, Improve! 2020 winners: London's best home extensions and renovations revealed - Homes and Property

Take a tour of this recently restored Phibsborough home, which will be featured on RT's The Great House Revival next Sunday night.

Following the success of its debut last year, RTs The Great House Revival is back for its second season, beginning next Sunday, February 16 at 9.30pm on RT One.

The first house on architect Hugh Wallace's list is a 200-year-old Georgian home in Phibsborough belonging to homeowner Fiona, which has been transformed from a crumbling home that was just a few years away from collapsing completely, into a bright and comfortable four-bedroom home.

The entrance floor is now made up of the dining room and living room

However, the journey was a long and winding one. Just back from a few years abroad, Fiona admits, I hadnt actually been looking for a house at all.

But, after walking past the for sale sign in the summer of 2017, she decided to check it out and fought off a number of other interested buyers to make it her own for a significant sum of 435,000.

Fiona selected a number of moody hues for the period part of the house

While looking deceptively large, the house is only one room deep, with two rooms on each floor dissected by a central staircase. As well as falling head over heels for the empty buildings light, high ceilings and black canvas appearance, she also saw a number of encouraging signs when it came to its practicalities.

The black limestone fireplaces were found in the house, covered in paint

It was the location, there was off-street parking, it was the orientation of east-west facing, the access to the back I thought would be good from a construction point of view, says Fiona, I am quite practical and logical so those things were definitely part of the decision making process."

As the house is listed, Fiona and her architect Maoliosa Molloy, set about applying for planning permission and waiting on their chosen contractor, Mark Flynn of Duffy & Sons, to finish a previous project, they were ready to get to work in June 2018.

In the extension are the kitchen, a stove and some comfortable seating

Admittedly being over-optimistic with her initial five-month timeline, Fionas home took 16 months to complete, eight of which were spent on tackling structural work.

Derelict for ten years, the house had serious damp and subsidence issues, with a leaky roof and one corner falling into the ground. To prevent the house from falling further, they had to underpin the entire house and the whole roof was eventually written off and replaced.

Fiona is looking forward to summer and being able to use the back garden more.

I wouldn't say much of [the work required] surprised me, says Fiona diplomatically, considering the house was built in the 1820s and had been a tenement for some time. It was kind of like yeah, well that makes sense.

In fact, the things that did surprise Fiona were the pleasant ones, like the chimney flues all in good working order and that most of the floorboards could be saved.

The new bathroom sits above the kitchen, with the original external brick left exposed

The new extension was a significantly more straightforward project, adding a kitchen onto the ground floor and a bathroom to the first. These are strikingly more contemporary than the period house but are linked by the same level of opulence.

The brass countertop and splashback of the kitchen tie in with the elements of the other living spaces, and the matt grey walls of the bathroom mirror with the exposed plasterwork thats been framed along the stairwell, framing the layers of history this house has lived through.

Much of the floorboards and staircase were able to be saved

Id do it all over again in a heartbeat, responds Fiona unequivocally when asked if she could go back and talk to herself three years ago. Throughout the whole project, the delays and the problems and mounting costs, she says she only had one moment where she questioned her decision to buy the place.

After completing the underpinning and beginning work on the roof (which, as expected was worse than first thought) they realised the wall plate in the upstairs bedroom had collapsed. Basically, you could see daylight through the corner where the two walls met. That was the point I was wondering if Id ever get this house back together again.

Fiona's master bedroom

Thankfully, the house did not suffer a Humpty Dumpty fate and Fiona officially moved in in November 2019. So what has she learned from this experience? Dont take no for answer, she says simply.

When contractors and guys on site say something cant be done, what they really mean is that it cant be done in the time I have allotted for this job.

Committing to doing her homework and a natural problem-solver, Fiona nearly always got her way and the result is a spectacular period home thats really a restoration triumph.

Watch the full story of Fiona's restoration project on Sunday, February 16, at 9.30pm on RT One.

Read more:Inside the delightful Cork farmhouse belonging to Rory O'Connell

Read more:3 fixer-uppers for less than 100,000 in Co Clare

Read more:I'm in love with the house in Netflix's Anne with an E

Continued here:
Inside the Phibsborough house that will feature on The Great House Revival - image.ie

ORNAMENTAL pillars crafted from Peterhead granite are making their way across the Atlantic for use in the restoration of a historic New York building after some detective work by Scottish stonemasons.

Natural stone specialist Fyfe Glenrock was able to identify the type of granite required for the multi-million-dollar restoration of the Big Apples oldest apartment block from a photograph of the existing columns.

The Oldmeldrum-based firm was contacted by counterparts in the US seeking a perfect match for three polished granite pillars at The Windermere, on the citys upmarket Upper West Side.

Original shipping and building records suggested that the stone for the pillars had been imported from Scotland, prompting Swenson Stone Consultants in New Hampshire to contact a firm with a worldwide reputation for granite quarrying and craftsmanship.

Fyfe Glenrock commercial manager Richard Collinson said: We have worked with this firm in the past so they were aware of our knowledge of Scottish granites and they emailed asking for confirmation of the identity of the granite used on the building which they believed to be from Aberdeenshire.

The photo they sent had sufficient detail for us to know that the pillars had been created from Peterhead granite. Its always very interesting when we get an unusual request like this, and were delighted to be able to help restore a building of such significant historical interest.

The Windermere was originally completed in around 1881 as a complex of three seven-storey red brick buildings. With his own daughters in mind, Superintendent Henry Sterling Goodale marketed the apartments as homes for the new woman a growing class of single and financially independent ladies and was among the first in the city to offer amenities such as hydraulic elevators and telephones.

Many decades later they were converted into single-occupancy residences and were marketed to New Yorkers struggling with sky-high rents, particularly the citys growing creative community. One of The Windermeres most famous past residents is actor Steve McQueen.

The building slowly fell into a state of decline and in 2007 was declared unsafe by the fire department. Two years later it was bought by a developer and the major refurbishment will see the building reopen its doors as a plush hotel, with retail space and a number of private apartments.

Peterhead granite was used extensively throughout the UK and abroad during the 19th century and comes in red and blue varieties. The red variety is often used for ornamental construction its found in many buildings in London, Liverpool and Cambridge while the blue variety is used for decorative proposes, including the fountains in Trafalgar Square in London.

It is still quarried at Stirlinghill and Longhaven quarries, but these days it is mostly crushed for aggregate.

The pillars have been produced, polished and finished at Fyfe Glenrocks base in Aberdeenshire and are now being shipped to the USA where, said Mr Collinson, they will not look out of place.

He visited New York three years ago and was struck by the amount of Peterhead granite used in building and memorial bases. If you look at the history books, a lot of masons from the north east of Scotland migrated to and from America in the late 1800s, he said.

Due to the fact that they had a knowledge of indigenous Scottish granite and its properties, it is understandable that they would seek out Scottish materials to use there. So, it wasnt only the men, but the materials, that made the transatlantic journey.

Were talking about 120 years ago when stonemasonry would still have been a relatively young industry in the new world, and there would have been plenty of work opportunities.

There is some evidence to suggest that the parapet bases of the Brooklyn Bridge were made by Aberdeen masons so, given the fact that Peterhead granite was used at The Windermere, its likely that Scottish masons were involved in construction.

Fyfe Glenrock has more than 160 years experience in granite quarrying and craftmanship, and has supplied materials for many high-profile works, both at home and overseas.

It has provided indigenous Scottish granite for projects including The Scottish Parliament, the Millicent Fawcett Suffragist Memorial in Parliament Square, London and more recently The Silver Fin Building, Union Street, Aberdeen.

Fyfe Glenrock also supplies stonework and streetscape materials for many prestigious infrastructure developments across the UK in addition to materials for landscaping and building works, memorials and interiors.

Read the rest here:
From the Blue Toon to the Big Apple as Peterhead granite used in restoration of historic New York building - HeraldScotland

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OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Beautiful restoration says it has reached a compromise with nearby neighborhoods to build tiny homes on a property in northwest Oklahoma City.

The faith-based group originally wanted to build 50 tiny homes near NW 192nd and Western to give women in need a temporary place to stay.

After pushback from nearby neighborhoods, the non-profit agreed to build only 20 homes and to not hold outdoor events without a permit.

Still though, some residents are not happy with the compromise.

Id love to see it completely gone in its entirety, Charles Stratton told News 4. Regardless of reducing the number of little tiny houses they are going to build.

Stratton says hes still concerned about the people living in the homes and what they might mean for his neighborhood.

Were very skittish about not the individuals that will be going through their program, the kind of people it will attract, Stratton said. As far as friends, acquaintances, were worried about any criminal element that might be that close to this neighborhood.

Beautiful Restoration Executive Director Kaylene Balzer says that wont be the case at all, and the women living in the homes would be people she would be comfortable having in her own home.

There will be no criminal element. There are places for that, and this is not that. I live two blocks away, Balzer said. We werent just coming in here a moneymaker, or a halfway house, or a pre-release group, or anything like that. We were wanting to help people that just needed a hand up, not a hand out.

Balzer says they never expected to get the pushback they did from the community, but shes confident people will feel different when they see the ministry at work.

I told one of the neighbors when we first started, and he laughed at me, Balzer said. But I said, 'One of these days I think youre going to be proud that Beautiful Restoration is right next to you.'

Beautiful Restoration tells us they still need final approval from the Oklahoma City City Council before they can begin building.

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Agreement reached in battle over tiny homes in OKC - KFOR Oklahoma City

SUISUN CITY Residents of Suisun City have launched a campaign to have the town be considered for HGTVs Home Town Takeover.

The website Suisun Citys campaign features a video with Mayor Lori Wilson sharing the citys qualifications and a plea for help to gather all the information needed.

A town of less than 40,000 residents that needs a main street that needs to be developed will witness the rehab ofmultiple individual family homes and the revitalization of public spaces, such as parks, local diners and recreation centers, according to a press release from HGTV.

A historic church along Main Street would be considered for renovation if HGTVs Home Town Takeover came to Suisun City. (Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic)

We have homes with great architecture, Wilson said in the video. Have you been downtown?

The main street development prompted Wilson to ask, rhetorically, again, Have you been downtown?

And, the town will be featured inHome Town Takeover(Home Town Rescue), a six-episode series slated to premiere in 2021 on HGTV.

Stephanie Knight is heading up the effort.

We only have a few weeks, she said in the video. Lets pull together as a community to get it done.

Volunteer professional videographers and editors, drone videographers, professional photographers, writers and historians are needed.

Professional photos from past events such as Mothers Day on the Waterfront, July Fourth and Christmas on the Waterfront are sought.

Lets do this, Knight said in the video.

Ever since Ben and Erin Napier of the hit seriesHome Town helped transform Laurel, Mississippi, fans from small towns across America have flooded HGTV with requests to take on the renovationof their hometown, the HGTV press release said.

Through Feb. 7, anyone who loves their own hometown can log on toHGTVHomeTownTakeover.comto show, tellandsell the network on why their small town, with its historic architecture and classic main street, should be theonetown featured in the upcoming event seriesHome Town Takeover.

Just imagine what we can do when we come together, Wilson said in the video.

Mayor Lori Wilson hopes HGTVs Home Town Takeover will renovate businesses and homes along Main Street in Suisun City, including the building that caught fire next to Waterfront Comics. (Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic)

This is a big one, Erin Napier said in the press release.HGTV has never, ever taken on a whole town renovation and restoration project and were so proud and excited to be leading the team that will get it done.

Submissions must include photos of the town, but video is preferred. Videos should spotlight a specific place that needs a makeover, such as a diner, coffee shop, home or playground.

Submissions also should feature a tour of the town that highlights the places that need the most help as well as the people who love living there.

Renovating one house at a time is an awesome experience, but the chance to support an entire town, where we can help bring a community back to life and enhance the lives of the people who live and work there, is something weve always wanted to try, said Ben Napier in the press release.

Learn more at https://putsuisuncityonhgtv.com.

Related

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Suisun City hopes to be recipient of HGTVs Home Town Takeover - Fairfield Daily Republic

SYRACUSE, N.Y. For fans of historic, older homes, the call to restore them to their original glory is almost inescapable.

Take real estate investor Leslie Tiffany, of Boston, for example.

She had no intention of buying the grand old house at 749 West Onondaga Street in Syracuse while she was visiting her brother in a local hospital over a period of three months in 2007.

But there was something about it, which called to her and her love of architecture.

Its just so grand and beautiful, she said. I loved the colors, the turret, the detailIt was unusual but perfect.

It was just a little gem.

Built in 1885, the house was designed by the most famous name in Syracuse architecture, Archimedes Russell, whose credits include the Onondaga County Courthouse, Central High School, Crouse College at Syracuse University and the Dey Brothers building on Salina Street.

A scan of the Post-Standards archives finds that it was once owned by Francis Gridley, the banker who owned the Gridley Building downtown. For a long time, it was a funeral home.

Realtor Douglas Freeman, of Procopio Real Estate, says walking through the front doors into the stately front foyer, one immediately gets transported back to Gilded Age Syracuse.

You feel the elegance, the history, he said. You can feel the parties that were held there. There was some high-end living there.

Tiffany spotted a For Sale sign on it and began making phone calls, growing more and more frustrated when her calls were not answered.

We would park in front of the house and wish he would answer the phone, she said.

The owner, Ric Bruno, had sunk a small fortune into restoring it, including rebuilding the grand staircase in the front parlor, installing a new heating and cooling system and painstakingly repainting many of the homes beautifully detailed woodworking.

Finally, he sold it to Tiffany, and she continued many of the restoration projects while also renting it out.

But it has been difficult to keep up with it while living so far away.

Now she wants to find someone who will answer the call she did.

Tiffany says the structure has withstood the test of time and says the foundation is solid.

She says the house right now is livable, but it needs someone with vision and patience to complete the hard work of restoring it to what it once was.

It needs a lot of cosmetic work and updating.

When completed, she says it belongs on the National Register of Historic Places.

They do not build houses like this anymore, she said. It cannot be replicated.

She also believes the property has a lot of potential.

Built on a double lot, with two spacious front living rooms, six second-floors bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and an enormous attic space which could be renovated into a master suite, game room, exercise room or spa, the structure could be remade into a bed and breakfast.

An open house is scheduled for Sunday, January 26, from noon to 2 p.m.

THE DETAILS

Address: 749 West Onondaga Street, Syracuse, N.Y. 13204

Price: $119,000

Size: 4,793 square feet

Acreage: 0.24 acres

Monthly Mortgage: $445 (based on this week's national average rate of 3.83 percent, according to Freddie Mac, for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a 20 percent down payment. Fees and points not included.)

Taxes: $3,150 (Based on assessed value of $60,000)

Built: 1885

School District: Syracuse City Schools

Kitchen: Owner says the kitchen needs to be renovated. The large kitchen has a high brick island in its center and has plenty of storage space. There is an eating area off to the side of it and a convenient staircase to the upstairs. There is a dishwasher and a refrigerator.

Living areas: Visitors enter the home in the stately front foyer with a magnificently detailed black staircase in front of you. Chandeliers and original hardwood floors are throughout. There are four fireplaces. There are large, high ceiling living rooms to the left and the right of the foyer. A formal dining room, with high windows, is off the kitchen. This historic home is partially restored and needs someone to continue the work of restoring it.

Bedrooms: There are six large bedrooms on the homes second floors. There is potential for more in the large attic space.

Bathrooms: There are two-and-a half bathrooms. The half bathroom is on the first floor, the two full ones are on the second.

Outside: Built on almost a quarter of an acre, the property is close to downtown Syracuse and its shopping and hospitals. Its proximity to the city makes it a potential bed and breakfast.

Agent: Douglas Freeman

Procopio Real Estate

Address: 2300 Milton Avenue, Syracuse, N.Y. 13209

Phone: (315) 440-7363

Email: douglas@procopiorealestate.com

If you know of a beautiful or interesting house currently up for sale, please consider sending a nomination for it to be featured as a future House of the Week. Send an email with the listing to home@syracuse.com.

Do you know of any older homes in Central New York which have fallen on hard times but have a lot of potential should they be restored to their original grandeur? A fixer-upper with a lot of potential? Consider nominating them to our new feature, Save this Home, in which we will spotlight grand houses of the past around Central New York that need to be saved. Send nominations to home@syracuse.com.

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House of the Week: Built in 1885, this historic Syracuse home needs an owner with patience and vision - syracuse.com