New Construction Built to Look Historic

                Preservationists can be a particular bunch when it comes to historic building repairs. There’s a reason we have organizations like the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc. and the Fredericksburg Architectural Review Board to encourage and enforce rules about how our older buildings should be treated. But where do preservationists take a stand when it comes to new buildings which are made to look old? Well, that would probably depend on who you ask. Reverend Brown Morton is one of the men who helped to develop the Interior Department’s Standards for Historic Preservation, and is arguably one of the leading authorities on all things preservation. His opinion when it came to new additions to old buildings was that the addition should be built in a style of its time. He encouraged that form of building design so that there was a clear and distinct difference between the old and new parts of the structure.

To a person who hasn’t had training in detecting historic building materials, there isn’t much difference between something that looks old and something that actually is old. This can be misleading when it comes to determining things like eligibility for historic registries, both state and federal. Style and authenticity is a fine line to walk, with a famous example being the ‘historic’ town of Williamsburg. While now old in its own right, Williamsburg was a more modern rebuilding and interpretation of colonial life, designed to look historic for guests. This misleads many people into assuming all of the buildings there are actually from colonial times.

Here at Habalis we are busy constructing a new-build storehouse that is specifically designed to look old, with a few modern exceptions such as stainless steel screws for joining the doors and windows, as well as electrical receptacles and exterior light fixtures. This building is on private property, so it isn’t intended for public consumption, but it does lead to some interesting questions. Is it our duty as preservationists to keep the past in the past? Or should we honor the styles and building techniques that came before by recreating them?  Give us your opinion in the comment section below.

My Summer Internship at Habalis Construction

As the first day of fall classes approaches and my summer internship at Habalis winds down, I’ve been asked by a professor to comment on my work experience. He wants to know “what did you learn – but with an attitude.” Well, in addition to learning what to do if a pit bull runs up to you on your way to work and that country music stations play the National Anthem at noon, I've learned a lot about preservation and even more about what to expect in my future.

Seeing and photographing examples of rehabilitation projects throughout Fredericksburg has supplemented what I have learned in school and reminded me of some things I had forgotten.

This summer I’ve seen the not-yet-mixed ingredients of lime mortar at the Mary Washington House, brick nogging at 309 Hanover Street, carpenter’s marks at the Barnes House, and hand-hewn, pit sawn, and circular sawn framing members at Braehead. I’ve cleaned mortar off of 19^th century bricks, experiencing first-hand the destruction caused by Portland cement. I’ve helped complete a Fredericksburg ARB application, written a proposal to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, and attended a Stafford County ARB meeting.

Interning with Habalis has also allowed me to spend time around three graduates of the University of Mary Washington Historic Preservation program, which I will be completing this spring. Simply overhearing conversations at the Habalis office has helped me to understand the State and Federal historic preservation tax credits, the nature of CRM archaeology, and the process of biding a construction job.

I have enjoyed my classroom preservation experience, but I can appreciate the true value of my education a little more now that I have started to apply my skills outside of my classes.

I had been overwhelmed by the thought of transitioning from learning to practicing preservation, but I have come to realize that the jump from one to the other doesn't really exist. A visiting alumnus, whose talk to preservation students I attended as a freshman, informed/reminded the listening students that our undergraduate experience is only the beginning of an education that continues throughout our careers and lives. This internship experience has confirmed this to me, as I have both used and built upon the terms, facts, and skills I have learned in my classes to complete my tasks this summer.

Thank you, Habalis, for entrusting me with the Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger passwords. And thank you to the faithful followers who have been reading my posts, clicking through our pictures, and liking our content. It’s been real. Soon I will have to leave you, but a new intern will be along, taking my place and offering a new perspective on preservation. Stay tuned!

Mini-Golf at the National Building Museum

After reading several enthusiastic Tweets about the mini-golf course at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, I decided I needed to check it out for myself. It was easy to convince friends to go with me; pictures on the museum’s website successfully demonstrate the course’s originality, and I promised it would be a fun, different way to spend our Sunday afternoon. So yesterday we drove to the Franconia-Springfield Metro station, took the Blue Line to Metro Center, and walked the rest of the way to the museum.

The central theme of the mini-golf exhibit is presented on the introductory panel: “Mini-golf… courses often imitate – in miniature – our historical and imaginary built environment.” Each of the course’s twelve holes represents, in some way, the built environment in DC and beyond. These mini-golf holes are the most unique and creative I’ve seen, which I think can be attributed to the fact that they were designed by DC architects, landscape architects, and contractors. (See below for a list of the designers, builders, and sponsors.)

The theme is also apparent in the five murals by Vladimir Zabavskiy that adorn the walls of the mini-golf course. These colorful murals, which show mini-golfers of all ages surrounded by fantastical representations of famous landscapes and structures, illustrate the museum’s argument that, with elements like Dutch windmills and Amazonian tiki huts, mini-golf courses “can take us around the world and back.” The mural in the first room of the course depicts DC architecture, including the Washington National Cathedral, Washington Monument, US Capitol, and National Building Museum itself. Moving through the course the murals go global, depicting iconic works of architecture throughout the world, including the Sydney Opera House, Taj Mahal, Leaning Tower of Pisa, and Egyptian pyramids.

This exhibit has certainly given me a new perspective on mini-golf. I never expected to think deeply about the American pastime. I think the museum’s course is a fun, interactive way to demonstrate the connection between our built environment and mini-golf designs, as well as offer insight into the structures that appeal to our imaginations. The experience was well worth the $5 and the hour spent in line, though not going to lie, waiting to play was a little rough. But overall, I’m glad I was able to experience this different kind of mini-golf course and museum exhibit.

If you’re interested in seeing the course for yourself, make sure to get to the museum before the exhibit closes on Labor Day. Check out the mini-golf page on the museum’s website for information to plan your trip! My only advice is to go on a weekday, if possible, to avoid the crowd. Oh, and maybe not to take yourself too seriously as you play; the holes are challenging and you will most likely be way over par. Appreciate the course for its creative quality and you’ll enjoy the experience.

In case you’re curious, here’s a list of the designers, builders, and sponsors who contributed to each hole of the mini-golf course:

1. Hopscotch

Designer and Builder: Inscape Studio

Sponsor: Steuart Investment Company, 360° H Street Apartments

2. Hole in 1s and 0s

Designer: GrizForm Design Architects

Builder: Potomac Construction Services

Sponsor: IEEE-USA

3. Ball on the Mall

Designer and Builder: E/L Studio

Sponsor: Hanley Wood

4. Always a Hole in One

Designer, Builder, and Sponsor: Hargrove Inc.

5. canal PARk

Designer, Builder, and Sponsor: STUDIOS Architecture and OLIN

Additional Support: 3form, Alliance Lighting, and Interface

6. Mulligans on the Mall

Designer, Builder, and Sponsor: Wiencek + Associates Architects + Planner

7. Take Back the Streets!

Designer and Builder: Seth Estep, Brian Green, Rebecca May, Luke VanBelleghem, Students of the Virginia Tech Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center

Sponsor: American Society of Landscape Architects

8. Piranesi’s Half Pipe

Designer and Builder: District Design

Sponsor: Linder & Associates Event Architects

9. Daedalus’ Journey

Designer and Builder: Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center of Virginia Tech and Atelier U:W

Sponsor: Chase W. Rynd, Executive Director, National Building Museum

10. Confluence

Designer, Builder, and Sponsor: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

11. A Hole Lot of Events

Designer and Sponsor: Atmosphere Lighting, Foundry Crew, Occasions Caterers, and Perfect Settings

Builder: Foundry Crew

12. Woods & Irons

Designer: Landscape Architecture Bureau

Builder: Monarc Construction

Sponsor: The JBG Companies

Accessibility and Preservation at the Presbyterian Church of Fredericksburg

As Habalis completes the elevator installation at the Presbyterian Church of Fredericksburg, I find myself interested in the relationship between accessibility and historic preservation. Writing this post gives me the opportunity to look into an aspect of preservation I’m not familiar with and highlight a recent Habalis project that focused on accessibility.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) prompted discussion among preservationists about how to promote accessibility at historic properties. It takes careful planning to make sure neither historic fabric nor accessibility is compromised in the alteration of a historic property. Preservation Brief 32 by the National Park Service (NPS) is a helpful guide to making historic structures and landscapes more accessible. The NPS recommends a three-step approach when considering accessibility at a historic property:

1. Review the historical significance and identify character-defining features. (There’s a Preservation Brief for this, too!)

2. Assess the property’s existing and required level of accessibility. State and local codes must be considered in addition to federal law, and alterations should be planned to meet the strictest applicable code.

3. Identify and evaluate accessibility options within a preservation context, using the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Ultimately, the NPS wants to see a balance between preserving character and creating access for those with disabilities. The ADA Accessibility Guidelines make this possible by allowing “qualified historic buildings” (those listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or designated as historic at the state or local level) to meet more lenient minimum requirements when compliance with the standard minimum requirements threatens historic significance and fabric.

At the Presbyterian Church of Fredericksburg, Habalis converted one of two stairwells located on either side of the sanctuary into an elevator shaft. The elevator takes members from its vestibule entrance to either the choir room below or the sanctuary above. The door into the vestibule entrance was designed to resemble the window it replaced and blend in with the other windows along the side of the church. Part of the staircase in the converted stairwell was retained and can still be seen through the window above the vestibule door.

The elevator was carefully designed by BRW Architects of Charlottesville, Virginia. Throughout installation, a wheelchair was used to test dimensions and materials. All doors associated with the elevator are automatic and timed to give someone in a wheelchair time to enter and exit comfortably. To compliment the new elevator, Habalis created wheelchair access to one of the pews in the sanctuary by replacing a skinny door with a wider one. All historic fabric removed during the project was labeled and is now stored at the church, making future reversibility a viable option.

Brief History of the Barnes House

Though once quoted as saying, “I'd be more than happy to be the historic preservationist who lives in a glass box," it seems that Jay Holloway will be living in a restored 18^th century structure, Falmouth’s historic Barnes House.

The Barnes House, its oldest part dating to 1780-1790, has served as a caretaker’s home and guesthouse for the historic Belmont Estate, a school for black children (according to oral histories), and a field laboratory for UMW Historic Preservation classes. The Barnes House is one of the oldest structures in Falmouth and is the only gambrel roof structure in the area, making it potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places for it distinctive characteristics and workmanship.

The builder and original owner of the Barnes House are unknown. The earliest known owner was businessman Joseph B. Ficklen, who owned both Belmont and the Barnes House. Ficklen, who sold Belmont to Gari and Corinne Melchers, sold the Barnes House to Harrison B. Barnes in 1850. Barnes and his sisters lived there for many years, ultimately leaving the structure to Annie Duncan Lucas and her husband until their deaths. There is speculation that Annie Lucas was one of several black children taken in by the Barnes sisters and taught in the basement when it served as a school.  Barnes heirs sold the structure to Gari and Corinne Melchers in 1920, once again reuniting the Barnes House with the Belmont Estate.

Ten years after the death of her husband, Corinne Melchers gave the Belmont Estate, including the Barnes House, to the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1942. The Payne family, friends to whom the Melchers rented the house, occupied the house as life tenants from 1942 into the late 1980s. The state sold the Barnes House in 1994 to private owner Geoffrey Nesbitt, who stabilized the structure but never started restoration. The Revolving Fund Program of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA), whose “goal is to save endangered historic properties across Virginia from demolition and severe neglect,” purchased the Barnes House and sold it to Jay Holloway in 2006.

Since purchasing the house, Jay has collected much research on the history and fabric of the Barnes House, explored restoration and addition options, and undertaken archaeology. (The archaeology report should be done by the end of the month, so stay tuned for a summary of the findings!) The Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) has a protective easement on the Barnes House, so the DHR must approve all work done to the structure. As the Barnes House is a contributing structure in the Falmouth Historic District, which was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register in 1969 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, the Stafford County Architectural Review Board must also approve any work done to the structure. This will be an exciting project for Habalis Construction to undertake in the near future. I think everyone is excited to see the restoration of this awesome structure!

Project at 415 William Street Sensitive to Sustainability and Historic Fabric

Allow me to introduce myself! My name is Kate – I am a senior Historic Preservation major at the University of Mary Washington and the new Director of Social Media for Habalis Construction, Inc. I met Jay Holloway in the spring while touring Habalis’ project at 415 William Street with my Sustainability and Historic Preservation class. It seems natural that my first blog post would highlight the sustainable aspects of the 415 William project and some of the things I learned in my class.

In the five weeks between touring 415 William with my class and seeing it again at the start of my summer internship, Habalis completed the environmentally and historically sensitive rehabilitation of the 1826 structure fronting William Street and the new construction behind it. The result is truly spectacular! Unfortunately I was not able to see the interior of the building before construction had been underway for several months, but from what I understand, this building has experienced quite a transformation! The site features storefront retail space (with an awesome tin ceiling) and a two-story apartment above in the original structure, as well as a freestanding cottage apartment in the back.

Sustainable elements of the project include a new geothermal heating and cooling system, a system ensuring zero runoff, and the use of natural lighting and recycled materials. Five geothermal wells will provide the heating and cooling to the apartment and retail space in the original structure. The city required that the site have zero runoff, so water from the gutters is directed into the ground, where it is held by gravel before draining into and filtering through the soil. Permeable pavers in the courtyard and permeable concrete in the parking area soak up water as soon as it hits the surfaces. Skylights in the addition to the original structure and windows throughout the two structures provide natural lighting to the retail space and apartments. Materials that were reused in the project include beadboard ceilings and other wood from the removed rear addition and the original porcelain farm sink. And perhaps the most sustainable element of the project was its reuse of an existing building.

The phrase “the greenest building is the one that is already built,” coined by architect Carl Elefante, has become a mantra for preservationists looking to advocate historic preservation through its inherent promotion of environmental sustainability. Donovan Rypkema says, “Historic preservation is the ultimate recycling strategy.” Reusing an existing building preserves the human and mechanical energy that originally went into its construction and is embodied in its materials. Rehabilitation of historic buildings conserves resources used in new construction and prevents demolition waste from ending up in a landfill. On a broader scale, rehabilitating buildings within a historic district promotes environmental and economic sustainability by utilizing existing infrastructure and counteracting low-density urban sprawl.

While historic preservation does and should consider historic significance in valuing structures, we as preservationists must also be aware of the environmental and economic benefits of rehabilitating existing structures, especially since these benefits of historic preservation appeal to the masses.

Oldest Church in Fredericksburg Gets a 'Lift'

Putting an elevator into a 150+ year old church is hard enough; but how about making it discrete enough to not disturb the visual integrity of the building? Call Tom Cruise people, cause we've got another Mission Impossible happenin' in Downtown Fredericksburg.

Since August of 2011, we've been hard at work designing a way to make the oldest church in Fredericksburg more accessible for the physically handicapped. After assessing the building, it was decided that the best place for an elevator would be just north of the sanctuary, below a narrow set of steps that were so beetle-bitten already, it was a surprise nobody took a tumble straight through the floor.

What's especially tricky about such a project is that an elevator is such a massive undertaking. Its sheer mass requires an immense amount of space. How do you carve out enough space for the elevator without disturbing the rest of the building? Through some careful planning, creativity and a lot of elbow grease, we've figured it out.

The entrance to the elevator is on the right side of the building, if facing the front facade. One of the large windows has been taken out to make way for a door that leads directly to the elevator entrance. The new door that will be put in is being designed congruously to the other windows on this facade, so as to blend in with the rest of the building. This paneled glass door will fit within the existing molding of the window that was removed. If this all sounds confusing, hold tight for a bunch of pictures as soon as we're done!