Preservation News

“Frank brings a wealth of experience, leadership skills and knowledge to HPA, and we are confident that his attributes will help us grow,” said Natalie Sweeney, Board President.

Originally from Hartford and a long-time resident of Frog Hollow, Frank followed an opportunity in 1992 to transition from being a banker to community development and an affordable housing developer, with the calling coming from Landmarks Indiana, one of the nation’s largest preservation organizations.  Prior to moving to Indiana, Frank was the former board chair of the Connecticut Housing Investment Fund (CHIF), and he is also a graduate of Leadership Greater Hartford.

The majority of his professional housing development has been accomplished through the adaptive reuse of historic buildings.  He founded and served for nearly 20 years, until 2011, as the President of Partners in Housing Development Corporation in Indianapolis, Indiana, an urban based nonprofit that rehabilitated old and historic buildings.   He most recently served as a consultant to and chairman of the board for The Land Bank of Indianapolis, Inc. and was commissioned to address the significant increase of abandoned and tax-delinquent properties. Frank has stated that the level of demolished buildings in large, urban settings is “like losing teeth”.

His prior work experience includes positions in Hartford with the Bank of Boston and Connecticut Securities.  He has a Bachelor of Arts degree fron Wabash College and certifications from the Community Progress Leadership Institute at Harvard University, and from the Williams College School of Banking.   He has been published, including an article written on the economic impact of artists and artists’ studios.

Connecticut Preservation Action (CPA), a state-wide lobbying organization for historic preservation issues, has just announced that Governor Daniel P. Malloy has signed legislation that will enable thousands more buildings – including many Hartford buildings – to qualify for Connecticut’s state historic rehabilitation tax credits.

Hartford Preservation Alliance actively supported CPA’s efforts to pass this legislation that will play an important part in our continued efforts to preserve Hartford’s architectural heritage for generations to come. Laura Knott-Twine, HPA Executive Director, and Mary A. Falvey, Senior Program Assistant, currently serve on the Executive Committee of Connecticut Preservation Action’s board of directors.

Click here to learn more about the historic tax credit legislation.

Not too long ago, historic buildings were torn down willy-nilly in Hartford. That, thankfully, is no longer the case, and a major reason is the emergence of the Hartford Preservation Alliance under executive director Laura Knott-Twine.

When Ms. Knott-Twine arrived in 2005, she was the sole staff member. Now there are four, and office space in the former Underwood Typewriter factory at 56 Arbor St. a wonderfully successful historic restoration itself has doubled.

The alliance was recently honored by the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation for its work on behalf of Hartford’s historic preservation ordinance, which now protects more than 5,500 buildings. The alliance has played major roles in the preservation of such buildings as the former gold-leafing factory M. Swift & Sons, the graceful 410 Asylum St., Sam Colt’s factory village Coltsville and many others.

The city council has gone to the alliance to ask its help in listing properties on the National Register of Historic Places.

Despite the loss of many treasures, Hartford still possesses a trove of historic buildings. Saving and reusing them is one of the keys to the city’s revival. In a low-key, collaborative way, Ms. Knott-Twine and her staff are getting the job done.