PROJECTS
Partnership Projects
The follwing projects were a group effort compiled at the request of the owner or community interested in preserving and maintaining important historic buildings. My part in these reports focused mainly on identification, structural integrity, repair needs, and future maintenance. The full reports can be found here: Partnership Projects
Service Learning
As an undergraduate and graduate student I took part in two nine day summer courses designed to learn about earth homes on the plains. During the first summer course I was introduced to the practical application of preservation on the Hutmacher Farm. The second summer I led a small group in the preservation process. These groups consisted of students and volunteers.
T. S. Stribling House
The Stribling House is a bungalow style building located in Clifton, Tennessee. It was owned by Thomas S. Stribling, a prominant novelist in the 1920s and 1930s who received the Pulitzer Prize for literature. The local community uses the home as a library and meeting place. The report covers funding opportunities, a rudimentary structural analysis, collections, and sustainability recommendations.
Amis Farm
The Amis farm is situated on several acres within the southern Appalachian Mountains northeast of Rogersville, Tennessee. The home began as a single story constructed of stone ca. 1781; Thomas Amis' original settlement. His grandson, Thomas J. Amis added the second floor and addition ca. 1841. The Amis house is an example of vernacular architecture representing both Pennsylvania Dutch stonework along with aspects of Federal and American traditional styles.
Grange Hall
Grange Hall is a classic single story, double pen log structure constructed ca. 1876 in Crisp Springs, just northeast of McMinnville, TN. The log building was used as a school and meeting house (grange). It was a place where the isolated farming communities could gather and discuss current issues. The building is a wonderful example of first-generation log construction assciated with early settlers unfamiliar with shaping logs.
Christian David's House
During Maymester, I traveled with Dr. Taylor-Poleski and a handful of other graduate students to Winston-Salem. I assisted with the interpretation of a nonexistant slave dwelling through the extant foundation, archaeology drawings, and the original materials list (receipt) from the builder, Jacob Holder. The foundation gave the overall size of the dwelling, while the material list provided more in-depth details. From this information, a 3D rendering was created. The article and final rendering can be found here: Hidden Town in 3D
Davie's Manor
The Davie's manor began as a single pen dwelling (lower left section) and has gone through several renovations over the years. It is known as the oldest extant building in Shelby County, Tennessee. The Davie's Manor Association now preserves and operates the Davies Log House Museum as well as the 37 acres it resides on. The site is also home to several other log buildings of historic significance. The report covers all of the buildings on the property.
Hutmacher Farmstead
Hutmacher Farm, Manning, ND. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It consists of five contributing buildings, one contributing structure, and three contributing sites. The home was built in two stages: one in 1968 and the other in 1972. It was lived in until 1976 when the youngest son moved into town.
Replacing the ridge beam over the kitchen.
Tool designed to jack up the earth roof and replace broken rafters.
Completed roof on the main house..for the moment.
A total collapse. This is what happens when the spring snow slowly melts on an earth roof and there is nobody there to remove the snow.
The Hutmacher Farm is a challenging preservation project that will test even the most experienced preservationist. The oil industry has placed retention ponds to the north and south of the site and the once less traveled gravel road is now asphalt with frequent semi traffic. Its close proximity to the road has made the buildings susceptible to vibrations they are not built to withstand. I cover this issue in the last chapter of my thesis. I do hope that one day this place will get restored back to its original condition, or at least a resemblance of what it was.