For statewide event lists, visit the HPO Facebook event list, Preservation North Carolina events list, or a June - August 2013 calendar and workshop and conference list courtesy of the Federation of N.C. Historical Societies. 

September 18-21 "Turning Points: Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things," the American Association for State and Local History Annual Meeting, Birmingham, AL. Information will be posted here.

September 19-20 Historic Tax Credit Conference, Detroit, MI.  For more information about the event see this page.

September 20-22 Window Restoration & Weatherization Boot Camp, Hannibal, MO.  During this hands-on learning experience, students will learn cost-effective restoration and weatherization of original, double-hung, wood windows as part of a team restoring original 163-year old windows in a ca. 1850 brick, Greek Revival slave house. You will learn sash removal, safe paint and glass removal, wood repair, glazing putty application, complete weather stripping, and sash installation. The class is limited to 10 students, who will work side-by-side with instructor Bob Yapp, nationally recognized as an expert in window restoration. For more information or to pre-register, contact Bob Yapp at (217) 474-6052 or via e-mail; or go to this page.

September 25-28 Southeast Chapter, Society of Architectural Historians Annual Meeting, Charlotte, NC.  Information about the conference will be posted at http://www.sesah.org/. 

October 2-4 Preservation North Carolina's 2013 Annual Conference will be in Edenton. Save the date!

October 11-15 Association for Preservation Technology Conference "Preserving the Metropolis," New York, NY.  Details about the conference and registration information can be found here.

October 29-November 2 National Preservation Conference "Preservation at the Crossroads," Indianapolis, IN.  Information about the conference events and registration will be posted online here. For more information contact the National Preservation Conference at conference@savingplaces.org or (202) 588-6100. 

November 1 "First Voice: Collaborative Heritage Preservation with Descendant Communities," North Carolina Preservation Consortium (NCPC) Annual Conference, 9 AM - 4 PM, at the Ida and William Friday Center for Continuing Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Speakers will present case studies and recommendations for engaging descendant communities in heritage preservation, advocating for human rights with inclusive stewardship, mediating heritage values and professional ethics, and building consensus for preservation priorities. Other highlights of this conference include information about NCPC preservation grants, the campaign to conserve North Carolina's Most Endangered Artifacts, and the announcement of the winner of NCPC's annual Award for Collection Preservation Excellence. This conference is designed for professionals, staff, and volunteers working in museums, libraries, historic sites, archives, conservation centers, and other preservation institutions; advocates for preservation on friends boards, advancement councils, and advisory committees; those working in organizations with a preservation mission; members of the preservation industry; and faculty and students in preservation disciplines. Please complete and print the registration form on the NCPC web site and mail with payment.   

November 2 Building Analysis, 8 AM -5 PM, Edgecombe Community College, 2009 W. Wilson St., Tarboro campus.  Learn how to examine buildings and determine types of problems encountered in restoration. Look at foundations, walls, and overall condition of structures and help develop plans for restoration. The instructor for the workshop is Ben Curran. This workshop is part of the Historic Preservation Trades Courses at Edgecombe Community College.  For all hands-on courses using tools, students will need to sign a liability waiver with an option of purchasing insurance through the college for $6 per semester (fees are subject to legislative changes). The cost is $65 (seniors 65 and over can take one free class per semester).  Limited enrollment.  For more information or to register for this and other courses, please contact Monika Fleming by phone at (252) 823-5166, ext. 241, or by email at flemingm@edgecombe.edu.

Houses and Homes Exploring Their History, which costs $25. The instructor for the workshop is Monika Fleming. This workshop is part of the Historic Preservation Trades Courses at Edgecombe Community College.  For all hands-on courses using tools, students will need to sign a liability waiver with an option of purchasing insurance through the college for $6 per semester (fees are subject to legislative changes). The cost is $65 (seniors 65 and over can take one free class per semester).  Limited enrollment.  For more information or to register for this and other courses, please contact Monika Fleming by phone at (252) 823-5166, ext. 241, or by email at flemingm@edgecombe.edu.

November 6 Southeastern Archaeological Conference Annual Meeting, Tampa, FL.  Information is available online here.

November 9 - 10 Southern Architecture - Short Course, 8 AM -5 PM, Edgecombe Community College, 2009 W. Wilson St., Tarboro campus.  An overview of building technology and architectural styles found in North Carolina and the region from Colonial to mid-20th century. Course will include field trips to area homes. The instructor for the workshop is Monika Fleming. This workshop is part of the Historic Preservation Trades Courses at Edgecombe Community College.  For all hands-on courses using tools, students will need to sign a liability waiver with an option of purchasing insurance through the college for $6 per semester (fees are subject to legislative changes). The cost is $120 (seniors 65 and over can take one free class per semester).  Limited enrollment.  For more information or to register for this and other courses, please contact Monika Fleming by phone at (252) 823-5166, ext. 241, or by email at flemingm@edgecombe.edu.

The Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies in Mount Carroll, IL, offers a range of historic preservation and conservation courses. Check out their 2013 calendar here.

Archaeologists have discovered remains of a 16th-century fort, the earliest one built by Europeans penetrating deep into the interior of what is now the United States.  Juan Pardo led two 16th-century expeditions into the interior to find gold and silver.  One of Pardo's first acts of possession, in early 1567, was building Fort San Juan in an Indian town almost 300 miles in the interior, near what later became Morganton. It was the first and largest of six forts the expedition erected on a trail blazed through North and South Carolina and across the Great Smoky Mountains into eastern Tennessee. If Pardo had succeeded in finding treasure, the South would have been a part of Latin America. Click here for more information.

Recent entries on the Endangered Places blog focus on how historical organizations can make a greater impact on their audiences.  Click here for the three installments of this series that have been posted thus far by Max and Mary van Balgooy of Endangered Places, LLC.

The Preservation Green Lab recently released a report identifying energy savings potential in small commercial buildings.  "Realizing the Energy Efficiency Potential of Small Buildings" is one more argument for keeping businesses downtown in historic buildings.  Click here for the report.

Prince Charles. Photograph  courtesy of biography.com

Prince Charles recently posted an entry on the Huffington Post's The Blog explaining his decades-long concern "for the built environment as a whole and how that environment affects the way people feel and live."  Even British royalty understands the benefits of preserving not only the grand and the glorious but also the vernacular! Click here for the post. 

Do you know about National History Day?  It is a year-long academic contest focused on historical research, prepared and presented by 6th to 12th grade students , "that in many ways serves as a foundation for students to begin thinking historically."  It is a chance for history professionals and archivists to combine expertise, work with students on critical learning skills, and demonstrate to the greater public the value of history education. It is trained archivists who are guiding our students through the process of primary research, shepherding them through the archives and attending to their needs as they would any researcher. Click here to learn more about this program and how to volunteer to help.

Photo by Russell Lingo from histpres.com

Blogger Nancy Semin Lingo suggests on the HISTPRES.com blog that for preservationists, "zombies represent our fear of the deadening effects of bad architecture."  With increasing demolition and new construction projects resurfacing with the nation's economic recovery, are we ready for the invasion?  Click here for the post.

Many of you may know Rob Crawford, our Preservation Commission Services/Certified Local Government Coordinator, from his many visits to towns across the state or through requests for assistance regarding local preservation issues.  We are sad to announce that Rob left the HPO on July 26 to become Executive Director of Uptown Lexington, Inc. While reflecting on his departure, Rob stated, "It has been a pleasure as well as a privilege to serve you and your communities for the last three years and I will miss working with all of you on a regular basis.  I have been fortunate to work with many talented and professional people, and I have learned far more from you than I may have passed on."  Rob can be found on LinkedIn as J.R. Crawford IV if you would like to keep in touch.  Good luck and best wishes, Rob! 

The Economic Development Administration's (EDA) Public Works Program

Deadline: September 13, 2013

EDA Public Works Program provides grants to support job creation in economically distressed areas of the United States.  EDA grants can support local renewable energy, green building, energy efficiency, and recycling projects.  View details here.

Wells Fargo Community Investment Grants

Deadline: August 31, 2013

This grant supports programs and organizations that benefit low- and moderate-income individuals and families and projects that keep our communities strong, diverse, and vibrant.  Wells Fargo makes grants in areas involving community development, including programs that create and sustain affordable housing, facilitate financial literacy and empowerment, provide job training and workforce development, and revitalize and stabilize communities.  View details here.