Analysis
Esmé Barniskis:
Storytelling When Washington Park was first identified as a neighborhood of interest for the Buildings-Landscapes-Cultures Field School project, the focus was on the people of Washington Park: what their lives were like, what their homes were like, what their history of the neighborhood was, regardless of how long they’ve lived there. After a summer of research the stories that have been shared have revealed a beautiful and vibrant picture of Washington Park residents. Certain themes resurface over and over again, showing the community’s interest in ideas such as "change," "dreams," or "resilience." Falling in line with those general ideas was the repeated mention of several community members who serve, either informally or formally, as leaders and guides of Washington Park. Lois and Juan Luglio look at family history.
Washington Park Stories
There are two kinds of neighbors in Washington Park: neighbors that residents know, and those that they don’t. Some people are what Malcolm Gladwell calls "connectors," meaning that they link many people together from all walks of life. Dave Boucher of Amaranth Café is one such connector. Listening to the oral histories, one gets the sense that everyone knows him. Other residents seem to feel as if they know none of their neighbors and are alone, isolated from everyone else in the community. However, almost everyone knows at least Dave Boucher. It is important to note that residents feel both as if they don’t know their neighbors while at the same time they do know several community leaders. What this suggests is that people perhaps are unaware of the larger networks that they are part of. Because the "connectors" aren’t immediately next to all residents in the neighborhood it is difficult to see that people are still connected in Washington Park. Another thing that connects residents of the neighborhood is the repeated interest in several ideas such as "values" or "ties" that show how people care about the same general themes in their neighborhood. Oftentimes these general concepts are expressed differently, but all come back to a root idea that weaves together all the stories into one story: the story of Washington Park. |
Reverend Baumann and her head handyman Mike talk about their work.
Analyzing the Stories
By looking at oral histories directly, the stories that come from residents of the neighborhood show exactly what they care about. When an event is emphasized or only briefly mentioned the interpreter can see how much they value that event. The voices of the community members tell their individual history through memories and anecdotes. Inflection, pace, rhythm, and emphasis are key to the interpretation of the stories. Interpretation of their histories paints a picture of Washington Park on the intimately human scale, focusing on daily actions and interactions. Many of the stories, when brought together, explains a holistic story of the Washington Park neighborhood. Conclusion This summer we managed to take the stories of 28 individuals and meld them together to create a broader picture of the neighborhood. The story of Washington Park as we understand now is both many-layered and unified. Each person has their own history and identity, yet at the same time all stories fall into a larger conversation on the beauty and potential of Washington Park. The importance of understanding the different expressions of central values is that Washington Park is extremely diverse. Each person brings their own understanding of community concepts with them. Without being aware of the differences in word usage cooperation in the neighborhood is unreachable. Perhaps even more important is the existence of connectors that unify the diverse members of Washington Park. Dave Boucher brings together multiple social circles and gives them a space to discuss their diverse points of view. Without connectors the neighborhood would not understand each other or have a place to discover their neighbors. |
Jared Schmitz:
Storytelling
Generally, stories are thought to originate from people, spoken or written, but stories can come from many other sources. Buildings are one of these sources. Buildings have a unique way of telling stories that take part over a large expanse of time through many different eras and involve many different generations of people. UWM’s Buildings- Landscapes-Cultures (BLC) field school focused in on this form of storytelling by looking at the houses of the early 20th century Washington Park neighborhood. By looking at how the buildings are structurally and interiorly designed, the BLC field school was able to study the incredible stories that the homes and businesses of Washington Park have to tell.
Storytelling
Generally, stories are thought to originate from people, spoken or written, but stories can come from many other sources. Buildings are one of these sources. Buildings have a unique way of telling stories that take part over a large expanse of time through many different eras and involve many different generations of people. UWM’s Buildings- Landscapes-Cultures (BLC) field school focused in on this form of storytelling by looking at the houses of the early 20th century Washington Park neighborhood. By looking at how the buildings are structurally and interiorly designed, the BLC field school was able to study the incredible stories that the homes and businesses of Washington Park have to tell.
The historical floor plan of Amaranth shows the boundaries between public and private spaces.
Washington Park Stories
The stories that are told by the homes of Washington Park reveal not only the changes in the usage of space, but the values attributed to it. When the houses were built, the intended use of the front portion of the building was to invite guests and display the owner’s taste and status. The ornamentation of the front of the houses, grand entrances, large overlooking windows, and detailed woodwork of the spacious front rooms show the importance of appearance and impression. Beautiful decoration located on the street sides of the homes beckons to passersby, while large windows on the same part of the house let residents to look out into the community and allow large amounts of light in. This open public space in the front of the house is offset by the much more private back side. Doors and hallways create edges that section off the private areas of the house. These private areas contain few windows, creating darker areas, and often lead into narrow hallways before connecting with the public areas of the house. When the homes were designed, the back door, kitchen and similar spaces were kept private to be kept out of the view of guests. The idea of space today is very different. The usage and value of space has all but reversed in the eyes of the current Washington Park residents. Many of the homes have been renovated to create a more open and public kitchen space. The kitchen has become a place of gathering, and the living and dining rooms have become places for more private activities. This shift in the usage and meaning of space in the Washington Park home is one of the many complex stories that the houses have to offer. Amaranth Bakery and Café has a very detailed front with large windows to allow as much natural light in as possible.
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The Amaranth Bakery and Café has an ornate front and large bay windows.
Analyzing the Stories
Provided with house histories, photographs, and measurements both historical and present, eleven Washington Park houses were examined and documented. This examination and documentation led to the discovery of the true meaning and usage of space. Looking at the order of dimensions, light, and movement, public and private areas emerged in the buildings. The importance of these spaces is displayed by the attention that was paid to the intricate details that emphasize certain areas of the homes. Through looking at the structure and design of the buildings, patterns become apparent across the neighborhood, creating a overarching story of unity. The current floor plan of Amaranth Bakery and Café has different sections of public and private spaces on both floors.
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Conclusion
Looking at the structure and design of Washington Park homes has uncovered untold stories about how the value and usage of space has changed over time. These stories are important because they demonstrate the flexibility and timelessness of Washington Park’s early 20th century homes. Washington Park has been able to accommodate the needs of many diverse groups throughout history including a large German immigrant population in the 20th century and today’s African American population.
Looking at the structure and design of Washington Park homes has uncovered untold stories about how the value and usage of space has changed over time. These stories are important because they demonstrate the flexibility and timelessness of Washington Park’s early 20th century homes. Washington Park has been able to accommodate the needs of many diverse groups throughout history including a large German immigrant population in the 20th century and today’s African American population.