Stegner in his studio
A few days ago, we reported on the planned demolition of Wallace Stegner‘s writing studio, where the Pulitzer prizewinning author wrote for half-a-century – and on the last-ditch plans to save it.
Looks like the Stegner fans have saved it – for now. From the Los Altos Town Crier:
A complaint lodged last week by a national group of preservationists temporarily sidetracked a plan to demolish prize-winning author Wallace Stegner’s former South Fork Lane home and writing studio in Los Altos Hills to make way for a 7,323-square-foot home.
While town officials May 31 were ready to fast-track the new two-story construction, the Washington, D.C.-based National Trust for Historic Preservation sent a letter to Los Altos Hills alleging that the home’s historical significance warrants a more complete review. If true, it could delay the project for months.
“Since there is ample evidence that this unique site is eligible for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources, we respectfully urge the Town to conduct (an) environmental review that analyzes alternatives to demolition before considering project approval,” reads the May 27 letter.
The definitive words come from Alice Sakamoto, Stegner’s longtime neighbor, who said, “In addition to (the studio) being personally sentimental, to me (it) is the literary equivalent of the Hewlett-Packard garage.” This has a certain resonance for those of us who live in Silicon Valley.
Read more here.
Tags: Alice Sakamoto, Wallace Stegner
June 9th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
Now I hope they do something meaningful with the site.