| The First
Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church was designed by James McMichael, an
architect of local and regional importance who fashioned literally
hundreds of churches. This Gothic Revival style building has most of
the defining characteristics of that architectural motif. These include the
pointed-arched windows with tracery, battlements, and finials. The
building, completed in 1925, was one of many imposing churches that once lined
North Tryon Street. |
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| The First A.R.P.
Church experienced a disastrous fire on the night of November 14,
1985. The entire interior of the granite-walled building was
destroyed, as were the windows. The building stood empty for almost
fifteen years. The Historic Landmarks Commission received a
considerable amount of criticism when it voted to recommend the designation
of the church as a historic
landmark. |
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| In 1998 Bank of
America decided as part of its commitment to the revitalization of Uptown
Charlotte to transform the First A.R.P. Church into studios and galleries
for visual artists. Because the building was a historic landmark,
the Historic Landmarks Commission had to exercise design review. |
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| One of the most controversial
issues was the construction of an 8' high metal fence around the rear yard
of the site. Bank of America argued that the fence was needed to provide
security for artists coming to the site late at night. After careful
consideration, the Commission decided that the fence did meet the
Secretary of the Interior's Guidelines. First, it is a reversible
act. Second, there is precedent for fences in the neighborhood. |
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| The is the
southern facade of the First A. R. P. Church. Look carefully and you
will see a gable-roofed building just to the rear of the church.
This is a new building. The Commission insisted that the building
not mimic the design of the main sanctuary. The Commission did not
insist that the historic interior be recreated. The fire, however
unpleasant, is part of the building's history. |
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| The Commission
also did not require that the windows be returned to their original
appearance. All the original glazing was destroyed in the fire. The Historic
Landmarks Commission, like all public historic preservation agencies, must
recognize that adaptive reuse projects cannot be treated as academic
restorations. |
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