HERITAGE PRESERVATION, INC.

Minutes of Meeting, 9-27-04

Those present:  Betty Champion, Mary Peck, Iva McClure, Vince Brewton, Lee Freeman, Bill McDonald, Billy Warren

Because there was not a quorum present, no official actions could be taken; therefore, the secretary’s and treasurer’s reports will be approved at the October meeting.

1. Billy Warren described the process by which Walnut Street residents are working together to construct entry pillars at the intersections of Tuscaloosa/Walnut Streets and Hermitage Drive/Walnut Street.  The pillars were designed by a local architect and will be funded by the residents themselves.
   
    
2. Billy Warren distributed copies of the letter which he wrote in behalf of the Board of Directors to Mr. Ricky Brewer, Florence Postmaster, requesting that mailboxes not be moved from front porches to streetside in the area defined by these boundaries:  Pine Street, Hawthorne Street, Wood Avenue and Cypress Mill Road.
   
    
3. Mary Peck suggested, and all agreed, that the HPI Board of Directors should arrange a meeting with the newly-elected City Council representative for District 2 since the majority of historic properties are located within that district.
   
    
4. Billy Warren circulated these books from Dover Publishing Company which will be donated to the Florence Public Library as memorials by Heritage Preservation, Inc.:
   1. The American Bungalow
   2. 500 Small Houses
   3. Authentic Color Schemes for Victorian Houses
   4. New Life for Old Houses
   5. The Victorian Cottage
      
       
5. Billy Warren distributed copies of a note from a person in Huntsville who had misplaced her invoice for the video, “Follow the River.”  When she discovered it several months later, she mailed HPI a check for $20 instead of $10.  Billy reported that he wrote the person a thank-you message for showing such integrity.
   
    
6. In the absence of Hester Cope, Betty Champion and Billy Warren highlighted these projects of Main Street’s which have import for HPI:
   1. The creation of a 2005 calendar featuring 13 historic homes in Florence (a picture and written narrative for each house);
   2. The designation of each Thursday  night through the end of October (weather permitting) as Art Night in downtown Florence, with artists displaying and creating works on downtown streets between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.;
   3. The development of eight different picture postcards with images of various buildings and sites in downtown Florence;
   4. The development of Public Art Guidelines which which will be adopted by the City Council and administered by the Florence Arts Commission; and
   5. The development of design guidelines for historic commercial buildings (an addendum to the already-existing guidelines for historic residential properties) which will be adopted by the City Council and administered by Florence Main Street.
      
       
7. In a discussion of ways to market the VHS/DVD, “Follow the River,” during the upcoming Christmas season, these suggestions were made:
   1. If possible, show the video on Comcast channel 3, with an accompanying interview of an HPI Board member;
   2. Offer the video/DVD for sale at the Renaissance Faire on October 23-24; and
   3. If possible, get a feature written and published in the Times-Daily.
      
       
8. Bill McDonald:
   1. Stated that there is a great deal of interest in adding a fourth floor to UNA’s Collier Library for the creation of an archival center;
   2. Stated that he and Jim Ingrum are meeting with a local person in early October to work out details on transferring important family papers to Collier Library; and
   3. Expressed hope that the Mitchell-Malone House (which he wrote about in the Times-Daily on Sunday, September 26) will be preserved since it pre-dates the Civil War and played an important role in the city’s history.
      
       
9. Lee Freeman circulated two picture postcards of Wood Avenue streetscapes during the early years of the twentieth century.