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!

New Intern Arrives!

Hi faithful followers of the Glass House Blog,

My name is Danny Messplay and I am the new social media intern for Habalis Construction Inc! Let me tell you a little about myself. I'm a senior at the University of Mary Washington, majoring in historic preservation and minoring in museum studies. I'm originally from Chesterfield, Virginia but moved to Fredericksburg with my family in the Summer of 2008.

My grandparents are both long-time residents of Fredericksburg, Virginia. My grandmother attended Mary Washington College and graduated in 1952. My grandfather grew up down the street from the house I live in in Stafford County. Needless to say my roots run deep here! Some other interests of mine include woodworking and competitive chess. I also like building computers in my spare time.

Jay has tasked me with managing Habalis's social media outlets, including the company's Twitter, Facebook, Glass House Blog, and website. Prepare for a lot more activity around these places, and stay tuned for some big changes to come! I'm excited to get started, and hope you are too. Nice meeting you!

Danny Messplay

PS- If you haven't already, check out the company's other social media outlets, found below:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Habalis

Facebook: http://facebook.com/habalis
Website: http://www.habalis.com

Virginia Center for Architecture: Vertical Gardens Exhibit Review

Last Thursday, I ventured back down to Richmond for the opening reception of the Vertical Gardens Exhibit at the Virginia Center for Architecture.  I just love going there--not only do they have awesome exhibits and lectures and events, but being able to drive down Monument Avenue makes the trip so much more worth it!  The wide avenue is lined with beautiful, historic homes and statues are dotted along the wide, grassy median.  It is easily my favorite street in Richmond.   Plus, the Branch House where the Center is located, is also something in itself to see (pictured below).

Vertical Gardens is an exhibit that opened last Thursday and will continue to be open through June 26.  The exhibit, although new to the Center, has been on going since 2007.  It includes plans that are both already in place and potential plans in efforts to make urban spaces more green.  There were some amazing examples from New York City, Paris, India, Istanbul and Japan just to name a few.  Even the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park, NYC has implemented a green, inclined roof plane as well as an entire back wall covered in ivy.  They describe their building, which has become my 2nd favorite quote behind Jean Carroon's, the "building is the garden, and the garden is the building."

Some examples of green, urban spaces exhibited were Plug-in vertical farms, planter bricks (which counter the heat island effect), hanging gardens, vertical farms, botanical roof gardens, and many other inventive ways in which to blend the urban with the rural.  Adding green spaces to urban areas should not be looked at as just an environmental aspect, but it also looks AWESOME and is also very economical.

Pictured here, is a 20 foot wall that was featured at the exhibit.  It was completed by Edmundo Ortega and Dianne Rohrer, and to see a video of the installation click here! 

I'm a big advocate of green spaces within urban settings, and if you wish to be educated on the subject more, or see some really awesome examples, head down to the Center for their exhibit!

Enjoy the day!
-The Intern

Good Food, Good Company... and Cool House

Ever since President Rick Hurley has been appointed, he and his wife Rose have been randomly selecting a group of 10 students to enjoy dinner at their historic home, Brompton.  Their goal in doing so is to get a better idea of what the students want out of their college career and what they can do to make sure that we graduate with having a great experience.

When I received the e-mail asking me if I would be available to attend a dinner with President Hurley and his wife, I immediately answered, "Of course I will attend!"  And with the formal invitation on it's way in the mail, I awaited with such anticipation... and never let my friends forget that I was going to dinner at the President's house.  Meeting Wednesday night? Oh wait, I'm having dinner with the President... Sorry.  Sushi Wednesday night? Oh I can't, dinner with President Hurley at his house which was built in 1720, no big deal.

Upon arriving to Brompton, I was greeted by a nice, young man (I believe a recent graduate of UMW) who offered me a glass of water or soda--I took the water.  Then I was led to the "piano room" where President Hurley and his wife were seated with a few of the other students.  Rick and Rose, as they introduced themselves to me, were immediately so welcoming, funny, laid back, and kind as 10 strangers strolled into their home.  I tried to not seem distracted as I gawked at the ornate light switch covers (which I had heard much about), the detailed mantel piece above the fire place, and the beautiful plaster reliefs.

Each student then took a picture with the Hurley's on the front steps of Brompton, and then they gave us a tour of their home.  Asking if any of us were Historic Preservation majors, I proudly raised my hand along with another girl in the group and he laughed as he explained a mural in the main foyer that was recently decided to be preserved as opposed to being torn down.  But President Hurley and his wife were very knowledgeable of how historic their house was and seemed to be quite passionate about and impressed by the history and integrity that their home holds.

Once seated in the dining room (I got to sit right next to President Hurley!!!), we were treated to a three course meal consisting of salad, bread, steak with a potato and asparagus/red peppers, cheesecake, and coffee if you wished.  Although the food was great, so was the conversation.  We spoke of the new Anderson Center and how to garner and maintain attendance in the 2,000 seated arena, possible new food options, possible performers for the next year, recent construction, and our majors/what we are doing next year.

I could literally go on and on about how friendly the Hurley's are.  Intimidating at first, but I learned that they are very approachable.  I am so gracious for the opportunity, and I believe he really has the best interest of the students in mind, and UMW is in good hands.  Not to mention, I got to see the amazing house that all Preservation majors drool at.