Sarah M. Heffern
Writer. Editor. Preservationist. Social media enthusiast. Caps/Nats fan. Knitter. Reader. Traveler. Beer drinker. STNY heart, WDC home.
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Tweets
- RT @PresNationLive: One word to describe Miami #MarineStadium, @GloriaEstefan says "Survivor... Like me. I'm titanium reinforced; it's conc…
- This is my nephew James, happily eating a lemon while we wait for lunch. #auntiegenesFTW http://t.co/0AKVGe3Zv7
- My entire Facebook feed right now is my @PresNation colleagues posing with @GloriaEstefan. It's pretty damn amazing.May 23, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- No pic w/ flotus yesterday, but I did get one with gloriaestefan today. Whee! @ National Trust for… http://t.co/W9CMY9O5k8
- So yeah. I just had a conversation with @GloriaEstefan about @vineapp. Like you do. (Says her daughter loves it, btw.)
- Shout out to my @CBSSunday live-tweeting companions @cajunjen & @tikidaisy in my latest for work... http://t.co/xbnSciLR4t #savingplaces
- In my 14 years working for @PresNation, I've never seen people arrive so early for a staff meeting as today's w/ @GloriaEstefan. #1785forEVA
- My autocorrect has decided that when I write “vacay” I actually mean “vacation.” Which I do, but I also want to save characters. Stop it.
- Gave up half a vacay day yesterday for a work gig w/ @FLOTUS. Doing same today for @GloriaEstefan. It’s true, kids, sometimes work is fun!
- Blerg. My DVR killed the season pass for #CriminalMinds and I didn’t realize there was a new episode tonight. Missed half the season finale!
- Thinking maybe @Bharper3407 needs a smaller helmet or a chin strap… For sure don’t want him to cut back on the hustle & #natitude.
- Today's work event made the @WashingtonPost. Yay! RT @germonique: Michelle Obama visits slave quarters http://t.co/hm3qvlk9mp #savingplaces
- Harper has decided to be my sister's nap companion. #catnap http://t.co/LQWszFkHzR
- When you tell @tedsbulletin you’re gonna share a to-go milkshake, they kindly put it in two cups! http://t.co/UE90xibj3o #customerservice
- Introducing my little sister to the wonder that is @tedsbulletin's homemade poptarts. (@ Ted's Bulletin) http://t.co/S3mNUeWLbv
- When you’re standing behind #Caps owner @TedLeonsis while he’s shaking @FLOTUS’s hand, this is the picture you get: http://t.co/TlzzjujSn4
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Status
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Info
- Associate Director, Social Media Strategy at National Trust for Historic PreservationOnline Media | Washington D.C. Metro Area, USSummary
Online marketing and communications professional with more than 10 years of experience writing, editing, and managing content for nonprofit websites. Skilled in developing and implementing comprehensive social media strategies.
Experience- Jan 2012 - PresentAssociate Director, Social Media Strategy / National Trust for Historic Preservation
Responsible for developing a comprehensive, multi-channel social media strategy for the organization and for contributing to the development of campaign-level social outreach.
Education-
1999 - 2001Goucher CollegeCertificate in Historic Preservation
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1989 - 1993Siena CollegeBachelor of Arts in American Studies
Additional Information-
Websites:
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Photos
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Checkins
- Luna Grill & Diner1301 Connecticut Ave NW
- National Trust for Historic Preservation1785 Massachusetts Ave NW
- Hill's Kitchen713 D St SE
- Ted's Bulletin505 8th St SE
- National Trust for Historic Preservation1785 Massachusetts Ave NW
- sweetgreen1512 Connecticut Ave NW
- National Trust for Historic Preservation1785 Massachusetts Ave NW
- Shake Shack1216 18th St NW
- Eastern Market225 7th St SE
- Angelo M Nails615 Pennsylvania Ave SE
- The Queen Vic1206 H St NE
- Eastern Market225 7th St SE
- Headlines Salon326 Massachusetts Ave NE
- Dupont Circle1 DuPont Cir NW
- DGS Delicatessen1317 Connecticut Ave NW
- National Trust for Historic Preservation1785 Massachusetts Ave NW
- The Board Room1737 Connecticut Ave NW
- Ella's Wood-Fired Pizza610 9th St. NW
- National Trust for Historic Preservation1785 Massachusetts Ave NW
- sweetgreen1512 Connecticut Ave NW
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Reading
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Recent Tracks
- Step Off by Kacey Musgraves
- My House by Kacey Musgraves
- It Is What It Is by Kacey Musgraves
- Merry Go 'Round by Kacey Musgraves
- Back On The Map by Kacey Musgraves
- I Miss You by Kacey Musgraves
- Keep It To Yourself by Kacey Musgraves
- Blowin' Smoke by Kacey Musgraves
- Dandelion by Kacey Musgraves
- Follow Your Arrow by Kacey Musgraves
Bruce SpringsteenLady AntebellumU2Indigo GirlsR.E.M.Great Big SeaZac Brown BandBellyMiranda LambertPearl JamArcade FireThey Might Be GiantsLady GagaThe Avett BrothersSimon & GarfunkelSuzanne VegaMumford & SonsGlee CastBrandi CarlileThe BeatlesJonathan CoultonPatty GriffinLiz PhairSarah McLachlanLily AllenMadonnaTori AmosCounting CrowsShe & HimGusterBilly JoelJohn MellencampTanya DonellyDar WilliamsKaty PerryIngrid MichaelsonOver the RhineNanci GriffithWilcoStingAndrew BirdSheryl CrowThe Brian Setzer OrchestraThe DecemberistsKimya DawsonNirvanaTracy Chapman10,000 ManiacsThe PoguesSinéad O'Connor- 177 plays
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- Halah by Mazzy Star86 plays
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- LDN by Lily Allen71 plays
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Posts
- Apr 10, 13
Yesterday — which ever so conveniently aligned with my planned birthday off from work — was the first day of the peak blooming period for DC’s famous cherry blossoms. The cold weather had kept them at bay much longer than expected, but once they decided to appear… Whoa. I don’t know if I’ve never made it down to the Tidal Basin right at peak before, or whether this year’s crop is better than usual, but I’ll admit I was impressed.
Here are a few pictures from my stroll:
A panorama of the Tidal Basin, taken from near the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. (Click to enlarge)
And as if that was not enough floral beauty for one birthday, I got into work today and found a huge box of gorgeous flowers from my nephews. I’m such a lucky auntie!
- Apr 09, 13
This, apparently, is what 42 looks like – at least when it’s been walking around for too long on a hot day.
In the book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, 42 is the answer to the “ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything” as determined by a supercomputer over the course of millions of years.
The catch? No one knows what the ultimate question was.
This seems oddly appropriate as I celebrate my 42nd birthday. It’s an age by which I think younger me would have expected to have all the answers, when in reality, all I’ve learned as I’ve aged it that I don’t necessarily even know the question.
I’m totally ok with this, by the way. I’ll keep asking and trying and doing and being and caring and loving, because that’s as close to everything as I am ever going to need.
- Apr 08, 13
… That beautiful, welcome things like spring warmth and beautiful trees make me feel so miserable? The pollen count is on its annual climb, and right now, my eyes are itchy, my throat is scratchy, and I am oh-so-sleepy. I suppose I should be grateful – this year I finally recognized my allergy symptoms coming on and started taking Claritin before I was hopelessly congested – but it’s hard to find gratitude when I feel like I’ve swallowed sand.
Ah, well. I’ll take comfort that I’ve got the window open tonight (I know, an allergy no-no) and it’s warm enough for me to be sitting on the couch in a tank top. It’s a bit jarring to have gone from unseasonable cold to unseasonable heat, but it’s supposed to even out to normal spring by the end of the week. Before it does, though, I’ll have an 80-degree day off for my birthday, which is not terrible. At all.
Maybe I’ve got more gratitude in me than I think, because yeah… I appreciate the hell out of that.
- Apr 06, 13
Growing up, I – like most little girls – threw a lot of tea parties. My dolls would gather to drink tea and chitchat, and once in a while, my stuffed animals joined them. I loved tea parties, though at the time in my life where I hosted them frequently, all of the best parts, the tea and the treats and the conversation, were imaginary.
When I got older, tea parties mostly vanished from my life. With the exception of the occasional vacation splurge or bridal shower, brunch replaced afternoon tea as the place where grownup-me found hot drinks and catching-up time. Until today, that is, when I joined a group of girlfriends at the Jefferson Hotel for afternoon tea.
Fancy tea, part one: finger sandwiches (roast beef, cucumber with grapefruit caviar, egg salad, and smoked salmon).
For two hours, the six of us – who had donned springy dresses in honor of both the venue and the welcome arrival of warm weather – feasted on finger sandwiches, scones, strawberry shortcakes, and more, all while talking as much as we could while dealing with so much food. It was absolutely delightful, and left me ready to make fancy tea part of my regular routine.
Fancy tea, part two: strawberry shortcake, cookies, cakes, and scones with jam and Devonshire cream.
Once I recover from the sugar shock, that is.
- Apr 04, 13
To say it’s been unseasonably cold lately would not be an overstatement – as I type, the 11:00 news is talking about sleet in the forecast and the delayed blooming of DC’s famous cherry blossoms. Despite this, there have been hints that our real spring is on its way, like yesterday evening’s perfect sky and the emergence of at least a few flowers. Of course, it was so windy that the “pink” part of this photo didn’t quite make it into focus.
Ah, well. Spring has to get here eventually, right?
- Apr 03, 13
A couple of months back, when the US Postal Service announced its plan to end Saturday mail service, my friend Jenna decided – along with her friend Leslie – to show their support for snail mail by sending letters and postcards to friends and to the folks that read their blogs. I was immediately reminded of my (wholly unsuccessful) plan to send a postcard a week in 2012 and decided the time was right to make that project a success.
And then I waited two months because… dormant blog, general laziness, whatever.
During that time, however, I did solve one of the problems that proved a sticking point in 2012 – that the touristy postcards that are everywhere in DC didn’t really inspire me in any way. To combat this, I ordered a batch of custom postcards, using my own Instagram photos, from moo.com. I am very happy with the way they came out and am looking forward to getting them out in the mail.
So… give me your address and I’ll send you one. Use the linked form (rather than the comments) since it’s private, and please fill it out even if you think I already have your address – just to make sure the one I have is up-to-date. No guarantees when your postcard will arrive, but I’ll get one to you!
- Apr 02, 13
Staycation 2013 is officially over. After six work days – and two weekends! – of leisure and shelf-building, I found myself back on the Metro platform this morning, wearing pants with buttons before noon,* making my way to the office. I survived re-entry back into my normal life, but it will probably be a few days before I feel like I am caught up and on track.
And speaking of re-entry, I think I am heading back into post-a-day blogging. As it turned out, last year’s daily experiment seems to have absolutely ruined my ability to post on an occasional basis, though I managed just fine doing that for the first four years of having this blog. I don’t expect I’ll be quite as militant this time around (translation: I won’t beat myself up if I miss every now and again) but I’m gonna give it a whirl.
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* If you’re on staycation and you change out of soft pants before lunch, you’re doing it wrong.
- Apr 01, 13
I finished off Staycation 2013 in grand style today, taking in the Nationals’ home opener with my brother and my friends Megan and Jim. It started out a gorgeous, warm, sunny day — perfect baseball weather — but even the wind that blew in enough of a chill to require an emergency run to the merchandise stand for a wildly overpriced jacket couldn’t cool off the Nats, who won 2-0. (Two solo home runs from Bryce Harper… I think that kid might have a future!)
A few photos from the day…
After giving out all of the 2012 awards (and believe me, there were MANY), an outfield-filling flag was brought out for the National Anthem.
The usher for our section – who is in his 70s – very gamely agreed to dance with a very enthusiastic (read: possibly drunk) twentysomething during the break in the game when they played “Boogie Shoes.”
- Mar 28, 13
I’ve spent this week on staycation – off from work, but not traveling – due to some impending changes in how our leave is calculated at the office. It’s a fine and probably overdue change, but it’s one that means those of us who are long-term employees need to be a bit more diligent in actually using our time off. Which, when it comes down to it, is a pretty good thing.
I did, however, make a serious tactical error in scheduling my staycation during a) many local schools’ spring break and b) the Cherry Blossom Festival. (Nevermind that it’s kinda chilly and there’s nary a cherry blossom in sight – these things are scheduled way before they know if the weather is going to cooperate.) Lots of kids plus (potentially) lots of tourists tends to limit my enthusiasm for the myriad museums and historic sites in my town, so as a result, my time off has been very home-focused.
And, I might add, very productive. I’ve taken my living room from looking like this:
To looking like this:
For quite some time now, the space wasted by using my drop-leaf table as a television stand has driven me bonkers. And so, IKEA to the rescue with shelving deep enough to hold the tv and all its associated paraphernalia, but all of my books as well. They were an absolute beast to build – most likely because I ignored the instructions that said (via pictograms), “Do not build these alone, dumbass! Get someone to help you!”
I could not be happier with how they came out, though. The room looks so much better now – less cluttered and more organized. I’ve already made one trip to Goodwill to jettison some of the many random pieces of storage-related furniture I had, and will probably need to make two more. For the two biggest bookcases, though, I may instead use the tried-and-true DC technique of putting them out front with signs that say “free” and hope they find new homes without further assistance from me.
Tomorrow, I’ll be venturing out a bit more – in addition to another trip to Goodwill, I’m meeting a friend for coffee in the morning and my sister-in-law and nephews for a visit to the natural history museum at some time still to be decided. And though I don’t yet know what the weekend will bring, I’ll be finishing up my staycation on Monday at the Nationals’ home opener. Not bad, eh?
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Posts
- May 23, 13
Miami's Art Deco hotels by nightFor quite some time now, I've had a Sunday morning ritual. I get up about 8:45, make some coffee and peanut butter toast, grab my iPhone, and settle into my couch to watch -- and live-tweet -- CBS Sunday Morning with my friends Alison and Jenna. This past Sunday, however, was much more exciting than usual, because it quickly became clear that the episode's "design" theme was heavily laced with historic preservation.
How heavily? So much so that even Jenna, who unlike Alison and me, does not work here at the National Trust, noticed:
Oh goodness, "historic preservation" moment on @cbssunday. I bet @smheffern & @tikidaisy are nerding out.
— Jenna Sauber (@cajunjen) May 19, 2013
And indeed we were. from the opening segment -- featuring Trustee Paul Goldberger -- on:
All of Charles Osgood's segment introductions were just as full of preservation-friendly stories and images -- the Art Deco hotels in South Beach, Vizcaya (named to our 11 Most Endangered list in 2008), the gorgeous Midcentury Modern Fontainebleau Hotel, and even a quick glimpse of Philip Johnson's Glass House.
Even a segment on the design of Beijing's hutongs -- commercial alleyways, many of which date to the 14th century -- has a preservation message. In talking about bringing her business into a rehabbed hutong building, a young designer said, "For me, it's about finding that balance... taking what is the best from the past and at the same time, give it contemporary relevance."
Words for American preservationists to live by, even if few of the sites we work with have a history dating back 800 years.
Check out a full list of videos and links for the May 19 episode of CBS Sunday Morning.
- May 21, 13
Last week, after completing our series on how to buy a historic house, we embarked on the next step in the process: deciding whether to restore or rehabilitate your home. Once that’s decided, the fun really begins, since it involves playing detective. There are clues all around to what your house may once have looked like; you just need to know where to look.
We covered the go-to-the-library angle before in our 10 Ways to Research Your Home’s History toolkit, so today we’ll look more closely at what your house and its immediate surroundings might be trying to tell you.
1. Inspect the exterior. Is the outside of the house all one architectural style, or are there a couple of different styles visible? More than one architectural style may signal a later addition to the original structure.
2. Match up the interior to the exterior. If the inside of the house has a section in a different architectural style and the outside does not, that suggests a major remodeling in one area, but perhaps not an addition.
Astilbe and old milled clapboard3. Know your materials. Are the exterior walls all made of the same thing? Or are they different? Any differences -- even subtle ones like larger or smaller clapboards -- could indicate an addition to the house.
Tip: This might not apply if you bought a Queen Anne-style house, as they are known for incorporating many different materials.
4. Examine the floor plan. Is the layout of the house consistent with its style? For example, if your Georgian house -- which should have a symmetrical floor plan -- is asymmetrical, that would imply a significant alteration.
5. Check out the walls and flooring. Are the walls uniform, or are there thinner or thicker areas that could show a door or window has been filled in? What about the floors? Do the boards all run the same direction within a room? Are they the same size throughout? Inconsistent walls and/or floors can hint at an earlier design.
6. Look up. Are there changes in ceiling height? This could demonstrate several different things: that a wall has been removed, an addition built, or mechanical systems added.
7. Peek behind molding and switch plates. Clues about old paint colors and/or wallpaper are often lurking behind molding and switch plates, which can suggest both the earlier look of a room and what its original use was.
Crown molding at Riversdale Mansion in Maryland8. Investigate interior trim. A change in baseboard trim, window/door frame styles, or other altered embellishments can lead you to either an addition or a thorough remodeling.
9. Spy on your neighbors. Or, more specifically, on their property. Are their walls and fences identical to yours? This could reveal that a larger property -- perhaps yours, if your house is the oldest -- was sub-divided for development.
10. Scour your yard for clues. Are there changes in grass color, depressions in the ground, or other markers indicating a lost wing of the house or an outbuilding? Is there any abandoned, overgrown, or clearly removed foliage? This could help you locate a garden or orchard.
Have you had the opportunity to play detective in your historic home? What clues did you find?
Adapted from The New Old House Starter Kit by Richard Wagner, AIA.
- May 13, 13
The Washington National CathedralAfter three weeks of online voting -- and massive numbers of tweets, Instagram photos, and Foursquare check-ins -- we, along with our partner, American Express, are happy to announce that the Washington National Cathedral received the most points in the 2013 Partners in Preservation competition. As the winner of the popular vote, the Cathedral will receive its full grant request of $100,000 towards restoring two bays of the vaulted ceiling inside the nave, which were damaged in 2011's earthquake.
In addition to the grand prize, three sites -- LAMB at Military Road School, Brightwood, D.C.; Arlington House, Arlington, Va.; and Living Classrooms of the National Capital Region, Anacostia, D.C. -- won $20,000 each for being top peformers on Twitter, Instagram, and Foursquare, respectively.
One of Living Classrooms' Chesapeake Bay working boatsThe remainder of the $1 million in preservation grants was distributed to a dozen of the participants from the greater Washington, D.C. area:
- All Souls Church Unitarian, Adams Morgan, D.C.: $50,000 to repair the historic bell tower, including clock, stonework, and windows.
- Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site, Shaw, D.C.: $75,000 to rebuild front and rear facade in order to stabilize home for public access.
- Colvin Run Mill, Great Falls, Va.: $75,000 to bring the 18th-century grain elevator into working order.
- Congressional Cemetery, Barney Circle, D.C.: $50,000 to replace and reconstruct a row of 26 mausoleum vault roofs.
- Dumbarton Oaks Park, Georgetown, D.C.: $50,000 repair garden’s original built structures, including viewing platform, stone houses, and retaining wall.
- The GALA Hispanic Theatre at The Tivoli, Columbia Heights, D.C.: $35,000 to restore three ornate interior domes.
- Greenbelt Theatre, Greenbelt, Md.: $75,000 to renovate Art Deco lobby.
- LAMB at Military Road School, Brightwood, D.C.: $60,000 to repair exterior of school building, including columns and cupola.
- Meridian Hill Park, Columbia Heights, D.C.: $50,000 to stabilize and repair exposed aggregate concrete grotto.
- Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, Scott Circle, D.C.: $90,000 to restore stained glass windows on church’s primary facade.
- Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, Va.: $100,000 to paint, plaster, and restore Washington’s Large Dining Room.
- Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, Mount Vernon Square, D.C.: $75,000 to repair and preserve a dozen of the Synagogue’s stained glass windows.
In addition, the remaining historic places that participated in Partners in Preservation also each received $5,000.
Congratulations to all the participating historic sites!
- May 09, 13
Sousapalooza! -- in honor of one of Congressional Cemetery's famous residents, John Philip Sousa -- was in full swing.The DC metro area served up what could only be described as perfect spring weather -- sunny, warm, and dry -- for the Partners in Preservation Open House Weekend on May 4-5. And with activities ranging from viewing Saturn's rings to meeting adoptable dogs, participating sites pulled out all the stops to impress visitors -- and garner votes!
Excited that, after years of being in other cities, Partners in Preservation was in our own back yard, I was among several National Trust staff who jumped at the chance to see Open House Weekend first-hand. And I think I speak for all of us when I say that we were impressed with not only the events and sites, but also the enthusiasm of local community members who turned out.
Before you dive into the slideshow and recaps, one reminder: Voting ends tomorrow, so there are but two chances left to support your favorite sites. Vote now!
All Souls Church Unitarian:
I joined friends and congregants at All Souls after services for bell-shaped cookies and punch on the terrace, followed by a rare tour of the bell tower, which houses the Revere bell and which would benefit from Partners in Preservation funding. We received a lesson in bell ringing, observed the workings of the clock, and took in a spectacular view of the city. -- Erica StewartClara Barton's Missing Soldiers Office:
I attended the 2nd annual Whiskey and Cigar event. There were approximately 80 people in attendance, which is 50 more than the site reported the previous year! -- Monica RhodesColvin Run Mill:
Colvin Run Mill had kid-friendly activities like old-timey laundry and corn meal grinding as well as demonstrations of the mill at work. They also had a voting booth station set up on the way out, so visitors could not leave without casting a vote. -- Sarah HeffernCongressional Cemetery:
I got to Congressional on the early side on Saturday, so I missed the spaghetti sauce tasting scheduled for the afternoon. I asked the origins of the tasting, which seemed odd for a cemetery, and was told that it’s because John Philp Sousa’s family was apparently famed for their tomato sauce. (Sousa is one of their famous “residents.”) I did get to hear the sousaphone played, saw families heading out on a scavenger hunt, and visited the mausoleums that would benefit from the grant. -- SarahDumbarton Oaks Park:
I took a walking tour of the site and listened to a poetry reading there. Site supporters staffed half a dozen informational tents related to education and preservation of the site, and lots of families and local preservationists attended the event. -- Andy GrabelHeyden Observatory:
I viewed a magnified Georgetown clocktower and saw Saturn and its rings from a telescope inside the observatory. -- Andy
Volunteers -- and adoptable dogs! -- at the Aspin Hill KennelThe Kennel at Aspin Hill:
Visitors were invited to walk in and take a look around the kennel while discussing its future use with a member of the Montgomery Humane Society. The MHS also brought two very adorable dogs and three guinea pigs ready for adoption. -- MonicaLAMB @Military Road School:
LAMB’s open house festivities included a meet and greet with former students of the Military Road School, a peek at the school’s green roof, and a look at plans to restore the historic school building, now 101 years old. Attendees of all ages enjoyed lawn games, a barbeque, and a riotous circus act by a very agile LAMB parent. -- EricaSixth and I Historic Synagogue:
I toured the sanctuary and balcony, walked on the stage, and visited the reception hall where site volunteers and staff served refreshments. -- AndyUS Marine Corps Memorial:
Friendly and well-informed Park Service employees staffed a tent that was chock-full of information both about the monument and the Partners in Preservation program. -- SarahWashington National Cathedral:
I listened to a soul/gospel band performing on the Cathedral steps, walked around the inside of the sanctuary, and walked on the grounds and through the collection of vendor tents. -- AndyVoting begins on April 24, 2013 at 12:01am Eastern Time and ends on May 10 at 11:59pm ET. Must be at least 13 to vote. Limit one (1) vote per person/email address per calendar day. See terms of participation for complete details.
- Apr 30, 13
In our ongoing series about buying a historic home, we've covered how to find a historic house, determine its architectural style (parts One and Two), and finance the cost. Today we're on to the next step in the process -- how to inspect the house to make sure it is in good condition.
Of course, a professional inspection -- which will cover many of these same areas, but with greater depth and accuracy -- is necessary once you move from looking to buying, but knowing what to look for while you're shopping around can help you make your decision!
1. Make a list. Before you get started, make a list of all the areas you want to look at, including the roof, chimney, interior and exterior walls, porches, windows and doors, foundation, fireplaces, attics and basements, bathrooms, etc. This will help ensure that you don't miss any critical elements, and can also help you prioritize the work that needs to be done once you become the owner.
2. Take pictures. Having photos to refer back to will help you remember what you've seen. (Be sure to ask the owner or their representative for permission first!)
3. Start at the top. From a distance, examine the roof and chimney. Look for a sagging roofline, leaning chimney, and any sort of obstructions. Closer in, examine the roof shingles or tiles for signs of rotting, cracking, or other damage. Check the chimney for loose or missing mortar, and verify that the flue liner is intact.
4. Examine the walls. Like the roof and chimney, a house's walls need to be looked at both from near and far. Different kinds of exteriors (wood, masonry, stucco, etc.) will show different kinds of wear, but signs of water damage and cracking are rarely good signs. And don't neglect the interior -- while paint color and wallpaper are easily changed, make sure those aesthetic choices aren't covering up signs of leaks, loose plaster, or other damage.
5. Spend some time on the porch. And not, alas, just drinking iced tea and reading a book. Look for weak floor boards and peeling paint, which are signs of rot, and take a moment to look underneath to make sure the piers holding up the porch are stable and not pulling away from the house. Also, make sure the stairs are in good condition; be on the lookout for missing or damaged railings.
6. Look out the windows. Are they original? Moreover, are they in good shape -- no cracked or broken glass, or damaged sills or rails? If the windows are not original, are they compatible with the house?
Tip: If you're not sure about how to handle a home with historic windows, check out our toolkit from last fall, 10 Things You Should Know About Retrofitting Historic Windows.
7. Walk around -- and up and down. In other words, pay attention to the floors and the stairs. Listen for squeaks and feel for springiness, sags, and tilts. Pay particularly close attention to the floors near sinks and tubs -- is there water damage? Peek under the carpet when possible to assess the state of the flooring below, and look along the baseboard for ridges that indicate a floor has already been sanded down. (Most can only be sanded one or two times.)
8. Go underground. How is the basement? Keep your eyes peeled for signs of water damage -- both obvious and hidden. Puddles, clogged drains, or a sump pump make it clear that water has been an issue, but stealthier signs often include furniture and books up on risers rather than on the floor.
9. Are all systems go? Don't forget to look at the basics that we all take for granted: heating, hot water, and electricity. Many houses that have been renovated have newer systems, but not all will. You'll want to be sure that everything is functional and safe before buying the house.
10. Don't forget the attic. There are several key things to pay attention to in the upper reaches of a historic home: making sure there's no wildlife (look for signs of animal damage, nests, or hives), holes in the roof not visible from outside, or water damage -- and that there is climate-appropriate insulation.
There are just some of the many things to keep in mind when inspecting a historic home. What else do you look for?
- Apr 25, 13
Earlier this month, the #builtheritage Twitter chat tackled one of the most important -- but least glamorous -- facets of our work as preservationists: strategic planning. We discussed how different groups plan, how to balance the basics of running a healthy organization with preservation priorities, and how to keep from duplicating the work being done by partners. Highlights of the conversation are in the slideshow below:
Though it seems we just wrapped up that chat, our next one is already around the corner. We've made the May chat something of a tradition, discussing preservation jobs (and job-hunting techniques) every year as a new crop of preservationists graduate. Whether you're established in the field and have advice to offer, or the ink's not yet dry on your diploma, please join us on Wednesday, May 1 at 4:00 EDT to talk about this field we all love.
Here's how to get involved:
1. Sign in to Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. We (the chat moderators) usually use TweetChat since it adds the hashtag automatically and allows for easy replies and re-tweets.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage.
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other participants using replies and retweets.
What we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderators as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations (often about food) still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
Hope to chat with you next week!
- Apr 24, 13
Believe it or not, it's been seven years since we first launched our partnership with American Express, Partners in Preservation. Since that time, the program has made grants worth $9 million to historic places in San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans, Boston, Seattle, Saint Paul/Minneapolis, and New York. And as a longtime resident of the District of Columbia, I could not be more excited to announce that the D.C. metro area has been selected as 2013's host city.
Today through May 10, two dozen historic places in the DMV -- as the District, Maryland, and Virginia are known in Twitter-speak -- will be competing for $1 million in grants through a popular vote campaign. How does it work? This short video explains the process:
You can vote for one site per day, every day through May 10 and earn additional points through social sharing, so visit www.partnersinpreservation.com to see the participating sites and get voting!
And if you're local to the DMV, save the date now for Open House Weekend, May 4-5, when the sites will be hosting special events and programs to share the stories of these terrific places.
To keep up with the latest news, like Partners in Preservation on Facebook or follow @PartnersinPres on Twitter.
Voting begins on April 24, 2013 at 12:01am Eastern Time and ends on May 10 at 11:59pm ET. Must be at least 13 to vote. Limit one (1) vote per person/email address per calendar day. See terms of participation for complete details.
- Apr 09, 13
Last week, we kicked off our series on buying a historic house with a toolkit focused on how to find the right new-to-you home, and this week, we’re moving on to the next step -- identifying the kinds of properties you might find.
Naturally, with the United States being as large as it is, there are a lot of architectural styles to cover. If you’re looking for a home built between approximately 1620 and 1890, today’s post is for you. Tune in next week for part two, which will get through the mid-20th century.
And because architecture, like preservation, comes with a lot of jargon, look for definitions and links throughout for more information.
1. Spanish Colonial. Located primarily in Florida and the Southwest, Spanish Colonial-style homes are built from adobe or stone covered in stucco and have low-pitched roofs. Most are only one or two stories; feature long, covered porches; and are L- or U-shaped.
2. Saltbox. Featuring a rectangular layout and rooms arranged around a central chimney, saltbox houses are most commonly found in New England and the Northeast. Look for asymmetrical, gabled roofs that join a two-story section with a single-story, and a front (two-story) façade decorated with pendants and brackets.
* Pendant: an elongated decoration hanging below a ceiling, usually in wood or plaster.
* Brackets: Small projecting pieces of wood, metal, or stone designed to support a projecting element.3. Dutch Colonial. These houses, native to the Hudson Valley and parts of New Jersey and Delaware (and dating from 1625-1840), come in a variety of exteriors -- stone, clapboard, or brick. You can identify them by their steeply pitched gambrel or gabled roof and double-hung, multi-paned windows. On the inside, you’ll generally find the layout is rectangular, with rooms off a central stair hall.
Kenmore, a Georgian house in Fredericksburg, Va.4. Georgian. If you live east of the Appalachian Mountains, and are after a symmetrical floor plan, look for a Georgian. Its other key features are a gable, gambrel, or hipped roof with a decorative cornice and regularly spaced, double-hung windows.
* Cornice: Projecting portion at the top of a building façade.
5. Late Georgian. If a regular Georgian isn’t fancy enough, look for a Late Georgian, where the detailing takes over and elaborate cornices -- along with Palladian, semi-circular, and elliptical windows -- join the party.
Tip: Drayton Hall, a National Trust Historic Site, is Georgian-Palladian in design and has many of the elements you should look for in this style.
6. Federal. Six-over-six windows (double-hung, with six panes each) are one of the defining elements of this common style of urban row house along the east coast from Maine to Georgia from 1780-1830. Brick or clapboard exteriors with a low-pitched gable, hipped, or flat roof accented with a balustrade or cornice are other details to look for in the Federal style.
* Balustrade: A series of short pillars supporting a rail.
7. Greek Revival. If you’re looking east of the Mississippi or in parts of Louisiana, Texas, and California, keep an eye out for Doric, Ionic, or Corinthian corner pilasters on the outside and Greek key moldings and interior columns to determine if you have a Greek Revival on your hands.
* Pilaster: A shallow rectangular column attached to a wall surface.
* Greek key: Geometric ornament of repeated horizontal and vertical lines.
The William J. Rotch Gothic Cottage in New Bedford, Mass., is one of the nation’s best-known examples of Early Gothic Revival architecture.8. Gothic Revival. Arched, oriel, and bay windows, along with decorative vergeboards, roof finials, and porch detailing make Gothic Revival houses stand out. You’re most likely to find them in the East, and in other locations settled before 1880.
* Vergeboard: The decorative gable end boards usually found on buildings of the Victorian period. Also known as a bargeboard.
* Finial: Ornament at the top of a gable, pinnacle, or tower, often of a fleur-de-lis design.9. Italianate. Another style commonly seen in urban row houses (and also in 19th century “suburbs”), Italianate design is characterized by its asymmetrical layout, corner stair towers, and bracketed cornices. Like Gothic Revival, it’s found in communities established prior to 1880.
10. Vernacular/National/American Four-Square. Found in small towns and rural areas nationwide -- and called by a variety of names -- this style, popular from 1850-1890, features a rectangular or L-shaped layout, gabled roof, and limited detailing.
Do you have a favorite style or architectural detail? Tell us about it in the comments!
Content for this post is adapted from “Buyer’s Guide to Older and Historic Houses” by Richard Wagner, an out-of-print National Trust publication.
- Mar 24, 13
At the beginning of March, the monthly #builtheritage Twitter chat temporarily transformed to the #cityheritage chat, as we partnered with the #citytalk chat run by Joe Peach of This Big City and Rashiq Fataar of Future Cape Town. The recap below, written by Joe in the days just after the chat, captures the highlights of the broad-ranging, internationally-focused conversation we had about adaptive reuse.
If the recap below piques your interest, we'll be chatting again -- back at our regular #builtheritage hashtag -- on April 3, 2013 at 4:00 EDT. April's chat will focus on strategic planning and its role in preservation organizations. Come with your best planning war stories! Details on how to participate can be found here.
The Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, Pa.Written by Joe Peach, This Big City
Last week saw a bit of a first for This Big City. After hosting 14 successful #citytalk tweetchats with various collaborators, we did our first ever tweetchat mashup with Sarah Heffern and Kayla Jonas Galvin from the #builtheritage chat. Suitably, we called it #cityheritage and our topic of discussion was building reuse - the act of finding new purposes for old buildings that no longer fulfil the function they were originally designed for.
We were joined by Twitter users from all over the world, with participants from Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and South America (Oceania residents were probably in bed). Hundreds of tweets were shared over the course of our six questions and sixty minute chat, and these are our highlights.
Building Reuse Champions
Which projects are leading the way, showing the world how to imaginatively and successfully reuse heritage buildings?
A1: Prallsville Mill on the D&R Canal as arts & non-profit office space drms-stockton.org #cityheritage
— Jennifer W. Hanson (@ammodramus88) March 6, 2013
A1: This may say too much about me, but this is one of my favorites: churchbrew.com #cityheritage
— PresNation Live (@PresNationLive) March 6, 2013
A1: Former hotel in #hamont now artist studios and coffee house! studioshotelhamilton.com #Cityheritage
— Kayla Jonas Galvin (@jonaskayla) March 6, 2013
A1: London's Oxo Tower. Once a power station, then a cold store, now design shops and social housing en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OXO_Tower #cityheritage
— Joe Peach (@thisbigcity) March 6, 2013
Building Reuse Barriers
Though most cities have examples of heritage buildings that have taken on new meaning, what's holding back other projects from taking place?
A2: Lack of imagination! #cityheritage
— Sean Young (@SustainblHeritg) March 6, 2013
A2 Funding funding funding. Even property owners who believe in preservation still need help making it happen. #cityheritage
— jenny hay (@ajennyh) March 6, 2013
A2: Lack of incentives to owners to preserve & resuse heritage buildings. Many a bldgs in oldcity areas get torn down in India #Cityheritage
— urbanmusings (@urbanmusing) March 6, 2013
A2: Finding the right user. Often people/institutions that need new space are unaware of less traditional options. #cityheritage
— Jonathan Tarr (@plannerthon) March 6, 2013
Community Engagement
Historic buildings are often an embedded part of local culture, so what can be done to ensure communities are engaged in their redevelopment?
A3: consultation is key - need to keep locals involved and in favour - they will be supporting the buildings into the future! #cityheritage
— Sean Young (@SustainblHeritg) March 6, 2013
@jonaskayla A3: opportunities to invest w/ crowdfunding, public charettes held on site, meetings held locally not @ city hall #cityheritage
— Lucas Lindsey (@urbnist) March 6, 2013
A3: Educating communities on the possibilites is often the 1st step. Get their imaginations engaged - "what could be" #cityheritage
— Vicky Soderberg (@CygnetUpdates) March 6, 2013
@jonaskayla A3: opportunities to invest w/ crowdfunding, public charettes held on site, meetings held locally not @ city hall #cityheritage
— Lucas Lindsey (@urbnist) March 6, 2013
Making Building Reuse Easier
What kind of changes need to happen to encourage building reuse?
A4: Money talks. If it makes more sense to convert than to build new, you've just encouraged building reuse.#cityheritage
— Joe Peach (@thisbigcity) March 6, 2013
A4: Educate City Councillors on the value of reuse; economically and socially #cityheritage
— A Calder (@aim_ec) March 6, 2013
A4 -Structures needs to be in place to ensure buildings don’t become dilapidated pushing up reuse costs. #cityheritage
— Wilm (@wilm_ekis) March 6, 2013
Political Backing
How can local politicians be persuaded that building reuse is better than new construction?
A5: Point out of value of building to neighbourhood. Cynically, point out how saving building X could translate into votes #cityheritage
— Jamie Bradburn (@jbcurio) March 6, 2013
A5 Pair with community orgs to provide a voice for constituent-preservationists and invite elected officials to charrettes #cityheritage
— jenny hay (@ajennyh) March 6, 2013
Q5: Make preservation an election issue, canvas candidates on their understanding of and views on it, and involve media #cityheritage
— A Calder (@aim_ec) March 6, 2013
Future Projects
Every city has a building (or more likely, buildings) that could be put to a new use. Where to begin?
a6: I live in Detroit. I don't know where to begin. Most of the buildings on all major roads need rehab love #cityheritage
— Urbanist Dispatch (@urbdispatch) March 6, 2013
A6 The bldg in my n'hood I wished to be reused for years finally became a community center last year: hillcenterdc.org #cityheritage
— PresNation Live (@PresNationLive) March 6, 2013
A6 we're fighting to save Frank Furness' Serpentine Church #philadelphia#philly#cityheritagehiddencityphila.org/2012/05/progre…
— LimeWorks.us (@LimeWorksUS) March 6, 2013
Image via JoeinSouthernCA
- Mar 12, 13
Two days of sunny, 60-degree weather this past weekend has me thinking about one of my favorite warm-weather activities: playing history detective in my hometown. Washington, D.C., where I live, offers an amazing variety of tours, from the neighborhood-centric Capitol Hill House and Garden Tour to citywide Walkingtown DC, and pretty much everything in between.
These kinds of historic tours can be a great way for local history-lovers and preservation groups to bring a community together around beloved places (or the desire to sneak a peek inside that big house on Main Street). Are you interested in coordinating one for your town? Here are 10 tips to get you started.
1. Know your goals. If you’re planning a tour on behalf of an organization, make sure your planned activity ties back to your organization’s mission and has a clear focus, whether it’s fundraising, awareness-building, or inspiring action.
2. Decide on a format. Most communities offer myriad options for historic tours: homes, neighborhoods, gardens, etc. Each comes with a unique set of challenges -- including timing and staffing -- so being specific early on will help keep you on track.
Tip: If doing an organized tour seems too daunting, consider the “If this house could talk” model pioneered by the Cambridgeport neighborhood of Cambridge, Mass., in which homeowners shared their history on handmade signs.
"If this house could talk" tour sign in Cambridge, Mass.3. Identify partners. A homes tour can be a massive undertaking requiring many volunteers and supporters, and partnerships can help ease the burden. Consider reaching out to your local government, civic organizations, schools, and cultural groups for help.
4. Determine oversight. Establish a steering committee with members of the sponsoring organization and partners with the authority to approve budgets (both expenses and projected income), plan schedules, recruit volunteers, and the like.
5. Develop a marketing plan. The only way for your event to be a success is for people to attend, so it’s important to determine who your audience is for the tour, and how to let them know it is happening. Reaching out to local media, preparing signage for participants and local businesses, and getting the word out on social channels should all be part of your plan.
6. Select the homes/gardens/walking tour stops. There are many ways to handle the selection process, but having a theme -- an architectural style, era, neighborhood, or other unifying thread -- makes it easier to choose places. Once you know what you’re looking for, you can solicit nominations or make selections based on appropriate criteria.
7. Research the history of the places selected. Homeowners, in many cases, can shed some light on the story of their house, but a trip to the local library to find additional background on any relevant details (architect, prominent past residents, role in local history) is going to provide a richer experience for tour attendees. (Check out these additional tips on researching a property’s history.)
8. Prepare the tour brochure. Take all those great historic nuggets you’ve unearthed and turn them into a brochure that highlights the theme of your tour. Include a map and any information the tour-taker will need to successfully navigate the tour. Be sure to include a hashtag for the tour to make it easy to find and share photos and tweets about the event during and after the fact.
Volunteers at an event held on Main Street in Aledo, Ill.9. Recruit and train volunteers. Start with a job description for each of the volunteer positions, including docents (who can either lead formal tours or be available for ad-hoc questions), greeters, ticket-sellers, and any other positions you need to fill. Hold a training session before the tour to make sure everyone is comfortable with their role.
10. Manage logistics. On the day of the tour, be sure to have supplies -- including a cash bank, tickets, a contact list, volunteer assignments, refreshments, first-aid kit, etc. -- on hand in a central location so they can be dispatched wherever needed on short notice. Have a few extra staffers or volunteers on hand to cover any gaps in coverage.
And, of course, the unspoken number 11 -- hope for perfect weather! It’s entirely outside your control, of course, but a pleasant day can make all the difference.
Now it’s your turn! What additional advice do you have for running a terrific historic tour?
- Jan 29, 13
Over the past several weeks we’ve covered several aspects of creating local historic districts, including deciding to establish a local historic district, considering where its boundaries should be, and getting community buy-in. This week, we’re looking at keeping the local in your historic district, because districts are not a one-size-fits-all solution.
1. Think beyond your buildings. The most successful historic districts take the streetscape and surrounding landscape into account. Aiken, SC, for example, uses its historic district to not only manage the built environment, but also to maintain the community’s pastoral quality -- with even certain trees designated as landmarks.
2. Consider your local zoning regulations. Historic districts work best when they are hand-in-hand with supportive land use and zoning laws. To achieve this balance -- and avoid an incompatible big-box store in your historic downtown -- it may be necessary to amend local zoning.
3. Look for signs. That is, consider the signage in and adjacent to your proposed historic district. Is it of appropriate size and design for the area? And more importantly, are there any unusual “signs” -- like murals or neon -- that might not fit current design guidelines but should be protected as part of the character of the neighborhood?
4. Make your community greener. When crafting historic district guidelines, keep in mind conservation measures (awnings, windows, insulation) and energy generation (wind and solar). Don’t focus on current technologies -- they will change -- but rather on broad sustainability principles and on creating positive outcomes for both property owners and the environment.
5. Keep an eye on local government. Government land and buildings can often fall within the boundaries of a local historic district, but sometimes the final ordinances exempt them from historic district regulations. If you’re starting from scratch, it’s worth thinking about -- and codifying -- how your local government’s actions will be reviewed.
6. Go inside. While most historic districts focus on the exterior of buildings, some communities -- including Boston, Seattle, New York City, and Asheville, NC -- also include some regulation of interiors for significant public spaces, like hotel lobbies or banks. Does your community have any “signature” spaces? If so, consider including them.
7. Plan ahead for resistance, part one. Even if you have done an excellent job getting buy-in, there will likely be a handful of people who object to their property being in a historic district -- some of whom could be willing to demolish or alter their building to get out of it. A technique to combat this is to put a moratorium on permits in areas where historic designation has been initiated, but not yet approved.
Tip: Be sure to comply with all relevant laws and follow proper procedures if you go down this path. Failure to do so could violate property owners’ rights to due process under the law.
8. Plan ahead for resistance, part two. On occasion, property owners will show their displeasure with a historic district by allowing their building to fall into disrepair to the point where it becomes a safety hazard and needs to be demolished. This is referred to as “demolition by neglect” and can be managed in your historic district guidelines with a minimum maintenance requirement. A good example is the city of San Francisco, which has explicit language around this requirement.
9. Take an alternative approach. Community-generated “conservation districts” -- areas which have less-stringent regulations than a traditional historic district and are accompanied with tax incentives and other inducements -- are growing in popularity and may be a better fit for your historic areas.
10. Don’t overburden your historic district commissioners. Creating a district involves a great deal of effort and requires broad collaboration within the community. But the skills that creating a district requires are not necessarily the same as maintaining the district, getting funding, etc. Be sure to continue working with the local government, nonprofits, and other organizations once the district is established.
Have you worked on creating a historic district? What other accommodations did you make to maintain local character?
- Jan 23, 13
If I learned one thing from the first #builtheritage Twitter chat of 2013, it's that preservationists will be getting it done in 2013. From saving beloved places to landing the perfect job, and from submitting grad school applications to "finding ways to use preservation/planning as a proactive tool," there are a lot of really exciting things ahead for the movement in the new year.
Check out our Storify of the chat for highlights, or read the full transcript.
For our next chat, we'll be talking about the role the federal historic tax credit plays in saving places and how it can be a catalyst for revitalization for entire neighborhoods. The chat will take place at 4:00 EST on Wednesday, February 6.
Because federal historic tax credits are a bit more challenging topic (for me, at least -- perhaps you are a whiz, in which case, please join us), I've pulled together a bit of a cheat sheet of links:- Third Annual Report on the Economic Impact of the Federal Historic Tax Credit (aka "the Rutgers Report")
- Maps and by-state lists of tax credit projects
- Step-by-step guide to knowing if your project is eligible for tax credits
- Top 5 Reasons to Support the Historic Tax Credit
The chat is always open to new participants -- and none of the reading above is in any way required. Here's how to get involved:
1. Sign in to Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. We (the chat moderators) usually use TweetChat since it adds the hashtag automatically and allows for easy replies and re-tweets.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage.
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other participants using replies and retweets.
What we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderators as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations (often about food) still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
Hope to chat with you in a couple of weeks!
- Dec 20, 12
If money is still something that isn't discussed in polite company, it was certainly hard to tell based on December's #builtheritage Twitter chat, for we had a lively conversation about the ins and outs of funding and fundraising for preservation.
We discussed fundraising techniques and events, what role crowdfunding sites (like Indiegogo and Kickstarter) are playing, and what changes we've been seeing in funding availability from the government and foundations. And as with most things in preservation, all things money came back around to knowing who your various audiences are, and how to reach them in the way they want to connect with you.
For highlights of the chat, check out our Storify below:
[View the story "Preservation Fundraising and Funding" on Storify]
[View the story "Preservation Fundraising and Funding" on Storify]You can also read the full transcript here.
Our next Twitter chat will be taking place early in the new year: Wednesday, January 2, 2013, from 4:00-5:00 EST. As I expect we'll all still be somewhat in slo-mo from the holidays, the topic will be a light one -- our plans and goals (preservation-centric, of course) for the new year.
The chat is always open to new participants (we're a friendly bunch!). Here's how to get involved:
1. Sign in to Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. We (the chat moderators) usually use TweetChat since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows for easy replies and re-tweets.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage.
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other participants using replies and retweets.
What we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderators as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations (often about food) still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
I hope to talk to you in the new year!
- Dec 19, 12
When I was a little kid, I remember my dad looking at the massive amount of Christmas decorations that came out of the attic every year and saying to my mom, "You decorate like you were raised in an orphanage!" We all took this to mean that he thought my mom perhaps over-did things a bit, and in a way, he was right: Mom did decorate every surface in our house.
But I, as a result, am wildly enthusiastic about Christmas decorations, so I jumped at the chance when a friend -- and National Park Service preservation colleague -- offered me one of her tickets to see the White House all tricked out for the holidays. (Fun fact: The White House is a National Park.)
The White House, I am happy to say, did not disappoint. While my mother was not in any way involved in the decorating process, her "decorate everything" ethic was clearly on display. From tabletops to mantles and from archways to the Presidential Seal, our president's home was festively -- and beautifully -- adorned.
Here are some of my favorite snapshots of my White House visit -- enjoy!
Descriptions of the decorative themes of the rooms are taken from the booklet "Joy to All: Holidays at the White House 2012," which is provided to all visitors.
- Nov 29, 12
We've been talking a lot about windows here at the National Trust lately, thanks in large part to our colleagues in the Preservation Green Lab, who published a great report (Saving Windows, Saving Money: Evaluating the Energy Performance of Window Retrofit and Replacement) in October that gave us a lot of detailed information about the energy efficiency of historic windows.
The report's authors joined us for our monthly Twitter chat in November to talk about their findings and discuss how we can get the information out to people who are considering replacing their windows when repairs would be better for the building, the environment, and their wallet.
Here are some highlights of the conversation:
You can also check out the full transcript here.
Our next Twitter chat will be taking place next week: Wednesday, December 5, 2012, from 4:00-5:00 EST. We'll be discussing one of those topics that's generally considered verboten in polite company -- money.
But we'll be hitting it from an angle that's always a hot topic among preservationists: funding and fundraising. This will cover a lot of different facets -- membership, individual donors, grants, state/local government funding, etc. -- so be sure to tune in on time.
The chat is always open to new participants (we're a friendly bunch!). Here's how to get involved:
1. Sign in to Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. We (the chat moderators) usually use TweetChat since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows for easy replies and re-tweets.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage.
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other participants using replies and retweets.
What we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderators as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations (often about food) still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
I hope to talk to you next week!
- Nov 27, 12
Is it even possible to make it through the December holiday season without nostalgia and tradition taking center stage? From family habits (must have two kinds of cranberries!) to national spectacle (don’t forget to pardon the turkey!), we all look for ways to be connected to each other and our histories.
Here are 10 ways to incorporate history -- and perhaps start a new family tradition -- this holiday season.
1. Visit a historic site. Many sites pull out all the stops during the holiday season, with special events and exhibits designed to show how the season was celebrated in the past. Holiday mansion tours and “Santa, Snacks, and Stories” are the featured events at Brucemore in Cedar Rapids, while Filoli, in Woodside, California, has a full slate of activities including dinner and dancing, and a children’s luncheon with Santa.
2. Don’t forget to stop by the gift shop. Whether you are there in person or shopping online, buying presents from museums and historic sites supports their work and provides gifts unlike anything you find at the mall. For example: a paperweight modeled after the intricate plasterwork at Drayton Hall, or reading glasses like those worn by architect Philip Johnson.
3. Attend a holiday market. What could be more in the spirit of the season than supporting local artisans and craftspeople? Even places as cold as Toronto offer a festive outdoor shopping experience in a historic neighborhood, so be sure to check out your local listings for seasonal shopping.
The Toronto Christmas Market. Photo courtesy fabfotophotography, Flickr.4. Take a trip back in time. Whether it’s something as simple as dressing up and going caroling, or as elaborate as participating in events like Galveston’s Dickens on the Strand, the holidays can bring out the olden times in all of us. Look for experiences in your hometown that help you and your family relive the past.
5. Enjoy high tea. Many historic hotels -- such as the Drake Hotel in Chicago -- offer a festive holiday tea, providing a chance to sneak a peek at their lavish decorations while enjoying a cozy outing. Historic Hotels of America is a great resource for finding nearby options.
6. Take in the lights. From the smallest of towns to the largest of cities, the prolonged darkness of December inspire historic neighborhoods to show a little sparkle. The Dallas Heritage Village in Texas goes so far as to light everything with candles!
7. Shop local. There’s nothing like wandering down to your local Main Street and supporting businesses owned by your neighbors and housed in historic buildings. Even though Small Business Saturday just passed, capture its spirit throughout the giving season and patronize local establishments whenever possible.
8. Enjoy the sounds of the season. Check the event listings for historic theaters in your community -- many have concerts where you can hear holiday classics new and old. Spokane’s Bing Crosby Theater, for example, has several holiday concerts on the books, as befits a venue named after the singer who brought us “White Christmas.”
9. Take a moment to reflect. Though not everyone lives nearby this example, the Memorial Illumination at the Antietam Battlefield is an incredibly moving holiday season tradition. Look for similar events in your neck of the woods that can help you pause amid the hectic holiday run-up.
10. Support #GivingTuesday. In an attempt at starting a new tradition, charities have banded together to provide a philanthropic counterpoint to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. We at the National Trust are participating, as are other worthy history and preservation-focused groups. Take it one step further and donate on behalf of a loved one for an extra-meaningful gift.
What is your favorite way to bring history and tradition into your holiday celebrations?
- Nov 20, 12
Water damage can be one of the most devastating aspects of a natural disaster, as many in the path of Superstorm Sandy have discovered in recent weeks. And while all structures are vulnerable to flood waters, special care needs to be taken with historic buildings in order to limit the damage to irreplaceable materials and/or design.
In the event that you find yourself in the unfortunate circumstance of dealing with a flooded historic property, here are 10 tips (adapted from our publication Treatment of Flood-Damaged Older and Historic Buildings) to get you started. Additional information can be found in the comprehensive disaster-recovery materials on PreservationNation.org.
1. Document the damage. Before starting your cleanup, take careful notes about damage to your home. This is essential not only for insurance purposes, but also to record important historic features. Photograph any items removed for cleaning or repair purposes to help ensure that they are reinstalled correctly.
2. Create an inventory of found items. Flood waters can carry dislodged architectural features, decorative fragments, and furnishings a great distance. Items found on your property may be extremely valuable to a nearby restoration project.
3. Ventilate! The least damaging drying process begins by using only ventilation. The most effective way to do this is to open windows and doors and allow the moisture to escape. Fans can be used to speed evaporation by moving interior air and exhausting humid air to the outdoors.
Tip: Beware of using industrial drying equipment to remove moisture at a very fast rate. You are likely to cause permanent damage to wood and plaster.
4. Clean the mud while it’s still wet. Rinse mud, dirt, and flood debris with fresh water as soon as possible -- it is safer and easier to remove the mud while it is still wet. Avoid using high pressure water on historic materials and exercise extreme care, so as not to cause further damage.
Tip: Silt and mud will accumulate not only on the floor and furnishings, but in interior wall spaces as well. Be sure to open electrical outlets and mechanical areas and rinse thoroughly, and check heating and air conditioning ducts and clean out any mud or dirt before turning on the units.
5. Beware of a flooded basement. Be careful when pumping water out your basement. If the water level is high, and you are reasonably sure your drains are working, groundwater levels may also be high and pumping water out could result in either more water coming in or a foundation collapse. It is generally advisable to wait for high water to recede on its own.
6. Keep an eye on cracks in the foundation. Movement, particularly widening of cracks, is a sign of structural instability, At this point, call in a qualified structural engineer or architect for a careful examination.
7. Remove saturated insulation. There are two reasons for this: 1) Flooding renders most insulation permanently ineffective. 2) Saturated insulation holds water which, if left in place, can perpetuate high moisture conditions destructive to wood, masonry, and steel.
8. Let the efflorescence take care of itself. The what? Efflorescence is the unsightly white residue found on brick, stone, or concrete walls. It comes from impurities in the materials, but the residue is not usually harmful and frequently disappears naturally when it rains.
Tip: Stubborn efflorescence maybe removed with water, detergent, and bristle brushes -- or with chemicals.
9. Check on your interior materials. Drywall should almost always be replaced. Once it has gotten wet, it becomes unstable, and can be dangerous for residents. (FEMA recommends replacement as contaminants may make the drywall a permanent health hazard.) Plaster, however, is more unpredictable and may survive without damage, while other times it must be replaced.
Tip: One technique for checking plaster is to tap lightly on it with a piece of wood, as damaged plaster will sound hollow.
10. Let wood floors, trim, and doors dry thoroughly before making any decisions. Most wood will expand and warp when wet and then return more or less to its original form as it dries, though it depends on a variety of factors. Waiting for woods to dry can mean the difference between just needing to sand down your historic floors and replacing them.
Have you dealt with flood recovery in your historic home? What proved most helpful to you?
- Nov 14, 12
The Leuthold House, built in 1925. (Photo courtesy Sarah M. Heffern)If there's one thing I have learned over the years, it's that I am not alone when I say I like having a chance to peek into other people's homes. Not in the creepy, hiding-in-the-bushes sort of way, of course, but in the much more socially acceptable manner of dropping in at open houses and taking home tours.
I think this impulse to look behind closed doors is what makes the Candlelight House Tour at the National Preservation Conference a success year after year -- and never more so than in Spokane a couple of weeks back, when preservationists and city residents alike wandered through homes in the ritzy Cliff Park neighborhood.
Cliff Park -- according to the brochure we received -- dates back to the early 20th century, and features custom-built homes that rejected "tall, linear Queen Anne designs in favor of European-inspired Tudors, French and Spanish eclectics as well as American Colonials, Story Book, and Craftsman styles..." and "even a few homes... that represent mid-20th century modernism."
A family heirloom dress on display at the Richard & Jessie Nuzum House. (Photo courtesy Sarah M. Heffern)Each of the homes I visited on the tour had its own unique appeal, but I'll admit I was most charmed by the Senator Dill Mansion, known as Cliff Aerie. "Charm" and "mansion" rarely go together as far as houses are concerned (charming is Realtor code for "really, really tiny" in my experience) but for all its imposing size, Cliff Aerie was laid out in such a way that all of the spaces seemed intimate and cozy, rather than impossibly grand. The views it commands, however -- including one from an observation tower used in World War II -- are as grand as can be.
Cliff Aerie - the Senator Dill Mansion - sports panoramic views of the city of Spokane. (Photo courtesy Sarah M. Heffern)Though no other home on the tour could match the views at Cliff Aerie, and though the homes represented a wide range of architectural styles, they all did share one thing in common -- amazing stewardship. It was readily apparent that each house was beloved and well-preserved by its owners, who all seemed to take great pride in sharing their work with conference attendees and their fellow Spokanites alike.
- Nov 09, 12
Spokane's clock tower, river, and brilliant fall foliage -- as seen from the Conference Center.Beyond Boundaries in Beautiful Spokane -- Preservation Maryland
"This year’s conference highlighted the diverse cultural heritage of Spokane with a number of sessions and field trips devoted to the historic Native American presence and immigrant influence in the region. Preservation of structures, sites, landscapes and cultural resources were given attention and discussion. The sessions definitely reached beyond the usual boundaries of the preservationists’ comfort zone."
#PresConf Recap: Three Take Away Ideas -- Raina Regan
"It’s obvious, at least to me, that we’re at the cusp of major changes in the preservation field. On Wednesday night, National Trust president Stephanie Meeks discussed four “ingredients” that all major movements must have (based on Eric Hoffer’s work); a movement must be soul stirring, spectacular, communal, and an undertaking."
See also: #PresConf Recap: A Timeline // Storify
#presconf: Historic Building Assessment & Opening -- Adventures in Heritage
"Since I was in the systems group I got to go all over the building, from the roof to the basement. The building was AMAZING. From its view of the Spokane Falls, to its original fan system, to the elaborate blue room, every inch was stunning."
See also: Recaps for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
A Call to Action for 2016: Stephanie Meeks Addresses the 2012 National Preservation Conference -- Preservation Leadership Forum Blog
"It’s the same sort of emotional connection that drives people to action in all great causes, whether it be the crusade against breast cancer, homelessness or drunk driving.
Yet, while most of us would agree that saving historic places is as worthy a cause as those endeavors, I doubt many of us would argue that we have penetrated the national consciousness as deeply.
What those causes have -- and what we still need to build -- is the visibility and cohesion that turns a POPULAR CAUSE into a national MOVEMENT."
See also: The "National Preservation Conference" category for daily recaps and Storify slideshows.
Preserving State's Heritage: Why Spokane is Central -- Crosscut Seattle
"Attendees, more than 1,600 of them, had the opportunity to go on tours of Spokane's wonderful Craftsman neighborhoods and taste its mid-century modern moods (who doesn't enjoy the anachronistic wonder of the downtown concrete Parcade?). They also had the opportunity to go on tours farther afield to see Palouse barns, Hanford's B Reactor, even Grand Coulee dam, which was surely eye-opening for those who might regard Eastern Washington as little more than wheat fields and "Coug Mom" license plates; a not untypical Seattle view."
Downtown’s Past Draws Preservation Conference -- The Spokesman Review
"For the past 30 years, Spokane has put a big hug around its historic assets through restorations of the Davenport Hotel, Montvale Hotel, Lusso Hotel, Fox Theater, Bing Crosby Theater and Steam Plant Square -- to name a handful."
See also: Editorial: Spokane’s historical abundance spans city
Did you attend the National Preservation Conference in Spokane? Share your thoughts below -- and don't forget to fill out your session evaluations online!
- Nov 07, 12
Last week, members of the preservation community from across the nation converged on Spokane, Washington for the 2012 National Preservation Conference. From signs in storefronts telling preservation stories to our name in lights on theater marquees, the city pulled out all the stops to show us some love.
And I think I speak for most everyone when I say that the feeling was mutual. During the conference, you could hardly take a step in Spokane without seeing a preservationist shutterbug snapping photos left and right of their new favorite places.
So we thought we'd bring a few of those cool places to you with a quick gallery from the @PresNation Instagram account. (Follow us!) We'll showcase some of the other photographers in coming weeks, but we figured we'd whet your appetite in the meantime ... enjoy!
Did you take photos in Spokane during the National Preservation Conference? Share them in our Flickr group!
- Nov 06, 12
Since the dawn of the preservation movement -- or, at least it seems that way -- preservationists have been touting the value of maintaining historic windows. We know them to be one of the most defining characteristics of a building, as well as one that can be made highly energy-efficient, but with the constant drumbeat of replacement window advertising, our words are often drowned out.
However, with the arrival of the latest report from the Preservation Green Lab, Saving Windows, Saving Money: Evaluating the Energy Performance of Window Retrofit and Replacement, we now have all sorts of research to back up our claims about historic windows. (See our 10 Things You Should Know About Retrofitting Historic Windows for highlights.)
We'll be discussing the report -- and how to talk about it to the home and business owners in your community -- during this month's Twitter chat, taking place tomorrow, Wednesday, November 7, from 4:00-5:00 EST.
How to participate:
1. Sign in to Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. We (the chat moderators) usually use TweetChat since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows for easy replies and re-tweets.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage.
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other participants using replies and retweets.
What we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderators as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations and such still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
Hope to "see" you at the chat!
- Oct 23, 12
Earlier this year, Pinterest arrived on the social media scene like a cool new kid showing up in school -- one everyone couldn’t wait to sit next to at lunch.
Online, though, that kind of popularity is worth a lot more than free meals; it means going from a tiny, invitation-only site to 25 million unique views per month in just about a year (per Fast Company). And it also means a lot of people with a lot of businesses and causes saying, “Is this useful to my work?”
For those of us in the historic preservation, house museum, and Main Street worlds, the answer is very much YES. Pinterest is, at its core, a place for sharing pictures of pretty things. Historic places are pretty, but it goes well beyond that, too.
To help demystify the latest social craze, here are 10 tips for using Pinterest -- five for getting started, and five easy, preservationist-friendly ideas for content to share.
1. What is Pinterest, exactly? It’s where the corkboard on your wall meets your web favorites and becomes social -- it's bookmarking, with pictures, that you can share. But instead of having one corkboard like on your wall, you can have as many as you want, and each can have its own theme. For example: National Treasures. Historic Travel. The color yellow. (Really.) Each pin links back to the site it came from, so if you are sharing content from your own website, you’ll be driving traffic right where you want it!
2. How do I use it? Visit www.pinterest.com to sign up for an account, and use the built-in tools to identify your interests and find people to follow.
Tip: Take a moment to install the “Pin It” button that makes pinning fast and easy.
3. Create some boards. Pinterest is a great way to show visually what your site, museum, or community is about, so when you’re planning your boards, think about what story you want to tell. Are you into “neato architecture”? Or maybe about “finding your cool”?
4. Pin. Once you've decided on what your story is, pin items -- from your website, partners (see item #9 below), or other sites -- that support the story you want to tell.
5. And re-pin. A big part of the culture of Pinterest is sharing, so be sure to watch the feeds of the pinners you follow. If you have picked folks with similar interests and/or organizations within your community, you’ll find lots of pins to share -- or re-pin, as it's called.
6. Say “I do.” Pinterest is a hotbed for planning weddings and other events. So if your site, museum, or Main Streets hosts weddings and other social events, post as many pictures of it as you can, and link it back to the related info on your website.
7. Cook up interest in your site. Food is another popular topic on Pinterest, so use recipes to tell the story of your site or community.
8. Think about your partners. If you don’t have wedding photos to share or your own tasty food, do you work with photographers and caterers when you’re hosting events? Of course you do! Coordinate with them to cross-promote their service at your site.
9. Use the search function. A great way to find more great things to pin is to use the search. You'll find pins from people who have visited, or want to visit, your site. Click through on their pins, and you may even make your way to blog posts or online reviews that say nice things. Re-pin those too!
10. Expand your online store. Does your historic site or Main Street shop sell things online? Share them on Pinterest to give them additional visibility.
Tip: If you include the price of your item with a dollar sign ($15.00, for example), Pinterest will automagically flag it as something that can be purchased.
Are you a pinning-for-preservation whiz -- or know someone who is? Let us know in the comments.
- Oct 12, 12
Last week's Twitter chat on the way we talk about preservation was one of the most active hours we've had since starting -- almost more than I was able to keep up with! Turns out preservationists are nearly as passionate about how they talk about their work as they are in doing it.
I am not sure, however, that we came up with any answers. Everyone agreed that having a professional lexicon is important when preservationists are dealing with each other or related fields, but also agreed that it was important to communicate in a less jargon-laden way with people in the community. Perhaps that awareness will help us all get started in using more friendly language when we're working with the public.
Here are some highlights of the conversation:
As usual, we have a transcript available -- but chat participants and longtime readers might notice it's not as complete as in the past. Some recent changes in the way Twitter works have made getting a full transcript nearly impossible; our apologies for any inconvenience!
The next chat will be Wednesday, November 7 at 4:00 pm EST. We'll be joined by our colleagues at the Preservation Green Lab to talk about their latest report on the value of rehabbing historic wood windows. Save the date and plan to join us!
- Oct 09, 12
The High Line in New York City.One of the things that can make jumping into social media daunting for preservationists -- well, anyone, really -- is figuring out what to share in order to create a lively, engaged community. Here are 10 ways that preservation-friendly groups are keeping the conversation going on Facebook.
1. Share pretty pictures. That saying about "a picture is worth a thousand words" is doubly true when it comes to Facebook, where even a small page can draw people in with a great photo. And while we might not have kittens, puppies, or babies to share on our preservation-themed pages (not usually, anyway) we do have gorgeous buildings, amazing historic photos, and charming ruins. Like this one, for example.
2. Ask questions. Paired with a pretty picture (see #1), National Public Lands Day keeps their fans engaged even after their big event is over by asking them to weigh in on questions like "One of my favorite fall outdoor activities is ______ ."
3. Keep 'em guessing. On the Civil War Trust's page, they play "Name that Battlefield" by sharing a photo and asking their fans to identify where it came from.
4. Go trivial. The National Parks Conservation Foundation hosts "Trivia Tuesdays" where they encourage folks to visit their page on Pinterest to answer a trivia question about a National Parks site.
5. Take it on the road. I don't think the folks at Vintage Roadside go anywhere without their cameras -- their page is full of captured-in-the-moment roadside attractions (along with the occasional scanned old-timey photo). And the fact they're all mid-century eye candy doesn't hurt, either!
Tip: If you have an iPhone, add the pages manager app for easy access to your page when you're away from your desk.
6. Help people connect offline. Buffalo's Young Preservationists share links to a lot of local events to help build real-world community -- not just online camaraderie.
7. Ask your supporters to share. The California State Parks Foundation is asking people to share their "Defend What's Yours" photos on the foundation's page. This helps build awareness of the campaign while also giving fans a little face-time. And the High Line asks folks to share their photos when they have public events.
8. Extra! Extra! Read all about it! If your fans know you're a reliable source for all things historic or all things built environment (or both!) they'll keep coming back to your page. See the National Park Service's link to a story about their newest park, César E. Chávez National Monument.
9. Offer a simple action. On the Save Prentice Facebook page, a bold "Take Action" button brings fans right to a petition asking the Commission on Chicago Landmarks support landmarking the historic hospital.
10. Think outside the page. A lot of organizations default to gathering fans on a page, which makes it easy for that group/org to talk to everyone at once. But many projects actually work better if people are talking among themselves and bouncing ideas around -- just what Facebook's groups functionality was made for! Take it from the folks at Preservation-Ready Sites, a Buffalo-based group where many different people are driving the conversation.
What are your favorite ways to engage other preservationists on Facebook?
***
JUST ADDED: Check out the slides that spotlight these great examples and share them with others interested in building the cause of preservation!Social Media and Preservation: 10 Great Ways to Engage Preservationists on Facebook from PreservationNation - Sep 27, 12
Pretty much every person I know who works in preservation is extraordinarily passionate about their work, and will talk endlessly about the historic places that they've worked to save. But I have a feeling that when my colleagues and I talk to folks who love buildings in a more non-professional capacity, we sound a lot like the teacher from the Peanuts cartoons: "Waah wah waaaah. Waaaah wah wah waaah?"
For a field that depends so heavily on partnerships with community members and local preservationists, we often rely on lingo that is fairly incomprehensible -- and can even be off-putting -- to a layperson. Why is this? And how can we do better?
With those questions in mind, we'll be tackling -- and trying to conquer -- preservation jargon in our next #builtheritage Twitter chat, on Wednesday, October 3 at 4:00 p.m. EDT. If you're a regular participant in our chats, this would be a great time to ask a friend -- especially someone who loves historic places, but isn't a “preservation professional” -- to join you. The more perspectives we can get, the better!
How to participate:
1. Sign in to Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. We (the chat moderators) usually use TweetChat since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows for easy replies and re-tweets.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage.
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other participants using replies and retweets.
Oh, and what we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderators as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations and such still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
I hope you can join us!
- Sep 18, 12
“I don’t read your tweets. Everything on Twitter looks like it’s written in some sort of code that only the cool kids understand.”
This statement, made not too long ago by my younger sister, is one I’ve heard echoed by many others, including many colleagues in preservation. Since I’ve spent a couple of weeks making lists of why social media is important to our work and how to find the time to do it, I thought a quick primer on Twitter might be a great next step.
Bonus: This is actually two lists of 10 wrapped into one. Each explanation comes with an example from a local preservationist or preservation organization that’s worth following on your own account!
1. Feed: The main item you see when you’re logged into your Twitter account. The feed is made up of the latest tweets from the people you follow. The feed for @PresNation looks like this:
2. Following: The users whose tweets you have chosen to see. A good way to find new people or organizations is to look at who other preservationists are following; for example, check out who @FHLouisiana (Foundation for Historical Louisiana) tracks on Twitter. You don’t have to follow everyone, of course, but it’s a helpful way to discover like-minded folks.3. Followers: The people who follow you. There is no requirement to follow everyone who follows you, but if someone looks interesting, by all means, follow them back! Here’s an example of a list of followers from our @PresNationLive account.
4. Tweet: The message you send out. The maximum length is 140 characters, including links to websites or images. Twitter automatically shortens any link to 20 characters (no matter how long it is!) and you can upload photos from either the Twitter website or its mobile applications.
Inside of the Theatre! Great National Register property and big part of the historic Main Street district! #DD2012 twitter.com/HHPreservItNPS…
— Preservation NPS (@HHPreservItNPS) September 18, 2012
5. RT: Short for retweet, which is the term used for sharing a tweet created by someone else. Retweets can be done two ways:- Using the retweet button, which sends the entire tweet in its original format to your followers.
- Using the quote tweet option (alas, only available on mobile applications), which allows you to add a comment before or after before sending.
Fantastic adapt reuse>RT @preservationmag Detroit's greatest auto body turned iconic Motor City eatery @dwell bit.ly/QeBnvv
— Matt Cole (@urbanmatt) September 14, 2012
You may also see MT, rather than RT. This stands for modified tweet, and is used when editing someone else’s tweet:
Great question! Thoughts? MT @preservationmag Ready for football this wknd? Which stadiums, college or pro, should be standing in 100 years? — Preservation Nation (@PresNation) September 7, 2012
6. @mention: Using someone’s Twitter handle in a tweet so it links back to their account.
10 Tips for Introducing the Public to Preservation bit.ly/Nksdxk via @presnation — Austin Restorations (@AustinRestores) September 11, 2012
7. @reply: Replying to a person’s question/comment; others' @replies show up in your feed only if you follow both the sender and the receiver. If you'd like your @replies to be visible to all, add a period before the @..@pratthp students launched this website detailing their S. Williamsburg study area with site histories, maps and more! ow.ly/7YhxL
— PrattHistoricPresOrg (@PrattHP) December 13, 2011
8. #hashtag: Using a “#” before a word makes it a clickable search term in Twitter. We often use #preservation, #savingplaces, #PresConf, and #builtheritage. If you’re planning a campaign that uses Twitter, such as #SavePrentice, it’s a great idea to come up with a hashtag in advance and do a quick search on Twitter to see if anyone else is using it.NWU is saying that if allowed to demolish Prentice, it will hold a design competition for a replacement. #SavePrentice ow.ly/dOaIB
— Save Prentice (@SavePrentice) September 18, 2012
If a hashtag or other term becomes wildly popular, it is said to be trending -- and appears in a box on your main page, to the left of the feed.
Additional note about hashtags: they are also often used to denote a side comment or sarcasm. So, if you see a hashtag like #nerdswithcameras, it’s not really meant to be a search term.
9. Direct message: Twitter’s non-public communication channel. It can be found via the envelope icon on most mobile apps or in the same drop-down menu as settings on the Twitter website. You can only send direct messages to people that follow you.
10. Twitter chat/Tweet chat. A designated time for folks to discuss a topic, using a hashtag to gather all the conversation together. We host one monthly on the #builtheritage hashtag, and @JennWelborn, a public historian, has pulled together a list of other history-related chats on her blog.
Did I miss anything you find incomprehensible about Twitter? Let me know in the comments, and I'll follow up.
- Sep 12, 12
I learned something interesting on last week's #builtheritage Twitter chat: So-called "white elephant" buildings are not just an issue for preservationists in the United States. Historic building advocates from Canada, the UK, and Turkey all actively participated in the conversation. Happily, everyone seemed to have as many great examples of saves as they did of buildings in need of saving.
While much of the chat centered around the planned questions, there was also an active side conversation on the language we use when we talk about hard-luck buildings, and how we might be able to do better just by changing the way we speak about them.
Case in point: Rather than call the buildings "white elephants" -- which places the blame for a building's state on the structure itself -- why not instead call them something like "buildings in need of creative solutions," which empowers a community to think differently about them.
Here are some highlights from the chat:
There were too many success stories share to include them all in the slide show above, so here are links to more of them:
- Toronto Distillery District
- 401 Richmond
- John Street Roundhouse
- Loudon County, VA
- West Chelsea Railroad Tunnel
- The High Line
- The Hill Center
- Midtown Exchange
- Mill City Museum
And, of course, there's a full transcript available if you want the complete scoop.
Save the date: Our next chat will be Wednesday, October 3 at 4:00 EDT. We’ll be chatting about window rehab with the Preservation Green Lab.
- Aug 30, 12
The Old Naval Hospital on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, c. August 2008.For the first 10-plus years I lived in Washington, DC's Capitol Hill neighborhood -- and for many years before I arrived -- one of our most notable landmarks, the Old Naval Hospital, sat vacant, a seemingly unfixable white elephant on Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.
Various proposals bounced around over the years, including a brief period of time when it was in contention to be rehabbed as a mayoral mansion, but nothing really came together until a few years ago when a recommendation from the neighborhood-created Old Naval Hospital Foundation for a community center was approved. And at long last, the gorgeously (and green-ly) rehabbed Hill Center opened in late 2011.
The Hill Center, c. November 2011.This is the kind of white elephant success story every person who has ever developed a crush on derelict building dreams of. But how to make it happen? Here in DC it took a coalition of concerned citizens organizing, but every story is different.
We'll take up this topic -- saving white elephants -- in our September #builtheritage chat on Twitter. We'll talk about how to rally community and financial support (for example: tax credits), creative ways to keep white elephants vibrant while awaiting a permanent use, and more. Please join us September 5 at 4:00 EDT.
How to participate:
1. Sign in to Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. We (the chat moderators) usually use TweetChat since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows for easy replies and re-tweets.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage.
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other participants using replies and retweets.
Oh, and what we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderators as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations and such still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
Hope you can join us -- it should be a terrific conversation!
- Aug 28, 12
If there’s one thing I hear regularly from historic sites, small preservation groups, and other people working to save places, it’s “I’d love to do social media, but I don’t have time!”
And I get that, really I do, because even though now my entire job is working with social media, that was not always the case. I’ve spent many years with Facebook, Twitter, and other channels (remember MySpace?) as sideline work, sandwiched in between other responsibilities.
So, when I say you can build and maintain an engaging social media presence with just a small window of time each day, I promise it's tried and true. Here's how:
1. Plan, plan, plan. Yes, crafting a plan can’t be accomplished in a half hour a day, but a little extra time before you get started will make daily maintenance much faster. Check out this handy 101-guide to setting up a conversation calendar -- or, here’s an infographic, if you’re more visually inclined.
2. Keep a list of resources. You may not always be able to answer questions -- or be the right person to respond -- so as part of your plan, make a quick cheat sheet of resources. I’d recommend keeping basic social info (website URL, Facebook page, Twitter handle) on hand for local and statewide preservation organizations, local government agencies involved with preservation, and your State Historic Preservation Office. If you find you’re sharing the same info -- like a tip sheet, for example -- over and over, save it somewhere you can get to it easily, like Evernote.
3. Don’t try to be everywhere. As I mentioned in my post about getting started with social a few weeks back, it’s better to have one or two strong social channels than a bunch of semi-dormant ones. This kind of focus is especially important if your time is limited.
4. Make it a habit. Because social media works best when it’s a two-way conversation, be sure to participate regularly. Even if you can only engage briefly, you’ll build a following faster if people know you’re reliable.
5. Set a timer. It can be all too easy to fall down the rabbit hole with social media, so set yourself a time limit and stick to it. You’ll be amazed at how much you can get done in even 15 concentrated minutes.
6. Talk about what you’re already doing. A lot of the resistance I hear to participating in social is around having to “create” one more thing. Don’t -- there’s no need. Social media works best when it’s immediate and real, so talk about what’s already going on. Tweet a photo of a cool building you see on the way to work and ask your followers to do the same. Share a news clipping about an ongoing project and ask your fans to share their opinions.
7. Let Google help you. Not sure how you’ll know when there’s a news clip about your work or an interesting preservation story on a local blog? Google has terrific -- and free! -- tools to make this easy. You can subscribe to blogs using Google Reader and stalk your own projects by creating Google Alerts, which you can have emailed to you or added to your Google Reader account. And Google even makes it easy to share directly to Facebook or Twitter from Reader.
8. Let your fans/friends/partners help you. Follow/friend people who are involved in projects in your community and look at what information they’re putting out. Re-tweet or share interesting things that you see, follow their hashtags for more leads, etc. And let your community talk among themselves -- keep your Facebook wall open to posts and comments from fans. We’ve found that questions often get answered a lot faster from “the peanut gallery” on our Facebook page than we can get to them.
9. Use free scheduling tools. Facebook lets you time your posts in advance, so users with limited time can pre-load their big stories, and then use the rest of their time to answer questions/engage with users. Likewise, a tool like HootSuite can be helpful for pre-scheduling tweets so your account isn’t a once-daily “data dump” as you share articles, photos, etc. in your designated time frame.
10. Make it simple for people to connect with you. It’s easy to lose enthusiasm for social media if there’s no conversation going on, and it’s easy to blame “no time to do it right” when that happens. Making it simple for people to connect with you -- by linking to your social channel(s) on your website, business cards, and email signature -- can expedite the community building that makes social fun (and useful)!
What tips about social media time management have you picked up in your travels? Share them with us in the comments!
- Aug 13, 12
For nearly a dozen years -- ever since the Bastrop, Louisiana became a Main Street community in 2000 -- the goal of finding a new use for the one-time Bastrop High School building loomed. The 1927 building had seen its last students in 1998, but its location a couple of blocks from downtown made it a key target for revitalization.
It took 10 years and 12 kinds of funding to get the project underway, but the grand opening of the Bastrop Historic High School Apartments -- a state-of-the-art senior community -- at the end of 2011 made it all worthwhile.
With many former students now as residents, the developers went out of their way to make the building new, but also familiar:
"Tenants who walk down the corridors, which were kept at the original dimensions -- 12 feet wide by 15 feet tall -- can see the old lockers they used to keep their books in. With the original doors intact, every classroom has been converted into an apartment unit, and each contains a section of the original chalkboard so residents can scribble notes to themselves. The aforementioned gym, in its unique central position in the building, has retained the stage and one side of its bleachers."
In addition to maintaining many of the historic attributes, there was also a goal of modernizing the building's systems:
"They installed the largest residential solar system in all of Louisiana on the building’s spacious roof -- 430 solar panels that generate up to 106 kilowatts of power daily.
When asked why the team decided to put in the new technology, [developer Tom] Crumley replied, 'I loved the idea of combining modern technology with a historic property. Back in the twenties when this building was built, it was state-of-the-art, and now what’s state-of-the-art is this kind of stuff.'"
Read more about this amazing transformation in the Main Street Story of the Week, Hope Rewarded in Bastrop, Louisiana.
- Aug 09, 12
We've been doing the #builtheritage Twitter chat for about a year and a half now, but this month's was the first time I've seen the whole vibe of the chat -- and in many ways, the lifestyle of a working preservationist -- summed up in a single tweet:
@jonaskayla When you work in a field you love, it's hard not to do on vacation.
#builtheritage
— Molly Goldsmith (@callmebutton) August 1, 2012The chat made it clear that no one on it looks at preservation as just a day job -- we're all up in it on our vacations, too. From visiting heritage sites while traveling to learning to re-point brick, we all take our inner building-hugger on the road with us. Here are some highlights:
View the story "Twitter Chat Recap: Historic Travel" on StorifyAnd don't forget to save the date for our next chat: Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. EDT. We'll announce the topic about a week in advance.
- Aug 07, 12
It seems like everybody and their mother (well, not my mother) uses social media: babies arrive on Facebook within minutes of their birth, drool-worthy recipes are pinned and re-pinned endlessly on Pinterest, and news breaks on Twitter far faster than NBC can get around to showing it on television.
It’s no different for preservation activists and organizations. A social presence is close to a requirement -- potentially daunting for those of us who love all things historical more than all things technological.
The good news is, doing a little bit of planning now can pay dividends for your cause later. Over the coming months, we’ll have tips and tools for using a variety of different social sites to advance your preservation goals. But before we get into the nitty-gritty, here are 10 things to think about before you start using social media to help save places.
First, some questions to ask:
1. What are you trying to accomplish? Are you advocating to save a single building? Are you trying to raise awareness of a historic neighborhood? Are you trying to influence local (or national) policy? Knowing what you want to do will help you decide which social sites to use.
2. What does success look like? Having a clear, measurable goal from the outset will guide the choices you make and let you know when your social program is officially working. Not sure where to start? Here’s a handy primer.
3. Where is your audience? The old saying “different strokes for different folks” applies in social networking, just as it does in other areas of life. Knowing who uses what can steer you towards the right social channels to meet your goals. A great resource for demographics is the Pew Internet and American Life project.
4. What’s your budget? There’s a common misconception that social media is free. It’s not. While Facebook, Twitter, etc., are free sites, they come with options (such as Facebook ads) that are not. In addition, don’t forget the human resources cost, because having an effective social media program requires staff time.
5. How much time do you have? It’s possible to have an effective social media program with an hour a day or less, but it does require a consistent, daily commitment. And, of course, the bigger your goals, the bigger the time commitment required, so plan accordingly.
6. What kind of content -- and content creators -- do you have? If there’s one thing social media requires, it is content, so know what you have at your disposal before you start. This will help you select what social media sites to use as well as plan your posting schedule. Some questions to think about: Do you have a blog or website with stories you can share? Are you comfortable finding and sharing stories from local or national news outlets? Does your team have someone with a particular talent for photography or video? Play to your strengths!
7. Do you need a social media policy? If you’re working on your own to save a place, probably not, but if you’re part of an organization -- even a casual or ad hoc one -- having some ground rules can be helpful (so long as they’re not overly restrictive). Your colleagues who are using social media already can be the best ambassadors for your cause if you let them. Not sure how to get started? The Policy Tool for Social Media offers a step-by-step wizard to create a customized policy that meets your organization’s needs.
And now, a few things to think about:
8. Don’t default to the intern. But don’t disregard the intern, either. It’s a common cliché that interns handle social media, because as “digital natives” they understand it better. What many interns don’t know, however, is your organization and its culture, which can make it hard to find the right voice online -- or a consistent one, as internships tend to be finite. Social media can be an ideal opportunity for two-way mentoring, with newer and more experienced staff working together to build an online presence.
9. Don’t forget the offline world. It can be exciting to think of connecting with supporters online, but it’s unlikely that all your stakeholders will be online. Don’t use social media as an excuse to abandon your tried-and-true offline engagement.
10. Don’t feel like you have to be everywhere. With so many options available, it’s easy to feel like you need to have a presence everywhere, when in reality, it’s far better to have one or two vibrant social communities than a bunch of haphazard ones.
Are you using social media to save places? Tell us how it's working for you!
- Aug 03, 12
Bardstown, Kentucky -- the newly crowned most beautiful small town in America.Those of us who are fans of historic preservation know that one of the things that make small towns great are the Main Streets that provide a vibrant -- and often historic -- backdrop for all manner of community activities.
This summer, participants in the Best of the Road contest learned that firsthand as they crisscrossed the United States visiting small towns to determine which were the best-of-the-best in five categories: friendliest, most patriotic, best for food, most beautiful, and most fun.
Coming as no surprise to us, three towns with active Main Street programs -- Murray, Kentucky (friendliest); Gainesville, Texas (most patriotic); and Bardstown, Kentucky (most beautiful) -- took away top honors.
If you're wondering just what it takes to be the friendliest small town in America, well ... let the citizens of Murray show you:
More videos of the winning communities can be found on the Best of the Road website.
Main Street communities also figured heavily among the finalists, including:
Friendliest:
- San Luis Obispo, California
Most Patriotic:
- Deland, Florida
Best for Food:
- Bloomington, Indiana
- Walla Walla, Washington
Most Beautiful:
- Baker City, Oregon
- Danville, Kentucky
- Sedona, Arizona
- Tybee Island, Georgia
Most Fun:
- Denton, Texas
Congratulations to the winners and the finalists in our Main Street family! (By the way -- you can read more about these great communities on our Main Street website.)
- Jul 23, 12
This month's Twitter chat marked the first time we've ever invited guests, and I have to say, our friends at Habitat for Humanity assured that it won't be the last. In addition to our expected participants, Duane Bates (@habitat_org) and Shala Carlson (@HWEditor), several Habitat affiliates, including those from Buffalo, Charleston, Cincinnati, and Newburgh, NY. For an hour, longtime chat participants, newbies, and guests alike engaged in a lively conversation about the role of preservation in Habitat for Humanity's work. Here are some highlights:
Here are a few links from the conversation:
And of course, there's also a full transcript available for your reading pleasure.
Because the Independence Day holiday postponed the July chat by a week, and because August starts on a Wednesday, the turnaround between July and August chats is a particularly short one, so this blog post is going to do double-duty and announce our next date and topic:
On Wednesday, August 1, from 4:00-5:00 EDT, we'll be taking on a nice, summery topic: historic travel -- specifically, what kind of places preservation-minded folks like to go, and what we like to do once we get there. It'll be either a great opportunity to relive your summer vacation or crib ideas you can use for your next trip!
How to participate:
1. Sign in to Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. We (the chat moderators) usually use TweetChat since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows for easy replies and re-tweets.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage.
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other participants using replies and retweets.
Oh, and what we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderators as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations and such still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
I hope you can join us!
- Jun 20, 12
Habitat for Humanity's excellent work building homes in partnership with families that need them is well-known in many communities -- but their work as preservationists is a bit more under the radar. A growing realization that a good home requires a good neighborhood has led many of their affiliates to take a more holistic approach, one that involves rehabilitating buildings and revitalizing struggling communities.
One of four Victorian cottages relocated and restored by Habitat for Humanity of Teller County in Cripple Creek, Colorado. Read their story.This is, of course, an idea near and dear to our preservationist hearts -- and a couple of years back, the National Trust partnered with Habitat for Humanity to develop resources to help Habitat affiliates become more active in preservation. (And Habitat World magazine returned the favor earlier this year with a gorgeous feature about some recent success stories.)
To help preservationists and Habitat affiliates continue to learn more about one another, we’ve invited Duane Bates (@habitat_org) and Shala Carlson (@HWEditor) to join us for the July #builtheritage Twitter chat. We’ll discuss why preservation is a good fit for some Habitat affiliates, the challenges -- and rewards -- of uniting home-making with preservation, and learn a bit about Habitat’s plans for future preservation-focused work.
The chat will take place on July 11, 2012 from 4:00-5:00 EDT. (Regular #builtheritage participants take note: this is one week later than our usual first-Wednesday-of-the-month chat date because of the July 4th holiday.)
How to participate:
1. Sign in to Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. We (the chat moderators) usually use TweetChat since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows for easy replies and re-tweets.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage.
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other participants using replies and retweets.
Oh, and what we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderators as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations and such still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
See you online on July 11!
- May 31, 12
In 1992, the once-magnificent West Baden Springs Hotel was added to the National Trust’s list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. Lauded as the largest glass and steel dome in the world when it was constructed in 1902, the hotel fell into disrepair in the early 1990s, and its future looked bleak. The listing, however, proved a turning point, and today -- after a full restoration -- it is once again one of America’s top resorts.
This is but one of many success stories that have resulted from the "11 Most" list over its 25 year history, but we at the National Trust are far from alone in developing and publicizing endangered lists for the places we love -- many organizations on the state and local level do, too.
What makes these lists successful? And how does the awareness created by a list translate into action?
We'll be discussing these questions and more in the June #builtheritage chat on Twitter, which just happens to be on the date of our annual 11 Most announcement. (Translation: We'll be sharing our list and chatting about it, too.)
The chat will take place on June 6, 2012 from 4:00 -5:00 EDT. Here's how to participate:
1. Sign in to Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. We (the chat moderators) usually use TweetChat since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows for easy replies and re-tweets.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage.
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other participants using replies and retweets.
Oh, and what we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderators as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations and such still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
Hope you can join us -- but even if you can't, we'll share a transcript of the chat afterwards.
Speaking of which, sharing the transcript from this month's chat -- when we discussed jobs in preservation -- somehow fell through the cracks, so here it is. Better late than never, I hope.
- Apr 30, 12
It's hard to believe, but it's almost Twitter chat time again! And, for the first time, we're revisiting an earlier topic: preservation jobs. With graduation season upon us, and many newly accredited preservation professionals looking for work, it seems worth discussing again. We'll be chatting about online resources for job hunting, work in fields tangential to preservation, the skills needed to succeed in preservation, and more. Come armed with your best job-hunting advice!
Preserving an ornamental iron fence in Savannah, Georgia. (Photo: ncpttmedia on Flickr)The chat will take place this Wednesday, May 2, from 4:00-5:00 pm EDT. As always, we'll be hanging out at the #builtheritage hashtag. If you're new to the chat, here's how to get involved:
1. Sign in to Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. We (the chat moderators) usually use TweetChat since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows for easy replies and re-tweets.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage.
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other participants using replies and retweets.
Oh, and what we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderators as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations and such still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
See you online on Wednesday!
- Apr 27, 12
Ah, Friday afternoon, that time of the week when many people's thoughts start straying towards the weekend. (Not mine, of course. I am totally focused on work.) If your plans for the next two days involve visiting historic places, and you're on Foursquare, I have a challenge for you: unlock the Preservation Nation badge on Foursquare!
That's right: the National Trust for Historic Preservation now has a badge on Foursquare. We're not really allowed to tell you how to get it, other than you need to follow PresNation on Foursquare to do so. We have more than 500 tips loaded into the site, so you can pick up fun facts about historic places nationwide. The badge will be available for a limited time only, so start checking in now!
By the way -- if you do check in somewhere and unlock our badge, we'd love to see where you are. If you upload a photo on Foursquare and "shout" it to us on Twitter using the hashtag #savingplaces, we may feature your photo in a future blog post.
If you just read the paragraphs above and said “Four-what?” Here’s the scoop:
Foursquare is a smartphone app that allows users to “check in” to places, get tips about those places, and share their location information via Facebook and Twitter. In order to encourage users to check in at sites regularly, check-ins at particular types of locations unlock virtual “badges.”
If you want to get started -- and try to unlock the Preservation Nation badge -- download Foursquare to your smartphone and make sure to follow PresNation. Foursquare has apps for many types of phones, including iPhone, Android, and Blackberry.
- Apr 17, 12
Despite being a week later than usual, April's Twitter chat was once again a lively conversation. To help cover our topic - Main Streets - more thoroughly, we were joined by Andrea Dono (better known in the Twitterverse as @NatlMainStreet) from the National Trust Main Street Center. We discussed cool Main Street rehabs and promotions, how online content and social media can help Main Streets (pro tip: make your location, phone number, and hours really, really easy to find), and the challenges faced on Main Streets.
Vintage postcard from Evansville, Indiana. (Image: alandberning on Flickr)As the chat wound down, a new topic bubbled up: crowdsourced funding for Main Street projects. We didn't have time to cover it adequately, but after we finished, chatter Maianne Preble (@t4yt4m) sent along a few suggestions for sites to check out:
There's a full transcript available, but the Storify covers the highlights - including some of the videos shared during the chat. (Keep an eye out for the zombies.)
- Apr 10, 12
Ask any preservation fan where they prefer to shop -- on Main Street or at a strip mall -- and I'd be willing to bet upwards of 90% of them would first look at you like you were insane, and then confirm what you already suspected -- their hearts (and wallets) are with their local downtowns.
Vintage postcard from Andrews, North Carolina. (Image: Cowtools on Flickr)But in a time that prizes big box over mom and pop, how have Main Streets become those places that we love so much? A big reason is the ideals that have been promoted by the National Trust Main Street Center for more than 30 years. Hot off the heels of another successful National Main Streets conference, we'll be joined by our friends at Main Street for this month's Twitter chat.
We'll discuss challenges facing Main Streets, cool adaptive reuse projects, and -- because on a Twitter chat, how could we not? -- how technology (online directories, social media, etc.) impact how people find and interact with local businesses.
We'll be online from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. EDT tomorrow, Wednesday, April 11.
Here’s how to participate in the chat:
1. Sign in to Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. We (the chat moderators) usually use TweetChat since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows for easy replies and re-tweets.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage.
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other participants using replies and retweets.
Oh, and what we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderators as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations and such still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
In the event you can't join us, don't worry - we'll have a transcript available online within a few days. Hope to chat with you tomorrow!
- Mar 09, 12
Another monthly Twitter chat has come and gone, and with it the usual lively exchange of ideas - this time, on the topic of books about preservation. I was surprised to discover how heavily the recommended books skewed towards nonfiction/academic titles rather than fiction -- in fact, we eventually added the disclaimer that a novel could just really effectively evoke a "sense of place" to pass muster as preservation novel.
I am hoping this is mostly a result of the fact that our chatters seem to include a higher-than-average number of folks enrolled in undergraduate and graduate preservation programs -- and not because there aren't enough preservation-centric novels. Though if the problem is the latter, it provides an excellent opportunity for aspiring writers, yes?
As always, we have a full transcript of the chat available, but to whet your appetite for it, here's a selection of the books recommended:
Nonfiction
- Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods, by John McKnight
- Place, Race, and Story: Essays on the Past and Future of Historic Preservation, by Ned Kaufman
- The Heritage Strategy Planning Handbook, by Marc Denhez
- The Death and Life of Great American Cities, by Jane Jacobs
- A Richer Heritage: Historic Preservation in the Twenty-First Century, by Robert E. Stipe
Fiction
- Loving Frank, by Nancy Horan
- Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, by Rachel Cohn
- The Island Walkers, by John Bemrose
- Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, by John Berend
One last note ... Both through the Twitter chat and other conversations, the idea of doing a Twitter-based preservation book chat has come up more than a few times, so I thought this presented an excellent opportunity to survey PreservationNation readers to see if there was sufficient interest to support such an undertaking. I've drafted a short survey (only six super-easy questions) to help us figure out if this is something folks want to do. You can take the survey here. Thanks in advance for taking the time to give us feedback on this idea.
- Feb 29, 12
Back in December, when we were crowdsourcing ideas for our 2012 Twitter chats, one of the recurring recommendations was preservation-themed books. Being a big reader - but not one with a lot of educational background in the field - I thought this sounded like a splendid idea. What better way to build out a preservation reading list than hearing what everyone's favorites are? And what should be avoided at all cost?
And so, that's what we'll be doing during March's #builtheritage Twitter chat - talking books. What are everyone's favorite nonfiction books on preservation? What fictional titles hit preservation themes particularly well? What books absolutely set your teeth on edge?
As an added bonus, I'll be sharing a little poll during the chat to gauge interest in the possibility of a Twitter-based book group that would meet quarterly. It would function just like an offline book group, with questions and conversation, but in tiny, 140-character snippets. Fun!
When and where will all this book chat be taking place? On Wednesday, March 7 from 4:00-5:00 EST on Twitter, around the #builtheritage hashtag.
Here’s how to participate in the chat:
1. Sign in to Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. We (the chat moderators) usually use TweetChat since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows for easy replies and re-tweets.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage.
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other participants using replies and retweets.
Oh, and what we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderators as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations and such still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
If you can’t join in live, don’t worry – I’ll also post a transcript, with a link to the book group poll, within a few days of the chat.
Hope you can join us!
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. When it comes to preservation-themed books, she is trying to decide if reading Triumph of the City is worth it, or will just make her angry.
- Feb 06, 12
Over the months I've been co-hosting the #BuiltHeritage chats on Twitter, I've realized that they're one of the few things that reminds me that I am not a digital native. My job has allowed - in fact, requires - me to keep up with all of the latest happenings in the online world, which usually keeps me to feel like one of the kids online, but keeping up with the speed of the Twitter chat blows my mind. Every time.
I was reminded of this often during this month's chat about inter-generational preservation, which seemed to move at an even faster pace than usual. (More Millennials joined in, perhaps?) We had a lively discussion of the varied motivations people of different ages have for becoming interested in preservation and ways to keep them active and engaged. (Not surprisingly, holding events centered around food and drink came up - the recurring sub-theme of all the chats!) We also talked about some of the tougher questions - including how to break down stereotypes and how younger preservationists can make their voices heard.
The key takeaways seemed in many ways to echo those uncovered when we were talking about reaching out beyond the "usual suspects" back in August: get involved, don't generalize, and take it offline. Obviously, all of us who participate in the chats like online communication at least enough to have Twitter accounts, so remembering that not everyone does is critically important to bridging any generation gaps that come up.
Save the date: the next #BuiltHeritage chat will be held Wednesday, march 7, 2012 at 4:00 EST.
The slideshow above hits some of the highlights from the chat, and the full transcript is also available. For anyone looking to connect with other young preservationists, I'd like to recommend our group email list, which you can join by sending a message to subscribe-YoungPres-l@lists.nationaltrust.org.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
- Jan 25, 12
As someone who joined the National Trust before I was 20 and got a job here less than 10 years later, I have never understood the lament that there are no young people in preservation. I was by no means alone in my age group when I started, and as I've aged in place at the Trust, I've seen many more twentysomething preservationists join our ranks. And yet, it's a persistent theme - leading me to wonder if the problem isn't so much that there aren't young people in the movement, but that there's not enough connection and collaboration between younger and older preservationists. If that's the case, it seems like something that is solvable, right?
Solutions are just what we'll be looking for in our next #BuiltHeritage chat on Twitter. We'll discuss how to dispel age-related stereotypes; develop projects and workplaces that play to the strengths of multiple age groups; how Boomers, GenXers, and Millennials can mentor one another; and more. Please join us on at 4:00 EST on Wednesday, February 1.
Here’s how to participate in the chat:
1. Sign in to Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. We (the chat moderators) usually use TweetChat since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows for easy replies and re-tweets.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other participants using replies and retweets.
Oh, and what we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderators as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations and such still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
If you can’t join in live, don’t worry – we’ll also post a transcript shortly after the chat.
A quick housekeeping note for those who have been participating in the chats for a while: We have transitioned the @PresConf Twitter handle into @PresNationLive, in order to give it broader use for all our live-tweeting needs... And to give followers of @PresNation a break from the chat onslaught. Therefore, we'll be cutting back to two moderators, @PresNationLive and @jonaskayla. Please follow the new "Live" account if you're not already, and we look forward to chatting with you next week.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She is now accepting guesses as to how long she's been working at the Trust. (Be kind, folks.)
- Jan 06, 12
Well, 2012 is nearly a week old now, so the window for reflecting on 2011 and resolving for 2012 is closing rapidly. Before time runs out, however, I want to share some highlights from this week's Twitter chat on preservation resolutions, pulled together via Storify. As is always the case, the hour flew by - and I was again struck by how hugely passionate everyone on the chat is about preservation. If there's a better way to start a new year than with passion, I don't know what it is.
If the slides below leave you hankering for more, be sure to check out the full transcript.
The topic for next month is still TBD, but be sure to mark Wednesday, February 1 at 4:00 p.m. EST on your calendar for our next Twitter chat!
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Until her heart is broken during the playoffs in the spring, she'll be dividing her Twitter passions between preservation and the Washington Capitals.
- Dec 28, 11
I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but 2011 was a bit of a whirlwind - and now that it's coming to a close, I honestly cannot remember what happened over the last 12 months. And yet, here I am at the last Wednesday of the year, with a need to tease the first #builtheritage Twitter chat of 2012. (2012! How is that even possible?!)
In honor of the new year, we're going to be talking about resolutions, specifically around our work as preservationists. (Not a preservationist by trade? No problem! We're talking big tent here - all building huggers are welcome.) Are there specific buildings you want to save? Communities you want to help revitalize? Historic places you want to visit? I can't wait to hear everyone's ideas for preservation in 2012!
And when will we be doing this? Next Wednesday, January 4, at 4:00pm EST.
Here’s how to participate in the chat:
1. Sign in to Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. We (your friendly chat moderators: Julia, Kayla, and I) usually use TweetChat since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows for easy replies and re-tweets.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other tweeters using replies and retweets.
Oh, and what we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderators as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations and such still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
If you can’t join in live, don’t worry – we’ll also post a transcript shortly after the chat.
Hope to hear from you!
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. At the moment, she's on her holiday staycation, trying to figure out how a "don't let time pass you by" resolution might work.
- Dec 13, 11
In the 10 months I've been co-hosting the #builtheritage chat on Twitter, I can't remember a one that has taken off as quickly as this month's about preservation and the holidays. Sometimes during our Twitter chats it takes a few minutes for the conversation to really get off the ground. Not so this time around - everyone came armed with ideas and examples about celebrating the holidays at historic sites and on Main Streets.
I gathered some of the tweets into Storify to capture links to a handful of the great programs mentioned (there's still a full transcript available), but I think one of the overriding themes is worth mentioning here, too: nostalgia. It was clear from everyone's comments remembering successful events they'd hosted or attended was that the holiday season relies more heavily on personal nostalgia than other times of the year. So, when making plans to celebrate on your Main Street, or at your historic site, think about connecting people to their past in a local and personal way - and about building new memories they can carry into the future.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She's hopelessly nostalgic about Christmas and was glad to find she's not alone in this.
- Nov 30, 11
Though I still have the tiniest bit of turkey and stuffing left in my fridge, it's time for me to admit that Thanksgiving has passed and it's now, officially, the holiday season. (Retailers can tell me all they want that it begins after Halloween, but I refuse to accept this.) And with the holidays come events and parties galore - many hosted in historic places, because really, what dresses up better for festivities than beautiful architecture?
And so, that's our theme for the December #BuiltHeritage Twitter chat: discussing the connections between the holidays and preservation. We'll talk about seasonal promotions and events at historic sites, how to promote shopping on Main Streets, and more. So... think about some examples of great holiday events you've attended (or hosted) and be ready to share.
We’ll be hoisting the virtual eggnog on Twitter next Wednesday (December 7) at 4:00 EST. Please join us!
Here’s how to participate in the chat:
1. Sign in to Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. We (your friendly chat moderators: Julia, Kayla, and I) usually use TweetChat since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows for easy replies and re-tweets.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other tweeters using replies and retweets.
Oh, and what we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderators as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations and such still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
If you can’t join in live, don’t worry – we’ll also post a transcript shortly after the chat.
Hope to hear from you!
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. As she's not actually a fan of egg nog, she'll be hoisting a virtual gingerbread latte. Or possibly a real one.
- Nov 28, 11
I do not like Black Friday - the appeal of hitting over-crowded stores for crack-of-dawn sales has always escaped me, and I've spent years avoiding all things retail the day after Thanksgiving. This year, however, I caved and made one small purchase. I'd feel horrible about this if a big box store or a "doorbuster" sale was involved, but they weren't, and therefore, I don't. Instead, I gave my money to the gift shop at a small museum in my hometown. There were no crowds, I got to see the annual train exhibit being installed, and it was an altogether pleasant experience.
I think many of us in the preservation world find museum shops to be the unsung heroes of holiday shopping. They're chock-full of interesting, unusual stuff, and they offer a much more low-key vibe than your average mall. And now, we're bringing the museum shops you - allowing you to purchase gifts while also supporting preservation.
Our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide features all sorts of cool, fun stuff from our National Trust Historic Sites, ranging from the classic White House Christmas Ornament from Decatur House to a bust of James Madison from Montpelier - and everything in between. The modernist on your shopping list will dig the offerings from Philip Johnson's Glass House and the Farnsworth House (one word: LEGO!), and you'll find offerings galore for readers.
And because it's Cyber Monday (which, unsurprisingly, is much more my style than Black Friday) I'd be remiss if I didn't note that many of our gift guide items can be ordered online.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. As befits her geeky job, her Black Friday museum shop purchase was a robot Christmas tree ornament.
- Nov 02, 11
Update: Though it took a week (sorry!) the #builtheritage transcript on food and preservation is now available. Also, participant Krista McCracken wrote a review of the chat on her blog, Historical Reminiscents. It's worth a read!
In just a few hours - at 4:00 EDT - it will be time for our monthly Twitter chat over on the #builtheritage hashtag. We'll be talking about food and preservation - specifically, connections between the local food movement, heritage tourism, and preservation. Though I am pretty sure talking about food at the end of the day is going to result in my needing to run out and grab an early dinner, I am looking forward to the chat nevertheless.
Everyone is, of course, welcome to join in on the chat. Though we have developed a pretty regular core group for these chats, it's always a more-the-merrier situation, so please join us and share your opinions and expertise!
Not sure how to get involved? Click through to last week's post for instructions on how to participate. We look forward to "talking" with you!
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She can be found on Twitter at @smheffern.
- Oct 26, 11
Over the months of moderating the #BuiltHeritage chats on Twitter, my co-mods and I have noticed an interesting phenomenon: regardless of what the actual topic for the day is, a side conversation almost always develops around food. I'm pretty sure this is due at least in part to the timing of the chat - shortly before dinner on the east coast, and just after lunch on the west... Or perhaps preservationists are just more into food than other professions?
Either way, we've decided to make food the official subject of November's talk - but we won't be discussing our dinner plans or what we just had for lunch. Instead, we'll be talking about the growing connections between the local food movement, heritage tourism, and preservation. Not to toot our own National Trust horn here, but the Arcadia Food partnership at Woodlawn is an example of the sort of thing we'll be chatting about.
We'll be on Twitter next Wednesday (November 2) at 4:00 EDT. Please join us!
Here's how to participate in the chat:
1. Sign in to Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. We (your friendly chat moderators: Julia, Kayla, and me) usually use TweetChat since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows for easy replies and re-tweets.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other tweeters using replies and retweets.
Oh, and what we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderators as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations and such still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
If you can't join in live, don't worry - we'll also post a transcript shortly after the chat.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She tweets a lot about food even when not on the #builtheritage chats. Not as much as about hockey, but a lot.
- Oct 05, 11
UPDATE: The transcript of yesterday's chat is now available!
Tweet, tweet, tweet! Join us at 4:00 EDT today for the #builtheritage Twitter chat.
As the weather - at least in DC - careens wildly between summer and fall, and the National Preservation Conference looms - only two more weeks! - it's time for October's Twitter chat. Today's topic is community revitalization - and how preservation can help make better, more vibrant communities.
In one slight change in programming, we're preparing only three questions, rather than the usual four, to allow the chatters who are attending the conference to finalize their plans for their tweetup in Buffalo - and to give those of us not attending (like me) time to be jealous.
Not sure how to get involved? Notes on participation are available here. Unable to join us? Or want to time-shift the chat? Not to worry, we'll have a transcript available within a few days. I'll amend it to this post and send a #builtheritage tagged tweet when it is ready, so keep a look out.
Hope to "talk" to you this afternoon at 4:00 EDT!
@smheffern is a member of the Digital and New Media department at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She's more than a little bummed to be missing the conference - and tweetup! - in Buffalo, but will be there in spirit.
Updated October 6, 2011
- Sep 28, 11
I am going through a phase lately where I am constantly stunned by how fast time is moving. For example, I feel like it was just yesterday I wrote the last "save the date" post for a Twitter chat, but it was, in fact, four weeks ago and our next chat is already just a week away - Wednesday, October 5, at 4:00 EDT, to be specific. (Time is flying, right? It's not just me?)
Our next topic is community revitalization - and how preservation can contribute to breathing new life into a community. We'll talk about success stories (and possibly some cautionary tales) as well as looking at the different approaches required in urban versus rural settings. Come armed with an idea of what community revitalization means to you - or come prepared to find out what it means to the folks on Twitter.
Here's how the chat works:
1. Sign in to Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. We (your friendly chat moderators: Julia, Kayla, and me) usually use TweetChat since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows for easy replies and re-tweets.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other tweeters using replies and retweets.
Oh, and what we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderators as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations and such still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
I hope you'll be able to join in the conversation next week, but if not (or if you get overwhelmed, which - given the pace of the chat - is pretty easy) we'll post a PDF of the transcript here on the PreservationNation blog within a few days after the chat for your reading pleasure.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She's hoping this time-is-flying problem isn't a symptom of age, but she suspects it is.
- Sep 07, 11
UPDATE: The chat transcript is now available! Many thanks to all who participated. Our next chat will be October 5 at 4:00 EDT.
Well... Labor Day has passed, school is back in session, and - if my meeting schedule is to be believed - everyone is back from vacation. There's nothing like a full calendar of meetings to make you think about being collaborative, and the many ways it can go right, and wrong. Hoping for more of the former and less of the latter, we'll be turning the #builtheritage hashtag over to the topic of collaboration this afternoon at 4:00 EDT. Questions we'll be discussing include: How can you facilitate effective collaboration? Who should preservationists partner with? What issues should we work together on? And, most importantly, have you been involved in a great collaboration? We're especially excited to hear real-world examples of how preservationists are connecting with other like-minded organizations.
We also have one off-topic item to discuss at the end of the chat - when we're going to hold our #builtheritage tweetup at the National Preservation Conference in October. Given that nearly all of the twitter chats at some point involve a side thread about connecting in real life - usually with food, or more often, drinks - it seemed time to actually make it official. We've got a couple of ideas for times and places in Buffalo, and we'll ask the folks attending what works best.
Hope to "see" you all on Twitter this afternoon. Unsure how to participate? Last week's save-the-date post has the full scoop.
Sarah Heffern (@smheffern) is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Through the magic of technology, she is at President Lincoln's Cottage (@LincolnsCottage) actually being collaborative as this post goes live.
- Sep 01, 11
Most of the time property damage from natural disasters seems remote unless you're personally impacted. When you're not, it's easy to look at the pictures on television and/or the Internet and be moved by the devastation without really connecting. Sometimes, though, you're familiar with the places moving across the screen. Such was my experience with Hurricane Irene - my home here in DC escaped any damage, but I lived in different capital region, New York's, before landing here, and it did not fare so well. I've spent the past several days staring in disbelief at photos on the Albany Times-Union website - all of places I know well, and yet can hardly recognize for the additional feet of water in every picture. It's made the devastation all the more real to me, that's for sure.
In Williamsville, VT, an 1838 Grist Mill collapsed into the Rock River. (Photo: Ann Cousins, Preservation Vermont)
Among the resources - both historic and not - hit hard by the flooding associated with the hurricane were bridges, most notably the signature covered bridges in Vermont. The New York Times, TIME, and the Weather Channel are among the outlets that have covered these losses over the past few days. The Burlington Free Press has extensive coverage online, including video of the flooding in Brattleboro and an extensive slideshow of the aftermath around the state.
Looking for more? Our friends and partners at the Preservation Trust of Vermont have more photos available on their Facebook page, and someone has helpfully created a Vermont Flooding 2011 page as a repository for stories and images. This is one of those times I wish Facebook offered an option other than "like" to interact with non-humans... because while I want to keep up with the story in Vermont, I seriously do not like this flood. I counteracted my dismay at that like, however, by also liking I am Vermont Strong, which supports the Vermont Foodbank. Good karma, restored.
The good folks at Preservation New Jersey have let us know that while the post-Irene situation appears to be better than feared for places like Asbury Park and Cape May (where I spent my summer vacation!), the towns of Somerville and Cherry Hill are among those where flooding and downed trees have made for a “nightmare clean-up.”
On a happier note, and one that serves as an update to Tuesday's post about our National Trust Historic Sites, we've heard from our colleagues at the Philip Johnson Glass House that tours will resume as scheduled tomorrow, September 2, 2011, and the Visitor Center will also re-open.
And, finally, circling back to New York with a bit of video to close out this post - to a community, that like its neighbors in Vermont, lost a covered bridge. Shot by photographer Steve Gross - who, along with his partner, Susan Daley, contributes to Preservation magazine - the video shows the devastating effects of Hurricane Irene on Blenheim, New York, a historic town located in the Catskill Mountains.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. James Schwartz, editor of Preservation magazine and Erica Stewart, outreach coordinator for the Public Affairs office, also contributed parts of this story.
- Aug 31, 11
I was very much looking forward to writing today's post announcing the September #builtheritage Twitter chat because I was excited to have reached our first milestone - six months of conversations, 140 characters at a time. But then I actually counted and realized I was a month late; August was, in fact, our sixth time gathering around the twitters.
This, naturally, raised two questions: 1) Why can't I count? and2) How on earth is September tomorrow? (I mean, really. This year is going shockingly fast.) I know I speak for my co-moderators Julia Rocchi and Kayla Jonas as well as myself when I say I couldn't be happier at the way our Twitter experiment has worked out so far. We have regular chatters from across the US and Canada, and a pretty regular presence from the UK as well - and we've even had an Aussie drop by now and again.
We found our inspiration for this month's topic in that spirit of international camaraderie - and in in the upcoming International National Trusts Organisation meeting in Vancouver in early October. We'll be talking about collaboration with organizations near and far: Who should preservationists partner with? What issues should we work together on? How can you facilitate effective collaboration? If you've had the luck to be part of a really effective collaborative process, please come armed with examples (with links, if you've got 'em).
Interested in joining us? The chat will run from 4:00 - 5:00 EDT on Wednesday, September 7. Here are the details on how to participate, pulled from both Kayla's blog and earlier posts here on the PreservationNation blog:
1. Sign in to Twitter, Tweet Deck or Tweet Chat. We usually use Tweet Chat since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows you to reply and retweet easily.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other tweeters using replies and retweets.
Oh, and what we mean by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderator as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations and such still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
Hope to "see" you online next week. And if you can't join us, don't despair... we'll post a transcript within a few days of the chat so you can catch up at your leisure.
Sarah Heffern (@smheffern) is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She counts her greatest Twitter achievement to date - aside from the #builtheritage chat - as getting her brother to say, "You were right. I love Twitter."
- Aug 30, 11
Updated to include statement from National Trust President Stephanie Meeks.
As someone who has lived in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic my entire life, I can honestly say I've never seen a one-two punch like the earthquake/hurricane combination of the past week. It was a bumpy (literally and metaphorically) ride, but one - I am happy to report - the National Trust rode out with little damage.
We've reached out from our offices here in DC to the National Trust Historic Sites in impacted areas, and it looks like damage was minimal from both events. The sites in Virginia - Belle Grove, Montpelier, Oatlands, and Woodlawn/Pope-Leighey - made it through both events largely unscathed, save for some cracking, and a tumbled wall at Oatlands. Our DC sites - Decatur House, President Lincoln's Cottage, and Woodrow Wilson House (not to mention our beloved headquarters building) - also made it though the week just fine.
In hearing from our sites in the Northeast, the most severely impacted by Hurricane Irene was the Philip Johnson Glass House in New Canaan, CT. While the structures and grounds were not damaged, the site is closed for a few days due to power outages and travel difficulties. Keep an eye on their website for updates and schedules as they deal with the aftermath of the storm. Any visitors with tickets for tours tomorrow or Friday (August 31 and September 2) may exchange them at no cost for a date later in the year.
Lyndhurst and Kykuit, both located overlooking the Hudson Valley weathered Irene with only a bit of damage to their trees, and Chesterwood in western Massachusetts fared similarly.
We know, of course, that we were extremely fortunate that our sites made it through back-to-back natural disasters with little harm, and that not all places (historic and non) were so lucky. Various members of our staff are in touch with their colleagues at our statewide and local partners as they make assessments of the damage to their communities and buildings, and will provide expertise and assistance as requested. We'll have an update with news from our partners later in the week.
If your home or business was damaged by either the earthquake or Hurricane Irene, please take a look at our resources for older and historic buildings. There is a great deal of useful information there on recovering from natural disasters.
This afternoon, National Trust for Historic Preservation President Stephanie Meeks issued a statement that said, in part:
“The loss and damage to historic properties and communities due to Hurricane Irene has been one of the many regrettable outcomes of this storm. The East Coast has some of the oldest historic Main Streets and buildings which are already a scarce resource.
...
“Where possible, every effort should be made to restore and save historic places devastated by Irene. It is critical the recovery efforts of communities along the East Coast take into account the significance of displaced people returning home to places that are not only healthy and vibrant, but familiar. Historic places contribute to the distinctive character that identifies and defines our communities.
The full statement is available here.
Share your stories in the comments field below.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
- Aug 10, 11
UPDATE: The chat transcript is now available... and contains nearly 500 tweets. Many thanks to all who participated for such a lively conversation. Our next chat will be September 7 at 4:00 EDT.
We may be a week later than usual, due to two out of three of us on the moderation team vacationing on beachy capes (Cape May for me, Cape Cod for my colleague Julia), but we are no less excited than usual for our monthly Twitter chat. We'll be gathering around the Internet's version of a conference table at 4:00 EDT this afternoon - August 10, 2011 - madly refreshing the #builtheritage hashtag.
Today's theme is an interesting one: how to reach out beyond preservation's usual suspects to bring our work into under-served communities. We'll talk about who we see as under-served groups (and what that means), how to determine what the best way is to help, and how to build connections.
Interested in joining us, but not sure how? Take a look back at last week's post, which has handy tips for following along. Unable to join us? Don't despair! We expect to have a transcript up within a few days.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Because unplugging from Twitter (and other online stuff) is not her strong suit, she was very happy to have been in a beach house with WiFi last week.
- Aug 03, 11
Given that it is the first Wednesday of the month - our usual time for such things - I'd typically be writing this post as a quick reminder that there's a Twitter chat this afternoon. However, it's not normal circumstances, it's summer vacation season, and as such, two thirds of the team that produces the Twitter chats are out of the office this week. We thought it unseemly to ask our volunteer moderator to run the whole thing, so instead we moved the chat one week later into August.
And so, I'd like to invite you to join us one week from today - Wednesday, August 10, at 4:00 EDT - to talk historic preservation on Twitter. Our theme will be reaching out to under-served communities and how to build connections outside the "usual suspects." If you've been participating on the Twitter chats for a while, you may recall that this came up when we were talking about outreach in general, but we thought there was enough to discuss that it warranted a chat of its own.
In case you don’t remember how to participate – or haven’t joined us before – here are tips for joining in prepared by our chat co-founder, Ontario-based preservationist Kayla Jonas:
How to join in:
1. Sign in to Twitter, Tweet Deck or Tweet Chat. I usually use Tweet Chat to follow twitter chats since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows you to reply and retweet easily.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other tweeters using replies and retweets.
Oh, and what Kayla means by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderator as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations and such still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
Hope you're able to join in!
Sarah Heffern is currently the most sunburned member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
- Jul 06, 11
As I mentioned last week, I am currently on vacation - possibly having heritage travel-related experiences of my own - but the wonders of modern technology have allowed me to pre-write this reminder for today's Twitter chat. This afternoon at 4:00 EDT, please join in on the #builtheritage hashtag on Twitter to talk all things heritage tourism.
Whether you're new to preservation and looking to get a heritage tourism program off the ground in your community, or you're a seasoned professional armed with lessons learned through trial-and-error, there will be a role in the chat for you. And if you want to bone up on heritage tourism info beforehand, please take a look at the Cultural Heritage Tourism Survival Toolkit on PreservationNation.
Unsure of how to get involved in the chat? My previous twitter-themed post has all the scoop on how to participate. I'm sorry I won't be able to join in this time around, but I'm looking forward to reading the transcript (which will be posted here within a day or two of the chat) when I get back!
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. You can find her on Twitter as @smheffern.
- Jun 29, 11
I'm less than two days away from my first official vacation of the summer, and not surprisingly, have travel on my mind. My trip is on the visiting people end of the spectrum, rather than being a full-on tourist experience, but I'm still looking for a chance to go somewhere I haven't been before (right now, this is looking like a possibility), because my inner explorer can't be stopped even by the fact that I am vacationing in a place where I lived for eight years.
I am, of course, not alone in wanting to sneak a little bit of culture into my vacay - there's an entire heritage and cultural tourism industry built to draw in folks like me. And, I imagine, you, since you're reading a historic preservation-themed blog. In fact, I expect that many (if not all) of us are not only on the consumer end of this equation, but also wear the heritage tourism hat from time to time in our work as preservationists - and that's why we've chosen it as our July Twitter chat topic.
We'll be taking to the twitters one week from today - Wednesday, July 6, at 4:00 EDT - to talk about the ins and outs of heritage tourism: how to set up a program, strategies for success, and our favorite heritage tourism experiences.
In case you don’t remember how to participate – or haven’t joined us before – here are tips for joining in prepared by our chat co-founder, Ontario-based preservationist Kayla Jonas:
How to join in:
1. Sign in to Twitter, Tweet Deck or Tweet Chat. I usually use Tweet Chat to follow twitter chats since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows you to reply and retweet easily.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other tweeters using replies and retweets.
Oh, and what Kayla means by the Q1/A1 format is this: Questions (we usually have four per chat) are posed by the moderator as Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 about every 15 minutes. We ask that chatters reply with A1, A2, etc. to help everyone stay clear on what they’re responding to. A lot of side conversations and such still break out, but it helps keep things at least a little organized.
Hope you're able to join in!
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She'll still be on the aforementioned vacation when this chat takes place, but may jump in (in a non-official capacity) as @smheffern from her seat aboard the Northeast Regional train.
Updated to reflect that next Wednesday is July 6, not July 7 as originally indicated. Clearly, my mind is already on vacation.
- Jun 24, 11
I've noticed recently that my colleague who has been writing the weekly real estate post has mentioned a few times that he wants to do a post all about listings on the West Coast. I thought this seemed like a splendid idea, so when it fell to me to pull together today's post, I immediately picked up on that topic. And then I began perusing the Historic Properties for Sale site and discovered why he'd been avoiding the left coast... he had already covered nearly all the listings we had.
Thinking there simply had to be more options, I expanded my search beyond the lower 48, since Alaska and Hawaii have coastline too, and as such could be stretched to fit the theme, but there were no listings for our non-contiguous friends, either. Feeling increasingly desperate, I looked at the other three states served by our Western Office (Idaho, Nevada, and Arizona) and again found nothing. I'm not gonna lie: This left me staring at my computer in confusion.
Now, I have as much East Coast bias as any person raised in the great state of New York and currently living in Washington, DC can have (which is, um, a lot) but you can't tell me there are no fabulous historic properties out West. I know there are!
And then I remembered the site is still fairly new and we're in growth mode, so I thought I'd switch things up and aim today's post not at buyers, but at sellers - and their realtors. We truly want the Historic Properties for Sale website to be a great resource for people who love living and working in historic buildings, but we can't do it without having listings that span the entire country. If you're selling your house, please encourage your realtor to list it on the site, and if you're in the business of selling property yourself, well, please consider including all the historic properties you're representing. Oh, and if you've been putting it off because George Washington didn't sleep there or because the listing is not on the National Register, there's no need to worry - those are not our criteria. The building just needs to be 50 years or older.
I'm told by those who know such things that our online advertising rates (starting at $60 for two months) are really quite reasonable. Also, unlike other property listing sites, this one benefits preservation. That's right - revenue from the site helps support our work here at the National Trust. You can sell houses and help save places at the same time - not a bad deal at all!
If you've read this far, thank you for putting up with a pitch for more listings in the spot where your weekly dose of lovely houses usually lives. I'm doing this for you, I swear. More listings = more pretty places for us all to drool over.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. If she had a house to sell you can bet that a) it would be historic and b) she'd list it on the Historic Properties for Sale site. For reals.
- Jun 20, 11
On Friday, our final trainer, Noré Winter, made a point of referring to preservationists as “smart, creative change agents.” The following day, the Preservation Leadership Training class of 2011 put those words into action, presenting five different uses for Woodlawn, the National Trust Historic Site that had been our host for the week.
While each of the groups presenting had a different spin on how to best use the site in the 21st century, one theme carried through, and that was extending Woodlawn's groundbreaking farming partnership with Arcadia Food. (Unfamiliar? Take a moment to click through to both pages; it's the first - though I suspect not the last - agricultural partnership with a historic house museum.) Highlights from the group proposals included:
- infrastructure improvements and a sustainable "quadruple bottom line" (financial, cultural, spiritual, environmental) for interpretation of Woodlawn,
- create restaurant space in the first floor and lodging upstairs, while re-terracing the original front entrance to use for outdoor performances,
- connection to the community though agriculture - including theraputic gardening for soldiers with PTSD at nearby Ft. Belvoir,
- partnerships with a local community colleges for a culinary school kitchen or a preservation trade school hands-on lab,
- an expanded relationship with Arcadia Food to create a brew pub, and
- a capital campaign in the short term and using that to build relationships for long-term funding.
None of these proposals are official, of course, but are an example of the awesome idea-gathering and creative problem-solving encouraged by Preservation Leadership Training.
The presentations were followed up with a lingering graduation lunch at the Gadsby's Tavern restaurant, adjacent to the museum, where certificates were passed out and contact information shared... which is perhaps the most important part of a hands-on training program like PLT. In addition to learning a lot, we also made great connections with preservationists across the country - people we'll be able to turn to for advice for the rest of our careers. And that's something you can't get from reading a book.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation who is now wondering how to do more creative problem solving with historic sites in her regular job.
- Jun 17, 11
I'm happy to report that today's recap from Preservation Leadership Training (PLT) will be shorter than the previous ones, because today we had only a half-day of classroom time. Lest you think this means things are finished, let me say that nothing could be farther from the truth: one project group is doing a "dry run" of their public presentation literally as I type (I hope I am not making them nervous!), while the other groups frantically work on theirs. There is a cone of silence around the projects until tomorrow at 10:00 am at Gadsby's Tavern, so I'll be sticking to just the morning's lesson.
The last topic area to cover in our comprehensive preservation training was design, and for that Noré Winter of Winter and Company did the honors. He started with a practical definition of preservation: using historic structures and accommodating change, while maintaining key features of properties. It may not be the absolutist language that many of us are used to, but it also creates the space for his belief that "preservationists are not 'no-change' people; we are smart, creative change agents." (I loved this, because the preservationists I know really are intensely creative people, but it's never how we're perceived in the world at large.)
Noré then walked us through a detailed look at the design review process, focusing on four key points:
- Why is the building significant?
- What are its key features?
- What is the condition of those key features?
- What is the treatment strategy?
(In my notes, each of these have myriad sub-bullets, but including them all would absolutely break my promise of a shorter post. Suffice to say that he was detailed!)
As part of looking at historic districts holistically, Noré also walked us through the process of dealing not only with historic structures, but with the process of selecting appropriate infill projects. His recommendation was to look at what he calls the "three tenses" of an area - past, present, and future. By this, he meant looking to the historic architecture surrounding the infill area to find design motifs to carry into a new structure, while keeping current and future utility of the building in mind.
It seems hard to believe that PLT is nearly done - I've learned so much over the past week that I imagine it will take me weeks to distill it all. I've enjoyed getting to know preservationists from around the country (and getting to know my National Trust colleagues in attendance better) and they're a smart, dynamic. and interesting bunch. I'm excited to see the recommendations they've come up with for Woodlawn in for tomorrow's formal project presentation. I'll have one last post - recapping the presentations - on Monday, and then perhaps one a bit in the future... once the aformentioned distilling is done.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She’ll be tweeting all week from PLT on @PresConf and the #PLTrain hashtag. After tomorrow, she'll revert back to her usual Twitter persona, @smheffern.
- Jun 16, 11
The amazing weather we've been experiencing all week at Woodlawn finally gave way to gray skies and thunderstorms today.
It seems like weeks - rather than only two days - since I mentioned that I thought Preservation Leadership Training had over-filled my brain. I know now that I hadn't seen anything yet... Yesterday, I collapsed when I got home and napped for nearly an hour; today, I suspect I may fall asleep on the Metro before I even get to my apartment. I had honestly forgotten how exhausting learning is, but now remember why I slept so much in college.
Today we tackled two particularly mentally-taxing topics: law and economics, as they relate to historic preservation - though I found the latter to be more complicated than the former. I'm the daughter and granddaughter of lawyers, and worked intermittently in law offices in my younger days, so that presentation didn't fry my every brain cell (only some), but the economics stuff... well, that took lots of effort to grasp.
Our instructor for the law section was Tom Mayes, one of my colleagues at the National Trust. He opened with the slightly disheartening, if not surprising, news that there is no is no discrete area known as preservation law; rather, it's a combination of many things. More disheartening is the fact that this means most lawyers don't really understand it, making it even more imperative that preservationists understand it, as they may need to identify legal issues to their lawyers. On the flip side of this, however, Tom also stressed that people should never hesitate to ask their lawyers to explain things they don't understand.
There are six main categories into which most preservation-related laws fall:
- laws that protect historic resources from government action (be it state, federal, or local)
- laws that protect from (and, in some cases, by) private action (regulations, zoning and planning, ordinances, easements)
- laws that protect specific types of resources (i.e. archaeological)
- laws that encourage preservation activity
- legal issues in preservation (authority, takings, procedural due process, religious properties, free speech, etc.)
- miscellaneous issues (access, museum law)
In discussing some of the more picayune laws that relate to preservation, Tom mentioned that that one in particular regarding the theft of cemetery artifacts actually came about due to a rash of Ann Rice fans stealing items from New Orleans graveyards when her vampire novels were at the peak of their popularity. (Fascinating, no?)
More information on preservation law than this blog post can ever impart can be found in the legal resources section of the PreservationNation website.
After a quick lunch break, we moved on economics with consultant Donovan Rypkema, who I quickly learned is well-deserving of his near-legendary status in the preservation community. The man actually speaks in bulleted lists, which makes note-taking and easy (if frenetic) task. It also means I have more than three full pages of notes, which I suspect might be more than the average blog reader will find interesting. The basic premise of the presentation was that because adaptive use preservation projects often come with more risk than reward, incentives need to come into play in order to make them viable for investment.
Of the many lists and ideas Don presented, I was most intrigued by the common denominators of successful historic adaptive use projects. It was a lengthy list (a good sign, in my opinion), but the highlights were:
- the property was identified as a community asset
- there was public sector participation
- multiple sources of financing employed
- the project was demand-driven (served an un- or under-met need in the community)
- the process involved compromise and patience (which, as Don noted, is not strong suit of either preservationists or developers)
As it has turned out, I managed not to fall asleep on the train, but my overstuffed brain will be getting some rest shortly - probably after a little mint chocolate chip ice cream. Our final day in the classroom is tomorrow, when we'll be looking at design. After that, it'll be a race to the finish (Saturday's presentations) for the project teams.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She’ll be tweeting all week from PLT on @PresConf and the #PLTrain hashtag.
- Jun 15, 11
I'm not going to lie... I was not looking forward to today's Preservation Leadership Training (PLT) topics: volunteer management, board development, and fundraising. It's not by accident that I know almost nothing about any of these things - to say they don't interest me at all would not be an understatement. I woke up this morning with a vague notion that a whole day of it might kill me.
Happily, I survived. In fact, as I said to trainer Esther Hall at the end of the day, not only did I not die, but I also learned a lot and was entertained all day. You read that correctly: I was entertained all day learning about volunteer management, board development, and fundraising. If there's such a thing as a PLT miracle, this was it. Every bit of the credit for this goes to Esther, who has an amazing knack (and I suspect, a one-of-a-kind ability) to breathe life into what could easily be the driest of subject matter.
I feel quite certain that my writing abilities are not up to capturing the dynamism of today's sessions, so I am instead going to rely on a few bullet points highlighting some of the main points. I will offer some advice, as well: if you have a chance to spend a day being trained by Esther Hall, do it.
Volunteer management:
- Find out what motivates each individual volunteer: affiliation (feel successful when being with others and enjoying mutual friendship), achievement (feel successful in situations requiring excellent performance), or power (feel successful when having impact or influence).
- Steps to creating a positive volunteer experience: planning, recruitment, screening, orientation, training, supervision, recognition, and evaluation.
- A successful volunteer program has happy volunteers, happy staff, and meaningful work being done.
Board management:
- The basics of boardsmanship: rotation (no 30 year terms; use staggered terms to get new blood around the table), have a board development committee (and make sure it looks beyond your usual suspects into other fields and areas of the community), orientation (for every new board member), use committees (but only for strategic goals, use short-term task forces for everything else), evaluation (check in; what's working, what isn't).
- Always talk about the financial commitment when recruiting board members - "Board members are expected to make a meaningful donation." Always have a recommendation, too, but this phrasing allows for flexibility.
- “If you ever end up in a board meeting where you’re discussing the garnish for the chicken salad, quit. that. board.” (Too much minutiae means an ineffective board.)
Fundraising:
- The key to fundraising: "People give to people." (Translation: build relationships!)
- Financial transparency is critical to good fundraising: show people your organization is a good steward of their money.
- It's important to diversify with fundraising and not rely exclusively on a few high-end donors, or a signature event, or grants. Putting all your eggs in one basket means one misstep can mean financial disaster.
In addition to all this learning, we did have a brief opportunity to get outside on what was a very beautiful day. (Really, Northern Virginia has pulled out all the stops with unseasonably awesome weather. I could not imagine a better week to be offsite and having meetings at picnic tables.) At lunchtime, Maureen Moodie, the farmer for the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture, Woodlawn's partner in the redevelopment of farmland on the site, walked us through the two acres currently being planted. It's such a cool, multifaceted project - farm-to-table produce for local restaurants, teaching plots for local students to learn about farming, and a mobile farmers market - in a rehabbed school bus! - that will bring fresh vegetables to DC's under-served neighborhoods. I have never wanted to be a farmer before today, but I'm reconsidering - Maureen's passion for community farming was that contagious.
We're in the PLT home stretch now... only two more days in the classroom, and then the group projects will be presented on Saturday morning. If you happen to be in Old Town Alexandria, stop by Gadsby's Tavern at 10:00 a.m. - it's open to the public.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She’ll be tweeting all week from PLT on @PresConf and the #PLTrain hashtag.
- Jun 14, 11
It dawned on me today at Preservation Leadership Training (PLT) that it's been a very long time since I spent any time in a classroom. And it's not the stiff chairs and note-taking that reminded me; rather, it was that oh-my-goodness-I-think-my-brain-is-full feeling that settled in around lunchtime. Fortunately, all it took to shake off the momentary overload was a tasty sandwich and a can of Coke, because there was more learning to be done.
There were two topics on the slate today at PLT - sustainability and advocacy. Both sessions were led by colleagues of mine from the National Trust, and I was grateful for the opportunity to hear more about their areas of expertise.
First up was Kim Kooles from the policy office, who spoke to us about sustainability issues - both those in the preservation movement at large, and those specific to Woodlawn. Green preservation might be the jargoniest area of our jargon-riddled field, but Kim patiently ran through gray water, passive heating and cooling, photovoltaic panels, and other formerly-inscrutable lingo. (She also gave us an easy-to-remember list of the "Four Rs" of sustainability for historic places: REUSE, RETROFIT, REINVEST, RESPECT.)
Knowing her topic is more detailed than a three-hour presentation can accommodate, Kim also came prepared with a full slate of online resources to name-drop: The Preservation Green Lab. Walkscore. Lead paint mitigation. Historic window rehabs. Solar panel placement. When joined later in her presentation by Al Cox and Stephanie Sample from the City of Alexandria, it was clear they were on the same page, as they shared their website, also chock-full of sustainability info.
The intersection of politics and preservation took center stage in the afternoon, as Susan West Montgomery from the Trust's partnerships office lead us through background and tips on influencing the legislative process. Like Kim, she had a letter-based system for remembering the steps, the four Ks:
- Know your member (do your homework; know their committees and interests)
- Know the issue (also know the process and where advocacy can be most helpful)
- Knock on the door (never underestimate the power of the letter, or of the ask)
- AcKnowledge (say thank you, publicly and with the media present when possible)
Handy points all, especially for someone like me who is not a natural advocate.
Following Susan's presentation, the other PLT attendees broke into small groups for the next round of stakeholder interviews for the team project on Woodlawn. I remain, as I was on Sunday, unsure whether I am sorry or grateful to not be participating in the project - I am already hearing great, creative ideas from my fellow students. I'll be back tomorrow, though, for more time in the preservation classroom.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She’ll be tweeting all week from PLT on @PresConf and the #PLTrain hashtag.
- Jun 13, 11
I don't think anyone in the preservation field - in either a professional or volunteer capacity - would dispute that we spend a lot of time in meetings. Meetings with elected officials. Meetings with neighborhood groups. Meetings with developers. Meetings to plan the meetings. And yet, I'd be willing to bet we rarely find them to be the best use of our time. (Amiright?)
Today, we focused on changing that. Trainer Susan Edsall took our Preservation Leadership Training (PLT) class through a variety of exercises designed to get us thinking about effective group dynamics and how assumptions - our own and others' - can sabotage efforts without our even realizing it. In looking at the four phases of group work (forming, storming, norming, and performing), Susan outlined member and leader roles in ways that seemed head-slappingly obvious... yet none of us had thought of them. My favorite take-away from the morning was Susan's mantra, "JUST NAME IT." The elephant in the room? Just name it - in a neutral, non-judgmental way, identify the issue. Nothing can be solved or corrected if nobody takes the plunge and starts the conversation.
In the afternoon, we shifted our look at working groups to a dicier subject - the assumptions we have about people, the ones they have about us, and how going into any group-oriented situation armed with a quiver of assumptions limits success from the outset. It's a hard topic to discuss - no one likes to admit they have biases, or that they've felt marginalized by the biases of others. Making it even harder? The worst assumptions (and the ones that make us least effective) are the ones that are so ingrained we don't know we make them.
To illustrate this in a way that we were all on equal footing, everyone was assigned an assumption that the rest of the group had, which we wore on our heads in a meeting setting. Not knowing what it was others thought of us was challenging - and occasionally amusing. The woman with the "is very influential" headband was truly perplexed as everyone agreed that adding a rollercoaster to Woodlawn would work because the county government would definitely go for it if she made the recommendation.
All of this led us to the next phase of the conversation: how to combat going into a group situation with assumptions? Easy... data, data, data. Focus on actual, observable information: "You slammed the door." rather than "You seem angry." Easier said than done, of course, so Susan also provided what I might henceforth think of as the golden rules of human interactions: know the difference between assumptions and facts (hint: facts=true, assumptions... not so much) and when in doubt, "Make the positive default assumption." That is, assume people are working from positive, and not negative, motivations until data proves otherwise.
Like I said, obvious... and yet somehow, also a revelation.
We hit on other group productivity-related topics - how to lead when you're not the leader and how to develop an effective meeting agenda, for example - as well, and before we knew it, the day was nearly done and we were traipsing off on more tours. Today we stuck closer to our home-away-from home, looking at Woodlawn and the Pope-Leighey House, a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home on Woodlawn's grounds. Once the touring was done, the project groups wandered off for dinner and meetings - the perfect opportunity to put all of today's lessons into practice right away.... And I headed home to eat leftover Chinese take-out and write, only moderately distracted by the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She’ll be tweeting all week from PLT on @PresConf and the #PLTrain hashtag.
- Jun 12, 11
Preservation boot camp. That's what I've heard Preservation Leadership Training (PLT) called - I think both for its level of intensity and the fact that participants leave it as ready for action as a newly-minted soldier. This week, I'll be finding out for myself, as I'm auditing the session going on down the road at Woodlawn Plantation. My observer-blogger-and-Twitter correspondent role means I won't be working on the demonstration project, but otherwise, I am in for the full experience. (There are those who might argue that PLT without it doesn't count, but believe me, you don't want me blogging if I'm pulling allnighters with a project group.)
We kicked off bright and early this morning - 8:30! On a Sunday! - with sessions explaining the focus of the project, our host site, Woodlawn. Yes... the PLT teams will be making recommendations on the future of the National Trust's first historic site.
Following the project announcement, the sessions focused on historic house museums generally, and Woodlawn specifically. Max van Balgooy from the historic sites department at the Trust provided an overview of the challenges house museums face: lack of discipline (what he called "the all-you-can-eat buffet" of options); no agreement on what success looks like; insufficient capacity, skill, expertise, resources; and the fact that the arts and humanities are often considered a luxury, not an essential. All was not doom and gloom from Max, however. He also left us with a framework for planning at a historic site that included a nugget that really spoke to me: "After people have come to Woodlawn, what do you want them to THINK, FEEL, and DO?" In other words, grab people intellectually and emotionally - and inspire them to action.
Max was followed by Susan Hellman, deputy director of Woodlawn, who shared the history of the site... glossing almost entirely over the history that's actually interpreted onsite - which drove home the message that historic house museums often have a great deal more to their story than visitors ever see. In Woodlawn's case, it's a compelling - and rarely-heard - tale of free blacks and Quakers and abolitionism in pre-Civil War Virginia. Laurie Ossman, Woodlawn's director, was our final speaker of the morning session. She filled us in on the immediate challenges facing the site and the innovative steps being taken to find new audiences, community significance, and revenue - most notably, a partnership with Arcadia Food that is bringing produce grown at Woodlawn to restaurants, underserved neighborhoods, and DC schools.
Our afternoon was spent outside the classroom, visiting other small museums in Alexandria to get a sense of how others interpret local history. We started at Gadsby's Tavern, where George Washington celebrated his birthday each year (a tradition its stewards maintain to this day). A short stroll took us to the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, where we got a peek into 19th century commerce - and into a storeroom that contained both dragon's blood and unicorn root. Our last stop took us back to the first president: George Washington's Gristmill and Distillery, where we were met after-hours by Steve Bashore and treated to a demonstration of corn milling and a discussion of the whiskey distilling process.
Tomorrow, our focus - during the classroom sessions, at least - shifts from Woodlawn and historic Alexandria to community leadership and team building, as we get into the broader lessons of Preservation Leadership Training. And then tomorrow night, while I'm on my sofa pecking out a blog post, my fellow students will turn their attention back to the group project. I'm not gonna lie... I'm both jealous and relived to have a different task at hand.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She'll be tweeting all week from PLT on @PresConf and the #PLTrain hashtag.
- Jun 01, 11
UPDATE: The transcript of the chat is now available. Be warned: it's 23 pages long!
I'm going to let you in on a little secret of life in Washington, DC. Even though newscasters far and wide would tell you we are uniformly obsessed with politics and the inner workings of the federal government, this is not true. The one thing every Washingtonian is insanely focused on? The weather. We complain about the weather like it's our job. We bemoan the heat and curse the humidity with friends and strangers alike. Weather-whining transcends professions, party affiliations, and pay grades. I'd bet my shoes that even the President is making small talk about how hot it is to kick off his meetings today.
And why am I telling you this? Because I am really, really looking forward to #builtheritage and #preservation knocking heat advisory, power outage, and #DCHeatis out of my Twitter stream for an hour or so this afternoon. The chat will get underway at 4:00 EDT, and our topic this month is local engagement. We'll be discussing how to get - and keep - people involved in preservation in our communities. This is a hot topic at many organizations, including here at the National Trust. I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's ideas!
If you're new to Twitter chatting or need a refresher, my post from last week has a full set of instructions (and clarifications in the comments) on getting involved.
Hope to talk to you this afternoon!
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Though she too complains about the weather, she actually prefers complaining about people complaining about the weather. Sarah is on Twitter as @smheffern.
- May 30, 11
Today is Memorial Day, widely considered to be the "official" start of summer here in the United States. However, that is truly the least of its significance, as it is the day we set aside to remember the members of our military who have sacrificed for our nation.
Nowhere is that remembrance more solemn than at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Cemetery, as the Washington Post reminded me this weekend in the story, At Tomb of the Unknowns, a Ritual of Remembrance:
"But the ritual surrounding the Tomb of the Unknowns is special. It is a potent symbol of the ultimate sacrifice, made by those who cannot be returned to their loved ones, who perhaps can never be laid to rest, and who gave not only their life but their name to their country. The poignant paradox is that by losing their identity, they have transcended it. The unknown soldier becomes every soldier."
The origins of Memorial Day are fairly well known and documented, two articles in particular stood out for me this year. First Memorial Day: When Americans Were United by Grief in the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, takes a closer look at the waning moments of the Civil War that inspired the holiday, while the Coast Guard Compass takes a longer approach, looking at first Decoration Day, and then modern Memorial Day. In addition, History.com has all manner of photo essays and videos about Memorial Day.
I would imagine nearly every community in the nation has some manner of honoring the fallen on this day - I have never lived anywhere that did not. So, before you fire up the grill today, take a moment to watch a parade, pause at a graveside, listen to a speech, or hug a servicemember. Thank you.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Today, she thanks her cousin Jeremy for his service in Iraq, and his family for their sacrifice while he was away.
- May 26, 11
I grew up in central New York, in a small city that's about the same distance from Manhattan as my current home in Washington, DC - and while I consider myself a New Yorker to my core, I'm not the kind that makes it into tv shows and movies... Well, except for in the scene where the yokel arrives and gazes up at the tall buildings, mouth agape. I remember my dad admonishing me repeatedly to keep my head down on my first trip there (On the bus, because ohmygoodness we don't drive into the city!) but, a budding building geek before I even hit my teens, I found it so hard not to look. And now I know I am not alone - there's a new(ish) blog dedicated to reminding New Yorkers what's above them: Look Up, New York! Since coming across this site a month or so ago, I've spent more time looking up in DC, too - where it's a whole lot easier, given that nothing is taller than about a dozen stories.
Another cool website - one I was turned on to by the blog of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum - looks parts of the city that are easily missed, despite being closer to the ground. And while Forgotten New York may not be a straight-up preservation website, but the way it looks at neighborhoods and buildings suggests they "get it."
In New York pop-culture news, it looks like the historic firehouse that had a role in Ghostbusters will be one of 20 in the city closed due to budget cuts. If you're of the right age - as I am - and would like a nostalgia trip, watch the video at the end of the story, though afterwards the Ghostbusters theme will be stuck in your head all day.
Now for the serious New York-related story: A recent review in the New York Times about the new Rem Koolhaas exhibit "Cronocaos," got a lot of us talking - and tweeting - this week. And how could it not, when it states the premise of the show thusly:
"...preservation movements around the world, working hand in hand with governments and developers, have become a force for gentrification and social displacement, driving out the poor to make room for wealthy homeowners and tourists."
Ahem. I think I know more than one preservationist who might take exception to that notion... And as it turns out, perhaps Koolhaas also does, to some extent, as the review notes towards the end:
"The New Museum show is essentially a manifesto, of course, but what saves it from becoming pure polemic is that Mr. Koolhaas is a first-rate architect as well as an original thinker. Some of the best parts of the show involve his efforts to find ways out of this mess."
What do you think? Have you seen the Koolhaas exhibit? Tell us about it in the comments.
Before you do, though, here are a couple of quick hits from places other than New York City:
- Residents of Staunton, VA, are taking a creative approach to getting a historic bridge repaired and re-installed, one that kicks off with a clever video called "It Takes More than Love to Build a Bridge." (Augusta Free Press)
- The first Dairy Queen, located in Joliet, IL - which opened in 1940, in a building thought to be from about 1895 - was made a local landmark earlier this week. Present at the ceremony were Dairy Queen's CEO John Gainor and one of the shop's first customers, Jonita Ruth. (The Herald-News)
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Writing this post reminded her how long it's been since she's visited New York City (too long) and she now sees a bus ride in her near future.
- May 25, 11
UPDATE: The transcript of the chat is now available. Be warned: it's 23 pages long!
One of the great challenges faced by preservation organizations centers around getting - and keeping - people engaged. Someone may be inclined to jump in front of bulldozers when a place they're passionate about is threatened, but how do you get their attention before it comes to that? And how do you get them to stay involved after?
Big questions, these, and ones we'll tackle in our next Twitter chat, which will take place one week from today - Wednesday, June 1 - at 4:00 p.m. EDT.
We're looking forward to hearing about everyone's successes (and failures... er, learning opportunities) when it comes to local engagement - what works, what doesn't, and everything in between. Are you a great volunteer recruiter? Tell us your secrets! Do you have retention tricks you can share with the masses? We want to hear from you! Would your member list make other groups swoon? Join us!
In case you don't remember how to participate - or haven't joined us before - here are tips for joining in prepared by our moderator, Ontario-based preservationist Kayla Jonas:
How to join in:
1. Sign in to Twitter, Tweet Deck or Tweet Chat. I usually use Tweet Chat to follow twitter chats since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows you to reply and retweet easily.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other tweeters using replies and retweets.
Hope you can join us!
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She can be found on Twitter at @smheffern.
- May 23, 11
Longtime readers of this blog will know that the National Trust been following (and fighting) Walmart's plans to build a superstore in Orange County, Virginia because the location selected was part of the Wilderness Battlefield and immediately adjacent to the National Park. In January, the news arrived that Walmart had decided to select an alternate location - a choice we applauded.
Today, that process is complete - Walmart has announced it will be building three miles down the road at the intersection of State Route 3 and Somerset Ridge Road.
Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, issued the following statement:
“The new Walmart location is a win-win solution that benefits the citizens of Orange County, the retailer and the preservation of a nationally significant place. This outcome proves that protecting our national heritage, and advancing Orange County’s development goals, can go hand in hand.”
Read the full announcement, including statements from our coalition partners, the Civil War Trust, Friends of Wilderness Battlefield, and Piedmont Environment Council.
- May 13, 11
As most preservationists know, tax incentives can often be a critical deciding factor in getting a project off the ground. Convincing others of the awesomeness of tax incentives, however, can be a challenge - the words alone cause people's eyes to glaze over. And once this happens, they miss out on what a huge difference these incentives can make in revitalizing communities.
The National Park Service, by way of their YouTube channel, has come to the rescue with a short video that demonstrates the value of their Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program by looking at Washington, DC's Atlas Theater. The rehabilitation of the theater, aided by tax incentives, has contributed to the revitalization of an entire neighborhood - and speaking as someone who lives within walking distance, the change has been dramatic. (And so very welcome.)
One of the projects NPS Director Jonathan Jarvis mentions later in the video, the Crown Square Development in St. Louis, won our National Trust/HUD Award in 2010 - so it's not just projects in the shadow of the Capitol that benefit from these incentives.
So, tell your friends: historic preservation tax incentives rock! And when they give you that blinky, uncomprehending stare, show them the video. Then they'll get it.
- May 12, 11
Friends in blogland: The message below was just sent out to the National Trust's email list, but I wanted to share it here as well, since it contains an important action item for all preservationists. Please give it a read and take action before next Tuesday's deadline.
***
Ask your Representative to Support the Historic Preservation Fund
Right now Congress is making important decisions about the Fiscal Year 2012 budget, and your Representative needs to hear that funding for historic preservation matters in your community. You can help make the case for preservation!
Ask your Representative to sign on to the Dear Colleague letter sponsored by Congressional Historic Preservation Caucus co-chairs Michael Turner and Russ Carnahan that requests $70 million for the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) and ask that they also submit a programmatic request to fund the HPF at that amount for FY12.
The preservation community realizes that during tough economic times we all need to tighten our belts and therefore the FY12 funding request for the HPF is 10% less than the total funding these programs received in FY08. We also recognize a long overdue increase for funding to State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO’s) and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPO’s) and support the administration’s budget request for increase to these programs. The breakdown of our $70 million request for the Historic Preservation Fund includes:
- $50 million for the SHPO’s
- $11 million for THPO’s
- $9 million for grant programs like Save America’s Treasures and Preserve America
The deadline for this action is Tuesday, May 17th, so please contact your Representative TODAY. Check here for a list of signatories who have already committed to the Dear Colleague letter.
- May 05, 11
This week's Preservation/Built Heritage Twitter chat was, once again, a frenetic hour of great information being tweeted and re-tweeted far beyond our borders. Though our previous tweet-chatter from Brisbane, Australia does not seem to have made it this time, more than a couple of British preservationists stayed up late to join us. (Maybe their penance for making Americans get up early for the royal wedding?) In addition to providing a wealth of insight on making a career of preservation, the chat also offered a lot of humorous asides about what makes preservationists tick, which seems to include - in no particular order - beer, barbecue, cheese, and wine.
Recaps & Resources
- Built Heritage Chat: Preservation Jobs (Krista McCracken, Historical Reminiscents)
- PreservationNation Career Center
Networking & Events
- National Preservation Conference (US)
- Heritage Together Events (UK)
- 2011 Ontario Heritage Conference (Canada)
The next chat will take place at 4:00 p.m. EDT on June 1, 2011. Tentative topic: local engagement!
The chat transcript from our conversation is after the jump. Start from the bottom to read the transcript in chronological order.
HistPresGirl Thanks @PresConf @PresNation and everyone who participated! The advice that was buzzing in this chat was invaluable to me! #builtheritage
wanderu @PresNation @PresConf @JonasKayla huh! I guess "bunfight" is a Britishism. Did not know that. http://is.gd/30H4jN #builtheritage
conservengineer@PresNation @jonaskayla FYI:- 'Bunfight' (n.) The descent of a set meeting into a light-hearted food & drink throwing contest #BuiltHeritage
PresNation wanderu Many thanks! @PresConf and I are feeling better now... Even without the bunfight. (cc @jonaskayla) #builtheritage
jonaskayla Thanks! MT @wanderu: Right! Credit where due: thanks to @jonaskayla @PresConf & @PresNation for 3 truly great tweet-ups #builtheritage
wanderu Right! Credit where due: thanks to @jonaskayla @PresConf and @PresNation for three truly great international #builtheritage tweet-ups so far
wanderu Attn new followers post #builtheritage chat: my tweets are quite sporadic and boring usually.
luthienrising RT @heritagetoronto: Hells ya! @lloydalter Lets do a re-enaction of 1812 and win it again. #builtheritage
PresConf wanderu Andrew, what can we do to make you love me and Sarah?? (@PresNation) Another bunfight, perhaps? #builtheritage
PresAllianceMN RT @PresNation: Save the date for our next chat on June 1 - 4 pm EDT. Tentative topic: local engagement! #preservation #BuiltHeritage
PresNation Thanks so much to all for joining us! Chat to y'all next month! #needtofindsnacksofmyown #builtheritage
PresNation conservengineer @jonaskayla Dunno what a "bunfight" is, but glad to be part of it. (Funny how we all speak English, yet...) #builtheritage
wanderu Thanks as always to Kayla and Priya for herding the cats. #builtheritage
PresNation Save the date for our next chat on June 1 - same time, 4 pm EDT. Tentative topic: local engagement! #preservation #builtheritage
conservengineer Thanks @jonaskayla and all for an interesting session-turned-bunfight. Goodnight #builtheritage
jonaskayla Gear up for the Ontario Heritage Conference by joining us June 1st! #builtheritage
PresNation MT @spencervillemil And we too! RT @ATHeritageArea: If you are looking for an internship (unpaid), ATHA is glad to take you. #builtheritage
PresConf My fave chat to date. Thx all! RT @jonaskayla: Thanks everyone for the great chat! We will post a transcript soon! #builtheritage
PresConf Join us on June 1 at 4 pm EST for our next Twitter chat. Tent. topic: local engagement! #preservation #builtheritage
heritagetoronto Thanks all for the chat! #builtheritage
wanderu Great chat as always. Actually helped me to get a work-related thing done while I was tweeting. #builtheritage
jonaskayla The next chat will be June 1st at 4pm on local engagement! #builtheritage
SustainblHeritg thanks to you Kayla! another good chat - much appreciated! #builtheritage
PresNation RT @jonaskayla: RT @presconf: Have gigs open? Know good contacts? Looking for a job? Share that info now! #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea RT @wanderu: @lloydalter play nice! The U.S.A. has Navy SEALS now. #builtheritage And marines are coming here...
PresNation lloydalter You suggest the re-enactment w/ out even hearing about my starring turn as Dolley Madison in pre-school! #builtheritage
PreservationJob Thanks everyone! I really enjoyed this! Look forward to reading what everyone posts once I leave! #builtheritage
HRCHeritage thanks for the great chat all. see you next month! #builtheritage
wanderu @lloydalter play nice! The U.S.A. has Navy SEALS now. #builtheritage
heritagetoronto Hells ya! @lloydalter Lets do a re-enaction of 1812 and win it again. #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea RT @lloydalter: Lets do a re-enaction of 1812 and win it again. #builtheritage Good plan! Try it in Bladensburg...
PreservationJob lloydalter Throwdown huh? #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea #builtheritage #its5oclocksomewhere
PresNation @coehallmuseum Thanks for joining! Transcript coming soon... #builtheritage
JenniferPluck I have to run. It was so nice speaking to all of you. Give me a follow & I'll follow back! #builtheritage #gottarunoffthosesnacks Bye!
jonaskayla RT @presconf: Have gigs open? Know good contacts? Looking for a job? Share that info now! #builtheritage
wanderu @spencervillemil talk to your local 1812 organizing cttee. I'll find and send you contact info if you don't have it already. #builtheritage
PresConf Otherwise, we're done with our formal questions for today. Which means it's time for snacks aka nibbles. #builtheritage
lloydalter Lets do a re-enaction of 1812 and win it again. #builtheritage
smheffern RT @preservationjob: I wanted to remind everyone to post jobs on the Pres. Career Center so I can tweet http://ow.ly/4Nln4 #builtheritage
spencervillemil And we too, in Spencerville! RT @ATHeritageArea: #builtheritage - If you are looking for an internship (unpaid), ATHA is glad to take you.
coehallmuseum Coe Hall signing off this chat. Happy to be a part of this and future ones! Keep me posted! #builtheritage
PresNation RT @ATHeritageArea Plug time. If you are looking for an internship (unpaid), ATHA is glad to take you in the DC Metro region. #builtheritage
PresConf Have gigs open? Know good contacts? Looking for a job? Share that info now! #builtheritage
spencervillemil @heritagetoronto @crowderhouse @ATHeritageArea - Please - we should create a massive 1812 summer trip along the corridor! #builtheritage
PresConf GIG. RT @ATHeritageArea: Plug time. If looking for an internship (unpaid), ATHA is glad to take you in the DC Metro region. #builtheritage
PreservationJob There are a bunch of other articles and resources on the Career Center as well! #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea #builtheritage - Plug time. If you are looking for an internship (unpaid), ATHA is glad to take you in the DC Metro region.
laurenarcher Also: Just share your passion for heritage. Whatever media, express it. Have an outlet, people will follow. #builtheritage
spencervillemil And please, if I may, write a review here http://bit.ly/ieOz43 and @homestars will donate $10 to the Mill. We need help! #builtheritage
PresConf Submit! RT @PreservationJob: I wanted 2 remind everyone 2 post jobs on Pres. Career Center so I can tweet http://ow.ly/4Nln4 #builtheritage
HRCHeritage @PresNation thirst times a charm! #builtheritage
PresNation MT @JenniferPluck: A4: Social Media, local non profits, confs, commenting on blogs, volunteering....Talking Pres to EVERYONE #builtheritage
conservengineer A4: In the UK we have wine & beer, but only get "nibbles" #NotGoodEnough #BuiltHeritage
heritagetoronto @spencervillemil @ATHeritageArea @crowderhouse Can put you in touch with Toronto 1812 people too. #builtheritage
PresConf @heritagetoronto @PresNation Come on by! It will be just like the UN, but with prettier buildings involved. #builtheritage
PreservationJob I wanted to remind everyone to post jobs on the Pres. Career Center so I can tweet http://ow.ly/4Nln4 #builtheritage
JenniferPluck @HRCHeritage Absolutely! Talk pres up. You can create new Preservationist! #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea #builtheritage this chat is sounding alot like #iwishwasfriday
wanderu And cheese too pls? RT @jonaskayla clearly there is a mandate of BBQ, beer and wine for all future #builtheritage meet ups!
PresConf RT @PreservationJob: My other hat involves is mod Forum-L (email list) a great comms tool 4 members; also virtual gath place #builtheritage
PresNation As it turns out, the third Twitter chat is when the silliness breaks out. Who knew? #snacks #bbq #beer #builtheritage
HRCHeritage @JenniferPluck I agree! Spread the word, open eyes...my friends and fam know a lot more about pres. then they ever dreamed! #builtheritage
heritagetoronto Was just in DC and met Office of Historic Planning. Next time @PresNation. Will be in NYC soon. #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea RT @jonaskayla: @PresNation @laurenarcher clearly a mandate of BBQ, beer and wine for all future heritage meet ups! #builtheritage obviously
PresConf RT @wanderu: A4: I try to balance online heritaging w/ 1-to-1 convos at lectures, walking tours etc 2 reach all generations #builtheritage
spencervillemil @ATHeritageArea @crowderhouse - maybe we could work out an official (friendly) exchange! #BuiltHeritage
ATHeritageArea RT @jenniferpluck: I missed Q4--repeat please? #builtheritage #iwenttogetsnacks #thanksalotpresfolks Mmmm...snax.
PresConf @JenniferPluck You win the unofficial Funny Hashtag competition for this chat. #ilovesnackstoo #builtheritage
jonaskayla @PresNation @ATHeritageArea @laurenarcher clearly there is a mandate of BBQ, beer and wine for all future heritage meet ups! #builtheritage
JenniferPluck A4: Social Media, local non profits, conferences, commenting on pres blogs, volunteering....Talking Pres to EVERYONE u meet #builtheritage
PresNation In case anyone ran out for snacks... RT @jonaskayla: Q4: What is the best way to connect with other preservationists? #builtheritage
PresConf Time check ... 5 min to go! Tell us the best way to connect with other preservationists (besides beer and 1812). #builtheritage
heritagetoronto @wanderu Of course! But he amazes me with his knowledge none the less. #builtheritage
wanderu A4 supp: I try to balance my online heritaging with 1-to-1 convos at lectures, walking tours etc. to reach all generations #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea RT @spencervillemil: @CrowderHouse Send your history buffs! First weekend in June! #BuiltHeritage Send them here in August (Bladensburg)
coehallmuseum A4 We regularly host special events unrelated to the historic museum eg Mother's Day Concert this Sunday http://bit.ly/eMIIvh #builtheritage
jonaskayla Q4: What is the best way to connect with other preservationists? #builtheritage
PresConf MT @conservengineer: A4: Twitter as a start point, followed by face-to-face (not too much travelling though! #green ) #builtheritage
PreservationJob @lloydalter Ha! My other hat involves is mod Forum-L (email list) a great comms tool 4 members and also a virtual gath place #builtheritage
PresNation BBQ always good, too! RT @ATHeritageArea: @laurenarcher I have found connecting over BBQ is much better than Beer. #builtheritage
JenniferPluck I missed Q4--repeat please? #builtheritage #iwenttogetsnacks #thanksalotpresfolks lol
heritagetoronto A4: Have gotten in the habit of meeting the local organization when travelling. #builtheritage
spencervillemil @ATHeritageArea @crowderhouse Send us your history buffs! First weekend in June! #BuiltHeritage
PresConf Preservationists, we are proud of you. Convo has officially derailed to be about beer, wine & snacks. But what about Q4?? #builtheritage
wanderu @heritagetoronto Derek does a lot, but nobody at e.g. the Lake of the Woods Rwy Museum in Kenora has ever heard of him! #builtheritage
PresNation RT @jonaskayla: A4: Dont just meet people once, keep talking to them via e-mail and twitter! #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea #builtheritage @laurenarcher I have found connecting over BBQ is much better than Beer. But to each his own.
PresNation MT @conservengineer: A4 Twitter as a start point, followed by a bit of face-to-face (not too much travelling though! #green ) #builtheritage
CrowderHouse @SustainblHeritg And a lot of the older brain trust of heritage doesn't use it, it's true. #builtheritage
jonaskayla A4: Don't just meet people once, keep talking to them via e-mail and twitter! #builtheritage
conservengineer A4: Has to be Twitter as a start point, followed by a bit of face-to-face (not too much travelling though! #green ) #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea #builtheritage Uh oh, now we are talking 1812. We have that celebration going on here too. Lots of people talking about it.
PresNation MT @ATHeritageArea: #builtheritage Q4(b): Networking is awesome on Forum. Use the lists from conferences to connect. #builtheritage
HRCHeritage @jonaskayla @SustainblHeritg @laurenarcher of course, we can't discriminate! #builtheritage
JenniferPluck And FOOD! RT @jonaskayla: And wine! RT @SustainblHeritg: YES! @laurenarcher: A4 Beer. #builtheritage
heritagetoronto @wanderu: Wow! And I thought Derek Boles took care of all of it! #builtheritage
PresConf @HRCHeritage @laurenarcher Oh so we're calling it 'refreshments' now, are we ...? #builtheritage
lloydalter forumL big public space in center of rome. http://bit.ly/kLHyaJ) #builtheritage
jonaskayla And wine! RT @SustainblHeritg: YES! @laurenarcher: A4 Beer. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @SustainblHeritg: A4: i find that while social media is a strong tool, it also can be overwhelming - info overload! #builtheritage
SustainblHeritg YES! @laurenarcher: A4 Beer. #builtheritage
PresNation RT @PreservationJob: @csoulscribe said: A4: Join Forum! What is Forum? http://ow.ly/4NkSY #builtheritage
PresConf @PresNation @CrowderHouse It was adorably nerdy. #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea #builtheritage Q4(b): Networking is awesome on Forum. When I have enough cash to rejoin... Use the lists from conferences to connect.
jonaskayla MT @laurenarcher: A4 Beer, apparently! & being friendly at events. Voice ur opinions loudly. Everyone has diff perspectives. #builtheritage
HRCHeritage @laurenarcher refreshments are a great way to bond, break the ice and discuss! haha #builtheritage
wanderu @lloydalter did you know there are over 30 heritage railway orgs and museums in Ontario alone. Talk about disconnected! #builtheritage
PresConf MT @laurenarcher: A4 Beer, apparently! & being friendly at events. Voice ur opinions loudly. Everyone has diff perspectives. #builtheritage
PreservationJob @csoulscribe said: A4: Join Forum! What is Forum? http://ow.ly/4NkSY #builtheritage
PresNation RT @heritagetoronto: Q4: Here. We would never connect, so these chats are fantastic. #builtheritage
lloydalter The trust does it in usa, we are failing in canada. too many voices and not enough volume. #builtheritage
SustainblHeritg @lloydalter would love to see your list! #builtheritage
PresConf RT @lloydalter: we need an umbrella org or system to speak for everyone like the developers have. we are too scattered #builtheritage
PresNation @CrowderHouse You have no idea the side conversation on the phone that your War of 1812 message inspired! #nerdalert #builtheritage
PresConf Darn straight! MT @csoulscribe: A4: Join Forum! Come @PresConf and local preservation conferences, tweet up/meet up... #builtheritage
heritagetoronto A4: Work involves fundraising, events, research, web, admin, marketing, communications, policy advising - more is better #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea #builtheritage Q4(a): Fundraising, grants, repeat. Have a skill set that is technology focused. Marketing. Promotion.
laurenarcher A4 Beer, apparently! And being friendly at events. Voicing your opinions loudly. Everyone has such different perspectives. #builtheritage
SustainblHeritg A4: i find that while social media is a strong tool, it also can be overwhelming - info overload! #builtheritage
PresConf MT @SustainblHeritg: A4: social media is emerging tool, but trad way of group coming 2gther to save a particular site is fun #builtheritage
HomeStarsOttawa Absolutely - social media, forums, groups RT @heritagetoronto: Q4: Here. We wld never connect, so these chats are fantastic. #builtheritage
csoulscribe A4: Join Forum! Come to the National Preservation Conference and local preservation conferences, tweet up/meet up... #builtheritage
lloydalter I have been trying to make a list of all the disjointed and disconnected heritage orgs in ONT. It goes for pages. #builtheritage
PresConf WOOT! RT @heritagetoronto: Q4: Here. We would never connect, so these chats are fantastic. #builtheritage
PreservationJob MT @wanderu: great thing abt working in this field is seeing all perspectives: urban, rural, red, blue--everybody has a stake #builtheritage
PresAllianceMN A4: Social media has been particularly helpful for us; particularly FB and our blog #BuiltHeritage #BuiltHeritage
jonaskayla A4: Love twitter, and have also met so many people through my blog! #builtheritage
PresConf RT @HRCHeritage: A4: strong & working knowledge of the industry and issues affecting it...and diverse background/experience. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @wanderu: A4: agree Twitter has been working well for networking. Good ol email lists like AGORA-L are great too. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @CrowderHouse: Official A4: With the 1812 bicentennial approaching the regional Alliances can be helpful in Canada #builtheritage
coehallmuseum I'm a 65 room Tudor Revival mansion built in 1918. Can I move my foundation?? @PresConf @lloydalter @jonaskayla #builtheritage
SustainblHeritg official! A4: social media is an emerging tool, but the tradi. way of a group coming togther to save a particular site is fun #builtheritage
PresConf RT @lloydalter: Q4: Fundraising! Grant application writing skills! graphic presentation skills! Powerpoint ninjas! #builtheritage
spencervillemil What he said. RT @lloydalter: A4: Fundraising! Grant app writing skills! graphic presentation skills! Powerpoint ninjas! #builtheritage
heritagetoronto Q4: Here. We would never connect, so these chats are fantastic. #builtheritage
PresAllianceMN We invite people to write for our blog. There may be others @DG_rad @HistPresGirl #BuiltHeritage
PresNation MT @wanderu: great thing abt working in this field is seeing all perspectives: urban, rural, red, blue--everybody has a stake #builtheritage
HRCHeritage A4: a strong and working knowledge of the industry and issues affecting it...and diverse background/experience. #builtheritage
wanderu A4: agree Twitter has been working well for networking. Good ol' email lists like AGORA-L are great too. #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea RT @preservationjob: how to get that interview. #builtheritage give me a resume I want to look at. Spell right, sound good, short sweet.
lloydalter Q4: Here I come. Fundraising! Grant application writing skills! graphic presentation skills! Powerpoint ninjas! #builtheritage
PreservationJob But you can answer @LindsayJSasser too! #builtheritage
PresConf RT @jonaskayla: Official Q4: What is the best way to connect with other preservationists? #builtheritage
jonaskayla Good Q RT @LindsayJSasser: What are some of the current/upcoming challenges for pres. orgs? What skills can employees bring? #builtheritage
PresNation RT @jonaskayla: Official Q4: What is the best way to connect with other preservationists? #builtheritage
wanderu Really great thing abt working in this field is seeing all perspectives: urban, rural, red, blue--everybody has a stake in #builtheritage
csoulscribe RT @JenniferPluck: Diversify your skillset. If you can do a bit of everything youll be more indispensable in the job market. #builtheritage
JenniferPluck Official Q4: I'm lovin' twitter right about now #builtheritage
spencervillemil Our biggest challenge is money. Great job goes to the first person capable of fundraising for their own position! #builtheritage
jonaskayla Official Q4: What is the best way to connect with other preservationists? #builtheritage
JenniferPluck Q4: I think a HUGE challenge is a decrease in available grant monies. #builtheritage
HistPresGirl @DG_rad Workin' on it! Thank you! #builtheritage
LindsayJSasser Q4: What are some of the current or upcoming challenges for pres. orgs? What skills can employees bring to the table to help? #builtheritage
jonaskayla lol! sure! RT @lloydalter: hey kayla, I graduated a few years ago, can I not come? #builtheritage
PresConf I live in America, can *I* come?? RT @lloydalter: hey kayla, I graduated a few years ago, can I not come? #builtheritage
PreservationJob @ATHeritageArea The Q for employers (aside from doing all the great suggestions here) is how to get that interview. #builtheritage
PresNation RT @DG_rad: to match resume to passion: write in local papers/blogs, volunteer w/ local orgs, work in complimentary fields #builtheritage
lloydalter hey kayla, I graduated a few years ago, can I not come? #builtheritage
JenniferPluck Diversify your skillset. If you can do a bit of everything you'll be more indispensable in the job market. #builtheritage
smheffern Um... another reason to love #preservation. Fun people! MT @jonaskayla We are organizing a pub night! #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea RT @dg_rad: @HistPresGirl to match resume to passion #builtheritage YES! Let it show!
PresConf RT @HRCHeritage: its a big job convincing some people of the importance of our heritage -an important job that takes passion! #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea RT @preservationjob: passion is a great asset in interviews and networking. #builtheritage dont disagree - cant show passion w/o interview
PreservationJob RT @DG_rad: @HistPresGirl to match resume to passion: write in local papers/blogs, volunteer w/ local orgs, work in comp flds #builtheritage
wanderu @KyleGonyou pls email or DM me ASAP re Heritage Conference! #builtheritage
PresConf Indeed! RT @PreservationJob: Passion is a great asset in interviews and networking. Both are important. #builtheritage
HRCHeritage @ATHeritageArea it's a big job convincing some people of the importance of our heritage -an important job that takes passion! #builtheritage
DG_rad @HistPresGirl to match resume to passion: write in local papers/blogs, volunteer w/ local orgs, work in complimentary fields #builtheritage
jonaskayla Tons! We are organizing a pub night! msg me ur email RT @KyleGonyou: Are any other students attending the Cobourg Conference? #builtheritage
PresConf RT @heritagetoronto: A3: Feel like Im helping to promote a beautiful, livable city that people are connected to. #builtheritage
heritagetoronto RT @PC_PresNation: Want to follow a great live chat about Preservation Careers? Check out the #builtheritage chat! #builtheritage
spencervillemil Hear, hear! RT @heritagetoronto: A3: Feel like I'm helping to promote a beautiful, livable city that people are connected to. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @ATHeritageArea: A3: inspiring a new set of people - young, old, etc. Getting the message out how important our history is #builtheritage
PreservationJob @ATHeritageArea @histpresgirl True, but the passion is a great asset in interviews and networking. Both are important. #builtheritage
lloydalter Tweet of the day so far: RT @histpresgirl: My passion speaks louder than my resume! #builtheritage
PresConf RT @JenniferPluck: There is so much you can do within #preservation--never pigeon-holed into 1 kind of work. #builtheritage
heritagetoronto A3: Feel like I'm helping to promote a beautiful, livable city that people are connected to. #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea A3: (Seriously) - inspiring a new set of people - young, old, etc. Getting the message out how important our history is #builtheritage
KyleGonyou Are any other students attending the Cobourg Conference? #builtheritage
JenniferPluck There is so much you can do within #preservation--never pigeon-holed into 1 kind of work. #builtheritage
PresConf Hire her! MT @HistPresGirl: I LOVE preservation & constantly looking 4 opps. My passion speaks louder than my resume! #builtheritage
PresNation MT @HistPresGirl: I LOVE preservation & constantly looking 4 opps to add to exp. My passion speaks louder than my resume! #builtheritage
PC_PresNation Want to follow a great live chat about Preservation Careers? Check out the #builtheritage chat!
coehallmuseum Q3: As a historic house museum we shape our institutional identity around our interpretive mission #builtheritage
lloydalter RT @HRCHeritage: RT @conservengineer: A3: Its much easier to condemn something than to save it. Dont like the easy option.... #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea RT @histpresgirl: My passion speaks louder than my resume! #builtheritage But your potential employer reads the resume first...
PreservationJob RT @HistPresGirl: I LOVE preservation looking 4 opps to add to experience. My passion speaks louder than my resume! #builtheritage
PresNation The surest sign we love it, methinks. RT @ATHeritageArea: A3: long hours, low pay? #builtheritage
PresConf RT @conservengineer: A3: Its much easier to condemn something than to save it. Dont like the easy option.... #builtheritage
HistPresGirl I LOVE preservation & constantly looking 4 opportunities to add to experience. My passion speaks louder than my resume! #builtheritage
HRCHeritage @PresConf @CrowderHouse never a dull day as every day is different. #builtheritage
PresNation MT @laurenarcher: Q3: This is what I do. All the time. Doesnt matter where I am - I am always learning, loving, working it. #builtheritage
PreservationJob RT @smheffern: A3: I sincerely believe my work helps make the world a better place. #Preservation is an unsung hero... #builtheritage
conservengineer A3: It's much easier to condemn something than to save it. Don't like the easy option.... #builtheritage
PresConf MT @HomeStarsOttawa: A3: Helping ppl who want to restore heritage find good support. nice 2 be part of making things happen #builtheritage
smheffern A3: Dorky to say, but I sincerely believe my work helps make the world a better place. #Preservation is an unsung hero... #builtheritage
wanderu A3: working in heritage helps one see world in big-picture way. Forces thinking abt sustainability, values all the time! #builtheritage
PresConf RT @coehallmuseum: A3: stewardship and a real obligation to past present future #builtheritage
laurenarcher Q3: This is what I do. All the time. A big part of me. Doesn't matter where I am - I am always learning, loving, working it. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @CrowderHouse: Q3: I find I get to use a broad range of skill sets - better than a job with just one task for sure. #builtheritage
HomeStarsOttawa A3: Helping people who want to restore heritage find good support. It's nice to be a part of making things happen #builtheritage
JenniferPluck .@ATHeritageArea Yes, long hours and low pay. That's why you have to LOVE IT to do it. #builtheritage
PresConf Now, now ... RT @ATHeritageArea: A3: long hours, low pay? #builtheritage
coehallmuseum A3: stewardship and a real obligation to past present future #builtheritage
PresConf MT @PreservationJob: A3: listening to REM this week--Talk About the Passion. Everyone committed to the work, believes in it. #builtheritage
PreservationJob RT @PresNation: @PreservationJob Youre always listening to REM, Priya! Guilty. #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea A3: long hours, low pay? #builtheritage
PreservationJob RT @JenniferPluck: A3: Everyone in preservation CARES about what they're doing which can lead to some lifelong friendships. #builtheritage
spencervillemil A3: Building something that will strengthen our community. Small towns in Eastern Ontario need help. We can be a catalyst. #builtheritage
PresNation RT @CrowderHouse: Q3: I find I get to use a broad range of skill sets - better than a job with just one task for sure. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @lloydalter: A3 As a volunteer activist I suspect the best thing is saving a building. Except it hasnt happened yet. #builtheritage
conservengineer A3: As a struct engineer its the holistic technical challenge and the satisfaction of conserving our heritage #builtheritage
PresNation @PreservationJob You're always listening to REM, Priya! #builtheritage
PresConf MT @HRCHeritage: A3: knowing that passion & hard work leads to lasting changes, things ppl will remember/admire 4 years #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea RT @armsteadne: Orgs. seem to be looking for employees with a wide range of skills. Gotta do more with less, I guess. #builtheritage
CrowderHouse Q3: I find I get to use a broad range of skill sets - better than a job with just one task for sure. #builtheritage
PresNation RT @PreservationJob: A3: Ive been listening to the REM this week--Talk About the Passion. Everyone is committed to the work. #builtheritage
HRCHeritage @jonaskayla very true! challenges often lead to the best solutions. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @JenniferPluck: A3: Everyone in preservation CARES about what theyre doing which can lead to some lifelong friendships. #builtheritage
PreservationJob RT @presconf: RT @JenniferPluck: Q3 @joneskayla Doing something worthwhile that doesnt always feel like work. #builtheritage
PresConf Creativity, passion, inspiration, fun ... what great ways to sum up the #preservation field! #builtheritage
lloydalter A3 As a volunteer activist I suspect the best thing is saving a building. Except it hasn't happened yet. #builtheritage
PresNation RT @JenniferPluck: A3: Everyone in preservation CARES about what theyre doing which can lead to some lifelong friendships. #builtheritage
PreservationJob A3: I've been listening to the REM this week--Talk About the Passion. Everyone is committed to the work, believes in it. #builtheritage
PresNation RT @JenniferPluck: A3 Doing something worthwhile that doesnt always feel like work. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @kristamccracken: A3: The variety in the field and the passion of the people involved with it. #builtheritage
HRCHeritage A3: knowing that passion and hard work leads to lasting changes, things people will remember and admire years down the road. #builtheritage
JenniferPluck A3: Everyone in preservation CARES about what they're doing which can lead to some lifelong friendships. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @JenniferPluck: Q3 @joneskayla Doing something worthwhile that doesnt always feel like work. #builtheritage
PresNation RT @jonaskayla: A3: The creativity of people involved, always finding new solutions! ... plus pretty buildings! #builtheritage
PresConf RT @jonaskayla: A3: The creativity of people involved, always finding new solutions! ... plus pretty buildings! #builtheritage
PresConf RT @heritagetoronto: Q3: passion of the people, the community. They inspire. They never give up despite so many obstacles. #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea RT @preservationjob: A2: more than just meeting people. Build relationship, show skills. #builtheritage -not sure. marketing most important.
jonaskayla A3: The creativity of people involved, always finding new solutions! ... plus pretty buildings! #builtheritage
PreservationJob RT @jonaskayla: Q3: What is the best thing about working in the heritage preservation field? #builtheritage
JenniferPluck Q3 @joneskayla Doing something worthwhile that doesn't always feel like 'work.' #builtheritage
PresNation RT @historicshed: @smheffern Agree - you can take your love of preservation in many directions. And u may be more effective. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @WordsmithJenn: Q3 @joneskayla Doing something you LOVE that is also MEANINGFUL. #builtheritage
coehallmuseum Any other museums participating in this chat? #builtheritage
PresConf Warm Fuzzies time! RT @jonaskayla: Q3: What is the best thing about working in the heritage preservation field? #builtheritage
kristamccracken A3: The variety in the field and the passion of the people involved with it. #builtheritage
PresNation RT @jonaskayla: Q3: What is the best thing about working in the heritage preservation field? #builtheritage
heritagetoronto Q3: The passion of the people, the community. They inspire. They never give up despite so many obstacles. #builtheritage
SustainblHeritg A3: theres so much variety and spirit in built heritage and associated fields, you really cant help but fall in love with it #builtheritage
jonaskayla Great idea! RT @laurenarcher: Keep a record of the conferences/seminars/workshops you go to. Put the list on your resume. #builtheritage
PresNation Always! RT @armsteadne: Orgs. seem to be looking for employees with a wide range of skills. Gotta do more with less, I guess. #builtheritage
PresConf MT @heritagetoronto: What stands out in candidate is clear understanding of heritage issues - why they happen, how to fix #builtheritage
WordsmithJenn Q3 @joneskayla Doing something you LOVE that is also MEANINGFUL. #builtheritage
PresNation MT @armsteadne Definitely look @ non-trad angels: I cant tell you how many jobs I see looking for exp in CS5, marketing, etc. #builtheritage
armsteadne Orgs. seem to be looking for employees with a wide range of skills. Gotta do more with less, I guess. #builtheritage
laurenarcher Also: Keep a record of the conferences/seminars/workshops you go to. Put the list on your resume. #builtheritage
jonaskayla @thegallagator yes, we will post a transcript after! Thanks for joining! #builtheritage
PresConf MT @JenniferPluck: I never say no to free talks. given lectures @ libraries, schools, hist. societies. Sometime leads 2 jobs. #builtheritage
PresNation RT @JenniferPluck I never say no to free talks. Given lectures at libraries, schools, hist. societies. Sometime leads 2 jobs. #builtheritage
PreservationJob @ATHeritageArea A2: I think when we say network more than just meeting people. Build relationship, show skills. #builtheritage
heritagetoronto What stands out in a candidate is a clear understanding of heritage issues - why they happen, what can we do to fix them #builtheritage
armsteadne Definitely look @ non-traditional angels: I can't tell you how many jobs I see looking for experience in CS5, marketing, etc. #builtheritage
JenniferPluck It's hard to go to conferences when you're unemployed. Contact conf & ask if they need volunteers. #builtheritage #tip
thegallagator Unfortunately I have to go to work! Great talk! Hopefully there's a transcript after? #builtheritage
PresConf A2: Take advantage of @PresNation/@PreservationJob #Career Center resources: http://ow.ly/4NjMp #builtheritage
PresNation @bradrowleyaz We'll post the transcript later, so you can see what you missed. Thanks for joining in! #builtheritage
JenniferPluck I never say no to free talks. I've given free lectures at libraries, schools, hist. societies. Sometime leads 2 jobs. #builtheritage
CrowderHouse @smheffern That and look to other groups - there are reenactors and events galore. Let's you be in heritage still. #builtheritage
heritagetoronto @wanderu - very soon, but they're holding up all appointments right now, including our board. Revising the process. #builtheritage
PresNation MT @wanderu Agree going to local confs/talks/events is most useful. Going to e.g. APT conference is cool, but prob not vital. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @smheffern: A2: Look for non-traditional angles...marketing, online, etc. all needed (and often missing) in #preservation. #builtheritage
PresNation RT @HeritageHUB: RT @smheffern: A2: Network, network, network! >>Yes!Come to http://ow.ly/4NjA8 // need plane ticket! #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea #builtheritage I'm not so sure networking is as clear cut. You need to stand out and catch attention to even get people to remember you.
wanderu @ heritagetoronto hey, has the City of Toronto re-appointed those Comm Pres Panels? #builtheritage
PresConf RT @laurenarcher: A2: If in school, ask potential employers to intern. Easier to get yes if you r affiliated w/ institution. #builtheritage
JenniferPluck @ATHeritageArea @histpresgirl Be willing to take PT and contract positions. Sometimes you have to take jobs u don't want. #builtheritage
jonaskayla@HRCHeritage I'll send you the link! I'm famous! lol #builtheritage
PresConf Star = born! RT @jonaskayla: A2: Vol 4 non-heritage org too! Offer perspective. envt org put me on TV this wk 2 talk heritage #builtheritage
HomeStarsOttawa @Ottawa_Painters Get in the discussion - #builtheritage it's happening now.
wanderu Agree going to local conferences/talks/events is most useful. Going to e.g. APT conference is cool, but probably not vital. #builtheritage
heritagetoronto Community Preservation Panels or Preservation Board (in Toronto) are a great place to start. #builtheritage
bradrowleyaz Dang, gotta go, but want to stay. PT jobs okay, I'm driving a bus right now anyway! #BuiltHeritage
HRCHeritage @jonaskayla wow! exciting! #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea @HistPresGirl: How...will...cuts cutting 23% of HP funding will affect the job field? #builtheritage Can't make it better - diversify.
PresNation MT @jonaskayla: A2: Vol for non-heritage! Offer the heritage perspective. An envt org put me on TV this week 2 talk heritage #builtheritage
laurenarcher A2: If you are in school, ask potential employers to intern. Easier to get a yes if you are affiliated with an institution. #builtheritage
HeritageHUB RT @presnation: RT @smheffern: A2: Network, network, network! getting to know people is key. #builtheritage >>Yes!Come to http://ow.ly/4NjA8
WordsmithJenn @PresConf @HisPresGirl I think we all need to be realistic and realize a lot of FT jobs are going to disappear for a bit. #builtheritage
PresConf Testify! MT @JenniferPluck: Im on Historic Pres Commission in my city. Gotten lots of contract work thru that vol position. #builtheritage
smheffern A2: Look for non-traditional angles... marketing, online, etc. all needed (and often missing) in #preservation. #builtheritage
PreservationJob @thegallagator HABS/HAER is a program through the US National Park Service: Here's a link: http://www.nps.gov/history/hdp/ #builtheritage
jonaskayla A2: Volunteer for non-heritage org too! Offer the heritage perspective. An envt org put me on TV this week 2 talk heritage #builtheritage
JenniferPluck I'm on the Historic Pres Commission in my city. I've gotten lots of contract work through that volunteer position. #builtheritage
PresConf Thoughts? RT @HistPresGirl: How do we all think the recent budget cuts cutting 23% of HP funding will affect the job field? #builtheritage
PresConf RT @elizbread: Vol. for civic boards too. - planning board, Hist Dist. Comm, parks & rec., etc can all be applicable #builtheritage
spencervillemil Agreed! RT @DG_rad: Advocate for a building/place/hood you care about & opportunities will come. Blog, tweet #builtheritage@DG_rad
JenniferPluck I've also found that it doesn't hurt to know some architects. Knowing key members of the community is important. #builtheritage
kristamccracken RT @heritagetoronto: Get involved in local community groups, learn about the system through experience. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @heritagetoronto: Get involved in local community groups, learn about the system through experience. #builtheritage
lloydalter The ACO is co-sponsor of the Cobourg conference. I will be there too #builtheritage
PresConf RT @PresAllianceMN: Many states have their own local preservation conferences. They can be really helpful #builtheritage
ElizBRead Vol. for civic boards too. - planning board, Hist Dist. Comm, parks & rec., etc can all be applicable #builtheritage
PreservationJob RT @smheffern: A2: Network, network, network! #Preservation is can be clique-y, so getting to know people is key. #builtheritage
HomeStarsOttawa @wanderu Maybe that's my point - to new grads - be flexible and don't fear the "contract". #builtheritage
PresNationRT @WordsmithJenn: Get to know board members at organizations you want to work for. They do a lot of the hiring. #builtheritage
HistPresGirl How do we all think the recent budget cuts cutting 23% of HP funding will affect the job field? #builtheritage
WordsmithJenn Ahhh! I'm not on my professional twitter which is @JenniferPluck . Switching now. #builtheritage
jonaskayla Better yet, offer to sit on a board! RT @WordsmithJenn: Get to know board members at organizations you want to work for. #builtheritage
heritagetoronto Get involved in local community groups, learn about the system through experience. #builtheritage
PreservationJob RT @jonaskayla: Q2: What’s your #1 tip to recent grads (and/or job hunters)? #builtheritage
wanderu I fixed computers as day job while working as researcher for a heritage district study on wknds before getting full-time work #builtheritage
PresConf So save a building, then eat? RT @heritagetoronto: Realize you probably wont be paid much, so you have to love it. #builtheritage
PreservationJob FYI for those following @preservationjob. There is a twitter chat going on right now. Join us! #builtheritage
WordsmithJenn Get to know board members at organizations you want to work for. They do a lot of the hiring. #builtheritage
PresNation Sez the guy we *just* hired! MT @DG_rad Advocate for a building/place/hood you care about. Blog, tweet, meet w/change-makers. #builtheritage
heritagetoronto Will be there! RT @wanderu @jonaskayla Cobourg conference nearly sold out! Register fast everyone! #builtheritage
PresConf @DG_rad speaks the truth ... that's why he's working in the same office as me and @PresNation as we type! #builtheritage
PreservationJob @ATHeritageArea Agree A2: re: standing out Build up your preservation street cred--blog, attend commissions, network etc. #builtheritage
jonaskayla Really! That's awesome! RT @wanderu: .@jonaskayla Cobourg conference nearly sold out! Register fast everyone! #builtheritage
PresConf RT @DG_rad: Recent grads: Advocate for building/place/hood u care about & opps will come. Blog, tweet, meet w/change-makers. #builtheritage
heritagetoronto Our last two did as well too. RT: lloydalter Our last two or three students all went on to careers in heritage. #builtheritage
PresConf Good distinction. RT @WordsmithJenn: I think going to LOCAL conferences in the area you want to work is key. #builtheritage
wanderu @jonaskayla Cobourg conference nearly sold out! Register fast everyone! #builtheritage
PresConf RT @ATHeritageArea: #builtheritage a2: you are fighting against 50 other people. Make yourself stand out. #builtheritage
coehallmuseum Yes! RT @kristamccracken #preservation is a huge field be open to jobs that aren't with traditional heritage organizations #builtheritage
WordsmithJenn I think going to LOCAL conferences in the area you want to work is key. #builtheritage
PresNation RT @smheffern: A2: Network, network, network! #Preservation can be clique-y, so getting to know people is key. #builtheritage
bradrowleyaz @thegallagator @bradrowleyaz Historic Amercan Building Survey, Historic American Engineering Record, at the NPS #BuiltHeritage
PresConf Ooh, good thought. Answers out there? RT @WordsmithJenn: Are there job fairs for public history/preservation positions? #builtheritage
HRCHeritage @PreservationJob great point! that was my experience as well but perseverance, experience and networking pays off. #builtheritage
PresNation MT @PreservationJob: A2: Be realistic. You might not get the dream right away, but every job is a stepping stone. #builtheritage
DG_rad Recent grads: Advocate for a building/place/hood you care about & opportunities will come. Blog, tweet, meet w/change-makers. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @smheffern: A2: Network, network, network! #Preservation is can be clique-y, so getting to know people is key. #builtheritage
PresConf Any US #preservation folks have conference suggestions? Like ours, the Natl Preservation Conference? http://ow.ly/4Njjv #builtheritage
jonaskayla Agreed! RT @smheffern: A2: Network, network, network! #Preservation is can be clique-y, so getting to know people is key. #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea #builtheritage I know because we just hired and some resumes were awful. I didn't care what their degree or experience was.
kristamccracken RT @laurenarcher: A1: Internships, mentorships, low-paying summer jobs, placements crucial to my entry into heritage field! #builtheritage
WordsmithJenn Are there job fairs for public history/preservation positions? #builtheritage
smheffern A2: Network, network, network! #Preservation is can be clique-y, so getting to know people is key. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @laurenarcher: A1: Internships, mentorships, low-paying summer jobs, placements crucial to my entry into heritage field! #builtheritage
lloydalter Our last two or three summer students all went on to careers in heritage and we are hiring now http://bit.ly/mRA9tA #builtheritage
ElizBRead A2: Agree with shadowing. Helpful for you to know what you DON'T like as much as what you DO like. #builtheritage
heritagetoronto Realize you probably won't be paid much, so you have to love it. #builtheritage
jonaskayla A2: Go to conferences - In Ontario the next one is June 3-5 http://www.cobourgtourism.ca/heritage.html #builtheritage
HeritageHUB RT @conservengineer: A1: In the UK, only formal preservation quali's are post grad. So work experience & other training vital #BuiltHeritage
PresConf RT @kristamccracken: A2: #preservation is a huge field, be open to jobs that arent with traditional heritage organizations. #builtheritage
PresConf Phew. RT @heritagetoronto: A2: We have brought on some of our volunteers for part-time or temporary work. #builtheritage
laurenarcher A1: Internships, mentorships, low-paying summer jobs, placements were crucial to my entry into the heritage field! #builtheritage
PresConf Great advice! RT @wanderu: A2: go to conferences and events! Meet people, get yourself known! #builtheritage
coehallmuseum A2: Be honest w/ yourself about what you would LIKE to do vs what you CAN do. Photographers can't always be stonemasons #builtheritage
PreservationJob Q2: When you're looking for a job be realistic. You might not get the dream right away, but every job is a stepping stone. #builtheritage
heritagetoronto And that's me! RT @CrowderHouse: A2 Heritage holdings need all sorts of support-marketing, grant writing etc. #builtheritage
ATHeritageArea #builtheritage a2: you are fighting against 50 other people. Make yourself stand out.
PresConf RT @conservengineer: A1: In the UK, only formal preservation qualis are post grad. So work experience & other training vital #builtheritage
PresConf RT @HRCHeritage: A2: network network network and gain experience where ever possible - volunteering, shadowing, researching. #builtheritage
PresNation RT @jonaskayla: Q2: What’s your #1 tip to recent grads (and/or job hunters)? #builtheritage
HomeStarsOttawa A2: I have heard there is lot's of work in Ontario for historic restorations - private sector homes, and museums. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @elizbread: The last person I hired started as a volunteer with us. Definite leg up on other applicants. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @CrowderHouse: A2 Heritage holdings need all sorts of support-marketing, grant writing etc. Some old skills r applicable. #builtheritage
jonaskayla Good news! RT @elizbread: The last person I hired started as a volunteer with us. Definite leg up on other applicants. #builtheritage
wanderu A2: go to conferences and events! Meet people, get yourself known! #builtheritage
armsteadne I attended the Pacific NW Field School last summer. I highly recommend it for gaining hands on craft experience #BuiltHeritage
heritagetoronto A2: We have brought on some of our volunteers for part-time or temporary work. #builtheritage
conservengineer A1: In the UK, only formal preservation quali's are post grad. So work experience & other training vital #BuiltHeritage
jonaskayla RT @HRCHeritage: A2: network network network and gain experience where ever possible - volunteering, shadowing, researching. #builtheritage
PresConf Any links/info on this group for other seekers? RT @bradrowleyaz: I worked at HABS/HAER one summmer-great experience! #builtheritage
ElizBRead The last person I hired started as a volunteer with us. Definite leg up on other applicants. #builtheritage
HRCHeritage A2: network network network and gain experience where ever possible - volunteering, shadowing, researching. #builtheritage
jonaskayla Great Resource: RT @PreservationJob A1: You might find 10 Ways to Gain Experience in Preservation useful http://ow.ly/4NiW9 #builtheritage
PresNation @HistPresGirl (and any others who need it) Here's the link to internships in our DC office: http://ow.ly/4Nj7F. #builtheritage
wanderu @jonaskayla if you're passionate abt it, you need to volunteer on top of yr paid work. That's my experience anyway. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @heritagetoronto: A2: I think its the best way, if there is paid work though. There often isnt. #builtheritage
thegallagator @bradrowleyaz What is HABS/HAER? #builtheritage
PresConf Current practitioners, lend us your opinions! RT @jonaskayla: Q2: What’s your #1 tip to recent grads (and/or job hunters)? #builtheritage
TreeHugger RT @lloydalter starting monthly #builtheritage conference about finding jobs in the preservation biz right now! just follow the hashtag.
HistPresGirl @PresNation Thank you! I am in the US! But I find it difficult to compete w/ students who have the degrees already #builtheritage
PresConf RT @PreservationJob: A1: 10 Ways to Gain Experience in #Preservation. From #Preservation Career Center http://ow.ly/4NiW9 #builtheritage
coehallmuseum @wanderu @jonaskayla Varied experiences opens up opportunity in more areas. No 'job' in preservation is monolithic #builtheritage
heritagetoronto A2: I think it's the best way, if there is paid work though. There often isn't. #builtheritage
jonaskayla Q2: What’s your #1 tip to recent grads (and/or job hunters)? #builtheritage
bradrowleyaz I worked at HABS/HAER one summmer-great experience! #BuiltHeritage
thegallagator @PreservationJob Excellent link! Thanks! #builtheritage
PresNation RT @jonaskayla: A1: education in heritage can be gained through workshops, and not necessarily getting a whole degree #builtheritage
conservengineer RT @PreservationJob: A1: You might find 10 Ways to Gain Experience in Preservation useful.... http://ow.ly/4NiW9 #builtheritage
jonaskayla @wanderu: I've gone the other way, full time employment, now volunteering to get other experiences #builtheritage
wanderu heritagetoronto I can, but I already have that gig #builtheritage
PresNation @HistPresGirl Are you in the US? We have internships @PresNation! #builtheritage
PresConf RT @jonaskayla: A1: education in heritage can be gained through workshops, and not necessarily getting a whole degree #builtheritage
HistPresGirl I'm graduating w/ my degree in Anthropology/History but looking for summer internships/work in Hist Pres! All ears for advice!#builtheritage
PresConf RT @coehallmuseum: A1: Degrees give you classroom knowledge while experience gives you practical knowledge #builtheritage
jonaskayla Good Question! RT @wanderu: @jonaskayla how easy is it to move from volunteerism to full-time paid employment though? #builtheritage
PresConf Thoughts? RT @HistPresGirl: I am considering UGAs Historic Pres Masters program. Anyone with input about the program? #builtheritage
jonaskayla A1: education in heritage can be gained through workshops, and not necessarily getting a whole degree #builtheritage
PreservationJob A1: You might find 10 Ways to Gain Experience in Preservation useful. From Preservation Career Center http://ow.ly/4NiW9 #builtheritage
PresConf RT @thegallagator: You can find out more about it at its website, http://www.willowbank.ca #builtheritage
PresNation RT @thegallagator: You can find out more about it at its website, http://www.willowbank.ca #builtheritage
PresConf Tx! RT @thegallagator: Willowbank = school located in NOTL that educates students w/ balance of hands on techniques & theory. #builtheritage
wanderu @jonaskayla how easy is it to move from volunteerism to full-time paid employment in #builtheritage though?
HRCHeritage @CrowderHouse: good point that connections and experience can help make up ground where education is lacking #builtheritage
PresNation MT @HomeStarsOttawa: A1: Depends on the field. @macmillanhomes learned from his father; doesnt need degree 4 heritage masonry #builtheritage
thegallagator You can find out more about it at its website, http://www.willowbank.ca #builtheritage
PresConf MT @wanderu: A1 supplemental: I've still not finished my M.A. but did get full-time work via experience while working on M.A. #builtheritage
HistPresGirl I am considering UGA's Historic Pres Master's program. Anyone with input about the program? #builtheritage
thegallagator Willowbank is a school located in NOTL that educates its students with a balance of hands on techniques and theory. #builtheritage
PresConf MT @PreservationJob: A1: To be specific I say vary so that you have experience in many areas of pres. We all wear many hats. #builtheritage
jonaskayla Agree with @coehallmuseum about volunteering being good experience. the #preservation field always needs good volunteers! #builtheritage
PresNation MT @CrowderHouse A1: New entrants to job mkt must have degrees, unless they have connections. But nothing trumps experience. #builtheritage
HomeStarsOttawa A1: It depends on the field. @macmillanhomes learned from his father - he doesn't need a degree for heritage masonry #builtheritage
coehallmuseum A1: Degrees give you classroom knowledge while experience gives you practical knowledge #builtheritage
PresConf MT @CrowderHouse: A1: New entrants must have degrees, unless they have connections. But nothing trumps exp in real work. #builtheritage
bradrowleyaz A1: I'm a registered architect that would like to move into Historic Preservation. A degree in history and some experience. #BuiltHeritage
wanderu A1 supplemental: I have still not finished my M.A. but I did get full-time work via experience gained while working on M.A. #builtheritage
jonaskayla RT @coehallmuseum: A1: Experience can be gained through volunteering (and volunteers dont need degrees!) #builtheritage
PreservationJob A1: To be specific about the experience I say vary so that you have experience in many areas of pres. We all wear many hats..#builtheritage
PresConf Smart. RT @coehallmuseum: A1: Experience can be gained through volunteering (and volunteers dont need degrees!) #builtheritage
PresNation MT @wanderu A1: Experience. No question. Lots of great folks in field with no formal acad creds. What Willowbank is all abt! #builtheritage
CrowderHouse A1: New entrants to job market must have degrees, unless they have connections. But nothing trumps experience in real work. #builtheritage
PresConf @thegallagator @wanderu Care to share more info or some links about Willowbank for those unfamiliar with it? #builtheritage
PresNation Good point! RT @coehallmuseum: A1: Experience can be gained through volunteering (and volunteers dont need degrees!) #builtheritage
PresConf MT @jonaskayla: A1: My degree is environmental studies/anthropology, but I work in heritage, so I say experience =important! #builtheritage
PresConf A1 MT @PreservationJob: degree gives a solid foundation, having an internship/practical experience in preservation helps too. #builtheritage
PresNation Looks like I'm seeing need experience more than degree, but can't get experience w/out degree. #Preservation Catch-22? #builtheritage
jonaskayla A1: My degree is in environmental studies and anthropology, but I work in heritage, so I say experience is important! #builtheritage
PresConf MT @wanderu: A1: Experience. No question. Lots of great folks working in field w/no formal acad creds. #builtheritage
thegallagator @wanderu Yes! Willowbank! I just finished my first year there amazing school. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @lloydalter: A1: its not one or the other, it is about balance, enthusiasm and energy #builtheritage
jonaskayla Me too! RT @heritagetoronto: Will try to answer questions, although not trained in heritage profession - have learnt on job #builtheritage
PresConf MT @HRCHeritage: A1:experience is necessary to grasp dynamics of industry, but w/out a degree its hard to get that experience #builtheritage
coehallmuseum A1: Experience can be gained through volunteering (and volunteers don't need degrees!) #builtheritage
PresNation MT @HRCHeritage: A1:experience is necessary to grasp dynamics of the industry, but w/out a degree its hard to get experience #builtheritage
PresConf MT @SustainblHeritg: A1: i have extensive knowledge you cant get a degree in... but employers insist on degrees #builtheritage
heritagetoronto Will try to answer questions, although not trained in heritage profession - have learnt on job #builtheritage
PreservationJob @HistPresGirl The degree gives a solid foundation, having an internship/practical experience in preservation helps too. #builtheritage
PresNation RT @kristamccracken: A1: Experience in the field will often begin preference over someone w merely a degree. #builtheritage
kristamccracken RT @lloydalter: A1: its not one or the other, it is about balance, enthusiasm and energy #builtheritage
wanderu A1: Experience. No question. Lots of great folks working in field with no formal acad creds. What Willowbank is all about! #builtheritage
lloydalter A1: it's not one or the other, it is about balance, enthusiasm and energy #builtheritage
RocchiJulia #preservation folks: Find me at @PresConf right now on the #builtheritage chat! Topic: job-hunting/career-building in preservation.
PresNation MT @SustainblHeritg: A1: i struggle with this! i have knowledge you cant get a degree in... but employers insist on degrees #builtheritage
HRCHeritage A1:experience is very necessary to grasp the dynamics of the industry, but w/out a degree its hard to get that experience #builtheritage
kristamccracken A1: Experience in the field will often begin preference over someone w merely a degree. #builtheritage
SustainblHeritg A1: i for sure struggle with this! i have extensive knowledge you cant get a degree in... but employers insist on degrees #builtheritage
smheffern I'm over on the @PresNation account talking #preservation jobs... Come on over and join us on the #builtheritage hashtag!
coehallmuseum Tweeting at #builtheritage about #preservation jobs and #careers in #museums #archives #libraries #culture
PreservationJob I suppose I should also mention that I tweet as an individual from @pc_presnation. #builtheritage
PresConf RT @jonaskayla: Lets jump right in! Q1: What’s more critical to a successful preservation career – degrees or experience? #builtheritage
HistPresGirl #builtheritage Any advice for a recent grad w/ love for hist. preservation but degree in Anthropology/History?
jonaskayla Followers, I will be spending the next hour tweeting for #builtheritage chat, come over and join us!
wanderu Just joining #builtheritage chat on finding work in the heritage conservation field. Follow the hashtag if you're interested.
PresNation RT @jonaskayla: Lets jump right in! Q1: What’s more critical to a successful preservation career – degrees or experience? #builtheritage
PresNation RT @presconf: Just a reminder to use the A1, A2, etc. format when answering/sharing resources. #builtheritage
PresConf Just a reminder to use the A1, A2, etc. format when answering/sharing resources. #builtheritage
jonaskayla Let's jump right in! Q1: What’s more critical to a successful preservation career – degrees or experience? #builtheritage
PresConf Welcome everyone! Today's moderators are @jonaskayla, @PresConf, @PresNation, & @PreservationJob. #builtheritage
lloydalter I will start off by saying I have a job available in Toronto for a summer student! More information here http://bit.ly/mRA9tA #builtheritage
PresNation Hello and welcome! This is Sarah (@smheffern) repping for @PresNation today. We're about to get started... #builtheritage
lloydalter starting monthly #builtheritage conference about finding jobs in the preservation biz right now! just follow the hashtag.
PreservationJob Hello everyone! I'm Priya the person who tweets from @preservationjob! Welcome to the chat! #builtheritage
kristamccracken RT @PresNation: Well be starting soon! Join us! Chat on #Preservation Jobs is Today http://ow.ly/4MTza #builtheritage
jonaskayla RT @presconf: 2 minutes til the chat starts! Join us if youre seeking, holding, or thinking about #preservation jobs. #builtheritage
PresConf 2 minutes til the chat starts! Join us if you're seeking, holding, or thinking about #preservation jobs. #builtheritage
PresNation We'll be starting momentarily. Join us! RT @presnation: Twitter Chat on #Preservation Jobs is Today http://ow.ly/4MTza #builtheritage
- May 04, 11
It's a gray, rainy morning here in the District of Columbia, my beloved Washington Capitals are a mere one game from elimination in the NHL playoffs, and even They Might Be Giants is failing to raise my mood. Clearly, it's unusually important for me to have something to look forward to at work today... and I do, because today is Twitter chat day!
At 4:00 EDT (though it's not especially daylight today) we'll gather to discuss job hunting and careers in preservation. It should be - once again - a fast-paced, informative hour of conversation. Whether you're looking for work or have insight to offer from your own hunt for employment, please join us!
Not sure how to get involved? Not to worry - we have instructions! Is your 4:00 hour already booked? Don't fret - we'll have a transcript up within the next couple of days.
Hope to "see" you at 4:00!
Sarah Heffern (@smheffern) is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She believes the fact that she's in a shared office space and therefore can't sing along is what is preventing TMBG from cheering her up.
- Apr 28, 11
One of the things that's cool about running the PreservationNation blog is that people send me interesting articles, announcements, and assorted links. I follow preservation pretty actively via RSS and Twitter, yet I invariably get new and different things via email. I had a particularly large collection waiting for me after a back-to-back stint of vacation and sick time - enough for a round-up post. And thus, you all get a peek inside my inbox.
Shelby Graham Larsson at Historic Boston Incorporated wins the prize for the most unusual note to accompany her story: "Just to pique your interest, this is the title of the post: Stuff-We-Find-in-Historic-Buildings #2: On Preservation and Pornography at the Hayden Building." Ahem. Well. Interest piqued. As it turns out, the cache of blue documents relates to a now-demolished theater near the Hayden that started as a vaudeville house and then, well... transitioned. Among the papers found is a hand written list of actions to take in the event of a police raid, most important of which was "Remain Calm." Mmm-hhmm...
There's no smooth transition from the history of adult theaters to the next item in the queue, so I'm just going to abruptly start talking about something else, specifically, our friends out in Boise who wrote last year's Teaching Preservation series. Teacher and preservation guru Doug StanWiens is the featured speaker at the Boise City Department of Arts and History's May "Fettuccine Forum." Doug's topic (“Boise 360: Preservation, New Media, and the Boise Architecture Project”) is near and dear to our hearts, so if you find yourself in Boise next week, stop by and say hello.
Another educational opportunity that found its way into my inbox sounds so totally cool I'm trying to find an excuse to head to Chicago in June: In Wright's Drafting Room: Architecture Fantasy Camp. Designed specifically for non-architects, "campers learn basic drafting techniques and execute frameable floor plans of their own dream creations" at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio. I wonder if they need someone to blog about the camp experience?
Unfortunately, not all experiences at our sites are open to the public - like spending the night inside their historic walls. Recently, however, Wall Street Journal writer Marc Myers was given the chance to sleep in the Farnsworth House, our modernist icon in Plano, Illinois. In his article Transformational Transparency, Myers presents insights that few daytime visitors get to see:
As night falls, light from the floor lamps bounce off the wood core, bathing the neutral space in an orange glow. This is especially true of the living area—where three brown leather-and-chrome Knoll reproductions of Mies's day bed and two Tugendhat chairs pose dramatically on a plump rug the color of poured concrete.
Leaving the modern behind - sort of - two other links in my inbox focused on the 19th century. One, a story from the Albany Times-Union sent by my former roommate, was about grant funding having been secured to save a local Underground Railroad stop. I particularly enjoyed the message my friend included with the link: "I think you see too many sad stories about threatened historic sites...how about an almost happy ending?" The other was a very "now" angle on history: a review of the History Channel's Civil War iPad app.
The Civil War Today app is not an entirely tranquil experience. Its daily helping of manipulatable pixels, which promise to let users “live” the events of the Civil War, bring disturbing news from America’s bloody past. With its newspaper-like format, and new offerings each day of photos, features, games, maps, documents and videos, the app is designed to transform this day into one of the morally overcast days in the spring of 1861, when, as one diarist put it at the time, “a foreboding for the future” weighed on everyone.
Bonus points to the New York Times' copy editors for their pun-tastic headline - App-omattox: The Civil War Goes Virtual.
And last, but certainly not least, someone forwarded a very important press release to me - our friends over at the National Park Service have just released their new Sustainability And Historic Preservation Guidelines - something I'm sure I'll be hearing more about soon.
With an empty (or, at least emptier) inbox, I throw it open to you, readers. I can't be the only one who gets great info by email. Share what you've gotten lately in the comments!
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Her inbox has only been really, truly empty a handful of times since she came to the Trust in 1999.
- Apr 26, 11
Another month has flown by in a flurry of rain and pollen - at least here in the Mid-Atlantic - and its already time to look ahead to our next Twitter chat. April's sustainability theme will give way to May's topic: job hunting. We'll be joined by Priya Chhaya, who manages the Career Center on the PreservationNation website, for an hour of conversation on careers in preservation. Whether you're a recent grad looking for your first gig, a preservation pro in search of a new challenge, or a newcomer making a career change, a handy tip or ten is sure to come your way. Even if you're not in search of something new, feel free to join in and share your expertise by telling us how you landed your current job.
In case you don't remember how to participate - or haven't joined us before - here are tips for joining in prepared by our moderator, Ontario-based preservationist Kayla Jonas:
How to join in:
1. Sign in to Twitter, Tweet Deck or Tweet Chat. I usually use Tweet Chat to follow twitter chats since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows you to reply and retweet easily.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other tweeters using replies and retweets.
The chat will get underway at 4:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 4 - one week from tomorrow. Hope you can join us!
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The last time she went job hunting a fax machine may have been involved. She can be found on Twitter at @smheffern.
- Apr 20, 11
When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to play with was Lincoln Logs. I loved assembling little houses out of the notched-wood logs, but I always found it frustrating that they were so small. One set of Lincoln Logs (which is all my grandparents had) was enough, at best, to make a two-room cabin, and even back then I liked my buildings on the grander side. One thing that never occurred to me, however, in the countless times I built and re-built those houses, is that it was possible to do the same thing in real life, with a real building like this one. Lincoln Logs for grownups!
The cabin, located in Catlett, Virginia, features hand-hewn logs and dates back to 1800. Unlike my childhood creations, it's two stories and more than two rooms (or so the inclusion of beaded pine board wall partitions and batten interior doors would suggest). I'm not gonna lie, if I were willing to move 45 miles away from my job, doing so to re-assemble a historic log cabin would absolutely be the coolest.
On the fancier side of the historic re-assembly market is the Italianate Biemann-Hughs House in Walhalla, South Carolina. Constructed in 1888, this L-shaped house features 11 rooms (five bedrooms, two bathrooms) and a double veranda. Included in the purchase price are the original antique fixtures such as toilets, bathtubs, windows, mantles, and doors -- along with the plans, photos, and a walk-through DVD to assist in re-assembling the home to its earlier appearance. (I'm pretty sure child-me would have loved building the dollhouse version of this - so much more spacious than my Lincoln Log homes!)
Of course, not all of the distressed properties on our Historic Real Estate website require assembly - many are still standing but in need of rehabilitation. Take Cincinnati's historic Our Lady of Perpetual Help church for example. Vacant since 1989, it needs extensive interior renovation, but is structurally sound. It sounds like a lovely building, with ornamental brickwork, a rose window, an interior balcony, and a 170-foot spire. And over in Chanute, Kansas, an early 20th century Main Street storefront block is in search of a new owner. As currently configured, the building offers five ground floor commercial spaces - some with original wood trim and floors and tin ceilings - along with with five corresponding apartments upstairs. It needs some TLC in the form of restoration, but seems like a great opportunity.
And for those reading this for whom all the talk of assembly and restoration seem daunting - never fear! The Historic Real Estate site has plenty of move-in ready listings, too, so hop on over and see what's available in your town!
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Writing this post has given her the urge to go build something, but she suspects her skills may still be in the Lincoln Log phase.
- Apr 06, 11
Just a quick, quick, quick reminder about the Twitter chat we're hosting this afternoon on sustainability and preservation. We get underway at 4:00 p.m. EDT and will squeeze as much chatting as we can into an hour. (And, as we learned during last month's chat, that is a lot.) If you need details on how to participate, there are details in my post from last week.
I'm excited to announce that we've finally lured the National Trust's own sustainability guru, Patrice Frey - now @PatriceFrey - to Twitter for this chat, so she'll be making her tweeting debut with us today.
And, since we know not everyone can make it, there will once again be a post here on the blog within a few days to share the highlights... and promote May's chat, of course!
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She can be found on Twitter at @smheffern. Between the chat and tonight's Caps game, she's expecting to possibly set a new personal one-day tweeting record.
- Mar 31, 11
It's a chilly, misty day here in the nation's capital and there's apparently a nor'easter barreling up the East Coast, so it could hardly feel less like baseball weather - and yet, baseball season is upon us. There are a batch of Opening Day games on the schedule today - including one in Nationals Park across town. I am the literal definition of a "fair-weather fan," in that I only want to watch baseball when it's sunny and/or warm, so I am planning to trade in today's tickets for a game later in the season, but since I have baseball on the brain (well, as much as a dyed in the wool hockey fan can), today's round-up is focused on America's pastime.
I suspect that my colleagues downstairs in the Preservation magazine offices also enjoy baseball, given that they've written quite a few stories about historic stadiums and leagues over the years. A few of their highlights:
- Field of Dreams: Baseball players still hit homers in Cardines Field, one America's oldest ballparks.
- Voices of Yankee Stadium: Fans of the House of Ruth Give a Last Hurrah.
- The Last of the Polo Grounds: New York City Will Repair a Forgotten Staircase (Note for those of you for whom "Polo Grounds" doesn't seem so baseball-y: The field at New York's Polo Grounds saw action over the years from the Yankees and Mets, as well as the then-New York, now-San Francisco Giants.)
- Negro League Stadium Threatened: Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, N.J., stands as one of the country’s last stadiums. One local resident is trying to save it.
- Field of Forgotten Dreams: Hinchliffe is one of the last surviving stadiums that hosted Negro League games. Can it be saved?
In looking around for historic stadium stories from sources outside the office, I came across an interesting one about Birmingham, Alabama's Rickwood Field, the oldest ballpark in America where professional baseball is still played. "Wait!" I can hear you saying. "Fenway Park is the oldest!" And you're not wrong - Fenway is the oldest park still being used for a full season of games, but Rickwood Field hosts the AA Birmingham Barons annually for the Rickwood Classic. This year's game is June 11, if you want to be part of history.
On the mainstream media end of the spectrum, I came across a USA Today story from last year, "10 great places for a baseball pilgrimage" that I'm willing to bet are still great places this year, too. And the folks at History.com have a page of full of historic baseball trivia and a great then-and-now slideshow that leads with the aforementioned Polo Grounds in New York.
And with that... PLAY BALL!
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She promises to be a more committed baseball fan once hockey season is over, though she hopes that won't be until June for her Washington Capitals.
- Mar 30, 11
I don't know how nearly a month has gone by already, but it's almost time once again for a Twitter chat. Yes - our inaugural foray into Twitter chatting went well enough that we're doing it again! This month, to get everybody in the right mindset for Earth Day (April 22) our topic will be sustainability - or, more specifically, the intersection between sustainability and preservation. I expect it will be a lively conversation. After all, if I had a nickel for every preservationist I've heard say, "The greenest building is the one already built!" I'd be a wealthy woman. There is, of course, so much more to say on the topic, so get thinking... And self-editing, because your thoughts have to fit into a 140 character tweet!
In case you don't remember how to participate - or didn't join us last time - here are tips for joining in prepared by our moderator, Ontario-based preservationist Kayla Jonas:
How to join in:
1. Sign in to Twitter, Tweet Deck or Tweet Chat. I usually use Tweet Chat to follow twitter chats since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows you to reply and retweet easily.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other tweeters using replies and retweets.
The chat will get underway at 4:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 6 - one week from today. Hope you can join us!
UPDATE: The transcript from our #builtheritage chat on sustainability is now available! Read the full PDF version.
Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She can be found on Twitter at @smheffern, where she's currently a little obsessed by the ongoing adventures of the @BronxZoosCobra.
- Mar 18, 11
Here at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, we're big fans of neighborhood schools, so much so that we've written two reports on their value - Why Can't Johnny Walk to School? and Helping Johnny Walk to School. We love seeing schools remain in use for educational purposes. However, we also understand that communities change, and that sometimes the kids who once made a school's halls ring with laughter grow up, move away, and raise their own children elsewhere, leaving their home neighborhoods with more school buildings than students. In those cases, as you might suspect, we love to see a building adapted for a new use. (We're walking the walk on that right now, in fact - Denver's Emerson School is in the process is being rehabbed to house our Mountains/Plains Office and other preservation organizations.)
Thanks to several new listings in our Historic Properties for Sale website, you can join us in giving a historic school a new life. Whether your plans, like ours, are for an office building, or you're thinking senior living, apartments/condos, a community center, or another use, we have three schools listed this week that can help you make your dream a reality.
The oldest of the three, dating from 1847, is the Liberty Street School in Warren, RI. It's the oldest high school building in the state, is located in a National Register Historic District, and is within walking distance of both the waterfront and Main Street. The other two schools date from the 1920s. One, the French Broad School in Alexander, NC, offers 13,000 square feet of available residential, studio, or corporate campus space just eight miles from Ashville, while the other - the Red Brick School House in Clarendon, TX - boasts similar square footage along with four acres of land for additional building (or perhaps an orchard or vineyard, as the listing also suggests).
If owning and restoring a school seems, perhaps, a bit more than you're feeling up to, don't worry - there are plenty of other listings on the site, one of which may be the historic home of your dreams. So, don't forget to take a look for offerings in your area before you head out on open house visits this weekend. Happy house hunting!
Sarah Heffern is the content manager for PreservationNation.org. She thinks her high school would make really cool condos, but given that it's the town's only public secondary school, she expects that's unlikely to come to pass.
- Mar 11, 11
Galveston, Texas: This 1891 side-hall cottage was recently moved and renovated to LEED for Homes guidelines. (Click the photo to see the listing.)
Though I know that not everyone sees our posts the moment they are published, you can be assured that this one is hitting the blogosphere at the tail end of the work week here at the PreservationNation HQ in Washington, DC. This is not (entirely) because I've been delayed in writing this, but because this blog series, featuring listings from our Historic Properties for Sale website (originally announced as being a Wednesday feature) is moving to a new spot on the schedule - and this is it.
"Why?" I hear you asking.
Well, with the time change back to Daylight Savings Time this weekend - and with my allergies flaring up - it occurred to me that spring is right around the corner, and with it, prime home buying season. (I don't know if this is an official thing, but I know all the "For Sale" signs pop up in my neighborhood as soon as the weather warms up a bit.) More homes for sale, means more opportunities for poking around open houses on the weekend... and we here at the National Trust want you looking at historic homes. (Preservationists, after all, make the best historic homeowners, right?) Thus, consider this first of your weekly reminders to take a peek at our Historic Properties for Sale site when you're planning your open house visits to see what's available in your area!
In the comments, take a moment to tell us if there's a listing you'll be taking a look at this weekend.
Sarah Heffern is the content manager for PreservationNation.org. She's currently an apartment-dweller, but hopes to one day use the Historic Properties for Sale site to buy a home.
- Mar 03, 11
As I wrote about earlier in the week, we hosted our first Twitter chat yesterday, on the topic of adaptive use. Going into it, none of us were sure what to expect – how many people would “show up,” whether there would be enough chatter to sustain a conversation, etc. We kind of thought that if we maxed out at 20 people, it would probably be pretty good for a first try.
Well. It turns out we had nothing to worry about.
One frenetic hour of tweeting and re-tweeting later, we took a look at our stats and discovered that more than 100 people weighed in on our questions, totaling nearly 700 messages. We had people contributing from far and wide – some here in DC, others in Miami, San Francisco, St. Paul, Toronto… and even Brisbane, Australia. So much for our concerns that no one would show up! The entire transcript of the chat is available, but I’ve pulled out a few replies for each of the questions to show the great responses we were seeing.
A note on reading the items below: I’ve left everyone’s Twitter handle (that is, the name they use on Twitter) in place and linked, so you can click through and see more of their messages. I’ve removed all of the #builtheritage hashtags, however, since it looks incredibly cluttered with them all there.
Just as we were about to get started, this is the first tweet that appeared:
HeritageMuse: Its 4pm EST do you know where your #builtheritage is?
And with that, we were off:
Q1 -What are your favourite* examples of adaptive reuse?
- KarjaCH: A1 Most favorite is a 3 story brick cheese factory now climbing gym and coffee shop on the river in Idaho Falls, ID
- trustmodern: A1 Adaptive: How about my ranch house? Built for atomic family of four, now home to 3 generations of Madrid Frenches!
- TheRealJeffS: Pics of the future 'Sally Creek Recreation Centre' as it currently sits - ready for adaptive reuse! http://twitpic.com/45fypr
- stevemouzon: A1: but for a really fun one, Andiamo's is a funky pizza parlor on Biscayne that was once General Tire http://t.co/UxwLIdU
- lloydalter: A1 I love marcy wong's ford assembly building in richmond CA http://bit.ly/h6NdyT
Q2 – What are the biggest barriers for adaptive reuse?
- wanderu: A2: barriers = lack of supportive zoning + OP policies, banks+lenders unwilling to fund, lack of skilled heritage trades
- Craig_Cap: A2: A huge barrier is lack of co-operation/clear vision of what the property could be.
- uglyshirt: The belief that the cost of adaptive reuse is too prohibitive for cities.
Q3 - What steps can heritage groups take to encourage adaptive reuse?
- urbanmatt: A3: It's really about practical and highlighting range of opportunities with older buildings. Pres. need not be restoration.
- GalinaTachieva: A3:Look at buildings in context, show how they work as part of urban fabric and support spirit of place
- jonaskayla: Show economics - Good study on the economics of adaptive reuse by @hrcheritage http://bit.ly/gnHO9m
- DG_rad: I think of myself as a practical preservationist. We'll turn people off to pres if goal is always Colonial Williamsburg.
Q4 - How do you get local support for adaptive reuse of buildings?
- HRCHeritage: A4: promotion of the integrity of the building and what it represents to the community
- GalinaTachieva: A4: Besides showing economics, highlight how existing buildings can become part of the competitive edge of a place
- trustmodern: A4 Expand historic context of bldg to show how it fits into the community. Who built it/loved it/lived it? #storytelling
- KarjaCH: A4: Get involved at the local gov level and help change codes and regs to allow, support, prefer adaptive reuse
Q5 - Is there a building you would like to see reused? For what?
- GalinaTachieva: A5: A MacMansion (old or new) reused as multi-family building, senior housing, boarding house, student dorm
- heritagetoronto: A5: Hearn Generating Station, please! If the Tate Modern can be a museum, the sky is the limit: http://bit.ly/gkK18Z
- lcarroli: one of my fav adaptive reuse projects in Brisbane is the Brisbane Powerhouse. http://www.brisbanepowerhouse.org
Looking for more about the chat? Our moderator, Kayla Jonas, has a couple of posts on her blog, Adventures in Heritage, and another participant, Krista McCracken, has posted a recap on her blog, Historical Reminiscents. And, if you missed out this time, don’t despair – we’ll be doing this the first Wednesday of every month, so the next chat is already set for April 6 at 4:00 EDT.
* Please note that Kayla is from Ontario, so “favourite” is not misspelled or a typo. It’s just Canadian for “favorite.”
Sarah Heffern is the content manager for PreservationNation.org. She can be found on Twitter at @smheffern, where she spends possibly too much of her free time tweeting about social media, pop culture, food, and the Washington Capitals.
- Mar 01, 11
A few years back, those of us on the online communications team at PreservationNation joined Twitter on something of a whim. We had one colleague who sat in a different room from the rest of us, and we thought it would be handy to tweet him to let him know when meetings spontaneously erupted. (Which they did - and still do - kind of a lot.)
Though Jason did end up looped into more of our brainstorming sessions, we quickly realized it was useful far beyond just saying, "Come upstairs now!" and thus, the @PresNation account was born. In the two years since we started the account, we've mostly used it for making our blog & website stories more easily sharable, but it has also given us the chance to live-tweet conference sessions, answer member questions, and starting tomorrow - host twitter chats.
For those who've never participated in a Twitter chat, it essentially works like this - as described by tomorrow's moderator, Kayla Jonas, an Ontario-based preservationist:
How to join in:
1. Sign in to Twitter, Tweet Deck or Tweet Chat. I usually use Tweet Chat to follow twitter chats since it adds the hash tag automatically.
2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #builtheritage
3. Watch for the questions in the Q1 format. Provide answers using the A1 format, and interact with other tweeters using replies and retweets.
If that sounds complicated, really it's not... it's rather like participating in an instant messenger or Gchat conversation, except with lots and lots of people at the same time. If you're new to Twitter and are daunted by the prospect of jumping right in, there's always the option of just reading along and not participating. But don't be shy - Kayla, my colleague Julia Rocchi, and I are all brand new to running a chat, too, so we can all learn together!
We'll be gathering online from 4:00 -5:00 EST tomorrow, Wednesday, March 2 at the #builtheritage hashtag. Our topic is going to be adaptive use, and we'll have a few questions prepared to get the ball rolling.
Hope to tweet you there!
Sarah Heffern is the content manager for PreservationNation.org. She can be found on Twitter at @smheffern, where she spends possibly too much of her free time tweeting about social media, pop culture, food, and the Washington Capitals.
- Feb 15, 11
I spent New Year's Day this year at the Winter Classic - an outdoor NHL game - with my cousin. Amongst hockey fans (especially those of the competing teams) this is a highly-coveted ticket, and once it became clear I had seats, Kate was my first choice to accompany me because I knew it was on her "bucket list." You know what I mean... that list of all the things you want to do before you kick the bucket. I don't really have such a list, I think because I don't consider many activities as "must-dos," and I'm not interested in skydiving, or bungee jumping or those sorts of bucket list-y adventures - I just want to travel. Everywhere. Anywhere. (I am very serious about this. Once, I started making plans to follow my sister on a work trip to Afghanistan that, unfortunately, got canceled, and a couple of years ago I tried, unsuccessfully, to get the National Trust to send me to a preservation conference in Iraq. Really, there is nowhere I won't go.)
So, instead of a bucket list, I have a travel list, which is a constantly growing and changing document - prioritization shifts, new places get added, and every once in a while, I get to cross things off... though usually with the caveat that I'd go back if I could. Once a year, the job helps me out with supplementing my travel list by presenting the Dozen Distinctive Destinations, which often does double-duty by reminding me of some great places I've been along with giving me some new ones to consider.
I've only been to a quarter of this year's Distinctive Destinations, but Alexandria, VA; Colorado Springs, CO; and St. Paul, MN are three places that are definitely on the list of the places I'd go back to. (Of course, given the proximity of Alexandria to my home in DC, I don't count it as travel. I do mundane stuff like go to the Target on the outskirts, but Old Town and Del Ray are two of my favorite local neighborhoods to hang out in.)
The remaining three-quarters of the dozen is full of inspirational choices - Sonoma and Eureka, CA (wine! redwoods!); Sheridan, WY (old west!); New Bedford, MA (whale watching!); among others - and it's easy to get lost in travel fantasies as you peruse the listings.
So... take a moment out of your morning and start (or update) your travel list while looking over the 2011 Dozen Distinctive Destinations. And if it just so happens that you - like me - have already been to some of these great places, take a moment between now and March 15 to vote in our fan favorite contest. And why would you do this? Because all voters are automatically entered to win a complimentary two night stay at any Historic Hotel of America.
Happy travels!
Sarah Heffern is the content manager for PreservationNation.org. She's not allowed to publicly pick a favorite among the destinations, so instead will mention that she's hoping her international travel plans this year will involve Spain. Or Italy. Or maybe Greece. The Mediterranean, definitely.
- Feb 11, 11
We’ll be featuring listings from our Historic Properties for Sale site every week. It’s just like Preservation magazine’s well-loved homes section, but much more frequent. This week, we’re looking at homes with connections to the Civil War.
A few weeks back, while sharing a handful of listings about lovely Victorians for sale, I mentioned that I had a bit of a geeky streak for things having to do with the Civil War, and given our recent big win at Wilderness, it seems inevitable that I'd find myself trolling around our Historic Properties for Sale site for homes with a connection to the Civil War. I found a few lovely ones not too far from my perch here in Washington, DC.
The first I'll mention today technically doesn't qualify, as it dates from about five years after the war ended, but it's located in a town - Fredericksburg, VA - that is impossibly adorable and as rich in Civil War history as just about any place you can find. (Really. The town had a battle of its own, and is within a stone's throw of several others.) The home, called Elmhurst, has a whopping 49 windows, 10 foot ceilings, and "exquisite" woodwork. And dear to my Yankee heart, it also happens to have been built by a New Yorker, Washington Elms.
Also in Virginia - just north of Leesburg, in the town of Waterford - sits the Mary Dutton Steer House, which dates to 1815 and shows through its varied rooflines its growth from a two-room cottage to a four-bedroom home. It also sports hand-hewn beams, decorative mouldings - and a bullet impression left behind from a Civil War Battle at a nearby church.
Heading a bit further north, and a smidge to the west, lands us in Shepherdstown, West Virginia and a home with connections to both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. The Morgan family, who owned the land upon which Falling Spring is built fielded soldiers in both wars, and both Union and Confederate soldiers are said to have camped in the area during the latter conflict. And as if the lovely columned house at the right were not enough, it comes with the original outbuildings: a smoke house, a carriage house, and more. Honestly, if I were at a point in my life where owning this were even remotely possible, it just might be my dream house.
So there you have it... three more amazing offerings from the always-enticing listings on the Historic Properties for Sale website. And if it just so happens that hitting open houses is on your to-do list for the rapidly-approaching weekend (some might say it arrived here about an hour ago) do take a moment to look for listings in your area. Happy house-hunting!
Sarah Heffern is the content manager for PreservationNation.org. She's now quite likely to spend the weekend reading "Gone with the Wind."
- Jan 27, 11
We’ll be featuring listings from our Historic Properties for Sale site every Wednesday. (Yes, I'm late this week. Our offices closed early yesterday as a winter storm bore down on Washington, DC.) It’s just like Preservation magazine’s well-loved homes section, but much more frequent. This week, we're looking at commercial properties.
I'm not old enough to have experienced sock hops, poodle skirts, and dates at the neighborhood soda fountain, but I did grow up watching lots and lots of Happy Days re-runs, so I feel like I got a pretty nice peek into the 50s. (Please don't tell me how wrong I am - I like my illusions.) One of our listings this week - located in Lewistown, Montana - sounds (and looks!) like just the sort of place where Richie, Potsie, and Ralph Malph would be at home:
"The Bon Ton is outfitted with a solid marble soda fountain (ca. 1930) and a lighted art deco back bar. It has a panel on each side of the mirror with 3-dimensional pictures of a mermaid-type woman. The business is decorated in black, white and red 1950's style, with an extensive collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia."
As the Fonz would say: "Aaaaaayyyy!"
Another listing this week had me as soon as I saw the picture at right. And no, it's not the fact that it says LOBSTERS in huge letters (well, maybe it is a little) it's the quaint New England-y ness of the restaurant, called the Homestead. Its history makes that connection all the more clear: one of the original owner's sons purchased New Hampshire's most iconic piece of real estate - Mount Washington - and the family of legendary Red Sox slugger Babe Ruth used the place for a time, even leaving behind an autographed photo that was found between the walls years later. (And there are lobsters. Yum.)
These – and many, many other listings – are available now through our Historic Properties for Sale website. Check it out!
Sarah Heffern is the content manager for Preservation Nation.org. She should know better than to write about restaurants - for sale or otherwise - when she's hungry, because she's now craving both a milkshake and a lobster roll.
- Jan 19, 11
We’ll be featuring listings from our Historic Properties for Sale site every Wednesday. It’s just like Preservation magazine’s well-loved homes section, but much more frequent. This week we're looking at houses that can double as Bed and Breakfasts.
When I was just out of college, I spent several years putting a pretty serious effort into becoming a regular at an Irish bar near where I went to school. I spent several nights a week there with my friends, and occasionally we'd talk about buying a bar of our own some day. It was a grandiose - if ill-defined - plan, which I suppose grew from the idea that owning a bar would be as fun as spending time in one. And then, I got a job at that very same bar as a waitress, and fairly quickly realized maybe it wasn't the life for me, after all. I was far, far more skilled at being a patron than I was with being on the other side of the tray.
I was reminded of this long-dormant plan today when I saw a tavern listed as one of the features of a home for sale on our Historic Properties for Sale website:
The restored brick floored winter kitchen (30’x18”) is referred to as the "Tavern Room" since it was formerly used as a bar in colonial times. This room features 2 brick ovens and a period restored cooking hearth. The owner uses the Tavern for entertaining family, friends and guests sharing fresh brick oven bread and hearth cooked meals.
I'm not gonna lie; it sounds right up my alley - particularly because I am as fond of fresh-baked bread as I am a good tavern.
This listing, known as the Norvell-Otey House, is in Lynchburg, Virginia and is one of three homes on the site that double as Bed and Breakfasts.
If owning a bar sounded fun to my 22-year-old self, I think owning a B&B sounds similarly appealing to my pushing-40 self, in what I suspect is the same entirely unrealistic way. I like visiting Bed and Breakfasts, so therefore I'd like to have one of my own, right?
I mean, how great would it be to own a house like the Paxton House Bed & Breakfast and share it with guests? (It's got a carriage house! And a garden cottage!) Or the Collina Plantation in Mississippi, which looks so unbelievably quaint in this photo. I can just picture myself in a rocker on that porch, mint julep in hand.
Oh, wait... there I am in guest mentality again. Clearly, ownership of one of these beauties is not the right option for me, but if some of you out there in blogland want to buy them and guarantee me a reservation, well, I wouldn't object!
Sarah Heffern is the content manager for PreservationNation.org. She's happy to have found a career pushing pixels, since waitressing was way too exhausting.
- Jan 13, 11
Good afternoon, Nation, and welcome to this Thursday edition of Preservation Round-Up, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s twice-weekly digest of preservation news and notes from around the country.
One of the things we're constantly amazed at here in the PreservationNation office is the amount of enthusiasm preservationists have for sharing their stories via social media. We try to keep a pretty close eye on our accounts on Facebook and Twitter, and there are new stories - successes and threats - every day, along with events and calls to action. So, with our newly-minted regular round-up writer off in Louisiana enjoying his mama's gumbo, I thought I'd take a spin through our part of the social universe to share some of what we've been seeing.
We hear a lot from the intrepid folks working to save Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. (Have you ever been to OTR? I've only been once, but knew immediately that if I ever had to move to Ohio, that's where I'd want to end up.) The folks on the Over-the-Rhine page are among our most active fans when it comes to sharing links, including this recent one about Cincinnati's popularity as remodeling market, while another group, OTR Matters, shared their new blog, Over-the-Rhine Matters.
Other preservationists are using Facebook and it's super-easy photo uploading to share updates on their preservation projects. The Shoemaker Schoolhouse in Columbia, Illinois is an example. According to the page description, "this one-room schoolhouse, built in 1867 by a farmer for his children... is being renovated as the Monroe County Welcome Center." The photos are well worth a look.
We also hear about all sorts of interesting-sounding events - often in places we're sorry we can't get to (but maybe you can). For example, the Chicago Architecture Foundation shared their upcoming Open House Chicago tour on Twitter. And if you're a preservation lawyer, Landmark West NYC's Landmarks Law at 45 sounds like a must-attend session. (Landmark West also has made the jump to mobile, offering their walking tour as an iPhone app. I know I'll be downloading it before my next trip up to the city.)
Via the National Preservation Conference Twitter feed - managed right across the room from me! - comes the news that the newest Muppet movie is going to have a preservation theme. It's not coming out until the end of the year, but it's never too early to plan a preservationist night at the movies.
Given that I copped to a certain amount of Civil War geekery in my post yesterday, it will probably come as no surprise that one of my favorite new things on the social web scene is the Washington Post's live-tweeting of the Civil War. As the sesquicentennial kicked off, so did the WaPo's Twitter list. While we're heavily engaged in preservation battles such as the fight against the Wilderness Walmart, it's kind of interesting to look back at the way the war got underway, 140 characters at a time.
And just in case you're not following us on Facebook and Twitter (we'd be happy to have you, if that's the case), here's a message we sent out earlier today that's of importance to those of you planning to comment on the newest version of LEED: the USGBC has extended the deadline to 11:59 p.m. on Monday, January 17, 2011 due to website downtime during the comment period.
And finally, one story that has nothing to do with preservation at all, though it does come from an ally in the museum world: from the Smithsonian American History Museum's Twiter feed, take a peek a the hottest fad of 1939: goldfish gulping.
Sarah Heffern is the content manager for PreservationNation.org. Her favorite Muppet is Beaker, whom she sincerely hopes is a preservationist, in addition to being a scientist.
- Jan 12, 11
We’ll be featuring listings from our
