The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, in partnership with the City of Weston, is hosting a week-long historic preservation workshop from April 25- 29, 2022 in Weston, West Virginia.
The workshop will offer an in-depth introduction to the treatment and repair of historic masonry and include both classroom instruction as well as hands-on experience.
Under the guidance of workshop instructor Bob Yapp, of the Belvedere School for Hands-On Preservation, attendees will partake in mortar sampling and analysis, joint preparation, and repointing on a 19th-century brick structure in the heart of Weston's national historic district.
The historic masonry workshop is one in a series of periodic training opportunities offered by the alliance that seeks to address the lack of historic trade skills within the Mountain State, according to Sara Volkmann, preservation initiatives manager at the alliance.
“Despite rising demand within the past decade, there remains a significant shortage of experts available to tend to and repair West Virginia’s built heritage," Volkmann said.
"Subsequently, the state is losing irreplicable parts of its history, with masonry structures being among the materials most negatively affected by this neglect. The Historic Masonry Workshop looks to address these issues by preparing attendees to respond to this pressing need and subsequently aid in further revitalizing West Virginia’s communities.”
Class size is limited to 12 students with preferential enrollment given to West Virginia residents currently involved or interested in pursuing a career in the construction trades.
Registration is $100 which includes all tools and safety equipment as well as lunch and refreshments for all attendees throughout the week of the workshop.
For more information on the workshop or to register, please visit the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia’s website at pawv.org or contact Sara Volkmann at svolkmann@pawv.org
