This week, PHW has digitized approximately 65 35mm slides in the following albums at Flickr:
Architectural Details (in particular interior details and trompe l’oeil decorations)
Cameron Street
Loudoun Street
Assorted other individual sites included in this batch may be found in the photostream.
Mark your calendars: The check presentations to the Timbrook House and Boys and Girls Club from the proceeds of the National Avenue engraved bricks is scheduled for February 4, 2-3 PM at Stephen’s Restaurant and Jazz Cafe at 440 North Kent Street. There is room for approximately 25-35 guests for the event. We hope to see some of you there to celebrate!
From the Virginia Department of Emergency Management in the Richmond Times-Dispatch comes a timely article warning of signs your roof may be suffering stress from the additional weight of the snow. Watch your ceilings and walls especially for signs of sagging, leaking, and sounds of popping and cracking.
This week, PHW added approximately 70 photos to the following albums on Flickr:
North Avenue
Piccadilly Street
Stewart Street
Wolfe Street
Other miscellaneous photos can be found in the photostream.
If you were unable to attend the Community Foundation of the Northern Shenandoah Valley Community Stars event last week, you may catch the video shown at the event on YouTube. PHW’s own Bruce Downing and several other honorees speak about the Community Foundation’s history, mission, and future in this nine minute short with video and editing by Shaun Galang at Cedarmeade Studios.
Extended cold weather and even our first significant snowfall are on the horizon for Winchester, and in addition to worrying about your pantry being stocked this weekend, you may be concerned about freezing pipes and the resulting damage that can ensue. This Old House expert Richard Trethewey demonstrates some common pipe insulation techniques and some tips for when that pipe does freeze. Watch the clip on YouTube and read the full supply list in the video description.
Bruce Downing, PHW’s Secretary, was one among several familiar faces honored last night as one of the founding members of the Community Foundation of the Northern Shenandoah Valley. The organization, founded in 2001 to allow individuals to create endowment funds to support their favorite causes, celebrated its fifteenth anniversary by launching “An Evening with Our Community Stars” at the Millwood Station Banquet Hall. PHW had shared the Hexagon House with the fledgling organization for approximately five years, and we are pleased to see them succeeding. For more information on the Community Foundation of the Northern Shenandoah Valley and their work, visit them at www.cfnsv.org.
This post has been modified from its original form.
Often when performing a restoration or a rehabilitation of an older property, you need unique or unusual materials that can’t be found off the shelf at Lowe’s or Home Depot. PHW’s research library contains pamphlets on some of these companies and products, but thanks to the internet, many of these can now be found online. Here is a quick overview of some places to look for more information on restoration materials and companies:
The Old House Journal has a Restoration Products Directory listing more than 2000 companies. They also have products broken down by categories for easy browsing.
Preservation Directory also has a section dedicated to Businesses, Products & Services. Not only does it include actual materials and contractors, but also to consultants for associated aspects of preservation like National Register nominations.
If you have access to the National Trust for Historic Preservation Forums, you may wish to search past topics for information and experiences with unusual materials.
Don’t forget our local architectural salvage business, Maggie’s Farm in Front Royal, VA.
The Virginia Department of Historic Resources has a consultant directory. DHR’s directory is not an approved or all-inclusive list, but a starting point for owners seeking professional help with their preservation project. Download as a PDF.
Finally, PHW has a contractor directory to local craftsmen who have specialties in historic preservation work, or even just small odd jobs around old houses. We are always accepting new craftsmen to be included in our directory; drop us an email at phwi@verizon.net to update your listing or submit one to us. You can download a blank consultant form here.
Do you have any other favorite sources to go to for restoration materials? Let us know!
1976 survey images of West Cork Street
1976 survey images of East Piccadilly Street
Town Spring building on Amherst Street
Kurtz Building charette, exhibits, fundraisers, and kids summer camp
433 Kern Lane (demolished in 1986 after a fire)
Old Frederick County Court House cupola and column work, 1984
PHW received word today via the Virginia Department of Historic Resources that the National Parks Service has approved the expanded National Register Historic District. The application was approved at the state level in mid-September, 2015. Congratulations to the 395 buildings and objects which have received recognition as contributing historic structures!