The Martin House... a grand example of community stewardship

 

"The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen." 
- Frank Lloyd Wright 

Frank Lloyd Wright designed more than 1,000 structures, 532 of which were completed.  We had the pleasure of touring one of those; the Martin House Estate (consisting of six contiguous buildings) in  Buffalo NY. We were impressed by its architectural inventiveness of course, and also the resiliency and commitment of the estate's stewards who brought these architectural works of art back to life. 

We learned that "With the resolve of many, in 1992 an ambitious restoration effort to save this treasure began in earnest. 2019 marked the completion of the 25-year, $52 million restoration effort – one of the most comprehensive and extensive restorations of a Frank Lloyd Wright property anywhere."

As we travel the country, we now make it a point to visit as many Wright buildings as we can. Each time, we've chosen to take a docent led tour instead of the self guided options which are usually available. A docent, is "a volunteer who has been instructed in a specific subject area and conveys this knowledge and experience to visitors at a specific location as part of the site’s public programming" (excerpt from the Martin House Docent Manual).  

For this event, we were in for a very special "docent" tour of the The Martin House by Margie. Margie was clearly very knowledgeable and passionate about The Martin House and adjacent buildings. She seemed to have insights which went beyond a seasoned perspective not only regarding the physical aspects of the building but the reconstructive challenges that were involved in bringing these buildings back to their former beauty. 

At the end, after a bit of prodding, we learned why she was so 'beyond' informed. She had been the former Director of Volunteers, Director of Operations AND the Director of  Tours and Guest Services for the Martin House Restoration Corporation!  In retrospect, it was like we were being given a tour by a humble and yet very proud godmother who now was able to reflect on the accomplishments that she and over 300 hundred volunteers had achieved over the years. 

As an article in the Buffalo Spree so aptly summarized, “The Martin House project is about much more than an historic house restoration. It is a story about profound community rebirth, about a community summoning the will to restore a major American icon that had been long moldering in its midst, about a community rallying in a highly effective manner around a masterpiece.” 

In the course of our careers we've both have facilitated capacity building initiatives for a number of non-profits (strategic planning and team building with staff, executives teams and boards), always seeking to make a difference. By the end of our VIP tour with Margie, we were both reinspired by the possibilities of what a committed group of volunteers and stakeholders can achieve when they believe in a worthy community focused goal. Or as Margaret Mead once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."



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Comments

Tim Padgett said…
Great writing and informative. Love it! Keep the updates coming.