Saving the Past for Tomorrow

What You Need to Think About When Buying a Historic Building

2011-09-27T16:19:00.004-05:00

This weekend the Preservation Resource Center continues it's Fall Demonstration Class Series with Looking for the Perfect House: Special considerations when buying and owning a historic building. There are a number of unique considerations when buying and owning a historic building. To help make sense of this topic we have assembled a great panel of experts in local realtor David Bowers, mortgage broker Paul Vincent, and insurance agent Linda Coleman to speak with the class about the differences of buying/owning a historic building as opposed to a newer structure.

Join us to learn some valuable insights on owning historic property.
Classes are $10 for GHF members, and $12 for non-members.
Classes are held Saturday mornings starting at 9 am in the second floor classroom at the Architectural Salvage Warehouse (908 23rd Street)
For more information on this class and to register click here.

Remaining Fall Demonstration Classes;

October 29
Respecting the Past: How to Properly Care for Cemetery Headstones and Statues
NOTE: This class is taught at the Broadway Cemetery, east entrance at 4000 block of Avenue K

November 5
Getting Creative with Architectural Salvage

November 12
Internal Luster: How to Properly Clean and Treat your Historic Woodwork
NOTE: This class is taught at Bishop's Palace, 1402 Broadway

Fall Demonstration Classes Start Saturday the 24th

2011-09-19T09:17:00.003-05:00

This weekend the Preservation Resource Center starts it's Fall Demonstration Class Series with Environmentally Sound, Aesthetically Pleasing Landscape Design being taught by landscape designer, Mark Fox. Mark will lead the class through the subject of gardening techniques that are sensitive to the environment and pleasing to the senses. Join us to learn some tips and tricks on making beautiful, eco-friendly Galveston gardens.

Classes are $10 for GHF members, and $12 for non-members.
For more information on this class and to register click here.

Remaining Fall Demonstration Classes;

October 1
Looking for the Perfect House: Special Considerations When Buying and Owning a Historic House.

October 29
Respecting the Past: How to Properly Care for Cemetery Headstones and Statues
NOTE: This class is taught at the Broadway Cemetery, east entrance at 4000 block of Avenue K

November 5
Getting Creative with Architectural Salvage

November 12
Internal Luster: How to Properly Clean and Treat your Historic Woodwork
NOTE: This class is taught at Bishop's Palace, 1402 Broadway

Local Stakeholders Have a Say in Design Guideline Updates

2011-09-06T08:45:00.002-05:00

This Saturday, September 10th at 9 am, GHF is hosting a meeting of local preservationist to discuss the revisions to the Design Standards for Historic Properties of Galveston, Texas. These guidelines help to govern the city's historic districts and guide the Landmark Commission.

The public is encouraged to come in order to have their say on the Design Standards revisions. There is more information available here.
Also, you need to RSVP for the event by Wednesday the 7th

A Positive Step for Ft. Crockett

2011-08-30T08:20:00.004-05:00

Nearly every time I drive down Seawall with an out of town guest they ask me why these buildings are not being taken care of better. Often times I hear, "Certainly that great piece of property right on the beach can be fixed up!?"

GHF has been concerned about the welfare of the remaining Fort Crockett buildings for some time. In fact, we have had them on our Heritage at Risk List for the past few years. As you will read in the article, GHF has little power to force the owners hand to maintain the properties but we can help to build awareness for preserving this part of our Island's History.

Here is some positive news in today's Galveston County Daily News

AG Warns Owners to Draft Plans for Ft. Crockett

Green Training Session: TruStile Doors AIA/CES Course

2011-08-11T09:54:00.002-05:00

Join us Thursday, August 18 for a Green Training Session on TruStile doors. The class will be held from 11:30 to 1:00 at the 1861 US Custom House at 502 20th Street. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Matthew Pelz and matthew.pelz@galvestonhistory.org or 409.765.3423.

This AIA/CES course, presented by Mitch Morris, will explore how MDF and Wood stile and rail doors fulfill Green Building principles and contribute to LEED certification.

At the end of the program, participants will be able to:
• Define Green Building and understand how doors can contribute to Green Building and Sustainable Design
• Understand green product options for paint grade doors and how they can contribute to LEED Credits and design
• Understand green product options for stain grade doors and how they can contribute to LEED Credits and design
• Understand how else door manufacturers can contribute to green manufacturing and sustainable practices

Keeping Windows Has Growing Following

2011-08-02T10:17:00.003-05:00

Working at the Salvage Warehouse we see too many examples of people bringing us their historic wood windows because they have installed newer replacements. When I receive a call about making a donation, I always try to talk them out of removing the windows if they have not done so already. Most times I am too late, they have already made their decision.

I hope we see more articles like this in the national and local media...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/28/garden/old-windows-find-a-following.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&emc=eta1

mostly so that we do not get to see more examples like this on Galveston.

Green Training Session Postponed

2011-07-21T08:27:00.002-05:00

The Green Training Session with MechoShade has been postponed until further notice.
Unfortunately, our speaker is unable to come to Galveston today due to unforeseen project difficulties. We will be postponing the presentation until later in the summer. We apologize for any inconvenience in the change of plans.

MechoShade AIA/CES Green Training Session

2011-07-19T14:11:00.001-05:00

Where: 1861 US Custom House at 502 20th Street
When: 11:30-1:00, Thursday, July 21
Contact matthew.pelz@galvestonhistory.org to reserve your spot.

MechoShade Systems presents an AlA/CES "over lunch" discussion of daylighting fundamentals and why sustainable design provides HSW credit. The program is typically of interest to architects, interior designers, lighting designers, and mechanical engineers. Please encourage all to attend. If your firm retains lighting designers and MEP's as consultants, let us know who they are and we will invite them to join us for lunch.

MechoShade Systems’ message is simple: daylighting creates a more comfortable and productive environment for end users, and automated shade systems preserve and maintain the design intent of elevations (both exterior and interior). By helping to connect interior architecture to its site, natural light creates the time of day and the mood of the season. The moderation of daylight reveals the design intent of materials.

Successful day-lighting strategies, address:
. Heat gain
. Glare
. Creature comfort
. Dealing with variation in light levels, and. direct beam penetration into architecture

When motorized shade systems are automated and seamlessly integrated with light control systems, both can be interfaced with building and energy management systems to create significant savings. MechoShade Systems cites several highly LEED rated projects as case studies of systems integration. We will also review the NY Times Building daylighting case study as well as the Hess Tower in Houston which is under installation now.

Lunch will be offered. We look forward to giving the presentation and seeing all of you!

Green Training Session: Environmentally Sound, Aesthetically Pleasing Landscape Design

2011-06-14T13:33:00.001-05:00

When: June 16, 11:30 - 1
Where: 1861 US Custom House, 502 20th Street, Galveston

Mark Fox Landscaping Company is an established landscape design and planting company celebrating over 20 years in the business. Mark is a landscape designer, not a landscape architect. His knowledge is based on 30 years of careful observation and constant study. His work has been featured in Sally Wasowski’s book “Native Texas Gardens”. They have had several of landscapes in the garden pages of the Houston Chronicle, Southern Living and other publications.

GHF Paint Pals Strike Again!

2011-06-14T10:15:00.003-05:00

The Galveston Historical Foundation's Paint Pals Program completed another successful project this past Friday at 2210 31st Street. The 1914 Craftsman cottage has been owned by Mrs. Nonie Willis for over 50 years!

Paint Pals is a program sponsored by the Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church Permanent Endowment Fund, and partnerships with the local Sherwin Williams Paint Store and Mario's Seawall Italian Restaurant. We solicit applications from local homeowners for this program aimed at painting the houses of those that meet financial qualifications. For more information visit the GHF website.

This year special thanks goes out to Kalypso consultants who volunteered to help us paint the house as a part of their annual corporate retreat to the Island. GHF also wants to thank all the other volunteers who donated their time and energy to such a great project.

Pre-Demolition Salvage Moving Forward

2011-05-27T09:24:00.008-05:00

As a part of our Partners in the Field Grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation GHF has been working to salvage as many materials from houses before they are demolished. For the past 3 years GHF has been working towards being able to salvage from houses that are scheduled to be demolished as a part of the Disaster Recovery Housing Program. This spring we finalized an agreement to be given access to those properties scheduled for demolition.

We are at the beginning stages of our pre-demolition program and are planning to expand our operation and staff in the near future to better handle the increase of buildings coming down in the coming weeks. We have received some great insight and assistance from Scott Hanson of the Antique Warehouse on the best methods and tools for removing the historic materials. His help has proven invaluable.

Currently we are working on removing as much material as we can from these houses. Our focus materials are doors, windows, shutters, decorative wood trim, siding, flooring, and wall boards. This is the short list of materials we try to recover (the list gets longer depending on the house). We are also trying to salvage as much of the functioning double-hung, wood window materials as possible, including the window weights, so these items are available for those looking to rehab their historic wood windows. For the time being we are not able to complete a full deconstruction in order to recapture old-growth pine structural members but we are partnering with a group that is working to do so.

As of right now we are only working on houses involved in the City of Galveston Disaster Recovery Housing Program but hope to expand into more properties. If you know of a property to be demolished please contact us and hopefully we can save some very valuable materials.

All the materials we collect are available for sale at our Architectural Salvage Warehouse at 908 23rd Street on Wednesdays and Saturdays. We are also continually taking donations for the ASW, if you have materials to donate please bring them by during open hours or contact us to arrange for a pick up.

There are volunteer opportunities coming up for those that would like to like to help, if you are interested please contact Matt Farragher at 409-765-3424 or matt.farragher@galvestonhistory.org

May 19 Green Training Session: Tom Schwenk, Seminars by Design

2011-05-17T13:42:00.002-05:00

Join us Thursday, May 19 from 11:30 to 1 at the 1861 US Custom House at 502 20th Street as Tom Schwenk presents:

The Air Inside: Understanding Indoor Air Quality (.2 CEU) IDCEC registration # 7711

It is estimated that people spend as much as 90% of their time indoors yet very few realize the dangers of indoor pollutants, mistakenly believing that the air inside is much cleaner than the air outside. The different types of pollutants and the health problems each can cause will be covered. These health problems affect the young and older populations more than the general population. Additionally three strategies for maintaining acceptable levels of indoor air quality will be offered. There will also be a section on office buildings and the problems that can occur with poorly maintained HVAC systems.

Continuing educations credits are available and the program is available at no cost. Please contact Matthew Pelz at matthew.pelz@galvestonhistory.org or 409.765.3423 to reserve your spot.

GalveScan 2011

2011-04-28T15:05:00.005-05:00

After Hurricane IKE visited Galveston Island in September 2008 the curbs of our fair city were filled with flood damaged debris such as piles of ruined furniture, soaked drywall, and ruined electronic equipment. Many of the items being picked up by the garbage collecting cranes you could go to the store and replace. Unfortunately, there were also piles of photos and personal family heirlooms that could never be replaced. The Preservation Resource Center at GHF also lost a great deal of photos and other historic items to IKE's muddy storm surge (no worries, we have been able to reclaim a good deal of them).

Every Saturday in February 2009 GHF sponsored our first GalveScan events for people to bring in their family photos for us to scan and add to our digital archive. We loved looking through all the photos and hearing about happy family memories of the past 100 years. What many do not realize is the amount of information contained in these pictures. To the owner it may seem like a picture of all their siblings lined up on the front porch for the first day of school, but to future researchers and historians there is a wealth of information to be had. We can see the architectural elements on the front porch, whether the house next door was built yet, and what style of windows were on the house.

Along with supplying GHF with a digital copy of your scanned photos we can also supply donors with a back up copy of the image on our server. If the original image is ever lost GHF will have an extra that can be used for duplication.

Tom Green of the Preservation Outreach Committee is leading this year's initiative to continue gathering more photos of Galveston with GalveScan 2011. Tom has set up a website dedicated to collecting and displaying some of the great images he has collected at https://sites.google.com/site/galvescan2011/

Another new option this year is the option of scanning your own images and emailing them to GHF. For those that wish to scan and email their photos we ask that you scan them in at least 300 dpi resolution and save them as either .jpeg or .tif files. You can send your photos and questions/comments to photos@galvestonhistory.org

We are hoping to arrange another series of collection days in the near future at The Bishop's Palace for individuals to bring their photos in to be scanned.

In related news, check out Islander By Choice's blog on the GalveScan project at http://www.ibcgalveston.com/site/2011/04/galvescan.html . While you're there look around to see what other great things are happening around Galveston this summer (especially the Beach Revue).

Preservation Awards Deadline Extended

2011-04-21T10:11:00.002-05:00

In order to gather even more quality applicants for the 2011 Sally Wallace Historic Preservation Awards and the Heritage at Risk List the PRC is extending the deadline for both to Monday, April 25th.

Click HERE for Sally Wallace Historic Preservaton Award applications and information

Click HERE for Heritage at Risk List applications and information

WE hope that those interested can use some extra time over the holiday weekend to find properties to nominate for both programs.

Green Training Session this Thursday

2011-04-18T10:07:00.002-05:00

Green Training: Air Conditioning for Coastal Climates, presented by Kevin Stewart of PFG Air Kevin Stewart has been a leader in the HVAC industry for over 20 years. A published author with subjects ranging from Air Conditioning & Heating to Energy Efficiency & Green Technologies; Kevin is a nationally renowned expert in the HVAC arena. Mr. Stewart graduated in 1989 from Columbus Technical Institute in Columbus, Ga. Honors included the National VICA champion 1988 and student of the year in 1989. Mr. Stewart resides in Missouri City, TX with his wife Amy and their daughter Isabella. Galveston Historical Foundation offers training programs on sustainable materials and building techniques. While they are geared towards designers, contractors, and professional builders, anyone interested is invited to attend. Free Admission. Call (409)765-3423 for reservations.

"I Bought an Old House, Now What?"

2011-04-05T10:23:00.003-05:00

Save yourself a lot of trouble, headaches, and probably some money by joining us Saturday morning for the final Demonstration Class this spring "I Bought an Old House, Now What?" Brian Davis, the Director of GHF's Preservation and Conservation Services Department, is teaching this popular class Saturday, April 9th starting at 9 am in the classroom at the Architectural Salvage Warehouse at 908 23rd Street. The class will focus on researching your house, starting a scope of work, taking bids from contractors, and working through the City's permitting procedures. The class is $10 for GHF members, $12 for non-members. Click here for more information and registration. The Preservation Resource Center is also still actively searching for nominations for this year's Sally Wallace Historic Preservation Awards and Heritage at Risk List. The Sally Wallace Historic Preservation Awards are meant to bring recognition for all the hard work put towards improving an Island historic building since January 2009 while the Heritage at Risk List is designed to bring attention to historic resources that may be at risk of being lost. Click here for Preservation Awards nomination forms and here for Heritage at Risk nomination forms. For questions on any of the items in this blog, please contact Matt Farragher at 409-765-3424 or at matt.farragher@galvestonhistory.org

PRC Looking for Historic Preservation Awards and Heritage at Risk List Nominations

2011-03-30T08:18:00.002-05:00

Download the 2011 Sally Wallace Historic Preservation Award Nomination Form Download the 2011 Heritage at Risk List Nomination Form Is there a historic Galveston building that you have seen transformed by the hard work and diligence of a respectful owner over the past 2 years? Do you feel those responsible should receive some positive recognition for their investment in Galveston’s heritage? The Galveston Historical Foundation’s (GHF) Preservation Outreach Committee wants to know about these projects for the 2011 Sally Wallace Historic Preservation Awards being held the evening of May 12th at Menard Hall at 3302 Ave O. Click here to view the 2010 Award Winners. Along with asking for nominees to be recognized for their accomplishments in helping to save a Galveston building, GHF is also asking for the community’s input on additions to our annual Heritage at Risk List. GHF has compiled its annual Heritage at Risk List as a way to highlight endangered properties on Galveston Island and to help guide our advocacy programming over the coming year. Since its inception in 2003, GHF’s Heritage at Risk List has brought attention to historic buildings and resources in danger of being lost around Galveston Island. Click here to view the 2010 Heritage at Risk List. More information on both of these programs is available on our website.

Join us to learn more about your historic plaster followed by a tour of Fort Crockett

2011-03-24T10:07:00.004-05:00

"Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere."
- Chinese Proverb

Restoring and Repairing Plaster Demonstration Class
9 a.m., Saturday, March 26, 2011

908 23rd Street

The Preservation Resource Center continues their Demonstration Class Series this Saturday morning at 9 a.m. with a class on "Restoring and Repairing Plaster." The class is being taught by Matt Henson of Professio by Matt Henson, Inc. Matt has been working in the historic preservation field for many years and will be sharing his experiences during his talk on Saturday.

The Demonstration Class Series is hosted in the second floor classroom of the Architectural Salvage Warehouse at 908 23rd, and usually lasts about an hour and a half.
$10 for GHF members, $12 for non-members.
More information is available at http://www.galvestonhistory.org/Demonstration_Classes.asp

Fort Crockett Walking Tour
12 p.m., Saturday, March 26, 2011
4700 Ave U

The day's learning doesn't stop with the class on plaster repair...
As a part of the NOAA Fisheries Service Galveston Laboratory's Open House, GHF's Matt Farragher is leading a 12 p.m. walking tour of the remaining buildings on Fort Crockett. Fort Crockett served as a military base from 1897 to 1947, many of the remaining buildings are now incorporated into the Galveston Laboratory. Join us to learn more about the history of Fort Crockett and how it lives on today.
The open house is free, and totally independent of Demonstration Class
More information is available at http://galveston.ssp.nmfs.gov/

For any questions, contact Matt Farragher at matt.farragher@galvestonhistory.org
or 409-765-3424

Green Revival House Certified LEED For Homes-Platinum

2011-03-18T10:05:00.000-05:00

Historic houses can become energy-efficient without losing charm and proof is found at 3101 Avenue Q, Galveston Historical Foundation's Green Revival House.
The project started when GHF moved the house 17 blocks to a new lot after Hurricane Ike destroyed its foundation with construction lasting through the spring and summer of 2010. The Green Revival House features new insulation, four solar panels, and two rainwater cisterns and is one of the nation’s first historic buildings to achieve Platinum certification through the LEED for Homes program. LEED for Homes is one of several versions of a program created by the United States Green Building Council to measure building performance. GHF completed the project in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the 1772 Foundation.
“We wanted to make this a model project for Galveston and other places, but also to explore the full extent of the similarities and disparities between LEED reviews and preservation issues,” says Dwayne Jones, GHF executive director. “This has given us a chance to highlight those things and make it work better for everyone. We want to see more historic home owners take a greener, more comprehensive look at their property, and not just follow the preservation rules we’ve used for many years now.”
For more information on Galveston Historical Foundation's Green Revival House, please contact Preservation Services

Green Training Session - Thursday, March 17

2011-03-14T16:10:00.003-05:00

GHF will be hosting Ron Smith and Michael LaPoint of BMC Select on Thursday, March 17 from 11:30 to 1 at the 1861 US Custom House (502 20th Street.) Ron and Michael will discuss the sorts of new window products that qualify under design guidelines when planning an addition in a historic district. No cost for admission. Call Matthew Pelz at 409.765.3423 or email him at matthew.pelz@galvestonhistory.org to reserve your spot.

GHF Begins Spring Demonstration Classes Saturday, March 12th

2011-03-04T10:35:00.002-06:00

Its that time of year. The weather is warming up, the days are getting longer, more birds are passing over the Island on their way back north... It's Springtime!!

Just as we do every spring, GHF is offering our Saturday morning Demonstration Classes starting with Landscaping in Historic Galveston's Climate with local landscape designer Matt Hannon on March 12th at the Architectural Salvage Warehouse (908 23rd Street). Join us to learn about what plants are suited to our Island climate and what they planted in the gardens of days gone by.

Presentations take place on Saturday mornings at 9 a.m., and will usually last two hours. Seating may be limited, so reservations are suggested. Admission to the entire series is $45 for GHF members and $55 for non-members; Admission to individual classes is $10 for GHF members and $12 for non-members. All classes will be held at the GHF Architectural Salvage Warehouse at the Sealy Garage, second floor, 908 23rd Street.

The rest of the schedule of classes includes;
March 19 Lead-Based Paint Safety in Historic Properties
March 26 Restoring and Repairing Plaster
April 2 Learning Spanish for the Construction Industry
April 9 "I Bought an Old House. Now What"

More information and registration forms are available on the GHF website at
http://www.galvestonhistory.org/Demonstration_Classes.asp

Contact Matt Farragher at 409-765-3424 or matt.farragher@galvestonhistory.org
with any questions

23rd Annual Galveston Home and Garden Show

2011-01-25T10:21:00.002-06:00

The Home and Garden Show is rapidly approaching and the Galveston Historical Foundation has partnered with the Galveston Island Humane Society to seek out building professionals and companies to create a green section of exhibits at the show. If your company takes pride in working to protect our resources, it may be a great fit in helping showcase a sustainable Galveston area.

Generously, the Humane Society has offered a 10% discount on registration to any GHF business members. If you are not yet a business member, this is a great opportunity to get immediate benefits from the partnership. For more information, please contact matthew.pelz@galvestonhistory.org.

Texas Association of Structural Movers Coming to Galveston

2011-01-19T13:32:00.003-06:00

The Texas Association of Structural Movers will be holding their 27th Annual Convention in Galveston from January 27 thto the 30th, 2011.

Galveston, with a strong history of house moving and ongoing discussions about raising houses, is a natural palce to hold the event. For its part, GHF has moved several houses to save them from demolition. Since Hurricane Ike, we have moved five in partnership with the 1772 Foundation, including the Green revival House at 3101 Avenue Q.

To learn about the environmental and economic advantages of the relocation of structures instead of their demolition, read this helpful guide.

Interior Decor at the Green Revival House

2010-12-15T11:16:00.005-06:00

If you were one of the one thousand visitors who toured the Green Revival House at 3101 Avenue Q in the last couple of months, you saw furniture provided by Gena Miller of Green Loop Living. This week, we say goodbye to her designs as they return to her store at 807 West Gray in Houston

Gena specializes in reuse artwork and furnishings and several of her pieces, such as this Murphy bed, exemplify ways to conserve floor space in smaller rooms.
Another example is the living room table which can be disassembled into two pieces and stored when not in use. In the picture seen below, the board in the corner of the room is one of the pieces.

If you have any questions about Green Loop Living, you can reach them 713.622.7511.

GHF Revolving Fund Now On Google Earth

2010-12-09T13:44:00.003-06:00

The Galveston Historical Foundation has been striving to protect the architectural history of Galveston in a myriad of ways. Since 1972 one method being used is the GHF Revolving Fund . Through this fund GHF purchases a property, usually an endangered one, then rehabilitates and sells it with protective covenants in the deed. We monitor the maintenance of the property and any future changes to the building need to be approved by GHF. Since starting the Revolving Fund GHF has helped to save over 70 buildings.

For the past few months Preservation Resource Center volunteer Tom Green, PhD. has been working on a project to map out all the buildings on Google Earth. This is a great program that allows you to see all the areas that GHF has worked on from your computer. You can view the project by clicking here and downloading the presentation from his site.

GHF to Offer Strand-Mechanic Walking Tours During Dickens on the Strand

2010-11-30T09:27:00.004-06:00

The Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) Preservation Outreach Committee is offering its popular Walking Tour of the Strand-Mechanic National Historic Landmark District during GHF's Dickens on Strand holiday festival on December 4th and 5th.

The tours will start at the corner of 25th and Strand and are offered prior to the opening of the festival on Saturday and Sunday mornings starting at 9 am. Those interested in attending are required to have a ticket to Dickens along with purchasing a separate walking tour ticket, which can be done on our website or the day of the event.

We hope you can join us to learn more about the stories behind the buildings and the rich history of the Strand-Mechanic National Historic Landmark District.
For any questions, please contact GHF's Matt Farragher at matt.farragher@galvestonhistory.org or at (409) 765-3424

PRC Finishes Fall Classes with Door Restoration

2010-11-22T11:33:00.005-06:00

Michael Morris of Classic Morris helped us finish off our Fall 2010 Demonstration Class Series with his class on door restoration this past Saturday, November 20th. It was a perfect morning to come out and learn some tricks of the trade from a door restoration specialist. Michael had a great demonstration door to show all the various steps to take while repairing or refinishing your wood doors.

The Preservation Resource Center offers these demonstration classes in the fall and the spring on Saturday mornings. Each session has 5 classes and are taught by local professionals and experts in their field. This fall we offered courses on how to protect your house from termites, historic wall coverings, restoring and maintaining stained glass, how to research your historic property, and lastly door restoration. Each of the classes had great attendance and all the proceeds went towards supporting the Preservation Resource Center.

Here is our schedule for the upcoming Spring 2011 Demonstration Classes;
March 12 Propert landscaping for your historic Galveston yard
March 19 Lead based paint safety for homeowners
March 26 Maintaining and repairing historic plaster
April 2 Basic Spanish for the construction business
April 9 "I bought an old house, now what?" Proceeding with house rehabs

Matt Farragher is responsible for the class series and can be contacted at matt.farragher@galvestonhistory.org or (409)765-3424.
We are always looking for new class ideas, so if you have any suggestions on a subject you would like to learn more about, please feel free to pass them along.

Historic Preservation Conference in Austin

2010-11-01T08:32:00.003-05:00

We are back in the office this today after a week in Austin at the annual conference of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. GHF is a local partner of the NTHP and Matt Farragher and Matt Pelz work in Galveston in partnership with the NTHP's Partners in the Field grant program.

We got several great ideas for how to improve our existing programs, such as our Revolving Fund, low-income housing, and green building initiatives, and new ways to attack other issues like preservation advocacy and coastal sustainability.

Also, we were on hand to support former Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas as she accepted the Peter H. Brink award for Individual Achievement in Historic Preservation. Galvestonian Jhonny Langer also received an award for his work on Sengelmann Hall in Schulenberg, TX.

Building Solutions at the Green Revival House

2010-10-08T08:14:00.003-05:00

This Saturday, October 8, at 2 pm, Chris Arneson of Building Solutions will be leading a walk through of the Green Revival house at 3101 Avenue Q. Building Solution served as general contractor for the project and Chris will share some insights into the development of the project. Once again, the house is open from 12-4 Saturday and Sunday at no cost.

Help GHF Find Our Next Paint Pals House!

2010-09-16T14:38:00.008-05:00

BEFORE

GETTING THERE...

AFTER!!

Is there a small house in your Galveston neighborhood that is in need of a new coat of paint?

The Galveston Historical Foundation needs your help to find our next Paint Pals project house. The pictures above are of the house we just completed in early August. We now need your help to find the house we will paint this upcoming Fall (yes, Fall will get here. Just be patient). Our target dates to paint are in November.

The basis of this program is we find a one-story, wood clad house (no vinyl, aluminum, or asbestos siding); pay a professional to replace any rotten boards, and apply a coat of primer; then GHF organizes volunteer laborers to come out and apply a fresh coat of paint. All of this at NO COST to the homeowner! The house must be at least 50 years old, have no sections used for rental income, and the homeowner must be of moderate to low income.

Paint Pals is underwritten by a grant from the Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church Permanent Endowment Fund. GHF has done Paint Pals for over 30 years and averaged 2 houses a year. This program helps to make an immediate visible impact on the neighborhoods and often starts a chain reaction among the surrounding homeowners to make improvements on their own houses.

For more information on this program, and to download an application, please visit the GHF website.

If you have any questions please contact Matt Farragher at 409-765-3424 or matt.farragher@galvestonhistory.com

Stained Glass at the Green Revival House

2010-08-25T15:38:00.006-05:00

As we edge closer to the completion of the Green Revival house at 3101 Avenue Q, we have been adding more decorative pieces. None has turned out better than the stained glass installed yesterday, August 24.

The work was performed by Karen Farrell, a stained glass expert from Houston, who was generous enough to donate her time and services to the project.

If you'd like more information on Karen's work and her involvement inthe project, you can reach her at farrellsartglass@aol.com.

Interview with Dana Hardy of Building Solutions

2010-08-23T10:25:00.002-05:00

The Green Revival house at 3101 Avenue Q has attracted a lot of attention in recent months. If you have passed by the work site, you've probably seen the crews from Building Solutions and Wood Experts, led by project supervisor Dana Hardy.

Recently, Dana took a few minutes to share his thoughts on the project.

Preservation Resource Center Fall 2010 Demonstration Classes

2010-08-19T12:00:00.003-05:00

The Preservation Resource Center (PRC) is happy to announce the schedule for this Fall's Demonstration Class Series. The PRC hosts this series of classes on Saturday mornings starting at 9 a.m. during the spring and the fall of each year. This fall's classes are scheduled for October 2, 16, 23 and November 13, and the 20th.

Four of the five classes are scheduled to be at the classroom in our Architectural Salvage Warehouse at 908 23rd Street, with the November 13th class being at the GHF Custom House at 502 20th Street in the PRC.

The prices for the classes are $10 for GHF members, $12 for non-members. If you sign up for all five classes there is a $5 discount.

October 2, Protecting Your House From Termites
Presented by Stacey Cole of Truly Nolen Pest Control

Do you have conditions in your building that may attract termites? Stacey Cole will share his years of experience in the exterminator business with the class on how to protect your building from becoming the next victim of termite damage. He will discuss simple measures one can take to protect their building from Dry Rot, Subterranean, and the newest scourge to arrive on the Island, Formosan termites.

October 16, Exploring Historic Wall Coverings: Popular historic wall treatments and how they were applied.
Presented by Ethan Bradshaw of WallEx

Like most things, styles of wall decoration fall in and out of fashion. Ethan Bradshaw of WallEx in Houston will discuss the variety of historic wall coverings over the years and how these were applied. Whether restoring your historic house or installing an accent, Ethan will show you how to make a lasting impression.

October 23, Restoring and Repairing Stained Glass
Presented by Karen Farrell of Farrell’s Art Glass

From churches to residences, stained glass has been used to decorate many historic buildings. Constant exposure to the elements, harsh Texas sunlight, and unforeseen accidents can damage these works of art. During this session skilled artisan Karen Farrell will show the class various ways to maintain and repair decorative stained glass.

November 13, Researching Your Historic Property in GHF’s Preservation Resource Center
Presented by GHF’s Matt Farragher

Ever wanted to solve a mystery about your historic house? Learn how to research the story of your historic property with the help of GHF’s Matt Farragher at GHF’s Preservation Resource Center. This class will take place at the 1861 U.S. Custom House at 502 20th Street and will show where to search for historic images, maps, photographs and even learn who lived there in the past.

November 20, Repairing and Restoring Your Historic Doors
Presented by Michael Morris of Classic Morris door restoration and installation

Don’t replace that historic wood door, restore it! Many Galveston buildings have great historic doors that give these properties character and are made from strong materials that are almost impossible to replace. Some elbow grease, the right tools, and a bit of historic know-how can bring these beauties back from the brink of being lost. Restoration craftsman Michael Morris will share his years of experience on returning historic doors to their former luster.

For more information on the classes or to register please contact Matt Farragher at 409-765-3424 or at matt.farragher@galvestonhistory.org

August 17 Green Training Session on structural connectors

2010-08-17T10:29:00.003-05:00

Learn about the continuous load path requirements of the building code, how the system works to keep the house safe and secure and the way connectors provide a structural system. Additional topics will include the proper installation of popular connectors for high wind regions. A team of technical representatives from Simpson Strong-Tie will be on hand to both teach and answer questions.

Green Revival House Interior Progress

2010-08-12T08:58:00.015-05:00

As we move closer to the completion of the Green Revival house at 3101 Avenue Q, the interior is taking shape. Here is a quick tour of the rooms.

The side hall, reopened for ventilation has replacement floorboards from salvage.

The living room has 12' ceilings, walk-through windows, and double doors.

The kitchen has connections for the appliances to be installed underneath the retained transom.

A small 2nd bedroom lies behind the kitchen. The transom seen here is the same as the one in the kitchen picture taken from the opposite side of the wall.

The bathroom, with a shower stall, has been framed in the rear portion of the house.

The master bedroom has a door to the back porch as well as a distinctive light well (see the joists as the top of the picture) that will allow daylight to enter the room from the ceiling.

The back porch, made of reclaimed wood from on site, has solar panels on its roof.

The Green Revival project is part of a partnership between Galveston Historical Foundation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The house is registered with the LEED for Homes rating system. For more information on the projedct and our partners, contact Matthew Pelz.

Understanding Mold

2010-08-11T11:09:00.002-05:00

Tom Norlander of ServPro will be at the Custom House at 502 20th St. Thursday, August 12 from 11:30 to 1:00, discussing the effects of mold on the indoor environment. Tom will provide tips on preventing and eliminating mold in your home or business when it has suffered water damage. For more information, please contact Matthew Pelz.

Another Successful Paint Pals Project

2010-08-05T10:30:00.011-05:00

This past Saturday, July 31st GHF successfully completed another Paint Pals project at 2210 29th Street. The Paint Pals program is where we use volunteer labor to paint the home of qualified applicants for free. That's right FREE! GHF has done Paint Pals since the 1980s and helped dozens of homeowners improve their curb appeal. The program is supported by a grant from the Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church's Permanent Endowment Fund with paint being donated by Sherwin Williams' Galveston store and lunch provided by Mario's Seawall Italian Restaurant.

The grant helps us to pay a professional to scrape off the old paint, repair any loose or rotted boards, and then prime the house for the new paint job. This year Juan Carcano of Immaculate Painting completed all of the preparation work on the house and also brought out a small crew to help us paint the walls with their paint sprayer. I want to send a special thank you to Juan for helping us to complete this project, by spraying the walls he helped us to finish in a timely manner and get out of the record heat on Saturday.

As previously mentioned, we use all volunteer labor to complete these projects. for this project we had a great group of volunteers from our GHF Preservation Outreach Committee, Islander By Choice, and Texas A&M Galveston. These volunteers heroically (I'm not exaggerating, it was really hot) battled the sun and heat to complete this project. Thank you to everyone for coming out to help!

GHF completes two Paint Pals projects per year, one in the spring and one in the fall. The program is managed by the Preservation and Conservation Services department at GHF. There are a few requirements for a house to be eligible for Paint Pals. First, the house can only be one story tall (our insurance states volunteers can only go up so high); second, the house must be owner-occupied and have no part available for rent; third, the owner must qualify as low to moderate income; finally, the house must be at least 50 years old. GHF also focuses our attention on elderly/retired homeowners and those that may be disabled. We find that after we complete a project there is a domino effect in the neighborhoods, whereas other homeowners begin to improve their properties when they see what can be done. Because of this we try to alternate which neighborhoods we focus on so as to spread around the impact of the program.

For those who may be interested in having their house painted, or that of a qualified neighbor, the applications are available on the GHF website and also our headquarters at 502 20th Street. We are also constantly looking for new groups to come out and volunteer. If you have a group, Krewe, or club that enjoys making a positive impact on the community please contact Matt Farragher at 409-765-3424 or matt.farragher@galvestonhistory.org

Green Revival Progress

2010-07-30T18:14:00.014-05:00

Much has changed with the "Green Revival" house at 3101 Avenue Q since we moved it to the site in February. Skirting is being installed and the finishing touches are being put on the porches. Stay tuned for dates when you can tour the house this fall and learn how to make your historic house more energy efficient. In the mean time, check out the Partners in the Field section of GHF's website: http://www.galvestonhistory.org/Partners_Green_Revival.asp

Green Training Sessions: Geothermal Energy in Galveston and the Greater Houston Area

2010-06-29T08:51:00.003-05:00

The Green Training Sessions are back for the summer. Each Thursday during July and August, we'll be hosting experts from around the region as they present information on new building products.

This Thursday, July 1, Russell Buras of LoopTech International will demonstrate Geothermal Energy transfer and detail how different types of systems work. The program and lunch will be offered at no charge.

The program is offered by GHF with support from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Galveston Branch of the United States Green Building Council. Visit http://www.preservationnation.org/ and http://www.usgbc-galveston.org/ for more information on these partners.

Green Revival Doors

2010-05-18T15:12:00.006-05:00

The crew from Building Solutions has been working on the front door of the Green Revival house today, stripping paint to reveal great wood detailing.

Compare this to what the door looked like before they began (pictured below) and you can see how layers of paint can change the appearance of woodwork.

We'll use some salvaged stained glass from our Architectural Salvage Warehouse to add further decoration along the sides and corners of the opening as we work to bring the door closer to its original 1891 appearance.

Galveston Historical Foundation Seeking Applications from Galveston Island Historic Homeowners Who Want to Save on Utility Bills

2010-05-11T13:54:00.002-05:00

Galveston Historical Foundation is taking applications from qualified Galveston Island homeowners for grants to help them cut their energy use and their utility bills at the same time. GHF is combining Community Development Block Grants from the City of Galveston’s Grants and Housing Department and money GHF received under the Partners in the Field program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and focusing these funds on helping low- to moderate-income historic homeowners make their houses more energy efficient.

GHF hopes to help as many as 12 families weatherize their homes and save considerably on energy expenses during the next year. The homes must be at least 50 years old for participation in the program.

“Some of the things we’ll be doing include weather-stripping and repairing windows and doors, installing attic insulation and improving attic ventilation,” said GHF project coordinator Matt Farragher.

Depending on their household incomes, successful applicants will have to pay between $25 and $200 to participate. “That is a pretty moderate expense, considering that applicants will get maybe $3,000 to $5,000 of weatherization work on their houses,” Farragher said.

Owners of rental and commercial property are not eligible for participation. Grant eligibility is based on the total incomes of all people who live in the homes for which grants are being sought. GHF will follow the same U.S. Housing and Urban Development income guidelines that the City of Galveston uses for the distribution of funds.

In addition to income requirements for eligibility, GHF is focusing on houses that are at least 50 years old.

Applications for the grants are available here. People can also call Farragher’s office at 409-765-3424 or email him at matt.farragher@galvestonhistory.org for applications and information about eligibility. People also can pick up an application at GHF headquarters, located in the 1861 Custom House, 20th and Postofffice streets, in downtown Galveston.

Green Revival on Homes Tour

2010-05-10T10:21:00.003-05:00

Thanks to all the visitors and volunteers to the Green Revival house at 3101 Ave. Q the past two weekends. We were pleased to have so many guests tour the house with their questions and ideas. The feedback was very helpful and we hope you all come back this summer to see the finished product. On that note, we're getting back to work on the house today. There is a lot of work to do to finish by our July target.

Judges Finalize 2010 Sally B. Wallace Historic Preservation Awards!

2010-04-26T20:42:00.005-05:00

Hope that the headline got your attention...
GHF's Preservation Outreach Committee is proud to present the second annual Sally B. Wallace Historic Preservation Awards. The awards are named in honor of a pioneering Galveston preservationist and commemorate the great work that continues all around the Island. The this year's award categories are Rehabilitation, Adaptive Use, Craftspeople, and the Community Service Award. This year we are also combining with the GHF GREEN Revival program to present the GREEN Revival Design Competition winners. This is a competition for designing and incorporating sustainable materials as furnishings, lighting fixtures, or artwork in the home. These materials will be showcased at the Preservation in Progress house at 3101 Avenue Q during the 2010 Historic Homes Tour.

Join us for delicious appetizers and other refreshments at Ashton Villa on Friday, May 7th starting at 6 pm. Being that it is May, and the unofficial start of Texas summer, the attire will be "Island Cocktail Casual." The awards will be a great way to celebrate historic preservation on Galveston Island, and the event a fun way to start out your Friday evening. Tickets are on sale now.

Final Demonstration Class on Hands-On Weatherizing Windows and Doors Tmrw

2010-04-23T10:33:00.001-05:00

You are Invited to Attend Our Next Spring Class this Saturday, April 24: Hands-On Weatherizing Windows and Doors
This Saturday, April 24, at 9 a.m., Galveston Historical Foundation's Matt Farragher and Matthew Pelz will present a class at Galveston Historical Foundation's Architectural Salvage Warehouse entitled "Hands-On Weatherizing Windows and Doors." The warehouse is located at 908 23rd Street in Galveston. Classes are held on the building's second floor and cost $10 for GHF members and $12 for non-members. Join us to learn cost effective weatherizing strategies to help you save money and also preserve the historic fabric of your building. Instructors will use building materials from GHF’s Architectural Salvage Warehouse as learning tools to show you exactly what can be done in a series of demonstrations showing techniques for weather-stripping, repairing wood windows, and decreasing costly energy leaks. For more information, call Galveston Historical Foundation Preservation Resource Center Coordinator Matt Farragher at 409-765-3424.

What did you do for Earth Day?

2010-04-22T08:16:00.011-05:00

GHF saved 100 cubic yards of building materials from going into the local landfill by moving the last of four small houses we received after Hurricane Ike. The alley house at 1117 Market (ca. 1870) was knocked off its 8-foot pilings by the force of the storm. After much searching, it moved to its new home at 811 Broadway. We're maintaining more than just our wood windows at GHF.

The Green Revival Progress

2010-04-16T14:35:00.004-05:00

Crews are working hard to get the Green Revival house stabilized and ready for the Historic Homes Tour. GHF moved the house from 2119 Avenue M 1/2 to 3101 Ave. Q back in February and securing it at the new site has been quite the process. Happily, the house will be lowered to its final location in the next week.

If you drive by the site between now and Homes Tour, May 1-2 and 8-9, you'll see quite a bit of activity, with different crews working on the roof, foundation, structural reinforcements, interior, and wind turbine installation. We hope you'll come tour the house and see the progress of their efforts.

Final Demonstration Classes Next 2 Saturdays

2010-04-16T11:13:00.004-05:00

This weekend the Preservation Resource Center is hosting our 4th Demonstration Class of the annual spring series.
This Saturday, April 17, at 9 a.m., Standard Renewable Energy's Kyle Heine will present a class at Galveston Historical Foundation's Architectural Salvage Warehouse entitled "Dos and Don'ts of Air Conditioning and Heating in Historic Buildings." The warehouse is located at 908 23rd Street in Galveston. Classes are held on the building's second floor and cost $10 for GHF members and $12 for non-members. Historic building owners have many decisions to make when installing air conditioning and heating systems, especially if the property has never had these systems. This class will discuss the many options available when bringing these modern amenities into a historic building. Join us to learn how to be sensitive to the building, avoid problems, and hopefully also save money on these utilities.

Next Saturday April 24 GHF's Preservation Services Project Coordinators Matt Farragher and Matthew Pelz will present "Hands-On Weatherizing Windows and Doors"
Hoping to save money on utility bills in your historic building? Join us to learn cost effective weatherizing strategies to help you save money and also preserve the historic fabric of your building. Instructors will use building materials from GHF’s Architectural Salvage Warehouse as learning tools to show you exactly what can be done in a series of demonstrations showing techniques for weather-stripping, repairing wood windows, and decreasing costly energy leaks.

For more information, call Galveston Historical Foundation Preservation Resource Center Coordinator Matt Farragher at 409-765-3424 or visit the GHF webpage at http://www.galvestonhistory.org/Spring_Classes.asp

Buildings Saved = Energy Saved

2010-04-07T09:42:00.003-05:00

How much energy is represented in your house---including the production of materials and the construction? The calculations get very complex. I certainly don't understand them. Thankfully, thegreenestbuilding.org has simplified the matter for us. Just plug in the numbers and it will give you the energy value of the materials in your building with some helpful explanations of what those numbers really mean.

Need Preservation Award Nominations for 2010

2010-03-17T11:33:00.002-05:00

We have a little less than one month remaining to collect nominations for the 2010 Sally Wallace Historic Preservaion Awards and Heritage at Risk List. I just wanted to send out a reminder so that anyone interested has the time to fill out an application.

The application for the Sally Wallace Historic Preservation Awards and the Heritage at Risk List are available on the GHF website.

Green Revival Design Competition Reminder

2010-03-11T16:49:00.003-06:00

This is a reminder that submissions for the Green Revival Design Competition are due this Saturday, March 13. You can drop them off between 1 and 5 pm at Menard Hall at the corner of 33rd St. and Ave. O.

Copies of the guidelines and entry forms can be downloaded here.

Don't Mess with Texas Wind Energy

2010-03-09T16:23:00.002-06:00

Texas is breaking records in wind energy production. We're excited to be part of the movement via the WindSpire coming to the Green Revival house.

Expanding the Salvage Warehouse

2010-03-08T10:52:00.002-06:00

With the recent addition of the "pink house" behind the Salvage Warehouse at 908 23rd St., we can turn our attention to filling up our wonderful new space. It appears the stars have aligned in GHF's favor, as we received the generous donation of about 200 historic wood windows in wonderful condition from the Magale building at 2315 Strand. The windows were stored on the top floor and it was quite the endeavor to get them down. Farragher, Harrison, and I, along with the help of our friend Michael Culpepper of Nautical Antiques, set to work testing the age old debate over working hard vs. working smart.

GHF Begins Spring Demonstration Classes Saturday, March 6th

2010-03-02T13:49:00.002-06:00

This spring the Preservation Resource Center is focusing its Demonstration Class and Presentation Series on “How to…” courses and the Greening of historic buildings. All Classes are held Saturday mornings starting at 9 am in the classroom at the GHF Architectural Salvage Warehouse located at 908 23rd Street. The cost is $10 per class for GHF members, $12 for non-members. The cost for all 5 classes is $45 for members and $55 for non-members.

Classes can be paid for upon arrival, but to guarantee a seat pre-registration is required. Registration fliers are available on the GHF website at GHF’s Custom House (502 20th Street) during regular business hours and the Architectural Salvage Warehouse (908 23rd Street) on Wed & Sat from 9-12pm and 1-4pm.

March 6
Sustainability and Historic Preservation: LEED Standards applied to your historic building
Presented by GHF’s Matthew Pelz

“The greenest building is one that is already built” is a popular statement among preservationists when discussing sustainability and being GREEN, but it is absolutely true. The U.S. Green Building Council developed the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system as a way to evaluate how sustainable a building is. This class will explain the ways this rating system and sustainable technologies can be incorporated into historic buildings.

March 20
Masonry Maintenance: How to clean, protect, and maintain your historic brick and stone.
Presented by Jonathan Zumeta of Brick Restoration Inc.

Historic property owners face a number of masonry issues including general maintenance, tuck pointing, brick replacement, loose stones, and cleaning. If done incorrectly, a minor repair can later become costly as it can affect the rest of the surrounding brick or stone. Jonathan Zumeta will show the class ways to properly care for their masonry and avoid any costly errors.

April 10
Landscaping for the Historic Galveston Climate
Presented by Island landscape designer Matt Hannon

Due to our temperate climate and ample sunlight Galveston has fostered ample gardens dating back to the earliest houses on the Island. Matt Hannon will discuss the types of plants that would have been in these early gardens, what plants should or should not be planted in our climate, and information on sustainable plants that do not require heavy watering and maintenance. Join us for an interesting discussion and get ready for gardening season.

April 17
Do’s and Don’ts of Air Conditioning and Heating in Historic Buildings
Presented by Kevin Stewart

Historic building owners have many decisions to make when installing air conditioning and heating systems, especially if the property has never had these systems. This class will discuss the many options available when bringing these modern amenities into a historic building. Join us to learn how to be sensitive to the building, avoid problems, and hopefully also save money on these utilities.

April 24
Hands-On Weatherizing Windows and Doors
Presented by GHF’s Matt Farragher and Matthew Pelz

Hoping to save money on utility bills in your historic building? Join us to learn cost effective weatherizing strategies to help you save money and also preserve the historic fabric of your building. Instructors will use building materials from GHF’s Architectural Salvage Warehouse as learning tools to show you exactly what can be done in a series of demonstrations showing techniques for weather-stripping, repairing wood windows, and decreasing costly energy leaks.

Architect Susan Welker is Coming to the 1861 US Custom House

2010-03-02T13:24:00.002-06:00

Susan Welker of Harris Welker Architects in Austin will be speaking in the Courtroom of the Custom House at 502 20th St at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 3. In a program sponsored by GHF and the Galveston Branch of the United States Green Building Council - Texas Gulf Coast Chapter, Susan will give an illustrated lecture on environmentally-friendly house remodeling. Attendance is free of charge and there will be opportunities to meet local green builders. For more information, visit our website or email matthew.pelz@galvestonhistory.org,

Movin' Houses with GHF

2010-02-22T11:18:00.002-06:00

At last! The Green Revival House stands at its new home at 3101 Ave. Q. The moving process took a little longer than usual because of the work needed to get around trees, traffic, and utility lines. Fortunately, great teams from Grayco, Center Point, and Cherry House Movers worked in great cooperation and the move was completed without damage to the house. You can see more pictures of the event here.

Green Training Sessions Continue February 11 with Huper Optik

2010-02-10T10:45:00.002-06:00

Harry Rahman of Huper Optik will present information on the use of their window film technology on historic windows. He will discuss how the treatments work to retain historic character while enhancing energy efficiency, protecting the interior and reducing fading. Huper Optik is a member of the AIA, ASID, and USGBC and CEUs will be offered.

The program is the latest in GHF's Green Training Sessions, offered through the Partners in the Field Program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. With informative visits from Rob Duncan and Amber Nieschwitz on lighting controls, Dennis Farrell for Magnetite windows, Jack Holmgreen on rainwater harvesting, and last week's program by Ralph Parrott, Jr. of Alternative Power Solutions on solar energy, the Sessions have been a great success. If you'd like to join us this week, please email Matthew Pelz at matthew.pelz@galvestonhistory.org to reserve your spot.

GHF ChargePoint a Global Hit

2010-02-08T10:56:00.002-06:00

GHF unveiled the new ChargePoint at the 1861 US Custom House last weekend. As part of our Green Revival program, the installation of the electric car charging station is our way of expressing our support for the movement to build sustainable infrastructure on Galveston Island. We're even getting recognition in Spain. Next stop, Azerbaijan!

GHF Now Taking Nominations for 2010 Sally Wallace Historic Preservation Awards

2010-02-03T13:31:00.005-06:00

GHF's Preservation Outreach Committee is happy to announce that we are beginning to take nominations for the 2010 Sally Wallace Historic Preservation Awards. The nomination form is available on the GHF homepage at www.galvestonhistory.org . The deadline for applications is Friday, April 9th. The awards ceremony will be held during GHF’s 2010 Historic Homes Tour on the evening May 7th as a part of National Historic Preservation Month.

Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) needs your help in recognizing outstanding projects involving the preservation, restoration, and enhancement of Galveston’s historic buildings and neighborhoods. This year’s categories are Restoration, Rehabilitation, Adaptive Use, New Construction/Infill, Craftspeople, Community Service Award, Galveston GREEN.

The 2010 Preservation Awards will be considered for projects on Galveston Island completed after January 1, 2008.
A project can be nominated either by the property owner or by another individual or group, such as a neighborhood organization, building contractor or architect.

Contact Matt Farragher at 409-765-3424 or matt.farragher@galvestonhistory if you have any questions.

GHF Helping Residents Prepare for Hurricane Season

2010-01-25T16:36:00.001-06:00

http://blogs.chron.com/galveston/2010/01/ghf_helps_homeowners_after_hur.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+houstonchronicle%2Fgalvestonafterike+(Galveston+After+Ike)

Showcase Your Craft and Help Furnish the Green Revival House

2010-01-12T11:15:00.004-06:00

Galveston Historical Foundation is pleased to announce the Green Revival Competition and Exhibition of Sustainability in Craft and Design. We are seeking submissions in the categories of indoor and outdoor furnishings, artwork, and lighting fixtures. Winners will have their work and information exhibited as part of the Green Revival project and will be featured in the house during GHF Historic Homes Tour May 1-2 and 8-9, 2010.

Entries are invited by March 13 in the following categories:
• Furniture and furnishings
• Lighting fixtures
• Artwork: subject of sustainability
• Artwork: use of recycled materials
• Garden furniture and furnishings

Entries will be judged by the following criteria:
• Appropriateness in scale relative to the setting
• Functionality
• Creativity and innovation
• Sustainability as to resource consumption and healthy living
• Resourcefulness in the use of waste and salvage materials

Submissions:
• No entry fee
• Everyone is invited to participate
• Due March 13, 2010
• Winning submissions displayed in the Green Revival house at 3101 Avenue Q.
• Winners Receive GHF Preservation Awards

For more information and entry forms, see the exhibition standards available at:

http://www.galvestonhistory.org/2009press/green/GREEN_Revival_design_competition_standards.pdf

To enter: Send or deliver the entry form to

Matthew Pelz
Galveston Historical Foundation
502 20th St.
Galveston,TX 77550

or via email at
matthew.pelz@galvestonhistory.org

Green Training Schedule Change - Magnetite This Week

2010-01-11T13:48:00.002-06:00

This week's Green Training Session will feature Dennis H. Farrell and a discussion of Magnetite windows and their application in existing homes. The windows are designed to fit behind windows without altering their appearance or damaging the materials. Dennis will bring samples of the work, demonstrate the installation, and answer questions regarding its production.

The Gulf Coast Renewables session has been rescheduled for this summer and the remainder of the January and February Green Training Sessions will proceed as scheduled, including the January 21st presentation by Mark Illian of Nature Healing Nature and the Center for Rainwater Harvesting. To reserve your spot for either session, contact Matthew Pelz at matthew.pelz@galvestonhistory.org.

The Green Training Sessions are offered by GHF through the Partners in the Field program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Lutron Presentation - January 7

2009-12-29T15:26:00.002-06:00

Misty Atkins of Lutron will be presenting a course on Light Control and Sustainable Residential Design at the 1861 US Custom House from 11:30 to 1:00 on Thursday, January 7. The program is part of GHF's Green Training series.

Learning Objectives:
1. By examining current concepts of green living, the participant will be able to describe the components of sustainable design.
2. By examining data surrounding residential energy consumption, the participant will be able to identify how the control of electric and natural light contributes to residential energy savings.
3. By examining the USGBC REGREEN Guidelines, the participant will be able to integrate sustainable design clues into individual rooms, during any stage and on any budget of a project.
4. By examining a residential project example, the participant will be able to describe how light control can enhance design and sustainability in a space while contributing to broader energy goals.

AIA HSW/SD Program # LCSRES (1.0 LU)ALA Program Approved (1.0 CLC)CEDIA Program # CEUP389 (0.5 CEU)IDCEC (IIDA) WELFARE Program # 5621 (0.1 CEU)NKBA Program Approved (0.1 CEU)

If you have questions or would like to reserve your spot, please contact Matthew Pelz and matthewpelz@galvestonhistory.org or 409.765.7834.

Green Training Sessions Schedule

2009-12-18T09:55:00.002-06:00

Galveston Historical Foundation is organizing training programs on sustainable materials and building techniques. They will be geared towards homeowners and contractors working on renovations and builders of new construction, but anyone interested is invited to attend. All sessions will be held at the 1861 US Customs House from 11:30 to 1:00 with time allotted for questions. For more information or to reserve your spot, contact Matthew Pelz.

Jan 7 Lutron (Misty Atkins)
Leading our first session, Lutron is widely recognized as a world leader in the design and development of lighting controls and shading solutions for residential and commercial applications. Misty Atkins, a graduate of the Texas A&M College of Engineering with a degree in Industrial Distribution, will lead a session on Light Control and Sustainable Residential Design. Continuing Education Units offered include: AIA HSW/SD (1.0), ALA (1.0), CEDIA (0.5), IDCEC (0.1), and NKBA (0.1).

Jan 14 Gulf Coast Renewables (Justin Owens)

Jan 21 Nature Healing Nature – Center for Rainwater Harvesting (Mark Illian, Monika Cikhart)

Jan 28 New Living (Mark McDavitt)

Feb 4 Alternative Power Solutions (Ralph W. Parrott, Jr.)

Feb 11 Huper Optik (Harry Rahman)

Feb 18 Positive Energy Resources (Nan McReynolds)

Feb 25 Sherwin-Williams (Brian Patton)

Green Revival Green-imation

2009-12-17T09:02:00.003-06:00

Below is a brief video of our in-progress rendering of the Green Revival house. We've got a lot of work to do, but I thought you all might like to see our ideas as we get closer to moving the house.

Watch for the WindSpire from Mariah Power, to be donated and installed by Positive Energy Resources. We have several partners already, but we're always looking for more.

I'm waiting to hear from the good people at the DeLorean Motor Company.

Energy Wiki

2009-12-16T10:20:00.003-06:00

The Department of Energy just launched a new wiki dealing with all matters related to clean energy. They show all kinds of tools they are using to track the growth of industry and how the various grant incentive programs are being used.

GHF's Paint Pals Strike Again!

2009-12-11T14:56:00.005-06:00

On November 14, 2009 Matt Farragher led a group of volunteers in painting this Fall's Paint Pals house at 3509 Avenue S. Paint Pals is a program sponsored by a grant from the Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church with paint donated by the Galveston Sherwin Williams Paint Store. For more information on Paint Pals visit our website at http://www.galvestonhistory.org/Paint_Pals.asp

This year we contacted the GHF membership for volunteers to help with the painting, we were also very lucky to have a number of staff members from the Sherwin Williams Store come out to help.

For this project Sherwin Williams offered us their new line of Resilience brand paint. Resilience is a special, moisture resistant paint that is designed to endure our humid and often damp environment. For more information on this product visit the Sherwin Williams site at http://www.sherwinwilliams.com/do_it_yourself/sherwin_williams_products/products/resilienceext/index.jsp

A very special thank you is due to Juan Carcano at Immaculate Painting and Construction who volunteered his expertise and machinery to help us complete this house in record time. We also want to thank Mario's Seawall Italian Restaurant for again supplying our workers with some really tasty pizzas for lunch.

Obama Infers Deep Respect and Admiration for Green Revival

2009-12-09T08:48:00.004-06:00

On December 8, President Obama proposed a new program to reward homeowners who make their houses more energy-efficient through retrofits. In a speech, he cited the job creation, lower costs, and environmental benefits of home energy retrofits. We at GHF are pleased that the President has decided to make public his support for our Green Revival initiatives.

Of course, I am not saying that the President is an avid reader of the Preservation blog or that he and I have had several lengthy, profound discussions about its content. But isn't it strange that I'm the only one asking these questions?

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Here is an additional article on the same subject from the National Trust for Historic Preservations' Public Policy New Brief for this week.

Obama Jobs Stimulus Package Proposes Funding for Weatherization

President Obama announced his intention this week to seek a jobs stimulus package that includes a major boost for the weatherization of residential homes, which will be modeled on the HOMESTAR energy proposal put forward by Efficiency First. Efficiency First “is a national nonprofit trade association that unites the Home Performance workforce, building product manufacturers and related businesses and organizations in the escalating fight against global warming and rising energy costs.”

HOMESTAR would reimburse homeowners for residential energy upgrades such as air sealing, insulation, new light bulbs and new appliances. Homeowners would be eligible to receive up to $2,000 for implementing at least two upgrades from a list of qualifying measures, or up to $3,500 for at least four qualifying measures. Higher incentives would be available to homeowners who achieve energy savings of at least 20 percent. Weatherization projects that reduce energy consumption by 20 percent would be eligible to receive up to $4,000 in incentive money, plus $1,500 for every additional 5 percent reduction in energy consumption. All HOMESTAR incentives would be capped at 50 percent of project costs, and a percentage of projects would be audited to ensure that the improvements perform as expected. This proposal calls for a two-year, $23 billion investment in weatherization of homes. For more details on HOMESTAR visit the Efficiency First website at http://www.efficiencyfirst.org/home-star/.

For its part, the National Trust is responding to the President’s proposal by advocating for national performance building standards for energy efficiency that promote the retention and rehabilitation of historic windows as part of any weatherization program, along with general guidelines and equivalent incentives for retention and rehabilitation methods of weatherization for older and historic structures. For more information, visit the Preservation Nation website at
http://blogs.nationaltrust.org/preservationnation/?p=7238.

Whatever final jobs stimulus package that emerges will ride on the must-pass Defense Appropriations bill (HR 3356) to ensure its enactment. The Defense bill is scheduled for further action next week.

New Reports in Green and Housing

2009-11-18T09:53:00.005-06:00

A couple new articles shed new light on trends in the housing market:

The AIA issued a report detailing the recent growth in the green building movement. There's been a 50 % increase in cities with green building programs in the just the last two years. The AIA (the American Institute of Architects, the major professional association for US architects) sees this as remarkable given the concurrent economic trends.

Speaking of trends, housing starts dropped 10 % in October. Signs of recovery haven't shown up in the market for new construction.

Alone, these two reports may be of slight interest, but together they illustrate the point that so many building professionals and planners are misreading the signs of the future of construction as well as the point of sustainability. Most green building programs are geared towards new construction, some exclusively. For instance, LEED, the most well-known green building program in the country, was founded in 1994, published its first set of guidelines in 2000 but had no program aimed at existing buildings until 2004. LEED for Homes, the category focusung on residential projects, wasn't launched until 2008.

Look around your neighborhood. Any houses built before 2008? LEED, for all its success, had no mechanism to make those houses cleaner and more efficient.

Important strides have been made to address those issues, but its important that we all understand that the most efficient use of resources is the sustainable reuse and remodel of our current housing stock. The October data is another sign that we are growing into a culture of renovation. We should adjust our ideas of green building accordingly.

In only slightly less important news, I had my first kolache!

3101 Ave. Q Update

2009-11-17T09:47:00.002-06:00

We're making progress on the Green Revival project and getting ever-closer to the house move. We've cleaned up the lot at the corner of Ave. Q and 31st St., removing a few dead trunks and overgrown shrubs. Happily, we've retained the two beloved oak trees. Here's a view of the cleaner version of our lot.

Lynx!

2009-11-12T08:50:00.020-06:00

Found a good tool by the EPA to tell you about your energy sources depending on where you live.

Interesting data from Galveston, where our energy is better than the national average in terms of emissions rate, but well behind in our use of renewable resources. Including all data, the percentage of our energy coming from renewables is 5 times lower than the national average. There are some great projects in planning that will help us catch up and you can learn more by coming to the presentation by Alternative Power Solutions on November 17.

Another site to pass along: SixLinks is nice little blog with advice on the day-to-day things that help you live a greener lifestyle. I especially like the Sustainability Showdown sections.

Green Team, Assemble!

2009-11-05T14:44:00.006-06:00

We've completed our first Integrated Design Team meeting for the Green Revival project.

Lauren Scott of UTMB and the GHF Preservation Outreach Committee
Me
Matt Farragher, Tsar Preservation Resource Center
Keiji Asakura of AsakuraRobinson Company
David Murrah of Contects, our LEED Provider
Chula Ross-Sanchez, Associate AIA and LEED AP
Not pictured: Albert Chavarria of UTMB and Curt Jones of Jones Engineers
Taking the picture: Brian Davis of GHF

We learned a great deal today about the LEED process and we spent a lot of time talking about our options. Our biggest challenge here concerns cooling. Our house has never had insulation or central AC and has always relied on good ventilation. We certainly don't want to take away from that, but we need to find a good way to install heating and cooling systems. Since humidity is the biggest problem in our climate, we're looking at dehumidification systems which will require us to create a good seal around the building's exterior. The problem is, this might detract from the ventilation that makes the house energy efficient in the first place.

Hey, nobody said this would be easy. We've got a great team, though, and I'm sure we'll find the best solutions to these problems.

Learn How to Research your Historic Building

2009-11-03T14:19:00.005-06:00

As a part of our Fall Demonstration Class Series GHF is offering a class on how to research the history of historic buildings. Join Preservation Service's Project Coordinator Matt Farragher this Saturday, November 7th at 9 am for this insightful class and learn how to search local history resources in order to learn more about Galveston's built environment.

Matt will show examples of researching to find out about the built date of your building, the materials it was constructed of, who lived at the property, and possible events associated with the property.

The class is $10 for GHF members and $12 for non-members, they usually last 1 1/2 hours with plenty of interaction and opportunities for questions. The Demonstration Classes are held in the upstairs classroom of the GHF Sealy Garage located at 908 23rd Street. Pre-registration is encouraged but not mandatory, space is limited.

To register for the class please contact Matt Farragher at 409-750-9108 or matt.farragher@galvestonhistory.org

Alternative is Coming to Galveston

2009-10-29T10:07:00.003-05:00

As part of our ongoing effort to offer training on all things Green, GHF has partnered with Alternative Power Solutions to organize a "lunch and learn" at the Salvage Warehouse (908 23rd St.) on Tuesday, November, 17. We'll discuss renewable energy sources, including solar panels, solar water heaters, solar pool heaters, and small wind systems, as well as current legislation, tax credits, and utility incentives. AIA Continuing Educations Units will be available.

The session lasts from 11:30 to 1:00 and lunch will be provided, as will answers to a myriad of questions concerning Green energy and how it can be applied in Galveston. So call Matthew Pelz at 409.750.9108 now to reserve your spot.

GHF Partners with Standard Renewable Energy to Offer Energy Audits

2009-10-23T16:41:00.005-05:00

Energy Audits are Your Best First Step Towards Better Energy Efficiency
As a part of our National Trust for Historic Preservation http://www.preservationnation.org/, Partners in the Field grant programming the Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) has partnered with Standard Renewable Energy (SRE) http://www.sre3.com/ to coordinate Energy Audits of historic properties on Galveston Island. An Energy Audit is a thorough inspection of a building and its energy consumption, it is the first step in the overall process of making a building more energy efficient. Property owners are able to use the audit to make knowledgeable choices about improving their energy use. SRE is donating 5% of Energy Audit proceeds back to GHF to support their programming.

Standard Renewable Energy has a team of professionals that inspects the target building and then work with the property owner to produce a customized plan that empowers the owner to make energy saving choices that fit into their lifestyle and budget. Energy audits and the customized work plan help to lower utility bills, increase comfort, improve air quality, and also reduce a building’s environmental impact. These work plans can give suggestions as simple as replacing your air filters up to the advanced options of insulating the attic and walls.

SRE has three different levels of Energy Audits available depending on the owner’s needs and budget. The Essential Audit is a detailed visual inspection of every part of the building including doors, windows, walls, attic space, insulation, heating ventilation and air conditioning equipment, appliances and lighting. The Essential Audit serves as the basis for the more advanced packages that include extra services. These extra services include a blower door test to identify leaks in the building’s exposed exterior sections, a duct blaster test to diagnose duct leakage, an infrared scanner to see heat flow through the house and identify leaks, and a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=bldrs_lenders_raters.nh_HERS index report that shows the current and potential energy consumption. SRE’s professional inspectors are trained to use their advanced tools to help the property owner identify and remedy how their buildings’ are losing energy. Having an energy audit performed is the best first step towards making a building more efficient.

(To view a breakdown of the pricing for audits and to see sample audit reports visit the GHF Energy Audits website at http://www.galvestonhistory.org/Energy_Audits.asp )

In addition to the money you will save on your utilities after implementing the improvements from your Energy Audit you can also see a return on your investment through Federal and State Tax Incentives. These links will provide you with information on these incentives:

National Trust for Historic Preservation Weatherization Guide http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/weatherization/
*This site also provides great information specifically for historic property owners.

Standard Renewable Energy tax incentives page http://www.sre3.com/locations.do?pageId=houstonrebatesincentives&cityid=houston&mcid=5

Department of Energy Tax Breaks Information http://www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm and http://energysavers.gov/financial/

For more information on this program or to make an appointment for an Energy Audit please contact GHF Project Coordinator Matt Farragher at (409) 750-9108 or matt.farragher@galvestonhistory.org

Green Revival

2009-10-22T10:59:00.011-05:00

Greetings yall,

We here at the Preservation Services department strive to keep our calloused fingers forever on the pulse of public opinion. During our relentless efforts in monitoring the rumor mill, we have recently come across a few doozies:

Old houses are energy wasters and there is nothing you can do to change that.

The building materials they used to use are unsafe. And what about the children?

Homeowners always have to choose between historic preservation and green design features.

It's time for us to do our part to help dispel these myths in a new project called Green Revival, aimed at illustrating the energy-saving historic design. We'll show that old houses can keep their old fabric yet still be safe and comfortable, with all the benefits of modern technology.

We are preparing to begin work on the house at 2119 M 1/2 St. Damaged by Hurricane Ike, the house will be moved to the lot at 3101 Ave. Q and raised back onto its piers. From there, we are looking into all design options that incorporate elements of preservation and sustainability.

If you have any questions or comments, you can reach me, Matthew Pelz (also known as "New Matt" and/or any variation thereof) at matthew.pelz@galvestonhistory.org or at the Preservation Services Department on Tremont St. I'll be one of the three erudite fellows working diligently upstairs, forever monitoring that pulse.

President Obama Brings 'Change' to Preservation

2009-04-09T15:58:00.002-05:00

With all the various bills and stimulus packages moving through Washington since President Obama's inauguration it is great to see that historic preservation has not been forgotten.

In late March the President signed the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act into law. Among its numerous provisions are new enabling laws and expansions on those previously ratified. Some of the areas dealt with in the Act are the Preserve America program, Saving America's Treasures Grants, Battlefield protections, heritage tourism, and the National Parks Service.

Read through the National Trust for Historic Preservation's website description of the bill and see how it affects historic preservation at http://www.preservationnation.org/take-action/advocacy-center/legislative-briefs/omnibus-public-lands.html

Also, while on the site take the chance to explore the NTHP's new Preservation Nation website to find out more about how historic preservation is being dealt with in Washington and to see all the new additions the NTHP has made to their website.

In other HP-related news, a bill is being introduced that could give financial incentives to property owners that retrofit their historic buildings to make them more energy efficient. Here is an exerpt from a recent NTHP bulletin:

House Energy and Commerce Committee Releases Draft Energy Bill with REEP Provisions

Rep. Peter Welch’s (D-VT) Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance (REEP) bill (HR 1778), which includes a 120 percent boost as an incentive for retrofitting the cost of existing homes and buildings on the National Register, was included in the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s draft energy bill that was unveiled on Tuesday. Under REEP, homeowners could qualify for $1,000-$3,000 in financial incentives for achieving a 10-20 percent increase in efficiency, with another $150 for every additional percentage point of energy savings achieved. Businesses could qualify for $0.15 per square foot for the first 20 to 30 percent increase in efficiency with an increasing incentive of up to $2.50 per square foot for energy reductions over 50 percent. Incentives for both homes and commercial buildings would be capped at 50 percent of the cost of the retrofit.

Upcoming Events . . .

2009-04-07T15:03:00.006-05:00

May 1-3 – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Fri. and Sat.) 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.( Sun.) - 1605 33rd Street – Michel Menard House – Operation Photo Rescue - operationphotorescue.org – This team of volunteers continues the theme of the Historic Homes Tour by helping restore photos and memories damaged by Hurricane Ike. Please bring up to 20 damaged photos by and let them show you how photographs you once thought had to be thrown away can be brought back. There is no charge for this service. The 1838 Michel B. Menard House will be open for viewing during the hours of the Homes Tour for $3 per person.

For more information, contact Matt or Brian at 409.750.9108

Post-Ike House Moves No.I

2009-04-06T17:46:00.004-05:00

The board of directors of the Galveston Historical Foundation has accepted the donation of four houses that were damaged during Hurricane Ike on September 13, 2008. They range in date from around 1860 to 1900. GHF's Revolving Fund at work . . .

2009-03-26T17:34:00.005-05:00

The Preservation Texas Education Council will hold its Spring Seminar at Ashton Villa on Friday, May 29th from 9 to 4. Topics will focus on green building practices as they apply to historic structures. The seminar is $65 for Preservation Texas members and $75 for non-members. Lunch will be provided. For more information, please contact Matt Farragher at the Galveston Historical Foundation at 409.765.7834 or matt.farragher@galvestonhistory.org .

A Second Chance

2008-09-02T17:00:00.022-05:00

This past February, we were about to sell a house that we moved to 1605 Avenue K, using our revolving fund. That house was later featured as a rehabilitation-in-progress during our Historic Homes Tour and is now nearing completion. The owner of a house in the next block approached us about purchasing his house, after a fire caused minor damage. The GHF Real Estate Committee reviewed the property and decided it was an important early house for Galveston and should be saved.

The first thing was to clear the vegetation from the site, and begin removing literally tons of trash from within the house. The fire did no structural damage to the house, which we believe could date to the 1850s. A new roof was installed, charred wood and loose plaster removed and 1920s porch columns were replaced with ones more appropriate to the original construction date. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps show that the house was originally constructed on the adjacent lot, at the corner of 16th Street and Avenue K but was moved to its current location sometime after the 1900 Storm. A back T-shaped gallery continues the axis of the first floor hallway and opens to a large back yard with a canopy of pecan trees.

The house has 2,000 sq. ft. of space and has two slate mantles (one damaged by the heat of the fire), a claw-foot tub, pocket doors between two rooms and French doors between rooms on the opposite side of the first floor hall. The house is receiving a fresh coat of paint on the exterior this week and will soon be available for sale to someone ready to put their personal touch on this circa 150 year-old structure.

Lead in the Soil, An Often Overlooked Source

2008-08-25T09:29:00.002-05:00

As the City of Galveston Lead Task Force continues to look at ways to remediate the Lead Based Paint issues on the Island, a study out of Indiana highlighted in Medical News Today may hold some promise for an economically feasible option. The most familiar source of lead is exposure to paint chips or the dust failing paint produces. Many forget to trace another source of exposure to when those chips and dust get into the soil and then onto the hands, faces, and toys of children playing outside. This source can prove to be particularly bad for urban areas (such as Galveston) because the contaminated dust and dirt can travel from one site to another very easily via the wind, erosion or other methods of transfer. There are a few options discussed for remediating the lead levels in soil, even something as simple as watering down the exposed soil could help to aleviate this problem.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/118721.php

History of Hurricanes

2008-08-06T19:32:00.002-05:00

Galveston prepared for a possible strike from Tropical Storm Eduardo this week, but the storm never made it to hurricane strength and came ashore to the east of us, between High Island and Sabine Pass. It was good practice for the city and a reminder that we should always be prepared, this time of year. The 1943 Hurricane had the same path that Eduardo took (see link below).

The peak of hurricane season is traditionally the first week of September. The 1900 Storm still ranks as the deadliest natural disaster to strike the United States, where 6,000 to 8,000 people lost their lives on the night of September 8, 1900.

When in Galveston, visit the Great Storm Theater and see the film:

http://www.galvestonhistory.org/1900_Great_Storm_Theater.asp

Here are several links on hurricane history that relate to Galveston:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/history.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianola_Hurricane_of_1886

http://www.tropmet.com/gallery/hurricane/gal_1900_galveston.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1915_Galveston_Hurricane

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1943_Surprise_Hurricane

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Carla

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Alicia

Stained Glass at the Bishop's Palace

2008-07-21T11:16:00.003-05:00

In December 2007, the Galveston Historical Foundation entered into a management agreement with the Houston-Galveston Catholic Diocese for the Bishop's Palace, on of the most visited sites in the city. Since then, GHF has worked hard to assess the needs of the building and ways of attaining funding for restoration.

Jim Hauser, from Willet-Hauser Architectural Glass Studios, recently gave a talk at St. Joseph's Church building on inspecting and protecting stained glass windows from storms and the elements. After the talk, he performed free inspections of windows at local churches and residences, one of those being the Bishop's Palace. During this inspection, he discovered the signature of the maker in one of the chapel windows, which were installed after the Catholic Diocese purchased the house from the Walter Gresham Family in 1923. The chapel windows were created by Dr. Heinrich Oidtmann III from Lynnich (Linnich), Germany in 1928. This is the oldest stained glass studio in Germany (founded in 1857). The detailing on the faces of the saints is very fine and was painted on with brushes and needles.

For hours and ticket information: http://www.galvestonhistory.org/1892_Bishops_Palace1.asp

http://www.galvestonhistory.org/1892_Bishops_Palace.asp

http://www.willethauser.com/

http://www.glasmalerei-oidtmann.de/index-englisch/Chronik-englisch/chronik-englisch.html

Dealing with Flood Damage in Your Historic Property

2008-06-13T14:20:00.002-05:00

http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/gulf-coast-recovery/additional-resources/flood_booklet.pdf

Not that Galveston needs to worry about the sort of flooding sweeping the midwest right now, but it brings to mind the fact that we are in the hurricane season may need to deal with these sorts of issues. This pamphlet from Preservation Nation gives many helpful hints for dealing with this sort of catastrophe.

Elevated Blood Lead Levels Leads to Criminal Behavior

2008-05-30T09:12:00.003-05:00

As a part of GHF's involvement in the Galveston County Health District's Lead Paint Task Force and as a component of our National Trust Partners in the Field grant, the Preservation and Conservation Services Department has renewed its efforts to reduce lead-based paint hazards in area buildings. Historic property owners' and preservationists have been concerned with lead based paint since it was found to be dangerous. It is a well known fact that elevate blood-lead levels are a contributing factor in learning disabilities and lowered brain function, along with multiple other health ailments, but it has been recently been proven to also increase possible criminal/deviant behavior. This article from MSN Health elaborates on the connection between elevated blood-lead levels and criminal behavior.
http://health.msn.com/kids-health/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100204422&GT1=31036

Samuel May Williams Designer Show House - Completion

2008-05-08T14:11:00.007-05:00

On Friday, May 2nd, the Samuel May Williams House was completed in time for the opening of the 2008 GHF Historic Homes Tour. The Historic Homes Tour is the first two weekends in May, but the ASID Designer Showhouse will be open the first four weekends in May and also on Memorial Day. The transformation of the house has been amazing and feedback has been very positive. If you are in the area during the month of May, please visit the 1839 Samuel May Williams House and see the new energy that these 12 designers gave to the house. You may purchase tickets from http://www.galvestonhistory.org/ or https://tix.extremetix.com/tix/SilverStream/Pages/pgIndex.html?siteID=1587 Tickets may also be purchased at the 1861 Custom House - 502 20th Street, Ashton Villa's Heritage Visitor Center - 2328 Broadway or at the Williams House on the days it is open - 3601 Avenue P.

Once the ASID Designer Showhouse is closed, the installations will be removed and the house will be available for rent to a property curator. We are excited to have someone living there again, since this is the best use for a house. For more information on rental of the 1839 Samuel May Williams House, please contact GHF at 409.765.7834.

Here are a few before and after shots of the renovations:

GHF Preservation Awards and Endangered List Nominations

2008-04-07T15:17:00.003-05:00

The Preservation Resource Committee of Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) is calling for nominations for its annual Preservation Awards and Heritage at Risk list. The awards and list will be announced in May in observance of National Historic Preservation Month.

“Galveston is home to one of the strongest preservation ethics in the country,” said GHF executive director Dwayne Jones. “As more and more property owners rehabilitate their buildings, it is important that we stop and recognize good work.

“At the same time, the risk to the heritage embodied in buildings and places is always present,” said Jones. “Preservationists around the world use endangered properties lists as a powerful tool to call attention to urgent cases and inspire action in their defense.” Best known of these lists is “America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places” list, compiled annually by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, of which GHF is an official partner.

Nominations for preservation awards for buildings that have been successfully renovated in the past two years, as well as for buildings and sites that could benefit from increased awareness of their endangerment, should be submitted by Friday, April 18, and will be reviewed by a panel familiar with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.

In selecting its annual Preservation Award recipients, GHF’s Preservation Resource Committee is guided by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. These are best practices when attempting a good historic preservation project. According to these standards, a successful restoration must:

1. Be true to the building’s historic form and use
2. Preserve the elements that define the building’s historic character
3. Not create a false sense of history
4. Protect and preserve important additions or modifications
5. Highlight unique craftsmanship and materials
6. Repair damaged elements when possible, and, where replacement is necessary, match the original in material, texture, color and design
7. Proceed cautiously and gently when cleaning historic finishes and materials
8. Protect buried historic records and artifacts;
9. Insure that modifications and additions are compatible with the historic fabric of the neighborhood, but remain identifiable as new
10. Make additions to a structure such that they may be removed at a later date while still keeping the character of the historic building or place.

Please send us your nominations today.

http://www.galvestonhistory.org/Preservation_Awards_Nominations.asp

Samuel May Williams Designer Show House - VIII

2008-04-02T19:33:00.006-05:00

Meanwhile, back at the ranch . . . work continues in high gear for completing the improvements to the Williams House. Plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and painters are all on site. Historic plumbing fixtures from the GHF Salvage Warehouse will be refinished and used in the master bathroom. The electricans from Image Electric in Houston (713.937.0126)
www.imageelectric.org have been great to work with over the past couple weeks. As with all renovations in older buildings, flexibility is a must when unknown areas are opened up.

The ASID interior designers will be installing their design concepts in the house over the next few weeks. Tickets for the designer show house and the GHF Historic Homes Tour are now available at http://www.galvestonhistory.org/ .

Samuel May Williams - Evolution of the House - Elevations

2008-03-27T14:54:00.008-05:00

Not only did the Samuel May Williams floor plans change with time, but several events modified the elevations of the house as well. From the addition of the south porch by Williams, to a fire in 1890 which destroyed the original cupola to the raising of the island after the 1900 storm, the house has taken on many looks.

During the renovations currently taking place with the house, the exterior will remain unchanged. Some rotten wood has been replaced and a fresh coat of paint has been applied, in the same colors that the house was painted at the time of Samuel May Williams' death in 1858.

East Elevation (front) changes:

West Elevation (back) changes:

Samuel May Williams - Evolution of the House - Plans

2008-03-24T14:46:00.009-05:00

When some walls and floors were recently opened up, it was clear to see that the Samuel May Williams House has changed several times since it was built in 1839. A historic structures report from 1978 studied these changes. The house is very Creole in form and matches the typical plan of this style from the 1820s, as shown (M2i) in this illustration from Louisianas Remarkable French Vernacular Architecture by Jay D. Edwards (1988).

The report calls out four distinct phases of construction and renovations to the building:

Phase I - Original Construction (c. 1839-1842)

This was a simple Creole plan with a semi-detached brick kitchen and a front and back porch.

Phase II - Williams' Alterations (c. 1842 - 1860)

In the first set of renovations, the south porch was constructed and portions of the back porch were taken in as rooms.

Phase III - Post Williams' Alterations ( c. 1860-1900)

During Phase III, interior doors were cut between rooms, a small lean-to shed was built behind the kitchen and the steps were shortened when the island was raised after the 1900 Storm.

Phase IV - Post Williams' Alterations (c. 1900 - present)

Samuel May Williams Designer Show House - VII

2008-03-18T08:31:00.007-05:00

The wood floors have been cleaned and sealed to 90% completion and covered to protect them while the interior is painted. The tall palm and pecan trees have been pruned and limbs trimmed from hanging over the roof. Exterior painting is completed and electrical and plumbing repairs are under way.

Tickets are now available online for purchase to attend the 2008 Historic Homes Tour and also the ASID Show House: http://www.galvestonhistory.org/Galveston_Historic_Homes_Tour.asp

Samuel May Williams Designer Show House - VI

2008-03-10T14:21:00.007-05:00

Painting of the exterior is nearing completion and work continues with installation of walls and doors on the interior of the designer show house. The warm rich color of the wood floors is being brought back by Schenck and Company - Houston specialists in wood floors - 713.266.7608 - http://www.schenckandcompany.com/ . They have done an amazing job so far and are not sanding the floors, but giving them a deep cleaning with steel wool and applying oil and a sealant to them.

Samuel May Williams Designer Show House - V

2008-03-08T23:07:00.003-06:00

At the Samuel May Williams, a few walls have been opened up. Cabinets in the kitchen were removed and the upstairs shower was taken out. The transformation of the wood floors began with a deep cleaning and oiling, instead of sanding. Lattice panels which shielded the HVAC equipment in the back of the house had become damaged over the years and will be replaced.

Samuel May Williams Designer Show House - IV

2008-03-06T17:09:00.004-06:00

. . . and then, the construction began. Most of the general contracting for the project is being done by Alex Gonzales at Creative Combinations by Alex. Zack Owens, with BOI Construction replaced the modified bitumen roofing over a southern portion of the house. Once the furniture and carpet were removed from the Samuel May Williams House, it was clear for the transformation to begin.

Samuel May Williams Designer Show House - III

2008-03-04T14:42:00.005-06:00

From the cupola at the Samuel May Williams House, it's said that Sam could see his merchant ships coming into port and tell what they were carrying by the flags they had raised. He could then meet them at the wharf and sell the merchandise. Although impressive, the view in his time must have been much better because the island was lower (before the Seawall was constructed and the island was raised) and because there were few houses built in that area of town in the early years of Galveston. The cupola decking will get a new covering and rotten ballustrades and rails are being replaced during GHF's renovations.

On Saturday, February 23rd, GHF held a Stewardship Day at the house to remove carpet, move the furniture into storage and to prune the landscaping. It was a successful morning and a huge help in getting the house ready to turn over to the contractor for the interior work to begin.

Samuel May Williams Designer Show House - II

2008-03-03T22:44:00.007-06:00

The former theater room in the Samuel May Williams will see perhaps the greatest transformation as it becomes a kitchen that would be welcome in any home. While correcting soft areas in a portion of the floor, inactive termite damage was discovered.

This included a hand-hewn beam with mortise and tendon construction that was original to the 1839 house. The end of this beam was saved as an example of the construction techniques of the time and also the damage that termites can cause.

The exterior of the house is getting primed and ready for a new coat of paint. The shutters to the house were repaired about two years ago, thanks to a grant from the Texas Historical Commission. A few areas of rotten wood are being replaced in the process. Stay tuned for more progress photos . . .

Samuel May Williams Designer Show House - I

2008-02-28T12:12:00.014-06:00

The Samuel May Williams House is getting a new look. Saved by the Galveston Historical Foundation in 1954, when demolition plans called for the house to be replaced with three brick bungalows, the house served as a house museum for many years. Visitors were able to see the home of a family important in early Texas history.

The house has been in continual change since it was built in 1839. Before the 1900 Storm, portions of the porch that sheltered three sides of the house were enclosed. After the Seawall was built, the house remained at its original height and the yard level was brought up approximately six feet. Over the years, lots were sold off and houses were built on Sam's original tract of land. The house faces 35th Street, which was the closest street at the time it was constructed, so the modern approach to the house is from the side.

One obstacle the Samuel May Williams faced as a house museum was its location in the middle of a residential area, and off the beaten path of most tourists. Like many other house museums around the country, declining attendance and mounting repair costs are making groups re-think the next chapter in the life of their properties. In 2007, a committee reviewed the declining attendance numbers and asked "What would be the best use for the house?". The answer was to have it lived in again by a family who would be able to monitor when the house needed repairs. The board of directors of GHF voted to close the Williams House as a museum in the Fall of 2007 and begin planning for upgrades to the kitchen, bathrooms and other areas necessary for a modern family's comfort.

GHF is excited to work with the Gulf Coast Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers to transform the Williams House into a house that is livable and comfortable to a modern family. We will be posting progress photos of the work on this blog over the next few months.

The 2008 Designer Show House will be open to the public for tours every weekend in May. Please visit http://www.galvestonhistory.org/ for more information or to purchase tickets in the near future to both the Designer Show House as well as the GHF 2008 Historic Homes Tour, which will be held the first two weekends in May.

Paying for Preservation

2008-01-22T20:08:00.000-06:00

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds can be used for many social services that benefit low-to-moderate income families. These are funds many cities receive from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and can be used for historic preservation projects. These may include:

•Preparation of a Historic Preservation Plan, development of districts and ordinances
•Feasibility studies, Engineering and Design Costs (historic commercial facades)
•Plans that develop heritage tourism
•Acquisition of properties and relocation costs
•Energy system audits & improvements – enhance use
•Code enforcement
•Removal of architectural barriers
•Comprehensive Plans
•Archaeological surveys of CDBG project areas
•Lead-based paint testing/abatement
•Other uses that promote economic development

Here are a few links that describe the use of CDBG funds for historic preservation projects:

http://www.nationaltrust.org/housing/toolkit_policy_CDBG.html

http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/library/historicpreservation/historicpreservationlow.pdf

http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/energyenviron/environment/subjects/preservation/documents/linkinghp.pdf

Also, don't forget that Hotel/Motel Tax Funds can also be used for historic preservation projects.

Gone Silverfishing

2007-12-20T17:57:00.000-06:00

Silverfish are a common enemy of historic documents. Here are some tips for getting rid of the pests to insure your paper artifacts are around for years to come.

http://www.archival.com/newsletters/apnewsvol10no1.pdf

It's a Wreck

2007-12-07T20:16:00.000-06:00

Since Cabeza de Vaca's misfortunes in 1528, the waters surrounding Galveston Island have been claiming counless ships. On January 1, 1863, Confederate forces reclaimed the town during the Battle of Galveston, which was primarily a naval altercation. Texas A&M University Galveston has performed extensive studies on the wreck of the Denbeigh a Civil War blockade runner. Here are links to some of the region's important underwater archaeological sites.

http://nautarch.tamu.edu/projects/denbigh/

http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/archaeological/19th_century.html

http://www.thc.state.tx.us/belle/

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM1FDZ