A partnership of Pine Mountain Settlement School in Harlan County and the Kentucky Heritage Council.
Practical Preservation of Square Log Buildings
July 12-17
This workshop will focus on how to conduct repairs to a square log structure. Instruction will cover preservation techniques and the philosophy behind the selection of particular techniques. During the week, students will have the opportunity to put their new knowledge to use through a hands-on project at Big Log, Pine Mountain’s oldest original structure. Big Log was designed by architect Mary Rockwell Hook and built in 1913 as the residence for Katherine Pettit, one of the School’s founders.
Students may also expect to learn about how to examine a log structure for common preservation issues, how to approach preservation work from a safety viewpoint, including how to safely lift a two-story log building to replace a sill log, and what skills are needed for preservation work. The hands-on application of preservation techniques will include demonstrations in full and partial log replacement, use of epoxies in repairs, skyward facing check crack, chinking and daubing. The re-establishment of log features will focus on proper handling techniques, reinstallation of materials, and identifying and recovering/replicating character defining features. Students will learn how to lay out and cut typical notches: half-dove tail and saddle notch. Other topics will include proper documentation methods, recordation of activities, material identification and selection, and proper tool selection and usage. Participants will receive a notebook with reference materials on logs and log structure-related subjects.
This workshop is for people of all skill levels. The number of participants is limited to 12.
Moss Rudley is an exhibits specialist with the U.S. National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Training Center. He has conducted three log structure repair workshops at Pine Mountain Settlement School. His work experience includes repair and restoration of historic structures throughout the nation’s national park system.
Pain-Less Panes: Historic Window Restoration
August 09 – 14
This workshop is designed to cover the basics of window restoration, maintenance and repair most commonly faced by homeowners, contractors, and historic building managers. Students will work on sash from Jubilee House, constructed in 1941 for staff housing. The workshop will look at the design and construction of windows, the materials used and how these materials degrade over time. Repair and restoration techniques will include diagnosis of problems, explanation of how windows are made, and the proper techniques for documentation and repair, with an emphasis on historically correct methods and materials. Steam removal of glazing and paint will be used. Students will learn best practices for working with lead paint. Best safety practices will be employed throughout the workshop.
Students can expect to learn or improve their skills at removing old glazing and paint, making repairs using wood and/or epoxy, working with both new and old glass, and glazing and painting.
This course is for all skill levels. The workshop is limited to 10 students.
Andrew Roeper is principal proprietor of Winn Mountain Restorations in Lyndeborough, New Hampshire. In his many years of repairing and restoring windows and doors in the Northeast, Andrew has worked on straight and check rail sash, curved sash, round and odd-sized windows. This work has included various types of glass: from “thin and crispy” to extra thick in buildings from 1730′s to the 1950′s. Andrew works from a connected farmhouse complex dating to 1750 and spanning 237 feet end to end. He has demonstrated at International Preservation Trades Workshops in Frederick, MD and Barre,VT as well as at Preservation Trades workshops and the annual Traditional Building Conference. In May 2008, Andrew taught the Window Sash Repair workshop in Maysville, Kentucky. He is a member of the Preservation Trades Network, The New England Window Restoration Alliance and the Timber Framers Guild.
From the Ground Up: The Art of Building Dry Stone Walls
October 09–11
This workshop will cover the basics of how to construct a dry stone wall. The workshop uses a hands-on stone wall project on Settlement School grounds to lead students through the steps involved in dry stone masonry. Students will learn how to cut and place stones in a sturdy and aesthetically pleasing manner. The workshop also includes presentations on the history of dry stone construction and demonstrations by instructor Richard Tufnell. By the end of the workshop, students will have completed a section of the wall from the ground course to the capstone.
This workshop is designed to accommodate all skill levels. Class size is limited to 15.
Richard Tufnell will be returning for the fourth year to lead a dry stone construction workshop at Pine Mountain. Richard is an award-winning stone mason who lives in an 18th century stone farm house in France with his wife Amanda. His work on dry stone projects has taken him to forty countries throughout the world. In the United States, he has worked on projects in several national and state parks. The city of Lexington, Kentucky awarded him the keys to the city for his work to help found the Dry Stone Conservancy and revive interest in the art of dry stone masonry. He has written numerous newspaper and journal articles on dry stone construction. Jan Hutto Bush of Richmond, Kentucky will serve as assistant to the instructor. She has worked on several dry stone masonry projects throughout Kentucky.
Each of these workshops will take place at Pine Mountain Settlement School in Harlan County. For more information visit www.pinemountainsettlementschool.com or contact Patrick Kennedy at the Kentucky Heritage Council, (502) 564-7005, ext. 138 or patrick.kennedy@ky.gov. Pine Mountain Settlement School is a National Historic Landmark, founded in 1913 as a school for children in Kentucky’s remote southeastern mountains and a social center for surrounding communities. Today, the school provides instruction in environmental education, Appalachian culture and crafts.
