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John C. Campbell Folk School Fund Raiser for the New Forge Building & Francis Whitaker Blacksmith Shop Renovation
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Dear:
This is a courtesy announcement
requesting your help to support the John
C. Campbell
Folk School's
New Forge Building. This building will greatly augment and
strengthen the School's blacksmithing program and the legendary Francis
Whitaker Blacksmith Shop. As you may know, The Whitaker Shop is one of
the premiere teaching blacksmith facilities in the country. The Folk
School 2009 blacksmith educational program hosts 56 classes.
This is a fantastic opportunity to help and I hope that you will join in with
many other
ABANA members and our Affiliate Organizations and give generously!
Thanks in advance for your generosity!
Sincerely,
Rome H. Hutchings, ABANA President Chairman, ABANA Membership Services | About the Francis Whitaker Blacksmith Shop
Originally
designed as part of the school's farming and dairy program, today the Blacksmith
Shop is well equipped with 12 forging stations. The studio sports a generous
supply of hand tools, power hammers, saws, shears, grinders, drills, welders, and other equipment and supplies. A new roof and improved lighting are recent enhancements that keep this shop one of the premiere teaching blacksmith shops
in the country.
Francis
Whitaker, known as the "Dean of American Blacksmiths," devoted his
life to keeping the art of blacksmithing alive in this country, and the
existing studio stands as his symbolic legacy. But, while blacksmithing has long been the most popular of
some 50 programs the Folk
School offers, the shop
has suffered decades of wear and its space is no longer adequate for the size and diversity of classes such a premier program should offer.
The
Folk School Board of Directors has decided that it is of the foremost priority
that the School build a new Forge
Building and renovate the
historic Whitaker Shop. This
construction will allow the School to accommodate the ever-growing blacksmithing
program, ensure student safety and continue the legacy of blacksmithing in America.
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About The New Forge
Building Project
The John C. Campbell Folk
School is proud to announce that the construction of the New Forge Building is well underway. Thanks to the Timber Framers Guild of America,
the massive timber frame is up and we have begun to dry-in the structure.
The new building is located directly behind the
Whitaker Shop and is connected via a short vestibule. Two historic grain silos
frame the beautiful timber entrance and the clerestory roofline allows natural
light to pass through into the spaces below. The fully handicap accessible
building includes safe, spacious work areas that can accommodate large-scale
pieces. It will also provide a "clean"
area with air conditioned classrooms, a library, a center for technical, safety
and design information and many more reference resources. This construction also includes the
relocation of a water main and the septic system, excavation and drainage work around the site and the purchase of new equipment for the shop. Creekside elevation. Architect Don
Ihrig
This project also includes
the renovation of the Whitaker Shop. The
aging structure will be brought up to modern standards of comfort while
retaining its historic
charm. It will be completely re-wired and re-plumbed, fitted with a sprinkler system, and have improved ventilation and
energy efficient
windows.
Roadside elevation. Architect Don
Ihrig |
Support the New Forge Building - Buy a Beam Today!
Buy-a-Beam Campaign
Buy-a-Beam for the New Forge
Building!
The John
C. Campbell
Folk School's
New Forge Building
is well underway. In June 2009, members
of the Timber Framers Guild, community members, students and volunteers began
cutting and shaping the timbers needed to construct
the building's frame. After countless hours of preparation these workers will
join hundreds of hand-shaped beams and pegs to form the massive shell of our new Forge Building.
To
commemorate the raising the Folk
School has launched a
BUY-A-BEAM campaign. We are encouraging
students, organizations and community members to purchase and name the 258
beams that compose this building's frame. The Timber Framers Guild has created a 3-D map of the design that will help donors locate their beam once the building has been constructed.
Beams can be purchased for $1000 each. If you
are interested in purchasing a beam or would like more information please
contact our development manager, Reed Caldwell, at (800)FOLKSCH or by email at [email protected].
By supporting this endeavor you are not only helping the Folk School
build a beautiful new shop, but playing a pivotal role in the future of
blacksmithing in America. |
Contribute to this
Important Project
Kicking off the fundraising project. Instructor Lou
Mueller (right below) presents a gift of $1,000 to Resident Blacksmith Paul
Garrett.
The raising event is just the beginning of this massive undertaking. Thanks to generous donations from individuals, matching
funds from foundations and blacksmithing groups across the country, we are well
on our way to the $650,000 necessary to complete this project. Although we have
sufficient revenue to complete the engineering, site and foundation preparation
and the bare frame raising, we still need your assistance to get a roof on the
frame, "dry in" the structure and get it ready for classes.
Today, we ask all blacksmithing groups and individuals to
consider a donation to help us reach our goal and complete this wonderful
addition to the Folk
School and to the world
of blacksmithing.
There are many ways for you to assist with this project,
such as buying a beam or timber, various naming opportunities of equipment,
forges, or parts of the building, and even the option of buying a floor brick that
can be engraved with an individual's name, a smith's touch mark or to
memorialize a friend or loved one. If
you are interested in supporting this endeavor please contact our development
manager, Reed Caldwell, at (800)FOLKSCH or by email at [email protected]. For more information about this project
please visit our website at www.folkschool.org
or our blog at blog.folkschool.org. We hope to see you at the Folk School
soon!
The John C. Campbell Folk
School is a tax-exempt
organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and all
donations are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law. |
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If you are having an event of interest to ABANA Members contact us for information on how to get your event noticed.
Thanks and we hope to hear from you soon!.
Sincerely,
Rome H. Hutchings, Member Services Chair
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