There’s only one City Council meeting in July, and it’s on the 10th. This meeting will be preceded by a working session on the McIntyre building.
City Council Working Session & Regular Meeting
July 10, 2017 6pm (working session) & 7pm (meeting), Eileen Foley Dondero Council Chambers, City Hall
I’m thrilled to hear that the National Historic Register designation effectively saved the McIntyre building — and now the city gets to dig in and figure out — with the help of ALL of us community members, what do to with the property. They have to keep the shell of the building intact, as it’s one of our few mid-century buildings in the city.
Photo by Rich Beauchesne
And if you’re thinking, “Hey, that building is ugly — why save it?” like many of us used to think about that building, I strongly urge you to watch historic preservationist and Portsmouth HDC member Reagan Ruedig’s TEDx talk on what “historic” really means and how we shift on what is beautiful: Memory of Style: How we Fall in and out and then back in love with our buildlings.”
Photo by David J. Murray, Cleareyephoto.com
In addition to making me see the McIntyre building in a different way, this talk also made me think differently about new buildings that attempt to mimic an arbitrary “historic” style. Not only is it disingenuous, it’s actually erasing our own legacy for future generations.
Read more about recent developments related to this building on SeacoastOnline: Residents optimistic about McIntyre building
