Resilience in Historic Preservation and Heritage Tourism: The Case of Alcatraz Island

Due to inclement weather, Carolina Manrique's public presentation will be rescheduled for February 26th at 5pm in Combs 112 Carolina Manrique, a PhD candidate in Architecture from Texas A&M University, will be speaking on the idea of "resilience" and the movement to change heritage tourism into a more sustainability-oriented field. Manrique is an architect who has studied building technology and the structural analysis of monuments and historical constructions. Please come to Combs 112 this Wednesday at 5pm as we welcome our second professor candidate for the Historic Preservation department. She will be available for questions after a 45 minute long lecture.   … [Read more...]

Atlantic Perspectives and Digital Technologies in Historic Preservation and Architectural History

Come see one of the candidates for the Assistant Professor position give his public presentation on Atlantic Perspectives and Digital Technologies in Historic Preservation and Architectural History! Dr. Brent Fortenberry has had long-term involvement with architectural history, architectural documentation and preservation, as well as community-based preservation. He's worked everywhere from Colonial Williamsburg to Bermuda! Dr. Fortenberry is currently a Preservation Fellow in the graduate Historic Preservation program at Clemson University as well as a Visiting Researcher with the Department of Archaeology at Boston University. He will give a 45 minute lecture and then be available for questions. Feedback is more than welcome and should be sent to alsmith@umw.edu. Your input is important in this process as the department searches for a new addition to their faculty! … [Read more...]

Preservation Easements 101

Jess R. Phelps is coming to the University of Mary Washington on January 28th to discuss his career in preservation easements. His legal background alongside his interest in historic preservation has led him to a career focused on easements. Preservation easements are restrictions put in place to protect and preserve historically, architecturally, or archaeologically significant structures. His lecture will be given in Combs Hall 237 from 5-6:30pm.    … [Read more...]

Fall 2014 Newsletter

UMW's Historic Preservation Newsletter for Fall 2014 is available below! In this issue we congratulate the recent graduates, give updates on campus buildings, alumni, Stratford Hall Plantation field school, and the HISP club. There are also a few entries from current students sharing stories from their summer internships. If you would like to receive a digital copy please fill out this form so that you can be added to the email list! Enjoy and be on the look out for the Spring Newsletter! Fall 2014 Newsletter 10.30.14 … [Read more...]

Alumna aids Fannie Roots’ historic cottage to open doors

Fannie Roots lived in a cottage on the corner of Washington Street and U.S. 17 in Falmouth for her entire life. The structure was almost demolished but protests led it to be preserved as one of the last examples of the "working man's home" from the late 19th century. The original structure was made of log beams and a fieldstone foundation. Roots used the wooden stove to provide most of the heating and cooking, but she did eventually install electric lights and a heating-oil tank. UMW graduate and site preservation manager at Gari Melchers’ Belmont, Beate Ankjær–Jensen, has been working to preserve the building and is trying to find out as much as possible about Roots' life as she can. Roots worked for Gari and Corinne Melchers as a gardener, was active in civil rights efforts, and attended almost every Board of Supervisors meeting. More here: http://news.fredericksburg.com/town-and-county/2014/11/03/saved-cottage-to-open-doors/ … [Read more...]

Ghost Walk

Announcing the Historic Preservation Club's 30th annual Ghostwalk! This year, the event will run on October 24th (6-10PM) and October 25th (5-10PM) at the James Monroe Museum on Charles Street. Tickets may be reserved ahead of time by e-mailing the club at UMWGhostwalk@gmail.com or by calling (540) 654-1315. It's a wonderful way to have some spooky fun with your family or a few friends!  … [Read more...]

Field Trip to Hollywood Cemetery

Richmond, VA - Saturday, October 18th, from 10 AM to 2 PM The Center for Historic Preservation is sponsoring a field trip to Hollywood Cemetery, an outstanding example of a “rural cemetery” of the picturesque style that dates to 1849. Led by Prof. Doug Sanford, the field trip will allow students and faculty to experience a premier Victorian landscape overlooking the scenic falls of the James River in Richmond. Hollywood Cemetery, with its curvilinear roads, ponds, and burial areas of greensward and trees, contains an impressive variety of tombstone styles and funerary architecture. As a cemetery for a Southern city, Hollywood also is well known as the resting place for over 18,000 Confederate dead, including 28 generals and CSA president, Jefferson Davis. As an upscale burial ground, Hollywood also contains the graves for two U.S. Presidents (including James Monroe), famous authors, a U.S. Supreme Court judge, and members of Richmond’s leading families. Transportation will be … [Read more...]

Student Report: VAM Conference

At the end of Spring Break I was able to attend the Virginia Association of Museums Conference in Hot Springs, Virginia, at the Homestead Resort. The resort, founded in 1766 was beautiful and was a beautiful setting for this conference. This annual conference brought together many of Virginia’s museums for a collaboration and exploration of key topics in the museum world. I was able to attend several interesting talks covering topics from disaster planning to dressing mannequins with historic costumes- a process that really is an art form in itself. I was also able to attend a session focused on, the not so interesting yet crucial aspect of the resume and the interview. It was helpful to hear from professionals on what they look for in potential employees. The conference also offered an expo of museum industry vendors, such as a mannequin company as well as a design group who produces exhibits, to a moving company that specializes in moving collections. Overall the conference was a … [Read more...]

Student Report: Southeast Museum Conference

This November, I had the chance to attend the Southeast Museum Conference annual meeting. The meeting was held in Williamsburg, Virginia at the Williamsburg Lodge. The meeting lasted three days and over 500 museum professionals attended. Throughout the course of the conference I attended seven sessions covering: collections and digital questions, design ideas every museum professional should know, care of historic houses, exhibit fundamentals, how to approach large projects, how to maximize volunteer output, and how to write conditions reports. Through these sessions, I was able to increase my knowledge of the workings of museums and what it takes to be successful in the museum profession. I was also able to form good connections, through networking, with professionals in a plethora of museums from a myriad of places, which will help me when I am searching for internships and jobs. This conference is recommended for anyone interested in pursuing a career in the museum profession. I … [Read more...]

And Another Year Here and Gone…

This past year was a busy one for the Center for Historic Preservation at the University of Mary Washington. Hosting numerous speakers in addition to sponsoring the annual Historic Preservation Book Prize, the 2011-2012 year was one filled with much success. The year began with a visit from public historian Dr. Heather Huyck on October 5, 2011. Dr. Huyck’s visit was co-sponsored by both the Center for Historic Preservation and the Department of Women's and Gender Studies at the University of Mary Washington. With a lecture titled, “Hard Hats & High Heels: Women Working in Historic Preservation” the main focus of Huyck’s presentation was to discuss future job opportunities for preservation students and the preparations they should be making in order to maximize their potential. October continued with a visit from Lois Olcott Price, author of Line, Shade and Shadow: the Fabrication and Preservation of Architectural Drawings and winner of the 2011 Book Prize. Currently the … [Read more...]