Comments on: The Great Cornice Project

By: Bethany

Bethany — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:38:11 +0000

Geoff,

I found these houses on my block, I thought you might like it!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46382613@N00/3326736970/

By: Colin Devroe

Colin Devroe — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:58:13 +0000

We need tshirts made up: CORNICE RESTORATION!

By: PaulGillSP

PaulGillSP — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 00:46:22 +0000

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!

By: Geoff

Geoff — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:40:51 +0000

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.

By: sara girlscantell

sara girlscantell — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:59:02 +0000

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.