IMG_3099.JPG

Blog

Blog for the Port Townsend School of Woodworking, including school updates, class offerings, and students writing about their experiences.

Fall Historic Preservation Workshops at the Port Townsend School of Woodworking

Port Townsend, Washington.
Owners of older homes in the Pacific Northwest will be particularly interested in this fall's series of classes and lectures at the Port Townsend School of Woodworking, as it continues its Historic Preservation program. Maintaining old homes presents major challenges: paint peels, wood rots, floors sag. Heat leaks through old single-pane windows, uninsulated walls, and gaps in the siding. Understanding traditional construction methods can help homeowners make intelligent decisions on how to maintain and insulate without compromising the the historic fabric of their old buildings.

Continuing its Historic Preservation classes, Port Townsend School of Woodworking will present "Maintenance of Old Homes in the Pacific NW" on October 3; "Weatherization of Old Homes in the Pacific NW" on October 4; and a two-day "Wood Window Restoration Workshop" on October 17-18. Taught by Kevin Palo, a historic preservation consultant and wood window expert, the "Maintenance" and "Weatherization" classes mix lecture, site visits and hands-on practice. The Window Workshop will be hands-on: by restoring windows in a building at Fort Worden, students will learn how to remove old windows, carry out minor repairs, re-glaze, re-rope a double-hung sash window, and weatherize windows.

In the first of a new Historic Preservation lecture series, on September 17 at 6:30 p.m., consulting architect Gee Heckscher offers a "A Primer on Seismic Stabilization." We live in an active earthquake zone, so many of our older buildings are at risk from seismic damage. Gee will explain how earthquakes affect buildings; identify the types of seismic risks of various types of building construction; and describe structural solutions to buildings with seismic risks that address foundations, frame stiffening, and tying building components together. Gee was responsible for designing the stabilization for the Jefferson County Courthouse Clocktower; he is on the board of the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation and serves on the City of Port Townsend's Historic Preservation Committee. The lecture will be at the School; admission is pay-as-you-can.

Earlier this year at the School, veterans from Clallam and King Counties learned the fundamental theory of Historic Preservation and completed the restoration of the eastern facade of the Motor Vehicle Pool building (Building 365) at Fort Worden. These classes, offered by the School for the Washington State Veterans Conservation Corps, were supported by a generous grant from the Friends of Fort Worden and with materials and staff assistance from Fort Worden State Park.

Looking ahead, there are big plans afoot for the Port Townsend School of Woodworking: we are in early stages of planning for transition to non-profit status and we will be partnering with the City of Port Townsend, the Fort Worden Collaborative, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission to create a center for Historic Preservation at Fort Worden.

The Port Townsend School of Woodworking is located at Fort Worden, Port Townsend, in Building 315 (the Old Power House -- behind Copper Canyon Press).

CONTACT:
Tim Lawson
(360) 440-7660
tim@ptwoodschool.com
Port Townsend School of Woodworking
200 Battery Way, Fort Worden
Port Townsend WA 98368
(360) 344-4455
www.ptwoodschool.com
Guest UserNewsComment