For Preservation the newsletter of
Volume 20, No. 2
www.ghpa.org
n
greater houston preservation alliance
Houston’s local partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Spring 2010
nat i o n a l p r e s e rvat i o n m o n t h 2010
Carlyle Group founder to speak at luncheon Archives dates from the late 13th century. It bears the seal of King Edward I of England, who formally entered the document into English law in 1297. Edward’s grandfather, King John, signed the original version of the Magna Carta in 1215. “The fight for freedom is an ongoing fight,’’ Rubenstein said. “People who study the Magna Carta realize how significant it is.’’ The document had a direct influence on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Among the legal procedures the Magna Carta helped establish was the writ of habeas cor-
national archives & records administration
David M. Rubenstein, historic document collector and co-founder of The Carlyle Group private equity firm, will be the guest speaker at the 2010 Preservation Month Luncheon, hosted by Greater Houston Preservation Alliance at noon Friday, May 21, at River Oaks Country Club. In 2007, Rubenstein purchased the only copy of the Magna Carta still in private hands to ensure that the document remained in the United States. It is on extended loan to the National Archives, where it is displayed. “I think this purchase is a small repayment to the country for what it’s done for me and for my family,” Rubenstein told the New York Times. The manuscript at the National
David M. Rubenstein’s copy of the Magna Carta, shown here, is on display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
pus, which protects against unlawful imprisonment. Rubenstein also owns one of the few surviving copies of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln. The proclamation was issued in 1863, freeing slaves in Confederate-held territory. The document is on extended loan to the Smithsonian Institution and is on display at the National Museum of American History in Washington. Please save the date for this exceptional event. Invitations will be mailed closer to the luncheon date. The National Trust for Historic Preservation designated May as National Preservation Month to focus attention on U.S. preservation efforts.
A fresh look at the local landscape courtesy of museum of sylvan rodriguez art
GHPA is working with students in the innovative art program at Sylvan Rodriguez, Jr. Elementary School on a project that could encourage the next generation of preservationists. Fourth and fifth graders at the southwest Houston school have created original works of art depicting the city’s landmarks for the exhibit Houston: Urban Landscapes in Watercolor. Rodriguez art teacher Michael Bourquin approached GHPA in the fall about creating and conducting two field trips to explore historical and cultural landscapes in Houston. GHPA staff members Jim Parsons and Courtney Tardy
Drink, dine and support preservation
Sylvan Rodriguez, Jr. Elementary School fourth grader Jose Ochoa’s watercolor painting of Lovett Hall at Rice University is among students’ works inspired by field trips to historic and iconic sites across the city.
participated in the project. Parsons took fourth-grade students on a tour of the city’s historic sites, including Allen’s Landing, the 1911
Harris County Courthouse and Rice University. Tardy and the fifth graders explored Houston’s cultural and iconic sites, including Miller Out-
door Theatre, the Art Car Museum and City Hall. During the field trips, Please see Rodriguez, Page 3
gl e n wo o d c e m e t e ry
Tours, new book focus on Glenwood’s history
courtesy of texas a&m university press
Explore historic Glenwood Cemetery through quarterly GHPA walking tours and a new book, Houston’s Silent Garden: Glenwood Cemetery, 1871-2009. The book, written by Suzanne Turner and Joanne Seale Wilson, traces the story of Glenwood’s founding and design, and describes how the cemetery has remained an integral part of Houston’s history as the city has grown up around it. The book also features dozens of historic images and new photos by Paul Hester illustrating Glenwood’s landscape and monuments. Houston’s Silent Garden was published by
Texas A&M University Press and is available through GHPA’s online bookstore at www.ghpa.org/bookstore. Glenwood Cemetery was founded in 1871 on the north bank of Buffalo Bayou at what was then the edge of Houston. Its hilly grounds were one of the first professionally landscaped spaces in the city, making Glenwood not only the resting place for many prominent Houston families but also a popular place for Victorian Houstonians to take weekend drives. Please see Glenwood, Page 2
Ruggles Grill has come up with a delicious way to support preservation in Houston. On Thursday, May 13, the Montrose restaurant will add a “preservation cocktail” and “preservation entrée” to its menu, a portion of the ongoing sales of which will be donated to Greater Houston Preservation Alliance. The new cocktail and entrée will be unveiled during a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. in the restaurant’s Green Bar. Patrons will be able to order the new items as well as anything from the regular Ruggles dinner menu. Displays will showcase past winners of GHPA’s Good Brick Awards as well as the history of Ruggles’ building, which was built as a residence on lower Westheimer Road in the early 20th century. According to Ruggles partner Federico Marques, the menu items benefiting GHPA are part of the restaurant’s updated philosophy, which focuses on environmental responsibility through the use of organic, all-natural ingredients, recycling and conservation. Ruggles Grill will soon join its sister restaurant, Ruggles Green, in becoming green-restaurant certified by the Green Restaurant Association. Ruggles Grill is located at 903 Westheimer just east of Montrose Boulevard. For more information, call 713527-9400 or visit www.rugglesgrill.com.