Returns and Exchanges

This is the traditional day for returning gifts and exchanging them for other things you think you want more. The problem is, you often find out that the item you're exchanging was bought on sale, so you get less for it than you thought you would. And the objects we think we want cost more than they should, considering they're probably made in a sweatshop overseas and possibly of poor materials or construction. You might end up swapping something of high quality for something that will break or rip or look dated in a month.

It's appropriate, then, that I talk about what exchanges Norristown has made over the decades since about 1980, or technically, what exchanges our government has made for us. We traded the Norris Theater for a McDonalds, the YMCA for a big box of a CVS, and several downtown buildings, including Woolworths and Grants, for another ugly box--AutoZone--with an equally ugly parking lot. With the McDonalds, we got burned twice, because they decided they didn't like the Norris Theater site, so they demolished the Wonder Bread building, too.

In each case, Norristown swapped our architectural treasure for buildings and businesses that have made no significant contributions to the community. When I've asked outsiders who've been here what buildings in the borough they remember seeing, they mention the courthouse, the county prison building on Airy, the churches, and many of our other outstanding architectural structures. They NEVER remember noticing a CVS or AutoZone. If they didn't stop to eat at McDonalds (and sometimes even if they did), they don't remember that we have one. Every town in America has a McDonalds. There are 4 AutoZones and more than 25 CVS's within 10 miles of Norristown. Having them here will never put us on the map.

Our council has even exchanged downtown buildings for vacant lots. Sure, some those buildings were destroyed by fire, but some weren't, like the Valley Forge Hotel. And in all cases, the lots left behind sat derelict for DECADES and most still do. Our council reps complain that the property owners refuse to develop or sell. Well then, give them a deadline, and if they don't sell, put the property up for auction to someone who WILL develop it--on condition that we get some retail stores or other downtown-appropriate businesses. No more drug rehabs, check-cashing places or bailbondsmen. No more tax-exempt owners. Either that or expand the public square and turn the empty lot on the corner of Main and Dekalb into a well-kept park or garden that we can all enjoy, and that outsiders will come into town to visit.

What brought this to my mind is that I've heard that our Historical Architecture Review Board (HARB) was told by certain council members that council would no longer support them, which I take to mean that these representatives don't feel obliged to listen to HARB's recommendations. HARB is the advisory body that reviews proposed development in our historic districts and makes sure exterior changes aren't in conflict with the architecture of the building or surrounding neighborhood. They are the only frontline we have protecting our gorgeous old buildings from damage or demoition. You can read more about HARB here.

I know not all our current council members have this antagonistic view toward historic preservation. Some of them actually have the brains to realize that the architecture that makes Norristown unique is a sale-able COMMODITY. Marketing is all about image. Why project an image of "Norristown--We're Trying Hard To Look Like Everywhere Else?" That sounds like a teenager afraid of peer pressure, if you ask me. We could be saying "Come To Norristown To See Our Beautiful, One-Of-A-Kind Architecture (and stay for our arts, food, etc.)"

So I think we ought to be prepared in 2014 for more attempted exchanges by Council. Norristown can't afford to lose more assets. I hope our 2 newest members of council, slated to be installed in January (Derrick Perry and Sonya Fisher Sanders), will give some thought to how Norristown can use its architectural capital to bring in business, instead of allowing others to demolish the one thing that could save us.

(Note: I'll be taking another day off from the Diary tomorrow (this time for a Revolutionary War battle reenactment). Be back next week.)

Norristown's Look

One of our old movie houses, W. Marshall St.

One of the things I love about Norristown is our architecture. We don't LOOK like any other town on the planet. So once in a while on this blog, I'm going to indulge myself and show off our buildings.

On any one street in town, you might find architecture styles spanning two centuries.  Even where we have blocks of brick rowhouses or twins, their designs and details differ depending whether they were constructed in the 1830s, 1880s, turn of the 20th century, or in 1950. I just discovered that, although there are 5 houses like mine on my street, the design can't be found anywhere else in town.

Many of our public and commercial buildings, too, are unique. Some of them, like the former county prison, were designed by famous architects, or like Eisenhower Middle School, are prime examples of uncommon styles or important periods of history.

I want to start out, though, by mentioning some of the treasures we've lost over the years, through sheer shortsightedness.

Back in the first half of the 20th century, Norristown had 6 movie theaters. They were built in the style of the Grand Opera houses of Europe. Here are some of them:

An old postcard of the Garrick Theater

The interior of the Grand Theater.

The Norris Theater, opened in 1930, was designed by architect William H. Lee. When I was a kid, the Norris was the only theater still open. Even if the movie was bad, the inside of the theater was worth the visit. It had stained-glass windows, a fountain with goldfish, a pipe organ, and a blue ceiling with tiny lights like stars. I can still recall the feel of the reclining, red velvet seats. I saw probably a dozen Disney flicks there, and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

In 1982, despite the interest of an investor who wanted to make the Norris the centerpiece for downtown development, and a borough planning director and grassroots group of citizens who wanted to preserve and restore the place, the old theater was sold and in 1983, demolished, to make way for the construction of...a McDonalds. The sad part is that not long after, Mickey D's decided they didn't like the location and moved to the corner of Markley and Main.

What most Norristonians didn't know at the time is that the facade of the Norris was bought by a salvage yard in Connecticut, who sold it to the Wolfsonian Museum in Miami Beach, Florida, where today, it's one of their most prominent displays.

Yes, people now pay to see it. And we gave it away.

Let's make sure we're never that shortsighted, ever again.