Politics of Historic Districts

Bill Schmickle currently chairs the Annapolis Historic Preservation Commission and was a cofounder of the Oak Ridge, NC, Historic District. He and his wife, Charlotte, own and operate Flag House Inn in the Annapolis National Landmark Historic District. A former professor of political science, he now writes and consults on preservation issues.

• Chapter 1 Introduction: What D'ya Know?Chapter 2 1. Before You Take Another StepChapter 3 2. Thinking Politically about Historic District DesignationChapter 4 3. How It StartsChapter 5 4. A Walk through the Designation ProcessChapter 6 5. On Planning and StrategyChapter 7 6. Our Strategic Line: A Community in/ within ConflictChapter 8 7. Makers, Breakers, Takers, and Shapers: The Political Field of PlayChapter 9 8. Leadership and OrganizationChapter 10 9. Working with ShapersChapter 11 10. A Practical VisionChapter 12 11. Thinking Politically about Design GuidelinesChapter 13 12. It's PersonalChapter 14 13. Sticks & StonesChapter 15 14. The Campaign KickoffChapter 16 15. Community Meeting ArrangementsChapter 17 16. Your Community PresentationChapter 18 17. FAQs: Frequently Asked QuestionsChapter 19 18. Thinking Politically about Q&A: The Moving Pattern of Opponents' ChallengesChapter 20 19. Our Reframing Q&A StrategyChapter 21 20. Answering Opposition Questions I: From "Distrust of Them" to the "Pivotal Shift"Chapter 22 21. Answering Opposition Questions II: From the "Pivotal Shift" to "Distrust of Us"Chapter 23 22. Skirmishing with Radical Property RightistsChapter 24 23. Petition PoliticsChapter 25 24. Reaching Out to the OppositionChapter 26 25. Moving on to City HallChapter 27 26. Behind-the-Scenes IntelligenceChapter 28 27. Working with the PressChapter 29 28. A Civic VisionChapter 30 29. The Politics of Public HearingsChapter 31 30. A Conversation with a LobbyistChapter 32 31. A Checklist for One-on-One MeetingsChapter 33 32. Our Public Hearing PresentationChapter 34 33. The Politics of CompromiseChapter 35 34. Winning the Vote

Living with politics and historic preservation has always been unpredictable and controversial. This book will make it easier to navigate the treacherous path of creating a local historic district. Bill Schmickle's adventurous and often humorous approach to demystifying the citizen's journey is a must read for the seasoned or novice preservationist.