By Malina, Preserve WV AmeriCorps In my two terms of AmeriCorps, one of the most exciting aspects of the program, for me, has been meeting new people who are taking on meaningful projects and networking with them. There are so many venues for AmeriCorps members to help each other with their projects and initiatives. Simply being in such a cooperative atmosphere can rub off on your other networks as well, and like-minded advocates and go-getters can be found in the most surprising places. Before I began my service with PAWV’s Preserve WV program, I had started working with Paula R. Curtis on Carving Community: The Landis and Hiroi Collection as a favor to friend, and as a fun side project during my job search. When we started the project, we had no idea how far it would take us. Paula is an incredibly impressive and smart person who was my sister’s roommate in college and is currently a PhD candidate in History at the University of Michigan and a Fulbright scholar. She runs a widely read blog entitled “What Can I Do with a BA in Japanese Studies?” That blog was the way a woman named Jane Heald first got in contact with Paula on behalf of her neighbor, Janell Landis. Janell is a former missionary who spent over thirty years living in Japan and teaching English at a women’s university in the region of Sendai. In 1981, after she had already been in Japan for nearly three decades, Janell met a local artisan who makes edo-goma(traditional spinning-tops) and began learning his craft. Janell gets such joy from these little wooden art-pieces that she has amassed a collection of nearly two hundred distinct tops. At 87, she began to think of the future of these precious items and wanted to find a museum to which she could donate them. She turned to Jane and Jane, after a simple Google search, turned to Paula. Paula was so intrigued by Janell’s story that she turned to me. As a graduate student in Public History, I gained some experience with oral history. Thus, Paula’s idea was to interview Janell as a kind of PR for the collection. We toyed with the idea of writing a journal article with the information from the interview, but decided that the publishing process would likely take too long and there could be no assurance that we would be printed at all. I turned to my advisor from graduate school who gave us the idea of an online “exhibit” website of our findings in the interview. The project never would have begun without the incredible network of each person involved.
In October, Paula and I travelled to Janell’s home in Tennessee and conducted the interview over three days. There was much to discuss including her life in the US during World War II, her decision to become a missionary, her training, her life in Japan, how she met her sensei and what his work meant to her. She demonstrated the workings of the tops and introduced us to some of the people in her community who had also spent time in Japan. She asked us if we would be willing to travel with her to Japan when she planned to visit for the last time in May. We were evasive: how could we afford to? But the idea was planted in our minds, and it opened up the possibility of filling in the gaps of the narrative we started. If we could interview her sensei, Hiroi Michiaki, we could understand his intent in creating each piece and his history with his only American and first female pupil. Thus, instead of transcribing the interview we had and posting the video we had taken in Tennessee, we devoted our time to writing grants and promoting a successful Kickstarter campaign aimed at buying the AV equipment we would need to take with us. With a generous grant from Paula’s department at Michigan and a little more money from the Kickstarter than our original goal, we both joined Janell in her journey from Nashville to Sendai, Japan. This was a project that started with nothing: an email from a retired woman on behalf of her friend that resulted in an international journey and a museum home for Janell’s collection. Thanks to another member of Paula’s University network, the Morikami Museum in Delray Beach, Florida will be adding Hiroi’s tops to their collection of traditional Japanese art works. Janell is overjoyed that people from all over the country will be able to view and appreciate the work of her teacher and friend. In Part 2, I will discuss my impressions of Japan, our interview with Hiroi-sensei, and some surprising preservation work going on in the town of Akiu, Japan. Charles B. Yuill presents “Integrating Airborne and Terrestrial Laser Scanning with GPS for Heritage Site and Structure Documentation, Management and Monitoring in West Virginia’s Industrial Landscape”
On Friday, September 26, 2014, 3:15-4:40 pm in the Visual Arts Building Charles Yuill works with landscape architecture and environmental design at the Davis College at West Virginia University. His presentation, designed with colleagues Peter Butler and Adam Rielly, focuses on the use of terrestrial laser scanning for heritage and cultural resources. He will delve into case studies including Fallingwater, Arthurdale, the Virginia Iron Furnace, and Blennerhasset Island that have used airborne and terrestrial laser scanning with GPS within these sites. In his presentation, Yuill will focus on the application of drone use to historic structures and landscapes of West Virginia. Don’t miss it! Register for the conference at our EventBrite page. The activity has been financed in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior and the WV Division of Culture & History, State Historic Preservation Office. Regulations of the U.S. Department of the Interior strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination in departmental Federally Assisted Programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, age or handicap. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility operated by a recipient of Federal assistance should write to: Office of Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240. ARCHEOLOGY TOURISM: HOW CAN ARCHEOLOGY ATTRACT VISITORS TO YOUR SITE? – CONFERENCE INSIDER LOOK7/16/2014
By Rodney, Preserve WV AmeriCorps Today’s Insider Look into the PAWV 2014 Historic Preservation Conference is about using archeology to bring tourists to your site. The conference is given every two years at a different host city. This year it is being held in Huntington, WV, September 25-27, 2014. For a full conference agenda, click HERE. To register for the conference, visit our EventBrite page. Alison Thornton, M.A. Beverly Heritage Center & Appalachian Forest Heritage Area AmeriCorps presents “Using Archeology to Promote Heritage Tourism” Saturday, September 27, 2014 9:00 am – 10:15 am Visual Arts Center, Marshall University Archaeology can be used to bring locals and tourists to your site. Work on mitigation or educational excavations are both types of archaeology which can bring interested parties and perhaps a whole new group of enthusiasts to you. This year, the West Virginia Statewide Historic Preservation Conference will focus on archeology and brownfields re-use. To this end, we welcome Alison Thornton M.A., who will educate attendees on using archeology as a powerful tool to increase involvement within organizations or historic sites.
Ms. Thornton M.A. has a wealth of academic and field archeology experience. Alison Thornton has a Bachelor’s degree in archaeology from Arizona State University and a Master’s degree from Western Michigan University. Recently, she brought her skills to serve the Beverly Heritage Center in Beverly, West Virginia through the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area’s AmeriCorps program. There, one of her projects involved leading an educational excavation at the Collett House.
The activity has been financed in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior and the WV Division of Culture & History, State Historic Preservation Office. Regulations of the U.S. Department of the Interior strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination in departmental Federally Assisted Programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, age or handicap. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility operated by a recipient of Federal assistance should write to: Office of Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240. The Riverside African-American School in Elkins opened in 1906 as a simple one floor brick building. In 1925, a second floor was added. What makes this building highly significant is its history as the educational forum for the Black and Native American populations of Randolph County and surrounding areas for five decades. PAWV added the historic school to the WV Endangered Properties List in 2010 because of deterioration. Since this listing, the Riverside School Association has purchased the building and made tremendous headway in stabilizing the building and working to create the multi-cultural heritage center. The Association holds a special fundraiser, the Riverside Blues Fest, every July to raise money for the building preservation project. To learn more about the history of the school, watch the special WBOY Channel 12 segment. The Waldo Hotel is located in Clarksburg, WV. It was one of the grandest hotels in the region when it was built in the early 1900s. PAWV added it to the WV Endangered Properties List in 2009. Since its listing, there have been many ups and downs. Many local citizens wanted to demolish the building – seeing it as a safety hazard and an eyesore. However, a group of dedicated volunteers, the Waldo Hotel Preservation Society, have the vision to preserve and adapt this building for modern needs. The Waldo Hotel Preservation Society has been fundraising and working with developers to re-use this building. In May 2014, the Society announced that the property is currently under contract for eventual purchase by a capable party that is already working to repair and redevelop the building. Learn more about the property and the project in the WBOY Channel 12 video. The WV Endangered Properties List was revived in 2009 after PAWV received a three-year Partners in the Field grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This grant ended in 2012, and PAWV has maintained this program, without additional grant funding. We rely on membership donations to keep this program alive. If you are interested in becoming a member of PAWV, visit our PayPal page HERE.
PAWV’s 2014 Historic Preservation Conference is coming up in a few months. Our conference is held every two years and features a different city and theme each year. This year’s city is Huntington, and the theme demonstrates how archaeology and brownfield re-use intersect with historic preservation. We’re featuring special insider blogs into some of the conference sessions. The conference is being held in Huntington, WV, September 25-27, 2014. A full conference schedule is available HERE. You can register for the conference at our EventBrite page. Register today! You won’t want to miss this conference.
According to the American Community Survey, 58,106 units, or 1/14 of the homes, in West Virginia fall are vacant, abandoned and/or dilapidated. Many of these buildings are either historic or lie within historic neighborhoods. In addition, some of these properties can be classified as brownfields.
Local governments in West Virginia are primarily responsible for determining how to deal with these issues and prioritizing which properties to address. Mr. Richardson’s presentation will describes the tools that local governments can use to effectively preserve historic properties that are vacant, abandoned, dilapidated and/or brownfields. Richardson’s presentation will discuss how citizens can engage with the local government to promote preservation of historic properties. This discussion will include regulation of unsafe and unsanitary buildings, registration programs, and land banks, all of which are authorized and presently used in West Virginia. The presentation will also provide examples of tools used in other states but not presently in use in West Virginia. By Rodney, Preserve WV AmeriCorps During the week of June 16th to the 20th, I set out to participate in a hands on preservation project in the Monongahela National Forest. The project was focused on rehabilitating a historic shelter on the top of a high, overlooking mountain. I was joined by one other PreserveWV AmeriCorps member, Sami, as well as the Preservation Alliance’s VISTA, Alex. We experienced various levels of accomplishment throughout the week. Undeniable however, we found the work was honest and progress was evident, but in real life projects, there is no telling what surprises you’ll find. The site chosen for this project was a historic Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built shelter. The cabin is located on the top of a high ridge point giving 360 degree views of the surrounding forest. Because of this location, the shelter was used by forest fire patrols surveying the area from above in the nearby fire tower. The cabin was built by the CCC around 1931. It is made up of one main room, a small front porch, and attic area above the living space. There is evidence of wood stoves but due to vandalism, all that remained inside were a cabinet and limited shelving.
We began cleaning up trim pieces and wood window pieces. To our surprise, we found the new wooden windows ordered by the park service were much too big for the frame. Project supervisor, John Rossi, led me through the process to measure and cut down the sashes. I learned to assemble to rail system and eventually installed all three windows.
PAWV added the Arthurdale School Buildings to the West Virginia Endangered Properties List in 2012. Arthurdale was the first homestead community created under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal program. Eleanor Roosevelt had a major influence in the development of the community and the Arthurdale campus. She donated books, money, and supplies to the school. From 1934-1936, Elsie Ripley Clapp served as administrator of the Arthurdale School. A student of John Dewey, Clapp saw the school in Arthurdale as a great opportunity to create a community school. Students learned through hands-on activities rather than theoretical learning and undertook projects related to agriculture and construction. Elsie Clapp helped design the school campus, which opened in the fall of 1935 and featured a high school, cafeteria, gymnasium/auditorium, elementary school, primary school, and nursery school. WBOY Channel 12 featured the Arthurdale School buildings as part of a 12-week series about West Virginia’s Endangered Properties. Get a glimpse inside the school in this video. Learn more about the school buildings at Arthurdale Heritage, Inc.’s website.
Lynn Stasick is the statewide field services representative for Preservation Alliance of West Virginia. Lynn’s primary job is to work with stewards of sites listed on the WV Endangered Properties List. Lynn’s position is maintained through membership donations. This position originated from a Partners in the Field grant made possible by the National Trust’s for Historic Preservation, but this grant ended in 2012. If you are interested in becoming a member and donating to this program, you can do so at our PayPal page.
In the case with Abatron products, the consolidant (LiquidWood) is a two part viscous material that when mixed in equal parts and applied to rotted and decaying wood, reinforces, rebuilds, and waterproofs the offending material. It is the first step in the restoration process and is applied before the wood filler. Once the consolidant becomes tacky, the wood filler can be applied.
The filler (WoodEpox) is also a two part system but comes in a two color dough form. The dough is a high-strength, no-shrink structural adhesive putty. Once again, equal parts are mixed to form a uniform substance that can be used to fill even large holes, cracks, and rotted areas. To smooth the dough, one only need dip the putty knife in some isopropyl alcohol and carefully work the material. Once the dough has set, it can be sanded, shaped, and routed. It can also be tinted with dry pigments when combining the two parts, and stained, or primed and painted afterward. It is important to remember two things; the consolidant goes a long way, so only mix a small amount at a time. In addition, the working time for the wood dough is only about twenty minutes, so only mix up an amount that can be worked in that timeframe to avoid waste. It is also important to remember that since the WoodEpox generates heat as it cures, the larger the mass, the quicker it cures due to the amount of heat generated and trapped within the mass. Thus, thin applications will take longer to cure. When used correctly, wood consolidants and filler can produce a very professional end result. In addition, these products allow the homeowner greater autonomy in the hands-on restoration process. It is true that certain situations will require wood replacement, but the Abatron process allows for many jobs that might otherwise be sent out to be completed on site and at a greatly reduced cost. Visit the Abatron website at Abatron.com. Give it a try and good luck! If you would like to learn more about historic wooden window rehabilitation, contact Lynn at [email protected] to set up a workshop. You can also visit our website for more information on why to save historic windows.
The historic Entler-Weltzheimer House is believed to be the oldest log structure in Shepherdstown. Built in the 1790s, the structure is the last remaining example of vernacular architecture in that part of Shepherdstown. The university obtained the house in 1926, converting it to a sorority house and domestic science classroom.
The follow-up workshop will be held due in part to the remaining funding which the Historic Preservation and Public History Program received from the Two Rivers Giving Circle and a matching grant from the Historic Shepherdstown Commission. |
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