Friends of NCPTT – Cultivating the future of preservation.

The Road Trip Continues

Preservationists work diligently to preserve neon signs like Munger Moss Motel.

It is not every day you hear about someone maintaining a dinosaur, but that’s exactly what Jennifer Carpenter does as part of her job as a Preservation Specialist with Texas State Parks’ Historic Sites and Structures Program. Carpenter preserves two life-size ancient reptiles from Sinclair Oil’s Dinoland, an attraction at the 1964 World’s Fair, that now reside at Dinosaur Valley State Park. She will join an impressive list of twenty-four speakers at the “Are We There Yet? Preservation of Roadside Architecture and Attractions” symposium, to be held April 10-12, 2018 in Tulsa Oklahoma.

The three-day symposium will focus on the preservation of roadside architecture and attractions that catered to tourists traveling American roads during the 1920s-1970s. The symposium will bring together architects, engineers, landscape architects, site managers, conservators, facility managers, and other cultural resource professionals to discuss issues related to the preservation of roadside features, including oversized structures and sculptures, motels, gas stations, neon signs, and other unusual features.

he Sinclair Dinosaurs were first featured in the 1064 World's FAir. They are now preserved in Texas. — he Sinclair Dinosaurs were first featured in the 1064 World’s FAir. They are now preserved in Texas.

Michael Wallis, best-selling author of “Route 66: The Mother Road” and the voice of Sherriff in Pixar Cars movies, is the keynote speaker. He will present on Route 66 structures and sites. Dylan Thuras, co-founder of Atlas Obscura and co-author of the New York Times Bestseller, “Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders” will open the second day of the symposium and discuss how storytelling, communications, and media can be used to garner funding for preservation.

The agenda includes an evening neon sign tour, and a guided field session to local roadside attractions including the Meadow Gold sign in Tulsa, the Blue Whale of Catoosa, and Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park, Foyil, Oklahoma.

The symposium is organized by U.S. National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT), the Friends of NCPTT, the NPS Route 66 Corridor Program, City of Tulsa, and the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture.

To register or learn more, please visit https://www.ncptt.nps.gov/events/are-we-there-yet/

Mid-Century Modern Structures Symposium Proceedings

Cover of Mid-Century Modern Structures Proceedings

Order the Printed Book for $60

Proceedings of the Mid-Century Modern Structures: Materials and Preservation is available for purchase as a printed book via PayPal or as a digital book via the Amazon Kindle Store, courtesy of the Friends of NCPTT.

Print version is $60 (including shipping to Continental United States)
Digital version is $9.99 (Taxes may apply, depending upon your State.)
Order the Digital Book for $9.99

The Proceedings contain 24 papers presented as part of the Mid-Century Modern Structures: Materials and Preservation Symposium, held April 14-16, 2015, in St. Louis, Missouri. The symposium focused on the history, use, and preservation of materials found in Mid-Century modern architecture. The symposium proceedings will provide an in-depth understanding of the complex issues associated with the preservation of these structures. A special section features papers associated with the study and preservation of the Gateway Arch.

The publication was sponsored by Friends of NCPTT, the World Monument Fund, the American Institute for Architects St. Louis, Washington University in St. Louis, and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.

A Century of Design in the Parks

A Century of Design in the Parks
Preserving the Built Environment in National and State Parks

June 21 to 23, 2016

Join the experience in Santa Fe, New Mexico from June 21 to 23, 2016. Learn from our nation’s leading experts about how to preserve the built environment within national and state parks. Understand the role that materials played in the development of these unique sites. Study sites from early rustic, CCC, WPA, post-WWII era, NPS Mission 66 campaign, and beyond.

Topics may include:

historical perspectives,
preservation issues,
documentation,
use of technology,
adaptive reuse, and
interpretation of NPS designed features, among others.

Plan to be part of this symposium today! Submit an abstract as part of the call for papers and posters by January 15, 2016.

Registration:
General Registration $299
Speaker Registration $199
Student Registration $99 (limited number, register early).

To register, submit a presentation, or for more information, see NCPTT’s website at www.ncptt.nps.gov.

Mid-Century Modern Structures: Materials and Preservation

Mid-Century Modern Structures: Materials and Preservation 2015 Symposium Schedule (Download PDF, 202K)

Photo by NPS Jefferson National Expansion Memorial

It’s time to register for the Mid-Century Modern Structures Symposium!

Join the experience in St. Louis, Missouri from April 14 to 16, 2015. Learn from our nation’s leading experts about how to preserve mid-century modern structures. Understand the role that new materials played in the development of these unique buildings. Learn about preservation efforts of the Gateway Arch and more…

This three-day symposium in St. Louis will feature keynote speaker, Gunny Harboe, on preservation of Mid-Century Structures, plus 23 speakers, a panel discussion, a poster session, and tours by leading professionals from across the country. The Program schedule can be found here.

Join us for a special free public lecture, The Legacy of Eero Saarinen, on Monday evening, April 13, 2015 at Washington University featuring Susan Saarinen, Ken Kolkmeier, and Robert Moore.

The symposium will be held at:
Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch
2 South 4th Street
St. Louis, MO, 63102
P: 314-231-3003 F: 1-877-231-7938

Lodging at the Drury Plaza hotel is going quickly. Make arrangements now!!!
Reservations may be made by calling Drury Plaza Hotel at 1 -800-325-0720 and refer to the Group number of 2216756.

A block of room will only be held until March 13, 2015.

Questions? Call
Mary F. Striegel at NCPTT
tel. (318) 356-7444 ex 224
email: Mary_Striegel@nps.gov

AIA Continuing Education Credits

Second National Covered Bridges Conference

By Christopher Marston December 5, 2012

The Federal Highway Administration’s National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program (NHCBP) is sponsoring the Second National Historic Covered Bridge Conference in Dayton, Ohio, June 5-8, 2013. Co-sponsored by the National Park Service’s Historic American Engineering Record and the USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, this event will feature presentations from some of the leading covered bridge engineers, scholars, and builders from across the country. Topics include:

•   purist versus pragmatist rehabilitation strategies
•   documentation and assessment technologies
•   fire protection systems
•   low-cost maintenance strategies
•   new covered bridge design and performance
•   covered bridges as cultural artifact
•   historical analysis of builders, designs, and construction techniques

Held in historic downtown Dayton, participants will also experience a timber framing demonstration, attend a reception and dinner at local historic sites and tour several historic covered bridges. The conference will offer the opportunity for exchange between a diverse audience of civil engineers, public transportation officials, academics, trades people, historians, architects, and covered bridge enthusiasts. Mark your calendar and plan to attend!

Second National Covered Bridges Conference
June 5-8, 2013
Dayton Crowne Plaza, Dayton, Ohio

Call for Papers: Abstracts due January 7, 2013
http://www.woodcenter.org/2013-national-covered-bridge-conference/

Registration will open in February/March 2013

Preliminary Schedule
Wednesday June 5, 2013
Pre-conference tours of Dayton’s Aviation History
Timber Framing Demonstration
Opening Reception at Dayton Engineer’s Club

Thursday June 6
Opening Plenary and Paper Sessions
Hog Roast at Preble County Historical Society

Friday June 7, 2013
Paper Sessions and Closing Plenary

Saturday, June 8, 2013
Post-conference tours of area covered bridges

Have your company or organization recognized at the Second National Covered Bridges Conference

Attendees from across the country and overseas will be gathering in Dayton, Ohio to share and learn about rehabilitation of historic covered bridges. The conference planning committee welcomes your participation at the covered bridge conference. In addition to our national and local partners (Federal Highway Administration, National Park Service, USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Ohio Historical Society, Preble County Historical Society) we are offering a number of sponsorship opportunities. In kind services are also appreciated.

Level of Sponsorship by Truss Type

Double Barrel Burr $2,500
•   acknowledgement as a full conference sponsor at the Opening Plenary
•   acknowledgement on conference website and on-site program
•   provide complimentary display space at the conference
•   provide three (3) complimentary full registrations to the conference

Sponsor the Conference

Childs $1,000
•   acknowledgement as a full conference sponsor at the Opening Plenary
•   acknowledgement on conference website and on-site program
•   provide complimentary display space at the conference
•   provide one (1) complimentary full registration to the conference

Smith $500
•   acknowledgement as a full conference sponsor at the Opening Plenary
•   acknowledgement on conference website and on-site program
•   provide complimentary display space at the conference

Pony $250
• acknowledgement as a full conference sponsor at the Opening Plenary
• acknowledgement on conference website and on-site program

Please contact Steve Simmons, conference sponsorship coordinator, for more information.
ssimmons2131@embarqmail.com
937-456-4364

Sponsorships payable to NSU Foundation
http://ncptt.nps.gov/second-national-covered-bridges-conference-call-for-papers/
Contact: Kevin_Ammons@nps.gov

Friends Group announces Summit sponsorship by the Western Chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology and Leica Corporation.

The NPS 3D Digital Documentation summit is fast approaching. The conference runs July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio of San Francisco. Thanks to the generosity of the Western Chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology and Leica Corporation, participants will have the opportunity to meet and greet each other on Monday night, July 9. The event will be held at the Transit Center Café, 215 Lincoln Blvd, San Francisco and will last from 6:00 Pm to 7:30 PM. We look forward to seeing you at the Summit! For more information and program highlights, see http://ncptt.nps.gov/3d-digital-documentation-summit/.

“Conservation Scientist for a Day” Hands-on Workshop

Students study an authentic pottery shard as part of "Conservation Scientist for a Day" workshop.

The Friends of NCPTT are pleased to sponsor the “Conservation Scientist for a Day” workshop on July 31, 2012 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Students have the opportunity to learn more about the history of Natchitoches through the study of authentic pottery shards. High school students work in pairs to investigate a piece of pottery from Native American or French colonial archeological sources. The students document their pottery through hand drawings and photographs. Then, they explore the physical can chemical makeup of the object using microscopy, chemical spot tests, and X-ray Fluorescence analysis. The workshop is open to all students that have completed the 8th grade and higher. The cost of the workshop is $10 per student. Scholarships are available.

According to a July 2011 report by the Statistical Research Center at the American Institute of Physics, students in the state of Louisiana rank far below average on performance tests in math and science. Since the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) is a science and technology research organization, they have a potential role to play in the education of students in the region. Each year, NCPTT reaches out to schools around the state to offer educational activities that cross the disciplines. Rather than being a school sponsored event, this year’s summer workshop marks the first time the event is open to registration for all students in the region.

Click here for more information and to register.

Friends Group Sponsors 2012 Robotics Camp

Students from Natchitoches Parish Schools are constructing their robots at NCPTT's 2011 Camp.

The Friends of NCPTT know that tomorrow’s engineers are studying in middle school and high school today. That’s why they are sponsoring NCPTT’s 2012 Robot’s camp to be held July 23-27, at Lee H. Nelson Hall. The camp gives students skills, experience and opportunities to succeed as they build, program, and learn to navigate robots. The five day camp will be led by Curtis Desselles, who will guide students through the assembly of robots and programming using the picaxe language. The program is open to 15 students from local area schools. Registration is $50.00 (student scholarships are available). Other sponsors include Weyerhauser Corporation and the Natchitoches Chamber of Commerce. For more information, see http://ncptt.nps.gov/2012-robotics-camp/.

Friends of NCPTT co-sponsor NPS 3D Digital Documentation Summit

The Friends of the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) are proud to be a co-sponsor of the National Park Service’s Digital Documentation Summit, to be held at the Presidio of San Francisco from July 10-12, 2012. Experts from across the nation will share their practical experiences using the latest in computer technology to document cultural heritage. From best practices to the most advanced case studies, participants will have an opportunity to learn techniques like laser scanning or LiDAR, reflectance transformation imaging, and the digital photogrammetry.

NCPTT, the NPS Intermountain Regional Office, and the Presidio are organizing the three day event to include more than 26 papers, poster sessions, panel discussions and live demonstrations. The Summit will address issues such as data acquisition techniques, data storage and a range of data uses. The Western Chapter of Association for Preservation Technology (WCAPT) will host an opening reception on the evening before the Summit. Additionally they will host a panel discussion on digital documentation of the Presidio of San Francisco led by Michael Ashley from the Center for Digital Archaeology, Berkeley, California.

For more information and program highlights, see http://ncptt.nps.gov/3d-digital-documentation-summit/.