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Background: City and Property Owners have agreed (in
~1998) to transfer ownership of property to a "mutually agreeable"
third party. Property owners want house restored.
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Study group proposed the transfer of property to the city
of Grass Valley to be held in public trust. The group, lead by Rob
Kellenbeck, proposed to raise restoration funds and manage restoration
project. The city took no action. o The Union is in support of saving the
house and enriching the history with restoration.
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North Star Foundation is preparing an information paper to
raise awareness about the "economics of historic
preservation."
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In planning phase for a web-based museum to enable public
access to the thousands of photographs of the house, the local mining
industry and life at the turn of the century in the gold mining
region.
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Met with the State Architect (Stephen Castellanos) to
galvanize statewide political support for the Foundation.
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Met with the former Senior Architect, Office of Historic
Preservation, Department of Parks & Recreation (Robert Mackensen) to
obtain historic Landmark Status and support.
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The television program "This Old House" has been
contacted and they have requested a proposal (when property ownership was
clear).
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Initiated "low level" program to involve local
media (print and radio) to support the project and educate the public about
the importance of historic preservation.
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Ongoing discussions with Berkeley, Davis, and Sacramento
State schools of Architecture to use the site as the basis for a
student/faculty land-use-planning project.
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Obtained commitment from Professor Chuck Harris (former
Chairman of Harvard's Graduate School of Design, Landscape Architecture
dept.) to advise Foundation.
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Building a "consortium" of non-profits
interested in saving the house including Sierra Club, Nevada County
Historical Society, Land Trust, etc.
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Working with Bear River High School and the Nevada Union
High School to involve students and teachers in the renovation effort; to
include using the project as a special civics class. Student group being
formed to assist in raising local awareness about the project. Involving the
History Department of Sierra College to help with the historical
facts.
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Involving local AIA and the Society of Landscape
Architects to help us by contributing professional time to our project.