The Great Cornice Project
February 2nd, 2009 by Geoff 5 Comments
Cornices were originally created to help keep rainwater away from the building and as a structural element. I find them very beautiful and one of the rewards of looking up in Philadelphia.
Unfortunately, many of these building “crowns” are covered, in disrepair or were removed. In order to gather a quick sample, I took a short walk on the blocks surrounding P’unk Avenue and photographed some of them with my iPhone. (An interesting side-note: I have been told that the decorative vinyl and aluminum covered ones are a home-grown solution.)
I want to propose the great cornice restoration project. However, I am not sure what would be the most effective way to return these jewels to their former glory. A law could be passed that required all cornices to be protected so that no one could remove another one. Understandably, too many people would object to that kind of government interference.
My gut reaction is to provide an incentive program that offers homeowners a small grant to pay for the restoration (mostly painting) of them. I think local civic associations could do fundraisers and manage these programs, since I realize that our city government is pretty busy right now with a deficit. I know it is a small thing, but I think of the sidewalk as our shared living room. That makes the buildings facades (and cornices) the walls to this shared space.
In the spirit of transparency, I should admit that the cornice of P’unk Avenue is an ugly brown that needs repainting. I did have a new copper ball fabricated and replaced on it a few years ago, but wouldn’t it look really cool painted a couple of beautiful colors?
What do you think? What could be done to encourage more cornice restoration?
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:59 pm
okay, i’ll nerd out for just a minute. i agree. cornices are beautiful, and an opportunity to spruce up our public space. cornices in good condition often signal that a neighborhood is well cared for.
while some might just need elbow grease and fresh paint, others require a lot more attention. many cornices are integral parts of the parapet, roof and facade structure. restoration of badly damaged or aged cornices can require a good bit of salvaging, often reflashing, removal of rotted material and the expertise of an engineer.
as for those lovely aluminum makeshift cornices (ug), homeowners who could not afford the costly work of fixing a bad flashing job or having the cornice maintained would install the aluminum cornices as an “out of sight, out of mind” solution. these homeowners probably didn’t consider that a rotting cornice is likely the result of bad flashing design, and can often lead to other more major water issues in time.
i’d love to see incentive for the restoration and appreciation of my neighborhood’s cornices. i’m just not certain it would rank higher on my list of priorities than developing good greenspaces or tackling our awful litter problem. i believe that if we can curb the trash on the street issue, people will have more pride in their blocks and neighborhoods, and be more inclined to restore their facades on their own.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:40 pm
I agree with you about the trash issue and am in favor of improved and maintained green spaces.
I think these should be a focus of the city government, civic associations and citizens in general.
My experience as a founder and former board member of the Passyunk Square Civic Association is what inclines me to propose that this could be managed by a civic association. One of the difficulties with trash, for instance, is that it is difficult to make progress as a civic group. You can make a difference, but it takes the coordinated efforts of the city, school system and lots of other entities. This can be done, but it is a long-term project.
What I like about the cornice program is that you can see the results immediately. If you could get several people to do it in an area, people would notice. Hopefully, this visible improvement would encourage people to not litter, etc. (One can dream.)
I like measurable programs that are have a good chance of succeeding within a short period of time. The large scale volunteer tree plantings that I organized are an example of that, and I think the cornice rehab program could make that type of impact.
That said… I know that civic associations bear a lot of burden, but I figured it is worth getting this conversation started.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:46 pm
If you guys wanna see some great cornices, check out haverrford avenue in philadelphia from around 40th street. It use to be a big jewish neighborhood and shows its influence in the architecture. check it out!
February 6th, 2009 at 8:58 am
We need tshirts made up: CORNICE RESTORATION!
March 3rd, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Geoff,
I found these houses on my block, I thought you might like it!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46382613@N00/3326736970/