November 2008

DC MOD: A Beatles Tribute 

The Beatles’ first North American concert—held on February 11, 1964 at the historic Washington Coliseum—was a major milestone of American music history. The event was a watershed moment not only for 20th century culture, but also for Washington, DC.

Forty-five years to-the-day, the DC Preservation League (DCPL) will recapture some of the excitement of that event by revisiting the historic Uline Arena, or the Washington Coliseum as it was known during the British Invasion of the early 1960s.

On Wednesday, February 11, 2009, DCPL will hold its annual fundraising event - DC MOD: A 45th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles' First North American Concert - at Douglas Development Corporation's Uline Arena, at 3rd & M Streets, NE.

The DCPL event will celebrate the unique legacy of this landmark building and its role in 20th Century musical history and popular culture.

Click here for information on becoming an event sponsor.  More information to follow soon!

Hearing on Damaging Bill Canceled

In June 2008, Councilmember Marion Barry submitted a bill  "Religious Freedom and Historic Preservation Conformance Amendments Act of 2008" (B17-788). This bill would allow religious institutions to exempt property from the DC Historic Landmark and Historic District Protection Act by self-certifying that the designation would impose a "substantial burden." The hearing on the bill, set for November 21st, has been canceled.

Washington's religious architecture, long a vital and integral thread in the fabric of our neighborhoods and downtown areas, was threatened by the measure that would endanger more than 100 historic landmarks or contributing buildings in historic districts.  DCPL and others have launched the Coalition to Save DC's Sacred Places to advocate for the preservation of DC's religious heritage should Councilmember Barry reintroduce the bill in the next Council session. Click here to read more about the Coalition and DCPL's legal analysis of the bill.

Update: Third Church of Christ, Scientist

The initial hearing for the raze application requested by the Third Church of Christ Scientist, 16th & I Streets, NW, was held October 28th. DCPL's pro bono attorneys Tom Papson and Matt Crosby of McKenna Long & Aldridge, LLP filed pre-hearing motions including a motion to postpone the proceedings as financial information requested by the Mayor's Agent had been made available to the opposing parties (DCPL and Committee of 100) only one business day before the hearing. The hearing was continued and the follow-up hearing was scheduled for Tuesday, November 25th at 9am. The hearing is open to the public and will be held at 801 North Capitol Street, NE, 9th Floor. To learn more about the case, visit DCPL's web page dedicated to the issue.

DCPL Working with HABA on Tax Issue

Beginning in 2002, DCPL advocated for financial incentives for homeowners in historic districts. In 2006, the DC Council passed the "Targeted Historic Preservation Assistance Amendment Act," resulting in the creation of the Historic Homeowners Grant Program. Residents of the Anacostia Historic District were invited to participate in the pilot for this program resulting in more than $900,000 in grants. In June 2008, the DC Office of Tax and Revenue deemed these grants to be taxable - resulting in hefty tax bills to many unsuspecting recipients. DCPL is partnering with the Historic Anacostia Block Association (HABA) to support emergency legislation proposed by Councilmember Marion Barry that would exempt these grants from local taxation. 

Most Endangered Places 2009

Nominations are being accepted for the 2009 list of Most Endangered Places in Washington. To learn more about the program or to download an application, please visit our website. Applications will be accepted until COB on Friday, February 6, 2009.   

Chevy Chase Designation Dropped

After a lengthy and sometimes contentious battle among the residents of Chevy Chase, DC, the effort to designate a portion of their neighborhood as a historic district appears to have, at least for now, come to an end. The ANC sponsored a vote on the proposition and despite 61% of the participants voting either in favor of the historic district or having no opinion, the fact that 39% opposed the district was considered reason enough to end the effort.  The proponents will likely regroup and discuss ways to gain more support for possible reconsideration in the future. 

Andrew Potts Receives Chafee Award

DCPL Trustee and Government Affairs Committee Chair Andrew Potts, Esq., was awarded the John H. Chafee Trustees Award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Policy by the National Trust for Historic Preservation at their Annual Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Read the full story here.


Gustavo Araoz Named ICOMOS President

United States Committee for ICOMOS Executive Director Gustavo Araoz has been named President of the International Council of Monuments and Sites. Read the full story here.


DCPL Welcomes New Staff Member

Please give a warm welcome to Amanda McDonald, who joined the DCPL Staff on November 5th as the new Events and Administrative Manager. If she looks familiar to you, it is because she was formerly the Office Manager for Preservation Action (PA), the national grassroots lobbying group, that shares DCPL's office space. In addition to her work experience at PA, Amanda has a Bachelors degree in Building Arts from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Amanda is already hard at work on DCPL's February fundraising event and she can be reached at amanda@dcpreservation.org.

We would like to thank our generous sponsors who made the November 6th program a success: Akridge, The Louis Berger Group and SmithGroup.  To learn about the program and the awardees, click here. To view the photos from the event, visit DCPL's flickr page.