Happy Birthday to E.J. Schickli!

Architecture is an interesting field.  Those who enter the practice have an incredibly artistic view of the world.  They want to fuse art and practicality in a way that creates something completely innovative and impressive.  A place and a purpose, but with style.  Most architects never achieve the pinnacle of fame of a Frank Lloyd Wright or a Mies van der Rohe.  Most architects must content themselves with making their impact on a smaller scale.

But that really benefits us all.  It puts little gems in small communities all across the globe.  Some wondrous pieces of art that are treasured by locals and admired by visitors.  E.J. Schickli has been involved in the design of hundreds of buildings in our local community.  Most you’d pass by without giving much thought as to who may have designed it or why.

Fifty years ago (this past October), one of Louisville’s architectural gems was opened to the public for the first time.  It was the vision of E.J. Schickli (of design firm Tafel & Schickli) and when the city called for bids to replace a severely neglected shelter in Cherokee Park, he designed the current Hogan’s Fountain Pavilion.  Louisville has benefited by its presence every single day since.

While thanks seem entirely inadequate, we’re all glad that he dropped the TeePee right where he did…into the heart of Cherokee Park and into the hearts of generations of Louisvillians.  So many architects never realize how much their work is admired.  Luckily, E.J. Schickli is still around to feel the love!!

Today is the anniversary of Mr. Schickli’s birth.  It is thus that we send out this hearty wish for a spectacular birthday, Mr. Schickli, filled with all of the wonder and joy you have given to our little piece of the world…and many happy returns!

 

 

Ready for a long winter’s nap…

With the masonry work completed (thanks again to YouthBuild Louisville!), and a new roof above, the Hogan’s Fountain Pavilion is looking better than ever.  And having heard from so many of you that you appreciate the efforts, we know that this great venue is as popular as ever!  It’s been a long road and a lot of work, but the TeePee is in much better shape for this winter and without all of you, that would not be the case.  So pat yourselves on the back and take the time to go see the TeePee in all her splendor, with the colors of fall surrounding her.

The last leg?

For some time, we’ve been working out budgeting to allow for the remaining funds on the project (which were not substantial) to be used to further restore the Hogan’s Fountain Pavilion.  Even with the new roof (YAY!), the installation of the new grills inside the TeePee, and the painting of the rusted chimney, we had funds left…and, of course, work for which those funds could be applied.

The most pressing need being the restoration of the creek stone bases on the eight “legs” of the pavilion.  Over the years, vandalism and neglect had left them in a pretty terrible state.

This week, with the collaborative efforts of another great non-profit organization, YouthBuild Louisville, this work will be completed.  YouthBuild Louisville was a spectacular fit for this project for a number of reasons;

• Their phenomenal work training teens with marketable skills!
• Getting KIDS involved in saving something meaningful to them cements (pardon the pun) the importance of this historic landmark into the future!
• Plus, the all-important budget.  YouthBuild Louisville (working with the supervision of skilled masons) is able to do this work for a fraction of what it would have cost elsewise.

Call it a win/win/win!  Now if we can just get the Parks Department to maintain all the effort the community has put into it, we’ll be in great shape!  You can read more about this work in this article from the Courier Journal.

 

Brrrrrrrrr!

With sub-arctic temperatures on the way, Hogan’s Fountain Pavilion restoration supporter, Nancy Bohannon, braved the elements to take this pic of the TeePee surrounded by a foot of snow.  From the looks of it, Nancy wasn’t the only one who made the trek to this popular spot.

We’re working with Parks to iron out details that will allow us to partner with YouthBuild (a volunteer group that helps give at-risk teens some excellent skills and guidance) to repair the badly damaged stone masonry at the base of the legs of the TeePee.  It continues to be slow going, but this partnership should be a win-win…allowing us to get a much-needed discount on the labor and providing an opportunity for these kids to learn a great skill while helping restore an important piece of Louisville!  As soon as we get some warm weather (which, from the photo above, you can tell will be a little while longer), we expect to be moving forward with this last big piece of restoration work!

Back to School Special

With school back in session in our area, one would think the Hogan’s Fountain Pavilion would be getting less attention.  Not true.  A friend of the TeePee shared this photo of a school project done by his daughter, Gracie Elder.  So very nice to see the next generation of TeePee-lovers on the horizon!

Ready to Rock?

We’re ready to start Phase II of our mission to restore and preserve the Hogan’s Fountain Pavilion and we need your help with some unskilled labor.

If you’ve been looking for a way to contribute that will not impact your budget, this is it! We’d love to save a few bucks (to put into another project), by doing the masonry repairs ourselves. Lucky for us, the very imperfections that make creekstone look so good will work to our advantage!

Much-needed masonry repairs are evident at the TeePee.

If you have a few hours that you’d be willing to donate to this very worthy cause, please contact us either via message on our facebook page, or via email to Tammy Madigan at maddi1962@gmail.com. Include your contact information and let us know what day(s) of the week would work best for you.

We’ve said it before and we’ll likely say it again…You really CAN make a difference! So, roll up your sleeves and help us save this special piece of Louisville.

Give Local Louisville

Today is “Give Local Louisville” day! In essence, today is a day to donate to local charitable organizations that make Louisville a better place to live.  We love Louisville, so, of course, we think this is a great idea.  In fact, if you plan to participate and donate to a local charity today, we’d urge you to remember the TeePee.

As we continue to restore and preserve this special piece of Cherokee Park’s history, your dollars can make a difference. We’ve come so far and we are still working (daily) to restore and preserve this special piece of history in Louisville’s Cherokee Park.  Information on how to make a secure online PayPal donation can be found on the right side of our home page.

 

What season is this?

 

While Louisville doesn’t seem to be able to decide if it’s spring or winter, we should all be taking advantage of the warm days when we do see them.  We know just the place to do that, too…rain or shine!

You should stop by the Hogan’s Fountain Pavilion and check out the new roof firsthand!  American Roofing has done an awesome job!  There are more renovations coming over the next many weeks (including masonry repairs, new grills and new light fixtures).  This restoration is really making a difference and has the community excited about the future of this great Louisville Landmark!

Preservation Success Story!

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. ~ Margaret Mead

With the momentum we’ve gained, we are really making this happen!  Thanks to all of you who have supported this effort thus far!  And for those of you who just found out about the Pavilion in the Courier Journal today, it’s not too late to make a difference!

Please remember the Hogan’s Fountain Pavilion in your year-end giving!

Even as Phase I of this renovation is nearing completion, we are looking forward to Phase II, which we hope will include masonry repairs, lighting, etc.

In this season of giving, your donations to help restore this Louisville landmark can play a vital role in the preservation success story of the historic Hogan’s Fountain Pavilion in Cherokee Park.  Our partnership with the Greater Community Council (a 501c3 organization) ensures that your donations are tax-exempt to the extent allowed by law.

So, if you are planning to make a donation before the end of the year, we hope you will consider making one to Save Hogan’s Fountain Pavilion. Donations can be mailed to: Save Hogan’s Fountain Pavilion, 2048 Douglass Blvd. #1, Louisville, KY 40205, or you may make a secure online donation (via PayPal) on the button located on the right side of this page.

Thank you to all of our supporters! (Look how far we’ve come so far!)  And best wishes for a Happy and Healthy 2014!