Winter 2010 - Preservation Action Council of San Jose

Preservation KudosSusan Brandt-Hawley Receives AwardLast month, the National Trust for Historic Preservation presentedits John H. Chafee Trustees Award for OutstandingAchievement in Public Policy to Susan Brandt-Hawley atthe National Preservation Conference in Austin Texas. Hereis what they said: One of America’s most dynamic preservationadvocates, California attorney SusanBrandt-Hawley has dedicated hercareer to saving places that matter inthe Golden State. From ancient forests,a World War II aircraft carrierand 19th century cottages in Fresnoto a hillside beloved by generations offootball fans in Berkeley, mid-centuryapartments in Venice Beach and a jailwhere labor organizer Cesar Chavez Susan Brandt-Hawleywas incarcerated in Monterey,Brandt-Hawley has championed her state’s unique historic assets.During a three-decade career, Brandt-Hawley has successfullyargued for the preservation of California’s diverse historic heritagebefore the California Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. In additionto saving individual sites, Brandt-Hawley’s diligence anddedication have helped establish ground-breaking legal precedent,broadening the application of California’s environmental protectionlaws. And beyond the courtroom, she shares her expertise as aboard member of several preservation and conservation organizations.Mid-Century ATO HouseBrought Back to LifeA good example of a restored mid-century structure sits at202 So. 11 th Street. The fraternity house of Alpha Tau Omega(ATO) has been brought back to life after many decades ofminimal maintenance and disrepair. Originally, the housewas completed in September of 1962 but was lost to foreclosurearound 1969 when the fraternity disbanded. A generousalum, Jim Thompson, purchased the house in August of thisyear. However, the interior of the house required extensiverenovation and repair. In an amazingly short time, MikeHerkanrath, with the help of many others, brought the houseback to life in time for its Grand Opening on Oct. 15 th .The house was originally designed by Bill May from San Joseand forms a large rectangle with an open courtyard in thecenter, which is ideal for sizable group gatherings. Most ofthe bedrooms are on the second floor and the common areasare on the first floor, such as study/computer room, kitchen,dining room and lounge area. At the Grand Opening themany visitors appreciated the well-appointed interior and thefunctional efficiency to serve as social and living quarters fora large group of college men. Congratulations to the ATOsand thank you for returning the structure to its originalpurpose. PAC*SJ strongly advocates saving and reusing midcenturyhomes and buildings. Brandt-Hawley was recently credited with saving a collection ofhistoric hotels in downtown Stockton, Calif., and is currentlyspearheading a legal challenge to the threatened demolition of PaloAlto’s historic Juana Briones House. The house, built in 1844 by afirst generation Californian, appears on the National Trust forHistoric Preservation’s 2010 list of America’s 11 Most EndangeredHistoric Places.“There are few more effective protectors of California’s historicplaces than Susan Brandt-Hawley,” said Stephanie Meeks, presidentof the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Valuedmentor, vigilant ally, skilled advocate – Susan is all of these andmore. In a state rich in assets, she is a treasure.”Susan Brandt-Hawley has worked with PAC*SJ on multiplehistoric preservation cases, most recently the IBM Building25 issue. Congratulations to Susan Brandt-Hawley for awell-deserved honor. The ATO House on its Grand Re-opening, Oct. 15th,202 So. 11th St.(Photo: Courtesy of Jim Thompson)Continuity, Winter, 2010 PAC*SJ PO Box 2287, San José, CA 95109-2287 www.preservation.org Page 9