Last May I was traveling through rural Nebraska and South Dakota giving a series of workshops on caring for older and historic buildings. I was struck that many of the smallest towns I drove through had museums and historic houses open to the public. I stopped to talk with the people involved with these tiny "institutions" and most had not heard of the workshop series, but were very interested and expressed the desire for help in bringing preservation to their own towns. --John Leeke, Preservation Consultant
To meet their needs we are now planning an historic preservation project to serve small towns in Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa. A seminar will be held next year in a town or village yet to be selected. The thrust of the project is to bring the latest in preservation knowledge to these remote villages and hamlets and to explore their particular needs.
The seminar will present practical ways to care for older and historic buildings. There will be talks, slide shows, site visits, and most importantly, practical demonstrations and hands-on training presented by the best local, state and national preservation specialists. Currently identified topics include:
While the seminar will be held in just one small village the principle thrust of this project is to serve hundreds of other small towns. The seminar will develop content to be distributed very widely. An internet website will provide a readily accessible link for anyone wanting to participate. Important features will be live video and audio broadcast with discussion forums so people throughout the three-state region can participate without traveling to the seminar. John Leeke implemented the first live internet conference in the field of historic preservation for the International Preservation Trades Workshop in Maryland last fall, so we know first hand that this technology is "ready to go" and accessible to many. It is surprising how many farmers, ranchers and small-town people are "connected" to the internet. Many of the official historical commissions and agencies are not as well connected. An objective of this seminar will be to help them get connected. All activities of the seminar will be video taped, recorded, documented and made available at the website for future reference. The website will also include ongoing discussion forums and question & answer features. The website will remain online for at least a year, collecting responses and building a rich online information resource. A print publication will be developed for distribution to those not yet "connected." Articles will be published in local and state newspapers, regional and national magazines, and historic preservation journals, both before and after the seminar.
As we leave the 20th Century behind we see the beginnings of a "Post-Industrial" movement stimulating economic development and social interest in our smallest towns, villages and hamlets. Despite their small size, these places harbor important historic buildings that are at risk. We hold the hope that the cultural resources of these towns will not be lost simply because of their small size and remote locations. Would you join us in planning and supporting this project to help preserve the special character of these important places?
How can you help?
It's as simple as 1. Write a letter, 2. Talk to a friend, 3. Dive right in.
Please write a brief letter (or send
Email) describing how you, your family, your organization or
your town could benefit from this project. Indicate if you would
like your town to be considered for the seminar location. Also,
let us know if we have missed something you need, so we can plan
to include it. Your letters will be used to demonstrate the need
for this project to prospective sponsors. A letter or note from
you is a simple and powerful way to make this project happen. We
need at least 100 letters - write yours now.
Tell a friend about this project. Ask them to write a letter
too. Even better: bring it up at your next meeting or tuck this
announcement in with your next newsletter.
Are you ready and rearin' to go? Take a look at items 1-4 below. Pick one, take action and send your results.
The preliminary planning team members listed here have made only a nominal commitment to review email and comment, as we gear up for the real work of planning and implementing this project. Listing here does not imply any endorsement of their associated institutions. Let us know if you would like to be on this list.
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John Leeke's Historic HomeWorks™ |
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207 773-2306 26 Higgins St. Portland, ME 04103 |
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