Preservation and restoration of historic windows and square-log buildings, and dry stone wall construction will be featured training workshops during the 2009 Pine Mountain School for Practical Historic Preservation series, beginning next month at Pine Mountain Settlement School in Harlan County.  The campus is a National Historic Landmark founded in 1913 as a school for children in Kentucky’s remote southeastern mountains and as a social center for surrounding communities.  Today the school provides instruction in environmental education, Appalachian culture and crafts.

Since 2002, Pine Mountain Settlement School and the Kentucky Heritage Council / State Historic Preservation Office have partnered to present this annual series of hands-on training programs, with work done on significant historic buildings on the school’s campus and highlighting various materials and construction methods.  Classes feature experienced instructors who educate participants in skills needed to properly care for and repair historic buildings.  Traditional construction methods are taught and practical preservation using modern techniques is emphasized.

2009 programs are:

July 12-17, Practical Preservation of Square-Log Buildings – Focusing on how to repair a square-log structure, including how to examine it for common preservation issues and safely conduct restoration.  Participants will work on Big Log, the school’s oldest original structure, designed by architect Mary Rockwell Hook and built as the residence for Katherine Pettit, one of the school’s founders.

Instructor: Moss Rudley, exhibits specialist with the National Park Service Historic Preservation Training Center in Frederick, Maryland.  His work experience includes repair and restoration of historic structures throughout the park system.

For all skill levels; workshop is limited to 12 participants.  Cost $665; includes tuition, class materials, safety goggles, meals and lodging on campus.

August 9-14, Pain-Less Panes: Historic Window Restoration – Covering the basics of window restoration, maintenance and repair issues most commonly faced by homeowners, contractors and historic building managers.  Participants will work on sashes at Jubilee House, constructed in 1941 for staff housing.  Repair and restoration techniques will include diagnosis of problems and proper techniques for documentation and repair, with an emphasis on historically correct methods and materials.

Instructor: Andrew Roeper, principal proprietor of Winn Mountain Restorations in Lyndeborough, New Hampshire, who has experience in all types of historic window repair.  He is a member of the Preservation Trades Network, New England Window Restoration Alliance and Timber Framers Guild.

For all skill levels; workshop is limited to 10 participants.  Cost $580; includes tuition, class materials, safety equipment, meals and lodging on campus.

October 9-11, From the Ground Up: The Art of Building Dry Stone Walls – Covering the basics of how to construct a dry stone wall.  Students will participate in a dry stone wall project on school grounds, learn the history of dry stone construction and how to cut and place stones.

Instructor: Richard Tufnell, returning for a fourth year.  He is an award-winning stone mason whose work on dry stone projects has taken him to 40 countries throughout the world.  In the United States he has worked on projects in several national and state parks, and the city of Lexington has honored him for his work helping found the Dry Stone Conservancy and revive interest in the art of dry stone masonry.  Jan Hutto Bush of Richmond will assist; she has worked on dry stone masonry projects throughout Kentucky.

For all skill levels; workshop is limited to 15 participants.  Cost $325; includes tuition, workshop materials, stone hammer, meals and lodging on campus.

For registration or more information, visit www.pinemountainsettlementschool.com or contact Patrick Kennedy, Kentucky Heritage Council restoration project coordinator, 502-564-7005, ext. 138, or patrick.kennedy@ky.gov.

An agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, the Kentucky Heritage Council / State Historic Preservation Office is responsible for the identification, protection and preservation of prehistoric resources and historic buildings, sites and cultural resources throughout the Commonwealth, in partnership with other state and federal agencies, local communities and interested citizens.  This mission is integral to making communities more livable and has a far-ranging impact on issues as diverse as economic development, jobs creation, affordable housing, tourism, community revitalization, environmental conservation and quality of life.  www.heritage.ky.gov