We’ve received a few inquiries about internship opportunities at PHW. While we love the chance to introduce students to history and preservation careers, we do need to limit ourselves to just one intern a semester.
If you’d like to apply for a fall internship (August-December 2013) please send a short letter detailing your expectations for your internship and your resume to us at phwi@verizon.net. The cutoff date is April 30, 2013. Good luck, everyone!
The PHW office will be closed for regular business on Friday, March 29 while we introduce a group of historic preservation students from Shepherd University to Winchester, our preservation movement, and our downtown. Of course, they’re getting a private tour of the Hexagon House while they’re here. You might spot them looking at our architecture if you’re downtown Friday afternoon!
Via the National Trust for Historic Preservation comes a short video highlighting some of the community-wide benefits the federal historic tax credits:
(View video on YouTube.)
We’ve seen tax credits at work here in Winchester, and it’s safe to say tax credits were key to rehabilitating the Lewis-Jones Knitting Mill, the George Washington Hotel, and now the Taylor Hotel. Still not convinced it’s working in Winchester? Take a look at this rundown of recent revitalization projects.
If you value the benefits of historic tax credits in your projects and in your community, take a few minutes to sign the pledge at the National Trust at www.preservationnation.org/taxcredits and help us keep the federal historic tax credit in the preservation toolkit.
We continue our journey through the renovation process at the Samuel Noakes House at 101 West Cork Street/201 South Braddock Street. Updates are posted each Tuesday through the PHW blog, following the progress with virtual hardhat tours. The previous entries may be found at the PHW blog at part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12, part 13, part 14, part 15, part 16, part 17, part 18, part 19, part 20, part 21, and part 22.
For those who attended the reception on March 9, you know the Noakes house is almost complete now. The apartments are complete, and the barber shop area is nearly ready for a new tenant to direct the final build out. We will back up slightly before the party and show some of the last touches going into the house, namely built-ins and cabinets through the house. Don’t miss some photos from the party as well!
We’ve had a great time following the process at the Noakes house. We hope that you’ve been inspired by what was accomplished here to tackle an older building in need of some TLC, or just get some ideas to maintain the one you already own. Historic buildings and modern amenities are not always mutually exclusive concepts.
Kitchen cabinets on Braddock Street
Kitchen cabinets on Cork Street
Carpentry on Cork Street
Carpentry on Braddock Street
Partying with PHW in the old barbershop on March 9
Although we’ve only held one lecture in our spring series to date, we want to get some feedback from you to help us plan for the fall series and into 2014. You can take a quick (less than 5 minute) survey.
If you have some ideas for future topics that aren’t covered in the online survey or if you want to volunteer as a speaker, drop us a line at (540) 667-3577 or phwi@verizon.net. We want these lectures to be useful for you, so we need your guidance to let us know if we’re on the right track.
We’ve had a few similar questions come in on the topic of the liquid refreshment that will be served at the Poker Party on Saturday, March 16. There will be wine, soft drinks, and bottled water as well as beer as at the event. If you’re on the fence about attending because of the selection of drinks, don’t be afraid! There will be a variety of beverages for you to choose that evening.
The Poker Party will finish out this busy week at PHW — don’t forget to RSVP by tomorrow, March 13, to make sure we have enough refreshments for everyone!
After you RSVP, come to the Grim-Moore house at 510 South Loudoun Street on Saturday, March 16 from 7-10 p.m. Buy your chips at the door for $20 as a donation to PHW and play in a friendly atmosphere. If you’re not the gambling type, stop in to socialize and see the Grim-Moore House, one of the PHW Revolving Fund properties, before the building is updated by its new owner. Beer and light refreshments will be served also.
As a special thank you, new members to PHW since 1/1/2011 will receive $5 in chips on the house. Bring a friend as well and introduce them to PHW!
Click here to see the invitation. RSVP your attendance by 3/13/2013 to 540-667-3577 or phwi@verizon.net.
Don’t forget to RSVP for PHW’s first “lunch and learn” educational lecture “How to Stay Warm and Retain Historic Integrity with Modern Storm Windows” this Thursday, March 14 at noon at the Lewis-Jones Knitting Mill, 126 N. Kent Street, Winchester, VA. The lecture will be held in the main floor conference room at the upper parking lot. Additional parking is available at the George Washington Autopark, 131 N. Kent Street.
The lecture is free to attend and open to the public. If you would like to order a boxed lunch from Panera Bread for the event, please send in your orders to PHW by 5 PM on Tuesday, March 12. Boxed lunches can be purchased at www.phwi.org/lectures.php.
To RSVP your attendance without purchasing a lunch, you may call 540-667-3577 or email phwi@verizon.net.
Tickets are still available for both the afternoon and evening showings at the Samuel Noakes House on Saturday. The office will be closing at 3 PM today to set up for the event, but you can still make your reservations either through the PayPal links below or leave us a message at 540-667-3577 with your preferred time and pay at the door on Saturday. And if you are running very late, a few tickets might be left to be purchased Saturday at the door.
Can’t make it to the event but want to bid on an item? You may leave your contact information and your proxy bid by emailing us at phwi@verizon.net or leaving a message at 540-667-3577. Make sure you send in your proxy bids no later than March 9 at 5 p.m. for the afternoon showing, and 8 p.m. for the evening items!Afternoon Showing, 3-5 p.m. – $20 admission
Evening Showing, 6-8 p.m. – $30 admission
The reception and silent auction to celebrate the completion of the Samuel Noakes House on March 9 is drawing closer. While we count down until March 9, a number of items that will be available at the auction will be highlighted in the PHW blog.
The last item we will highlight in the silent auction is the fabulous Emil J. Paidar barber chair, circa 1940 and still in working condition. The manufacture of “modern” barber chairs can be traced back to shortly after the Civil War. By 1880s, barber chairs could be raised, lowered, reclined and revolved, and in 1900, the familiar hydraulic-operated barber chair was patented.
In 1900 there were two American primary dealers for barber chairs, Emil J. Paidar and Koken. Sources indicate the Emil J. Paidar Company of Chicago, Illinois was the leading company through the 1950s, producing top of the line barber chairs along with other barber shop necessities. The Koken and Paidar chairs were similar in function and price points.
This balance between the barber chair manufacturers lasted until a third competitor arrived on the scene, Takara. Takara, a Japanese company, was expanding their operations overseas in the 1950s. The US Tariff Commission wrote of Takara in 1970:
After World War II a vigorous new barber chair industry grew up in Japan. Through energetic design, sales and advertising campaigns, this industry built up the barber chair market in Japan until it is larger than that of the United States, despite the smaller population of Japan.
Takara produced chairs of almost identical style and function to the Paidar and Koken chairs for substantially less and took advantage of decreasing tariffs to expand their operations in America. Imports increased dramatically in the late 1950s and through the 1960s, supplanting the American-manufactured barber chairs.
In an additional clever move, Takara found another, indirect way to up the competition with the American manufacturers. The Takara chair parts are interchangeable with the Paidar and Koken chairs, so if a piece of an existing chair was broken, it could be replaced with the less costly Takara part.
Takara purchased the struggling Koken company in 1969 and thus obtained 70% of the market for barber chairs in the United States. Paidar appealed to the US Tariff Commission for assistance and/or increased import levies against the foreign competition in 1968 and again in 1970, but to no avail. The Takara Belmont company remains the leading manufacturer today.
To see learn more about Paidar’s rise and fall in the production of barber chairs, visit www.antiquebarberchairs.net and www.usitc.gov.
If you would like to own this piece of history, tickets are still available for both the afternoon and evening reception and silent auction on March 9. Remember, the barber chair will be available only during the evening showing! Reserve your spot online via PayPal, or make your reservation by mailing in a check payable to PHW to 530 Amherst St., Winchester, VA 22601.
Afternoon Showing, 3-5 p.m. – $20 admission
Evening Showing, 6-8 p.m. – $30 admission