(Courtesy photo)
Special to the PRESS
Larry Lof, President and CEO of Gorgas Science Foundation as well as an Architectural Historian with the City of Brownsville, and Calvin Walker, Chairman of the Heritage Council of Brownsville, discussed historic restorations in the Rio Grande Valley on Friday, November 3, at the weekly Rotary club meeting.
Lof began restoring historic buildings 40 years ago and continues to this day. At Texas Southmost College, he developed a training program for building trades students learning the craftsmanship and discipline required to restore a building correctly. The Young Home, Commandant’s House (Fort Brown), Lucena House (one of the oldest wooden houses in Brownsville), and the award-winning Neutra House restoration were done under this program.
With photos and commentary details, Mr. Lof talked about many of the restorations done in Brownsville. The steps taken in restoration begin long before anyone picks up a tool to start the physical work. The work begins with research. Stories told or written, old photographs or sketches are studied to learn what the building originally looked like and how it was used.
“Brownsville has the 2nd highest number of historic buildings in the state of Texas”, said Mr. Lof. He said, “If you want young people to be interested in historic buildings, tell them the stories that are tied to the buildings.”
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