HISTORIC PRESERVATION NEWS AND NOTES
from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)
S.C. Department of Archives and History
August 22, 2008
In this issue:
- ArchSite: Online GIS Cultural Resource Information
- Staff Transitions/SHPO Job Opening
- Project Review Workshop, September 23
- State Tax Credit Workshop, September 24
- Fire at Historic Lancaster Courthouse
- Disaster Aid for Cultural Institutions
- American Institute for Conservation—Collections Emergency Response Team
- City of Seneca Achieves Certified Local Government Status
- National Register Review Board Approves Nominations
- Recent Listings in the National Register of Historic Places
- New and Revised Websites
- Conferences and Workshops
- Grant Application Deadlines
ArchSite: Online GIS Cultural Resource Information
After much anticipation and preparation, ArchSite, the GIS cultural resources information website for South Carolina, is now online at http://archsite.cas.sc.edu/ArchSite/. ArchSite combines data from the SHPO on above-ground historic properties with archaeological data from the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA).
Three levels of access are available. Public viewers have access to National Register listings, historic property survey information, and non-locational archaeology information. Subscriber viewers have access to all of the state's cultural resource digital files including restricted National Register listings and archaeological site locations. The Subscriber View is available to cultural resource professionals, environmental consultants, and planners. Site Editor view, which allows users to create and record archaeological site information, is available to professional archaeologists only.
Cultural resource professionals may access the Subscriber level free of charge during normal business hours by using workstations at the SC Archives and History Center (SCDAH) or SCIAA, and Site Editor level access at SCIAA only. To schedule an appointment to use ArchSite contact Chuck Cantley at SCDAH, 803-896-6181, ccantley@scdah.state.sc.us; or Carmen Beard at SCIAA, 803-777-8170, cbeard@sc.edu. Additional information regarding ArchSite, and instructions for accessing the system from an off-site location can be found at http://archsite.cas.sc.edu/sciaainfo/subscription_overview.htm.
Staff Transitions/SHPO Job Opening
Richard Sidebottom, our Supervisor of Compliance, Tax Incentives and Outreach will be leaving the SHPO at the end of September to move to Charleston. While we are sad to see him go, we are glad that he will still be in South Carolina and look forward to working with him in the future.
We are pleased to announce that Rebekah Dobrasko, our Review and Compliance Coordinator, will be promoted to Supervisor of Compliance, Tax Incentives and Survey at the beginning of October.
This will create a job opening in the SHPO for the Review and Compliance Coordinator position. The position is posted on the state jobs website http://agency.governmentjobs.com/sc/job_bulletin.cfm?JobID=125687. Applications will be accepted until September 11, 2008. For more information contact Rebekah Dobrasko at dobrasko@scdah.state.sc.us or 803-896-6169.
Project Review Workshop, September 23
The SHPO will host a workshop on Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the reoriented consultation process in South Carolina, and consultation with Native American tribes on Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at the Archives and History Center in Columbia. The workshop is free and registration begins at 9:30 am. The sessions will end at 3:30 pm. The agenda includes:
*** The new project review form, historic building supplement, and consultation process
*** Using ArchSite to find historic properties
*** Consultation with Native American tribes (representatives from Catawba Indian Nation and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will be in attendance)
*** Best practices for Section 106 from a federal agency perspective
To register, please contact Rebekah Dobrasko at dobrasko@scdah.state.sc.us or 803-896-6169 before Friday, September 19 so that we have sufficient handouts and information.
State Tax Credit Workshop, September 24
A workshop on the state income tax credit for historic homes will be held in Beaufort on September 24 in conjunction with Historic Beaufort Foundation. Details about the time and location are being finalized. If you are interested in the workshop please contact Kim Robinson, state tax credit coordinator at krobinson@scdah.state.sc.us, 803-896-6199.
Fire at Historic Lancaster Courthouse
On August 4 the Lancaster County Courthouse, a National Historic Landmark, was badly damaged by fire. http://www.heraldonline.com/109/story/726260.html
The County quickly took steps to secure the building and assess the damage. This dramatic incident is a reminder to be prepared in case a tragedy strikes your historic building. Simple steps include:
***Document, document, document. Take lots of pictures. Record building measurements. Find someone to draw plans and elevations. Then store the documentation off site.
***Invite the local fire department on a tour, to familiarize them with the building and its contents, and to get suggestions about how to improve fire safety.
***Develop a list (with contact information) of folks who can assist if an emergency strikes, such as a preservation architect, engineer, conservator, elected officials, etc.
For more information on disaster preparedness visit the Resources for Building Owners section of the SHPO website /programs/resources/
Disaster Aid for Cultural Institutions
The National Institute for Conservation has published a Guide to Navigating Federal Emergency Management Agency and Small Business Administration Disaster Aid for Cultural Institutions. It is designed to help museums, libraries, archives, historic properties and sites, and arts organizations obtain the funding they need to recover from major disasters. It includes contact information and forms to apply for funding. It is available online at www.heritagepreservation.org. A limited number of print copies are available by calling 888-979-2233.
American Institute for Conservation—Collections Emergency Response Team
The American Institute for Conservation (AIC) is offering free emergency response assistance to cultural organizations. Contact AIC-CERT when a disaster - hurricane, flooding, earthquake, fire - has damaged collections. Call AIC’s 24-hour assistance number at 202-661-8068 for advice by phone or to arrange for a team to come to the site to complete damage assessments and help with salvage organization. While on site and as funds last, AIC-CERT members will develop a list of re-housing supplies needed at the site, as well as have them ordered and delivered—at no cost to the institution.
City of Seneca Achieves Certified Local Government Status
Congratulations to the City of Seneca on becoming a Certified Local Government (CLG). On July 9, 2008, the National Park Service approved the City’s application and Seneca became South Carolina’s 26th CLG. The CLG program recognizes local governments that have established a local historic preservation program that includes the identification and protection of historic properties. It establishes partnerships among the local governments, the State Historic Preservation Office, and the National Park Service. For more information about the CLG program in South Carolina visit /programs/localgovt/certified.htm or contact Jennifer Satterthwaite at jsatt@scdah.state.sc.us, 803-896-6171.
South Carolina’s other CLG communities are: Aiken, Anderson, Beaufort, Bennettsville, Bluffton, Charleston, Cheraw, Chester, Chesterfield, Columbia, Conway, Darlington, Dillon, Fort Mill, Georgetown, Greenville, Horry County, Laurens, Lexington, McClellanville, Mt. Pleasant, Rock Hill, Spartanburg, Sumter, and York.
National Register Review Board Approves Nominations
The South Carolina Review Board for the National Register of Historic Places met on Friday, July 25, 2008 and approved eight nominations to the National Register. They are:
· Liberty Hill A.M.E. Church, Summerton, Clarendon County
· Rosenwald School Building Program in South Carolina, 1917-1932, Multiple Property Submission
· Hannah Rosenwald School, Newberry County
· Pine Grove Rosenwald School, Richland County
· Providence Methodist Church, Holly Hill, Orangeburg County
· Columbia Central Fire Station, Columbia, Richland County
· The Woman's Club of Columbia, Columbia, Richland County
· Wesley Methodist Church, Columbia, Richland County
In the next few weeks the nominations will be sent to the Keeper of the National Register at the National Park Service. She will make the final decision to approve or reject the nominations for listing in the Register. ***Please note that The Woman's Club of Columbia may be approved and determined eligible by the Keeper, but would not be officially listed in the National Register due to its owner's objection. Consent of the owner is required for listing privately-owned properties in the National Register. In the case of this nomination, the owner did not want the property listed in the National Register, even though the National Register listing places no restrictions on the property. For more information about the National Register program contact Andy Chandler at chandler@scdah.state.sc.us, 803-896-6179.
Recent Listings in the National Register of Historic Places
Good Samaritan/Waverly Hospital in Columbia was listed in the National Register July 28, 2008. During its operation from 1952 to 1973, Good Samaritan/Waverly Hospital served as an alternative institution for black residents in Columbia and was the culmination of a string of local hospitals and clinics built for the African American community. The hospital’s construction represents the result of a historical tradition among Columbia’s black community and philanthropic efforts to establish modern, independent health care facilities. The hospital was the only training facility for black nurses in Columbia, and was built as a state-of-the-art medical facility. The new facility had a pharmacy, laboratory, X-ray room, staff dining room, two operating rooms, and fifty beds. In 1972, the county constructed the integrated Richland County Memorial Hospital, and neither Good Samaritan/Waverly Hospital nor Columbia General Hospital could compete. In August of 1973, Good Samaritan-Waverly Hospital closed its doors. More information will soon be posted at http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/richland/nrrichland.htm
North Anderson Historic District in Anderson was listed in the National Register on July 31, 2008. This historic district is architecturally significant as an intact collection of early twentieth century Revivals, including Tudor, Colonial, and Neo-Classical, as well as Craftsman bungalows and Minimal Traditional homes. The district is also significant for its history associated with the themes of community planning and development. From 1913 to circa 1950 the area evolved from small, family-owned farms and recreational forests, to the first ring of suburban development in the city, reflecting the demand for housing in the rapidly growing city, created by the shift from a rural regional economy to an industrial one. The district has 147 contributing residences, 25 contributing garages, one contributing kitchen house, and three contributing parks. Noncontributing properties include 22 residences and seven garages. More information will soon be posted at http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/anderson/nranderson.htm
Tabernacle Cemetery in Greenwood County was listed in the National Register August 1, 2008. Established ca. 1812, it is significant as an early cemetery in the Tabernacle community of what was then Abbeville District, and for its association with many prominent citizens of Abbeville and Edgefield Districts and later Greenwood County, from the early nineteenth through the twentieth centuries. It is also an excellent intact example of an early nineteenth through mid-twentieth century cemetery reflecting typical burial customs and gravestones of the period. The cemetery contains approximately 132 marked graves, with headstones, footstones, and a few plot enclosures of granite, marble, fieldstone, or soapstone. Most gravestones are marble or granite tablets although obelisks and brick tombs are also present. For more information see http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/greenwood/S10817724020/index.htm
Trinity Lutheran Church in Elloree, Orangeburg County, was listed in the National Register August 1, 2008. Trinity Lutheran Church is significant for its architecture and as an excellent example of the ecclesiastical architecture of J. Carroll Johnson, well-known early twentieth century Columbia architect of the firm of Urquhart & Johnson. The church, constructed in 1914 in the shape of a cross, is made of blue granite that was mined in Winnsboro, South Carolina. It is an excellent example of Gothic Revival parish church architecture. For more information see http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/orangeburg/S10817738040/index.htm
Laurelwood Cemetery in Rock Hill was listed in the National Register July 31, 2008. It is significant for its association with people important to the early history and development of Rock Hill, for its funerary art, and for its association with noted landscape architect and planner Earle S. Draper. Created in 1872, it was the first municipal cemetery. It now contains 11,414 marked gravesites, including graves of Confederate soldiers and veterans of all the twentieth century conflicts. There is a Confederate Monument and a memorial to veterans of the First World War. In the older sections, graves are adorned by a few raised stone tombs and a number of obelisks, table markers, spheres, and other forms. Symbolic images include carved angels, figures of children, urns, wreaths, tree stumps, and open books. More information will soon be posted at http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/york/nryork.htm
New and Revised Websites
Chicora Foundation has updated its website and made many of its reports available online. Also available are curriculum materials for the classroom. Check it out at www.chicora.org.
The South Carolina National Heritage Corridor launched a new website in July. Check it out at http://www.sc-heritagecorridor.org/
Conferences and Workshops
Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference, Chicago, Illinois, September 18-20, 2008. The Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference is the largest tradeshow, conference and networking event dedicated to the historic restoration, renovation and traditionally inspired new construction markets; where thousands of architects, designers, builders, remodelers, developers, building owners, facility managers and historic homeowners gather together in a forum that encourages sharing of ideas and experiences for Restoring the Past and Building the Future. For more information visit www.traditionalbuildingshow.com.
Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians Annual Meeting, Greensboro, North Carolina, October 1-4, 2008. The 26th annual meeting includes paper sessions, tours, receptions, and awards. More information is available at http://www.sesah.org/sesah/CurrentEvents.html.
Main Street Basic Training, Washington, DC, October 14-17. During the intensive four-day training, participants will study the Main Street Four Point Approach – Organization, Promotion, Design, and Economic Restructuring. For more information email NTMSCTraining@nthp.org or call 202-588-6219.
2008 National Preservation Conference: Preservation in Progress, Tulsa, Oklahoma, October 21-25, 2008. If you would like the preliminary program for 2008 mailed to you send an email request to conference@nthp.org. Conference information is available online at www.eshow2000.com/nthp. (Registration fees increase after July 31.)
Identification and Evaluation of Mid-20th Century Buildings, Archives and History Center, Columbia, November 18-19, 2008. Sponsored by the National Preservation Institute, participants in this course will discuss how post-World War II structures fit into today's and tomorrow's historic preservation patterns. With an emphasis on the 1950s and 1960s, participants will examine era-specific factors that help to identify and evaluate post-war buildings in terms of their significance for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. More information is available at http://www.npi.org/sem-20th.html.
Preservation Leadership Training (PLT), Birmingham, AL, January 10-17, 2009. PLT is an intensive one-week program that provides participatory learning experiences in leadership and organizational development. PLT is for board members and staff of preservation organizations and agencies, Main Street communities, and others who are in a position to influence preservation efforts in their communities. For information on tuition and other program details, go to http://www.PreservationNation.org/plt or contact Alison Hinchman at 202-588-6067 or plt@nthp.org The deadline for receiving applications is October 3, 2008. A limited number of scholarships are available.
Grant Application Deadlines
September 15, 2008 Bank of America/IMLS grants: Bank of America is partnering with the Institute of Museum and Library Services to provide grants to small museums, libraries, and archives. The grants will raise awareness and fund preservation of treasures held in small museums, libraries and archives. Grants will help to preserve specific items, including works of art, artifacts and historical documents that are in need of conservation. Applicants will build on completed conservation assessments of their collections, to ensure that the Bank of America/IMLS grants are used in accordance with best practices in the field. For more information see http://www.imls.gov/collections/grants/boa.htm.
September 19, 2008 (postmarked) The Mid-Career Grant Program: Got a project in the back of your mind, but need the financial support to make it happen? The James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation will award a research grant of up to $25,000 to mid-career professionals who have an advanced or professional degree and at least 10 years experience in historic preservation or related fields, including architecture, landscape architecture, architectural conservation, urban design, environmental planning, archaeology, architectural history, and the decorative arts. Additional smaller grants, up to $10,000, are made at the discretion of the Trustees. Please see www.fitchfoundation.org for more details or contact Erin Tobin, Executive Director, at info@fitchfoundation.org.
October 1, 2008 Preservation Services Fund Grants: Administered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, these grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations and public agencies for preservation planning and education efforts. Grant awards range from $500 to $5,000. For more information, contact the Southern Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation at 843-722-8552 or soro@nthp.org or visit the National Trust website at http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/find-funding/grants/.
Information about other grants is available on the Archives and History website at http://www.shpo.sc.gov/grants/otherincentives/.
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