Each Preserve WV AmeriCorps member is required to submit a “Great Story”, which is about the people we serve.  This Great Story comes to us from Rodney, PAWV’s Preserve WV AmeriCorps member.

I am eight months into my AmeriCorps service term with the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia (PAWV).  Many of our days involve traveling into rural communities where historic gems are tucked away around every bend and just over the next hill.  Our goal is to promote preservation efforts throughout the state; no projects are too small or big.

A large part of my position involves assisting with windows restoration workshops.  I was surprised to learn of the importance of preserving windows to maintain a building’s historic integrity.  But look at any building, and the size and arrangement of windows is entirely evident and inheritably important.  Each historic window is a piece of artistic and careful woodworking.   What is equally surprising to me is the feasibility of preserving these pieces, even for an average home owner or property steward. Through our workshops, we seek to instill confidence in Do-It-Yourselfers to follow through with their own windows project.

A very recent and successful workshop occurred at the Shepherdstown University.  The workshop was attended by students and open to the public for free due to two grants.  In total we had around 35 attendees for the two day workshop.  Many expressed their own takeaways and similar revelations to when I started learning about windows restoration.  To that end, they left excited and more comfortable regarding their own windows projects.

Each of these workshops continues to spread information on historic preservation throughout West Virginia.  Each of the participants, whether they have a project of their own or just have an interest in old things, takes something away from the presentation.  Hopefully they view preservation as valuable to their own communities.  As word spreads, it is my wish that West Virginians continue to recognize the range of historic resources and the need for preservation in the Mountain State.  And upon seeing how even windows can be restored with a couple of tips and tricks, realize that even tackling the larger projects is doable and help is always within reach.

Meet PAWV’s new VISTA, staff, Preserve WV AmeriCorps, and PAWV Board of Directors and ask them historic preservation questions.  Bring photos of specific  historic buildings if you have questions related to their preservation.  Have a question about historic windows, ask Lynn!  PAWV’s very own Lynn Stasick will be giving a historic windows demonstration using windows from the Darden House.  You will also be able to purchase a copy of PAWV’s new booklet: West Virginia Endangered Properties: Saved & Lost, 2009-2013 at a special discounted rate of $5!

Fun for the whole family! For questions, contact [email protected].

Over the next five months, PAWV will be partnering with the New River Gorge Development Authority to present Bridges to the Past, A Historic Preservation Initiative of the NRGRDA.  Special historic preservation programming and the PAWV traveling exhibit, Preserving West Virginia: Saving Communities, will be featured at over five locations in southern WV.  See a full calendar events, exhibit locations, and programming topics below…

The workshop will focus on the Entler-Weltzheimer House on the campus of Shepherd University. As it is the last remaining example of vernacular architecture in a modest part of Shepherdstown along High Street, preserving the structure is important to the Shepherdstown community. By 2000, though, the Entler-Weltzheimer House had become dilapidated and was an eyesore. In 2011, Shepherd University applied for a grant from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and was awarded $34,419 for a restoration of the Entler-Weltzheimer House. Shepherd matched these funds, and from 2011-2012, $68,838 was invested for major external renovations, including removal of a non-significant dormer, a new historically appropriate roof, new paint, and significant interior repair and stabilization. In 2013, the Phi Sigma Chi sorority, who used the house from 1948-1960, donated funds for a new railing in front of the house. The windows, however, are in need of repairs, ranging from complete rebuilding to paint removal and repainting. Boards still cover the window openings, and the structure, while no longer an eyesore, still presents an unfinished appearance.

Windows have long been a bone of contention within historic preservation projects. For many years, environmentalists and preservationists butted heads over the issue of replacement windows that were thought to be more energy efficient versus restoring original windows. Concerns about lead paint also led to the drive to replace old windows rather than repair them. Recent best practices have shifted from window replacement to window restoration, retaining the original historical look and feel of the old glass and wood while keeping the energy invested in the original window fabrication. Moreover, weatherization updates can increase the energy efficiency of the window and proper techniques can provide for lead abatement safely and reasonably. Nevertheless, historic wood windows continue to be removed and replaced unnecessarily. In most cases, property owners do not understand that it is possible to restore wood windows properly, safely, and affordably. The PAWV workshop aims to educate the public about proper window restoration a techniques while in the process significantly improving the appearance of the Entler-Weltzheimer House.

Read about the newest initiative to balance hydraulic fracturing (aka fracking) and cultural resource management.  The Gas and Preservation Partnership (GAPP) formed last year and is an innovative not-for-profit organization whose mission is to work collaboratively and pragmatically with both the energy industry and the preservation community to identify and properly manage historic and cultural resources while encouraging efficient exploration and development of energy reserves.

The Converging Roads to Energy Independence and Heritage Preservation – The Blog for Preservation Leadership Forum.

PAWV is heading to Pittsburgh next month to take part in a first-ever summit about promoting this balance.

We’ll be reporting on the event and what we learned.  We encourage others to attend too!

The 2014 West Virginia University Historic Preservation Field School will be held at Coopers Rock State Forest (CRSF) this May. Field School participants will examine three scales of development within CRSF: the Landscape, Structure, and Detail. Landscape analysis will reveal cultural traces of past land uses and bring to the surface former patterns and elements. Structure analysis will include issues in preserving significant threatened pavilions within the park. Construction Detail analysis will reveal the qualities of construction that physically represent an important era in American history.   The program is suitable for upper level undergraduate and graduate students; as well as practitioners and other interested parties.

Contact Dr. Kathryn Burton, Division of Design & Merchandising for more information:
704 – P Allen Hall; phone: (304) 293-0814
email: [email protected]

Preservation Alliance of West Virginia is currently accepting proposals for its statewide historic preservation conference scheduled for 25-27 September 2014 in Huntington, WV.  This year’s conference theme is “From the Ground Up: Archaeology, Brownfield Re-use, & Historic Preservation”.  Conference proposals should relate to the theme of archaeology with an additional focus on how archaeology has been used in brownfield re-use and historic preservation projects.  Proposals will also be accepted for conference tracks: preservation policy, heritage development, and preservation skills.

In order to have a successful conference we would like to ask those in the preservation field and the general public to propose speakers, facilitators, educators, and more for this year’s event.  The conference tracks include: Preservation planning and policy; heritage development and tourism; and Preservation trade skills and methodology. We are looking for knowledgeable professionals willing to lead one or more of the following:

• Plenary speaker
• Panel presentations
• Half- and full-day workshops
• Educational walking or driving tours
• Short educational sessions
• Student poster sessions
• Round-table discussions 

For more information on each of these positions, necessary qualifications, and applications, please see the guidelines below. PAWV will begin reviewing applications on 28 March 2014 and will continue to accept application until all conference programming has been selected.

Submit proposals, preferably via email, to info@pawv.org and/or 3 hard copies to:
PAWV
Darden House
421 Davis Avenue
Office #3
Elkins, WV 26241

For more information, please contact PAWV at info@pawv.org or 304-345-6005.

This RFP does not indicate any promise to follow through and implement any proposals.  We reserve the right to select different trainers for different workshops.  PAWV staff will organize and direct the workshops and will have final approval of content.

Volunteer presenters are encouraged. Honorarium may be available for some presentations and will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.  Conference fees at a discounted volunteer rate apply to speakers and trainers wishing to participate in special activities, including the historic preservation awards banquet and luncheon.

Proposal Application Requirements: 
Preservation professionals interested in providing preservation training for any of the above formats — speakers, workshops, educational sessions, roundtables, panel discussions, and/or educational tours should submit a proposal including:

• Qualifications, credentials, and experience:
• Skill(s) that you are qualified to teach
• Teaching or training experience
• A short one-paragraph bio suitable for use in conference handouts
• Organizational affiliation, if any
• Description of proposed presentation, no more than one page
• Short abstract, no more than 150 words, for use in conference handouts
• Tools or equipment, if applicable, you can provide for the class and student use
• Materials and site requirements you would expect to be provided
• Availability 

Volunteer presenters are encouraged. Honorarium may be available for some presentations and will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.  Conference fees at a discounted volunteer ate apply to speakers and trainers wishing to participate in special activities, including the historic preservation awards banquet and luncheon. 

Positions Available: 

• Plenary speakers
  We are seeking three plenary speakers for a 15-30 minute speech on local history for an opening plenary session on Friday, 26 September; a 30-45 minute keynote speech about the conference theme for the awards banquet on Friday, 26 September; and a 30-45 minute speech about the conference theme on Saturday afternoon, 27 September.
• Workshop leader
  ​Trades workshops are best held at a historic property, with hands-on work performed on the property as part of the workshop.  Some workshops include a classroom component or may be intensive training on a focused topic. Occasionally other formats, such as a longer training period, or combining multiple skills in one workshop, may be offered. These workshops can be either a half or a full day. Trainers should have extensive experience in the specific skill, thorough familiarity with historic preservation issues regarding that skill, and experience in teaching the skill. Trainers are encouraged to bring additional hand tools for students’ use for hands-on practice.
• Educational speakers
  Educational speakers will lead a 75-minute session. Each session will most likely be held at an educational breakout room assigned at a specific site.  Conference participants will have the option of attending various sessions throughout the three-day period.  Speakers should have extensive experience in the specific topic, thorough familiarity with historic preservation issues regarding that skill, and/or experience in teaching the skill.
• Round-table leaders
  The round-table discussions will be 75-minutes long and will be located at a specific educational breakout room.  Leaders of round-table discussions must have widespread knowledge and experience working with a specific topic.  Leaders will be available to discuss and answer questions asked by conference participants regarding the discussion topic, and to encourage constructive input and sharing of experiences from the participants.
• Panel presenters and moderators
  Leaders/moderators of panel presentations will assemble 2 or 3 panel presenters to each give a short presentation related to the same theme, followed by discussion led by the moderator. Names and qualifications of each panel participant should be included in the proposal. Panel sessions last 75-minutes and will be held at a specific educational breakout room. 
• Tour guides
  Walking tours generally run from 1 ½ to 3 hours. Driving tours may be a half-day or longer.  Guides must have pervasive knowledge of the historic structures and properties described on the tour.  It is requested that tour guides are not only knowledgeable in the historic uses of the buildings but also the preservation methods and/or technologies used during the preservation of the structures/sites. While a primary focus or theme of the tour will be an aspect of local history, we encourage tours to also have an educational component related to the conference theme and/or one of the conference tracks. 

Three Conference Tracks:
Conference attendees can choose to attend workshops and educational sessions related to three conference tracks, which focus on specific themes common in historic preservation projects and development.  By featuring three different tracks, conference attendees can choose the topic that best reflects their interests and gain the most from their experience.  Attendees will have the choice of Thursday workshops/tours reflective of track themes, as well as Friday and Saturday concurrent educational sessions.  Proposals should be related to one of the following tracks.

• Preservation planning and policy: This track aims to educate about best planning practices, capacity building, and incentives for archaeology and historic preservation projects at the local, state, and federal level by working with/as government entities and non-profit organizations.  Proposals about overcoming obstacles in preservation planning are highly sought.  However, proposals discussing state and federal legislation and preservation will also be considered.

• Heritage development and tourism: Emphasizing economic development through archaeology, brownfield re-use, and historic preservation, this track’s themes include heritage and cultural tourism and the process of developing an economically beneficial basis for such.  Proposals discussing interpretation of sites and landscapes will also be considered.
• Preservation trade skills and methodology: Focused on the reasons for proceeding with archaeology, brownfield re-use, and historic preservation, as well as the tools/skills needed to do so, this track will emphasize the best steps in initiating, performing, and completing archaeology and historic preservation projects, which also includes brownfields and landscapes.  Hands-on workshops and how-to sessions will be considered for this track.  

The West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Centers are currently seeking presentation proposals to fill limited slots for the 2014 WV Brownfields Conference in Huntington, WV on September 11-12.

Example presentation topics include:

• Finance and funding mechanisms
• Liability and risk mitigation
• Site redevelopment strategies
• Other redevelopment related ideas, case studies, and best practices.

The WV Brownfields Conference anticipates presentation formats to include expert panels, interactive workshops, and technical training.

To submit your presentation proposal, download this proposal form, enter your information, save it, and email to [email protected] by March 3, 2014.  Scanned copies are also acceptable.

The West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Centers will hold the 2013 State Brownfields Conference on September 12-13 at the Waterfront Place Hotel in Morgantown, WV.

The West Virginia Brownfields Conference is an annual statewide event that combines exceptional educational programs with outstanding networking opportunities between communities, development professionals, and service providers. The 2013 event will include sessions covering all aspects of redevelopment, interactive workshops on project funding, specialty training on remediation, a project showcase banquet, and much more!

Economic Development professionals can receive 10 LED Continuing Education Credits for attending. Find more information at the WV EDC website.

Visit the 2013 WV Brownfields Conference page for more information and to register.

The West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office, in conjunction with the National Park Service, Department 0f the Interior, is sponsoring a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Training Workshop for local preservation commissioners and staff, architects, engineers, consultants, real estate professionals and other individuals interested in preservation.

LEED is an internationally recognized program that promotes a Whole-building approach to sustainability in architecture by recognizing performance selection and indoor environmental quality.  The LEED rating system was developed in 2000 t0 provide means of certifying the “greenness” 0f certain projects, but has not always worked cooperatively with projects trying to meet the Secretary of the Interior ’s Standards for the Treatment  Properties.

The two-day training Workshop will educate those who would like to learn more about the program’s interconnection with historic preservation and the Standards. The workshop will focus on general sustainability in the context of preservation, and will also include training and preparation for anyone wishing to take the LEED Green Associate exam.

The workshop will be held Sept. 9-10, from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm at the Culture Center in Charleston.  It is FREE for members of Certified Local Governments and $100 per person for others.  Registration is due by Monday, August 26th.  To register and for more information, contact Pam Brooks at [email protected] or by calling 304-558-0240.