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This morning, the DC Historic Preservation Review Board approved a landmark application that added the 1972 Mies van der Rohe designed Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library to the DC Inventory of Historic Sites, granting it protection from demolition or significant exterior alteration and also protecting the ground floor's significant public spaces. The library is located in ANC 2C's jurisdiction.
The HPRB held off on declaring the building a landmark for nearly two years, during which time the Williams administration advocated selling or renting the Modernist building and constructing a new central library building a block away at the old convention center site.
Many library and preservation activists have spent years working towards this historic day. As the Recent Past Preservation Network's DC representative, and as an activist and former DC Library Trustee active in attempting to have the MLK Library preserved so it can continue to serve the residents of Washington and visitors as both a memorial to Dr. King as well as our central public library, I look forward to working with the Historic Preservation Office staff to develop the design guidelines that will allow the building to be renovated while respecting key aspects of Mies' original design, including the elevator cabs and fourth floor director's suite, the only space in the building that still has original furniture (the rest was thrown away).
For more information on the MLK Library preservation effort, visit
http://www.recentpa st.org/types/ library/index. html
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Alex
Alexander M. Padro
Commissioner, ANC 2C01
1519 8th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001-3205
Voice: 202-518-3794
Email: PadroANC2C@aol. com
Website: www.members. aol.com/PadroANC 2C
Comments
I support this landmark designation and the revitalization of the MLK Central Library.
While the MLK is in terrible condition presently, it has a lot of potential and is historically significant modernist building.
Posted By Shaw Rez / At 6/29/07 10:36 AM
While the MLK is in terrible condition presently, it has a lot of potential and is historically significant modernist building.
Posted By Shaw Rez / At 6/29/07 10:36 AM
This is great. DC's most important modernist building is finally getting the recognition it deserves.
This may not be politically correct or the right forum, but I would use the library more often if it wasn't full of vagrants. I believe many people got to Barnes & Noble, etc. because of this, especially people with children. A public library should not be a defacto homeless shelter.
Posted By ed / At 6/29/07 10:56 AM
This may not be politically correct or the right forum, but I would use the library more often if it wasn't full of vagrants. I believe many people got to Barnes & Noble, etc. because of this, especially people with children. A public library should not be a defacto homeless shelter.
Posted By ed / At 6/29/07 10:56 AM
we started to talk about it on the list but it could get long, here is good :) Now for my 2 cents for whatever its worth.
Though I respectfully disagree with preserving MLK (& I am a preservationist) its now irrelevant. But the building has been in horrible shape since 10 yrs after it was built, not acceptable for the central library of our capital. A couple neighbors also brought up the terrible condition of the Franklin School today which is located at 13th & K and is used as a homeless shelter. I walk by this building every day so it has been on my mind. I asked a neighbor last night what he thought of this idea: Move the library to the Franklin School (and renovate it - again.) Redevelop MLK into a mixed use development that could combine commerical uses & shelter services. I suggest this keeping in mind a current development under way at 10th & G, where a church is being transformed into market rate housing but incorporating the church and its homeless feeding operation into the site. I find this an intriguing use of urban space and it will be interesting to see if it is successful. not to get into a whole discussion of homelessness but it could also be an opportunity to develop infrastructure to provide service to lift people out of homelessness, like job training, referrals..that kind of thing. So what do you all think? Am I kooky? Or does this have any merit?
Posted By Si Kailian / At 6/29/07 10:56 AM
Though I respectfully disagree with preserving MLK (& I am a preservationist) its now irrelevant. But the building has been in horrible shape since 10 yrs after it was built, not acceptable for the central library of our capital. A couple neighbors also brought up the terrible condition of the Franklin School today which is located at 13th & K and is used as a homeless shelter. I walk by this building every day so it has been on my mind. I asked a neighbor last night what he thought of this idea: Move the library to the Franklin School (and renovate it - again.) Redevelop MLK into a mixed use development that could combine commerical uses & shelter services. I suggest this keeping in mind a current development under way at 10th & G, where a church is being transformed into market rate housing but incorporating the church and its homeless feeding operation into the site. I find this an intriguing use of urban space and it will be interesting to see if it is successful. not to get into a whole discussion of homelessness but it could also be an opportunity to develop infrastructure to provide service to lift people out of homelessness, like job training, referrals..that kind of thing. So what do you all think? Am I kooky? Or does this have any merit?
Posted By Si Kailian / At 6/29/07 10:56 AM
Off topic, but related:
When our ANC officials aks us to support their efforts on our behalf we should act and not just be idle and passive. Thanks, Alex, for of your tremendous leadership and diligence.
http://chappleanc.com/public/index.php/2007/06/28/december_2004_and_still_waiting_library
Ms Cooper (ginnie.cooper@dc.gov)
A library is a vital resource in communities like Shaw. In reference to the above community blog post and comment by ANC Commissioner Alex Padro, I would urge you to do what you can to expedite the opening of the Watha T. Daniel-Shaw interim library.
Sincerely,
Martin Moulton
Posted By martin Moulton / At 6/29/07 11:13 AM
When our ANC officials aks us to support their efforts on our behalf we should act and not just be idle and passive. Thanks, Alex, for of your tremendous leadership and diligence.
http://chappleanc.com/public/index.php/2007/06/28/december_2004_and_still_waiting_library
Ms Cooper (ginnie.cooper@dc.gov)
A library is a vital resource in communities like Shaw. In reference to the above community blog post and comment by ANC Commissioner Alex Padro, I would urge you to do what you can to expedite the opening of the Watha T. Daniel-Shaw interim library.
Sincerely,
Martin Moulton
Posted By martin Moulton / At 6/29/07 11:13 AM
I would like to see the public space outside of the MLK library beautified and put to more use.
At one point there were fountains and trees in a plaza that looked really nice - http://flickr.com/photos/avatar1/69581129/. They should bring these back. If the space were inviting and interesting, there might be a desire to use it for library programs, outdoor performances or just leisurely lounging and reading.
The homeless always seem to be attracted to libraries - go to the main branch of the Arlington Library on Quincy St. and you'll see plenty of homeless folks sleeping on the benches all day and night. If you make the space inviting to everyone else it will get used and the ratio of homeless to everyone else will diminish. It then wouldn't seem like such a scary place then to relax and enjoy, just like many other places around the city where the homeless congregate but are still enjoyable.
Posted By ML / At 6/29/07 11:35 AM
At one point there were fountains and trees in a plaza that looked really nice - http://flickr.com/photos/avatar1/69581129/. They should bring these back. If the space were inviting and interesting, there might be a desire to use it for library programs, outdoor performances or just leisurely lounging and reading.
The homeless always seem to be attracted to libraries - go to the main branch of the Arlington Library on Quincy St. and you'll see plenty of homeless folks sleeping on the benches all day and night. If you make the space inviting to everyone else it will get used and the ratio of homeless to everyone else will diminish. It then wouldn't seem like such a scary place then to relax and enjoy, just like many other places around the city where the homeless congregate but are still enjoyable.
Posted By ML / At 6/29/07 11:35 AM
the government can't even get the Sursum Corda library right let alone deliver the Shaw Library trailers on time.
Posted By RR 446 / At 6/29/07 1:03 PM
Posted By RR 446 / At 6/29/07 1:03 PM
ya RR, the delay of the opening of the temporary Shaw library is apparently due to PEPCO. Wasnt the Sursum Corda plastic library supposed to be temporary?
Posted By Si Kailian / At 6/29/07 3:23 PM
Posted By Si Kailian / At 6/29/07 3:23 PM
I'm generally a fan of historic preservation, but I do have some issues with a building that about the same age as me being called "historic." Am I nuts? How is a building built in 1972 historic? 1772 yes, 1872, sure, 1972??? It looks like a big dark square to me, although I realize that the architect was one of high prominence. Maybe I can't get past the disgusting mess the building is and has been in since I came to DC. Maybe I'd because I come from NY, which has nice libraries in every neighborhood. Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn makes MLK look like a pathetic, sad joke. Guess I'll be the naysayer.
There's a Washington Post article discussing the debate over the architectural merits at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/15/AR2006031500876.html.
Posted By Cary S. / At 6/29/07 6:22 PM
There's a Washington Post article discussing the debate over the architectural merits at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/15/AR2006031500876.html.
Posted By Cary S. / At 6/29/07 6:22 PM
cary
if historic was determined by age, then i could certainly be historic. much like when commissioner curtis actually appears in our neighborhood, that could be called historic. historic when applied in the rare sense.
Posted By richard rodgers / At 6/29/07 7:29 PM
if historic was determined by age, then i could certainly be historic. much like when commissioner curtis actually appears in our neighborhood, that could be called historic. historic when applied in the rare sense.
Posted By richard rodgers / At 6/29/07 7:29 PM
A bad move. Now renovations to the building will take twice as long because the Historic Review Board will have to approve everything and it will cost DC more money.
Posted By Sam Farmer / At 6/29/07 8:50 PM
Posted By Sam Farmer / At 6/29/07 8:50 PM
good move. only if we had camera's back in the day to catch the expensive furnishings being carted off to the Gold Coast and Upper Marlboro. anytime a greedy developer loses i am happy.
Posted By richard rodgers / At 6/30/07 12:15 PM
Posted By richard rodgers / At 6/30/07 12:15 PM
I wasn't meaning to imply that age is the only factor in what is historic, but I think it is a significant one. I've seen some pretty old buildings that are flat wooden shacks and nothing particularly historic about them. I'm just saying that I think there are few people who walk by MLK who look up and say, wow, that's an interesting, unique building -- or any more that do so than say, the NPR building on Mass Ave.
I once checked out the website for the Sursum Corda library. http://www.dclibrary.org/branches/sur/history.html. If you read the description, it sounds quite historic. It was apparently the last of four "portabranch" community libraries built in the District of Columbia between 1981 and 1993. Now, that's a irony since my first impression when seeing that library first driving into the city as a New Yorker on NY Ave was wondering how they could turn a reststop into a library? (looks like a portopotty). I'd take an historic wrecking ball to that property, and build a real library. But maybe we should designate it an historic landmark and save it for future generations? Any volunteers to testify?
Posted By Cary S. / At 7/2/07 10:34 AM
I once checked out the website for the Sursum Corda library. http://www.dclibrary.org/branches/sur/history.html. If you read the description, it sounds quite historic. It was apparently the last of four "portabranch" community libraries built in the District of Columbia between 1981 and 1993. Now, that's a irony since my first impression when seeing that library first driving into the city as a New Yorker on NY Ave was wondering how they could turn a reststop into a library? (looks like a portopotty). I'd take an historic wrecking ball to that property, and build a real library. But maybe we should designate it an historic landmark and save it for future generations? Any volunteers to testify?
Posted By Cary S. / At 7/2/07 10:34 AM
similar to the little red lighthouse that was deemed obsolete and unworthy for sandy hook, new jersey, it got relocated in 1947 to the jersey side under the George Washington Bridge.
i propose first, we move the portapotty sursum corda library and then declare it a national landmark. where do we want to relocate it it too
Posted By richard rodgers / At 7/2/07 12:00 PM
i propose first, we move the portapotty sursum corda library and then declare it a national landmark. where do we want to relocate it it too
Posted By richard rodgers / At 7/2/07 12:00 PM
comparing NPR to MLK is like comparing apples to oranges. a better comparison would be NPR to the Carnegie Library and MLK to the Museum of American Art.
Posted By richard rodgers / At 7/2/07 12:43 PM
Posted By richard rodgers / At 7/2/07 12:43 PM
