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Last May, Holly Fiala, Director of the Western Office of The National Trust
for Historic Preservation, toured Knight Foundry. Hosting Ms. Fiala were
Margaret Mills and Kyle Wyatt, directors of the non-profit Knight Foundry
Corporation; the current foundry owners, Richard and Melissa Lyman; Andy
Fahrenwald, Project Director; Management Consultant, Jay McCauley and
Mike Garavaglia, preservation architect in charge of restoration.
The evening before their foundry tour, Ms. Fiala and friend and
preservationist Isabel Coats, had time to take a walking tour of Sutter Creek.
This contributed to their understanding of how Knight Foundry integrates into
its historic community setting in this “Jewel of the Mother Lode.”
The Knight Foundry Corporation, as reported in the last Noon Whistle,
recently completed a detailed preservation planning study funded in part by
the J. Paul Getty Trust and administered by the National Trust. The multi-year
study detailed the problems that have accumulated over the last 132 years,
from dry rot in structures to worn machine ways to crumbling documents. The
grant also provided for a sophisticated collection management system. Ms.
Fiala, in her official acceptance of the completed grant materials, commented,
“Congratulations on a job well done. The results of the project are something in
which you should take pride.”
For over a decade, the National Trust has had a central role in saving Knight
Foundry. The five principal planning and preservation grants which Knight
Foundry has received over the years were either directly provided by the Trust
or received through the involvement of the Trust staff.
• In 1995, the Trust helped fund the production of “Pouring Iron” a video
program for visitor orientation and which was shown in part on the History
Channel .
• In 1997, the Trust funded a Strategic Plan for restarting the foundry.
• In 1998, the Trust funded a preliminary Preservation Plan.
• In 1999, the Trust facilitated and then administered a $35,000 matching grant
for in-depth preservation planning from the J. Paul Getty Trust, through the
federal Save America’s Treasures Program, a White House/National Trust
partnership.
• In 2000, Knight Foundry received a Save America’s Treasures $250,000
matching grant from the National Park Service to fund restoration. Using the
Getty Trust preservation plan as a guide, the National Parks grant will enable
the Knight Foundry Corporation to bring the foundry back into operation,
stabilize all the structures for future restoration and make the site readily
accessible to the public.
Just as important as this grant support, the National Trust has taken strong
proactive steps to preserve Knight Foundry, designating Knight Foundry as
one of the Trust’s 1996 America’s Eleven Most Endangered Historic Places and
to publishing the feature article “Dark Foundry” in Preservation magazine.
This served to focus national attention on the plight of the foundry at a critical
moment and to link the already well established local support together with
nationwide preservation resources.
Ms. Fiala came to see what had been accomplished with the Trust grants, to
get better acquainted with some of the key players and to assess future needs.
She reviewed fundraising plans and pledged the National Trust’s help
identifying and facilitating introductions to potential funders. Her letter to Jim
Henley, Knight Foundry board Chairman, after her visit, states:
- “Now that I have seen Knight Foundry for myself, I fully understand why
the National Trust has devoted so much of its resources to its preservation
over the last twelve years. It is unparalleled both for its integrity of historic
fabric and for its unique significance, for California and the nation, as a
surviving nineteenth century industrial complex and center of technological
innovation. I strongly urge you to apply for National Landmark
designation.
Speaking for the National Trust, the impressive human resources you have
assembled and high caliber of your board of directors and staff give us every
confidence that you will succeed in creating a unique national resource for
historic preservation, in addition to securing the site itself for posterity.
Your goals of providing traditional cast iron custom products for a wide
range of historic preservation and restoration projects and your core
commitment to the continuation of the historic iron foundry skills critical
to that continuing production are highly commendable and of the first
importance for the viability of myriad historic preservation and restoration
projects all over the United States.”
Trust for Historic Preservation, we are confident that we can achieve our shared
goal of bringing Knight Foundry back to life.