The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia (PAWV) is now accepting proposals for qualified historic preservationists to provide instruction in intermediate historic wooden sash window repair/preservation. The ideal workshop time frame is two consecutive days in August 2023, but there is flexibility in the exact scheduling. Therefore, proposals must include two suggested dates for the workshop in either August or September as part of the scope of work.

PAWV selected the historic Arthurdale Homestead Community High School as the subject of the hands-on, historic preservation workshop. It is pictured below and located at 303 Eby School Rd, Arthurdale, WV. The property is owned by the non-profit organization, Arthurdale Heritage Inc. (More photos are included at the bottom of this document. Please contact PAWV at jbillman@pawv.org or by calling 304-345-6005 with any questions about the building or to set up a site visit.)

The class size will be limited to 20 participants with beginner to intermediate knowledge of window repair. The class itself can be split into beginner and intermediate sessions to accommodate different levels of involvement required for beginners versus returning students. The target audience for this workshop is local volunteers and Preserve WV AmeriCorps members as they will continue working on the windows as part of their service following the workshop series.

The instructor should be prepared to lead classroom-based discussions, as well as demonstrate on–site. Time should be allotted for students to practice what they are learning in the field. Hands-on work can be done in the high school's old shop room, which will be set up to accommodate the workshop, and the classroom portion of the workshop can take place at another space on Arthurdale Heritage’s campus. The instructor should base the content of the workshop on the information outlined in the National Park Service’s Brief #9 - The Repair of Historic Wooden Windows. The instructor should be prepared to teach on the following topics in both classroom and worksite settings:

• Building assessment as it relates to wooden sash windows,
• Common causes of failure related to these windows or repairs,
• Preventative maintenance,
• Properties of traditional wooden sashes and their comparison to modern materials,
• Properties of traditional window panes and their comparison to modern materials,
• Selection of appropriate replacement materials,
• Nondestructive removal methods and replacement methods, and
• Efficiency comparisons to modern windows.

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The instructor will be expected to work with PAWV staff to ensure the proper materials and supplies are purchased for this workshop.

PAWV will handle registration and provide lunch on-site to the workshop instructor and participants each day.

Submit proposals via email to Jamie Billman at jbillman@pawv.org by June 23rd, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.

This RFP does not indicate any promise to follow through and implement any proposals.  We reserve the right to select a different trainer for this workshop. We reserve the right to accept late proposals if insufficient or inadequate proposals for all slots are received by the deadline. We may suggest revisions to your proposal for your consideration.  PAWV staff will organize and direct all events and will have final approval of content.

This workshop receives Federal funds from the National Park Service as administered by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture, and History. Regulations of the U.S. Department of the Interior strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination 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, U. S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20240.​

The church is the sole remaining building in the Black coal camp community established at Tams and is also a physical reminder of the once-bustling coal town’s racially segregated past. The congregation consisted of Black miners and their families who resided in the northern section of Tams, while white and recent European immigrant groups lived in separate areas.

The Gothic Revival style church was built in 1921 after the board of trustees of the congregation approached W. P. Tams, Jr., who owned the company town, requesting that a church be built for them. Tams obliged and provided the funding for the construction of the church. The congregation was able to repay Tams in 1928 and received a clear title to the property.  Unfortunately, a reversion clause in the deed reportedly states that the parcel will revert to ownership by the present Western Pocahontas Land Company should it cease to be used as a house of worship. 

The church building currently serves a small congregation dedicated to the continued preservation of its built history with admittedly limited resources. Calls for its preservation have been publicly discussed through local news media for several decades, and in 2016 the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia listed the church as a West Virginia Endangered Property.

In 2021, the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia received a grant from the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office to conduct a National Register nomination. PAWV is delighted to report that as of 2023, the New Salem Baptist Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.