Devotees of vintage buildings on the Island are invited to more than a dozen activities
celebrating the preservation of our architectural heritage. So many events are scheduled that the City Council is declaring March through June “Historic Preservation Season!” With more than 4000 historic structures, Alameda has a lot to show off. From those gingerbread Victorians, those delirious Queen Annes, those comfy Craftsman homes, and those sturdy Bungalows to the Art Deco of the Alameda Theater and the Art Moderne left by the Navy at Alameda Point, rich and varied styles of architecture enrich and enliven our Island hometown.

Three organizations that thrive on heritage–the Historic Advisory Board, the Alameda
Architectural Preservation Society (AAPS), and the Alameda Museum –have devised all manner of presentations, walks, lectures, and tours to help people understand, recognize, and enjoy evidence of our past. The business community is also involved, because Heritage Tourism promotes commerce and brings visitors to town. Season cosponsors include the Alameda Association of Realtors, the Alameda Sun, the Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Alameda Business Association (GABA), the Park Street Business Association (PSBA), and the West Alameda Business Association (WABA).

Two “only in Alameda” events celebrate their 14th anniversaries and take proud places in the “Season” line-up. The Alameda Museum welcomes the “Kids & Queen Victoria” art display in May, when the namesake monarch visits to meet the fledgling artists and review their work. Later that month, the AAPS Historic Preservation Awards will highlight dramatic stories and pictures of acclaimed Alameda restoration projects.

Dynamic slide lectures by local experts will include Alameda Sun editor Dennis Evanosky and Alameda architect Richard Rutter discussing the original Fernside estate and the manicured neighborhood that took its place, as well as talks by authors Paul Duscherer, Aarol Gellner, and Gray Brechin. Evanosky and Rutter team up again on a walk in Alameda’s North of Lincoln neighborhood, home to some of the oldest buildings on the Island. Visit these websites:alamedamuseum.org; and alameda-preservation.org.  Celebrate the legacy of historic preservation and restoration in Alameda and join us for Historic Preservation Season 2011!

City of Alameda Historic Preservation Season Events 2011:

  • Tuesday, March 1, 7:00 p.m.: City Council declares Historic Preservation Season open! Proclamation read by Mayor Marie Gilmore. City Council Chambers, City Hall 2263 Santa Clara Avenue. Information: 747.4800.
  • Saturday, March 26, 1-4 p.m.: Meyers House and Gardens. Docent-led tour of this official Alameda Monument includes Henry Meyers’s architectural studio and a display of vintage building details. 2021 Alameda Avenue. Free for Meyers Guild members; $5 for others. Information: 865.3402.
  • Thursday , March 31, 7:00 p.m.: “Façade Easements that Promote Preservation of Historic Resources,” a talk by Anthony Veerkamp, National Trust for Historic Preservation, sponsored by the Alameda Architectural Preservation Society (AAPS), Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1420 Lafayette Street. Free for members; $5 for others. Information: 479.6489.
  • Saturday, April 23, 1-4 p.m.: Meyers House and Gardens. Docent-led tour of this official Alameda Monument includes Henry Meyers’s architectural studio and a display of vintage building details. 2021 Alameda Avenue. Free for Meyers Guild members; $5 for others. Information: 865.3402.
  • Thursday, April 28, 7:00 p.m.: “Fernside the Estate and Fernside the Neighborhood.” Author-Alameda Sun editor Dennis Evanosky and architect-preservationist Richard Rutter: discuss the transformation from the bucolic paradise that was the original Cohen estate to the best planned neighborhood on the Island. Alameda Museum, 2324 Alameda Avenue. Free for members; $10 for others. Information: 748.0796.
  • Saturday, April 30, 4:00 p.m.: Rededication of Paul’s Newsstand on Santa Clara Avenue at Park Street, Park Street Historic District. Details to follow. Information: 865.1767.
  • Saturday, May 7, 11:00 a.m.: “Kids & Queen Victoria,” the 14th annual art show, featuring the children of Alameda and her Majesty. Superintendent of Schools Kirsten Vitale will officiate. Alameda Museum, 2324 Alameda Avenue. Free, sponsored by the Alameda Museum and the Historical Advisory Board. Information: 748.0796.
  • Saturday, May 14 , 11:00 a.m.: ‘Stroll North of Lincoln: The Neighborhood Known as Wedgewood.” A walk with Author-Alameda Sun editor Dennis Evanosky and architect-preservationist Richard Rutter: A study in contrasts, from Victorian homes of the 1870s Italianate style to a dip into maritime history of the 1930s. Details to follow. Free, sponsored by the Historical Advisory Board. Information: 748.0796.
  • Thursday, May 19, 7:00 p.m: “Preservation Awards Gala,” the 14th annual celebration of historic preservation projects on the Island, sponsored by AAPS. Details to follow. Information: 479.6489.
  • Thursday, May 26, 7:00 p.m.: “Storybook Style.”Author and architect Arrol Gellner with slides from his book, featuring Stonehenge and Stoneleigh on Santa Clara Avenue. Alameda Museum, 2324 Alameda Avenue. Free for members; $10 for others. Information: 748.0796.
  • Saturday, May 28, 1-4 p.m.: Meyers House and Gardens. Docent-led tour of this official Alameda Monument includes Henry Meyers’s architectural studio and a display of vintage building details. 2021 Alameda Avenue. Free for Meyers Guild members; $5 for others. Information: 865.3402.
  • Saturday, June 25, 1-4 p.m.: Meyers House and Gardens. Docent-led tour of this official Alameda Monument includes Henry Meyers’s architectural studio and a display of vintage building details. 2021 Alameda Avenue. Free for Meyers Guild members; $5 for others. Information: 865.3402.
  • Thursday, June 30, 7:00 p.m : “A.W. Meets Queen Victoria.” Historian and former AAPS President Paul Roberts on renowned Alameda architect A.W. Pattiani. Alameda Museum, 2324 Alameda Avenue. Free for members; $10 for others. Information: 748.0796.