This one-time performance is co-sponsored by Bayview Opera House, Inc. and Heritage  in celebration of Black History Month. Marcus Shelby has extensively researched and developed music that pays homage to Harriet Tubman, inspired in part by her profound use of music to free herself and countless other slaves.

This special tribute concert will include commentary and narrative about the life and history of Harriet Tubman and is appropriate for all ages. Tickets are $15 for adults ($20 at the door), $10 for seniors (65+), $5 for young adults 18 years and younger, and free for children six and under.

Heritage Hikes docent JoAnn Stewart leads third graders through the Haas-Lilienthal House. Photo by Constance Farrell.

If you’re looking for a rewarding and fun volunteer experience, you should consider joining Heritage’s stellar volunteer corps. We are looking for enthusiastic people to sign up for our spring docent training. Training includes seven meetings on various Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings from March 13 through April.

Sessions include lectures by local historians and architecture experts, as well as training on tour techniques and communications skills. Participants will also learn about the Haas-Lilienthal family and the culture and decorative arts of the city’s Victorian era. At series close, new volunteers will know the Haas-Lilienthal House inside and out, feel confident leading tours, and be able to conduct engaging and inspiring tours.

To receive more information, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Dorothy Boylan at dboylan@sfheritage.org or 415-441-3000 x24.

Be sure to vote for the Women's Building be Feb. 20. Photo by Desiree Smith.

The San Francisco’s Women’s Building is an icon of the Mission District. The MaestraPeace (1994) mural is an internationally-recognized symbol of women’s empowerment. The vivid mural is in need of restoration work and you can help. Vote for the Women’s Building as part of Dwell Magazine’s Rethinking Preservation contest and help the Women’s Building win $10,000. The organization has reached 70 percent of its capital campaign goal for restoration and this $10,000 would be a huge contributor to the remaining 30 percent.

The Women’s Building on 18th Street between Guerrero and Mission streets embodies the history and spirit of our great city.

Cast your vote!

Heritage’s three tours are: The Epicenter of Old San Francisco (Pacific Heights), The Building Blocks of Auto Row (Van Ness), and Essentially S.F.: Architectural Icons of San Francisco (25 of the city’s most amazing buildings).

We truly believe this is a stellar app and we hope you have fun with it!

• The HPC must consider historic district nominations supported by a majority of property owners, but there is no minimum owner support requirement for the HPC to initiate designation.
• Both owners and renters will be polled by the Planning Department for their views on proposed historic districts.
• All proposed work must comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards or local interpretations thereof.

 
Both commissions endorsed an economic hardship provision in concept, but removed Supervisor Wiener’s proposed language that would have potentially exempted residential projects for households up to 150% area median income. The Planning Commission advised the Board of Supervisors to craft new language with input from the community and other interested parties. Heritage looks forward to working with Supervisor Wiener, the Board of Supervisors and others to develop economic hardship language that reflects best practices in other cities. Of course, we will continue to closely follow the legislation as it works its way through the Land Use Committee and to the full Board for adoption.

Architectural detail of Victorian home on Pierce Street. Photo taken by Peter DaSilva for The Bay Citizen

Heritage executive director, Mike Buhler, responds to a recent Bay Citizen/New York Times article (“A ‘Landmark’ Backlash,” 12/31/11) regarding the proposed historic district in Duboce Park. The original article taps into and perpetuates commonly held misperceptions about historic preservation in San Francisco. Follow the link to read Heritage’s full guest opinion article: http://www.baycitizen.org/blogs/citizen/landmark-backlash-response-duboce-park/

The Geneva Office Building & Powerhouse received an HPFC grant in 2009. Photo by Freeze Time Digital on Flickr.

Do you know of a historic preservation project that needs funding? Consider a Historic Preservation Fund Committee Grant, which provides small grants to nonprofits tasked with preserving historic buildings and districts in San Francisco. Examples of funded projects include the preparation of historic context statements for the Mission Dolores and Parkside neighborhoods, and the completion of a National Register nomination for the Tenderloin neighborhood. The application is available at http://www.oewd.org/media/docs/hpfc/NOFA%20FINAL.pdf.

The Historic Preservation Fund Committee was created to disburse funds ($2.5 million) accruing from a settlement agreement signed by the Redevelopment Agency of the City and County of San Francisco, San Franciscans Upholding the Downtown Plan, and San Franciscans for Preservation Planning. In February, 2005, a civil action was filed in San Francisco Superior Court, alleging that certain actions taken by the developer of the old Emporium site on Market Street contravened the Final Environmental Impact Report issued by the City and violated the California Environmental Quality Act.