Bartley, Theodore

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NAME: Theodore Bartley Jr.


Biography:


From The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 7, 1989

Theodore T. Bartley Jr., 51, a leader in the Philadelphia architectural community and an advocate of historical preservation, died Monday at Graduate Hospital. Mr. Bartley, who lived in Society Hill, was a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and president of the architectural firm of Bartley Bronstein Long Mirenda.


As chairman of the American Institute of Architects' national committee on historic resources in 1979, Mr. Bartley helped author that organization's position on historic preservation and restoration. He later represented the AIA for seven years at the National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Property. Friends and colleagues yesterday recalled Mr. Bartley as a professional whose love for the history and vitality of Philadelphia motivated him to promote its development within the framework of its architectural heritage. Frederick A. Long Jr., one of his partners, said that Mr. Bartley, rather than trying to save historic buildings out of sentiment or nostalgia, tried to show developers how preservation could be financially beneficial. "He wanted to make things work. He was very practical. He wanted to make preservation a living sort of thing rather than just something for museums and monuments."


Mr. Bartley had been personally involved in the design of virtually every new and restored building at Pennsylvania Hospital in the last two decades, and he was largely responsible for saving the facades of a row of 19th-century homes in the 700 block of Spruce Street.

"He provided a consistency of taste throughout the buildings," said hospital vice president Bruce Herdman.


Another partner, Edwin Bronstein, described Bartley as "a man of blunt honesty, boundless creative enthusiasm, great personal magnetism, a variety of interests and a wicked sense of humor." Mr. Bartley earned his professional degree, with honors, from the University of Pennsylvania in 1961, where he was president of Tau Sigma Delta honorary fraternity and a recipient of the Henry Gillette Woodman Traveling Fellowship. He was a member of the Architectural Advisory Committee of the Philadelphia Historical Commission from 1975 to 1987, and served as a member of the board of the Academy of Vocal Arts and the Foundation of Architecture. Mr. Bartley owned and bred champion Airedales, and he was often seen strolling Center City, gazing at surrounding buildings while leashed dogs tugged at his hands.


Survivors include his mother, Mary Bartley; brother, Daniel, and sister, Mary Ann Schaible.

Memorial services will be held at 3 p.m. tomorrow at the Preston Building at Pennsylvania Hospital, in Theater I on the first floor, at Eighth and Spruce Streets. Contributions may be made to the hospice program at Pennsylvania Hospital.


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Date of Birth:

Date of Death: December 4th, 1989

Age at Death: 51


Employment: President of the Architectural Firm Bartly Bronstein Long Miranda


Social/Political Groups he attends/attended: Fellow of the American Institute of Architects


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