This textbook has been developed as a primer and practical teaching manual for young people interested in construction, masonry preservation, green technology, building repair and the conservation of the urban environment. Each chapter is built around a particular masonry material, such as mortar, brick, stone, or stucco; or an aspect pertaining to the masonry trade, such as maintenance or green building technology.
Read more →Since the summer of 2010, NCPTT has been actively researching the removal of crude oil from objects and sites of cultural significance, such as Fort Livingston. This 19th century coastal fort on Grand Terre Island, Louisiana, was badly contaminated by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Our scientists visited the site twice last year to perform some preliminary studies on oil removal, and this summer I have been continuing with research on removing weathered oil from historic brick. The goal is to find a cleaning method that effectively strips the oil from the masonry without causing additional harm to either the structure or the environment.
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Historic sites reflect a particular time period and cultural use. These landscapes are composed of historic features such as buildings, trees, fencing, and walkways that date to an historic period. Understanding and implementing appropriate maintenance practices to preserve a site’s historic character and its individual features are essential components of a maintenance worker’s job. This video addresses turf management techniques designed to preserve these sites.
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The NCPTT 2010 Annual Report outlines research, training, and grant activities undertaken by the Center during FY2010.
NCPTT advances the application of science and technology to historic preservation. Working in the fields of archeology, architecture, landscape architecture and materials conservation, the Center accomplishes its mission through training, education, research, technology transfer and partnerships.
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In this edition of the podcast, we join NCPTT’s summer interns as they discuss their summer research.
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National Park Service offices in Natchitoches will highlight preservation activities in the Cane River region during the 10th annual Preservation in Your Community event on Aug. 10. The public is invited to stop by anytime between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. to enjoy refreshments, view exhibits from local heritage groups, and visit with NCPTT, CARI and CRNHA interns from across the country about their preservation research.
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By Cameron Tillman
Six interns join the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training staff this summer to work with research professionals in the fields of historic landscapes, architecture and engineering, materials research and marketing.
Stephanie Nelson, a graduate of Louisiana State University, will be working with Debbie Smith, historic landscapes program chief. Nelson will assist staff [...]
The Natchitoches community joined at Lee H. Nelson Hall, located on Northwestern State University‘s campus, on June 12 to celebrate their heritage at the Community Preservation Fair.
The fair featured different presentations such as hands-on demonstrations on wood window repair and proper cleaning techniques for stone grave markers.
There was also information on preparing for natural [...]
For conservators working with iron, rust is always a consideration. In museum collections or in our homes, we easily encounter rusty fences, grates, car parts, artwork and collectibles. Iron oxide (commonly called rust) results from the natural oxidation of iron by oxygen. Some metals, like bronze, can form a protective layer of corrosion products called [...]
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NCPTT’s Debbie Smith speaks with Robert Melnick, professor of landscape architecture at the University of Oregon and author of “Climate Change and Landscape Preservation: A Twenty-first-century Conundrum,” which appeared in a 2010 volume of the APT Bulletin. Today they will discuss topics addressed in the article.
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Like archeological information on paper, the archeological information we get in digital form must be both appropriate and trustworthy. The forms we can obtain must be the right ones for the job — cost effective and usable. At the same time, what we receive — capta, information, knowledge or summary — must be dependable, resulting from transformations that we can understand and evaluate.
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The visual manifestation of the recent Hale-Bopp comet reminds us how telling are those rare objects which suddenly flare in the sky. One can suppose ancient people living by natural light were more compellingly struck by the sight of comets and supernovae, and understandably researchers seek images of them in the shapes of rock-art motifs. An absolute dating contradicts that supposition in respect of a presumed image of the visible supernova of AD 1054.
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In this edition of the podcast, we join NCPTT’s Jason Church as he speaks with Moss Rudley, an exhibit specialist with the masonry division at the Historic Preservation Training Center. They will discuss the role of HTPC in the National Park Service including work they are doing with the historic building work bousillage.
Download this episode as an mp3 or subscribe via iTunes
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The Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) is a multidisciplinary international organization composed of individuals and institutions who are interested in the development and preservation of natural history collections. Under the direction of the SPNHC Conservation Committee and its Research Subcommittee, the project coordinator surveyed the SPNHC membership by mail to develop an updated list of priorities for natural history collections conservation research. This report summarizes background information, development and implementation of the survey instrument, results and data analysis of this project.
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In this episode of the Preservation Technology Podcast, Dennis Pogue, associate director at historic Mount Vernon, talks about the challenges of preserving a historic site with more than one million visitors each year. He also talks the archeology of the site and about the balancing act of maintaining historic artifacts in a structure that was built as a residence.
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Landscapes, an iPhone application currently in development, will allow groundskeeping staff to inventory features in an historic landscape and perform condition assessments. It will also easily allow managers to prioritize current and future maintenance tasks
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In this episode of the Preservation Technology Podcast, we join NCPTT’s Jason Church as he speaks with Vern Mesler, adjunct professor at Lansing Community College. They will discuss the “Preservation of Iron and Steel and Bridges and Other Metal Structures Workshop,” which was funded by a grant from the National Center.
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Download this episode as an mp3 or subscribe via iTunes.
Ammons: Welcome to the Preservation Technology podcast, the show that brings you the people and projects that are advancing the future of America’s heritage. I’m Kevin Ammons, and today we join NCPTT’s Jeff Guin as he speaks with Guy Sternberg, a certified arborist and retired landscape [...]
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Grant applications for the FY 2010 Federal Save America’s Treasures Program are now available on Grants.gov. You may also reach it via http://tinyurl.com/2010-SAT
In FY 2010, Save America’s Treasures has $14.3 million to award, $4 million more than FY 2009. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by the due date of Friday, May 21, 2010.
Detailed program [...]
Welcome to the 2010 Preservation and Technology Board meeting. We are excited by the opportunity to share NCPTT’s accomplishments over the last year, and to seek your counsel on the continuing direction of our research and training programs.
Every year seems busy, but the last was particularly hectic and fruitful as we grew NCPTT’s work in line with the strategic direction set over the last decade. The year brought both new opportunities and the achievement of some of our long-term goals.
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