Skyland Stables Project
Citizens Conservation Corps of West Virginia
Shenandoah National Park
Skyland Stables at Shenandoah National Park is a historic preservation project in collaboration with the Citizens Conservation Corps of West Virginia, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Delaware North Companies, Shenandoah National Park, and the Harpers Ferry Job Corps. This is the national pilot project for Hands-On Preservation Experience (HOPE) Crews that will be conducted throughout the country to help maintain historic structures for the public and impart valuable preservation skills to youth crew participants. HOPE Crew members will replace worn and damaged materials that comprise the interior and exterior of the classic stables, while adhering to historic preservation standards for all repairs.
Xanterra Historic Preservation Partnership
Yellowstone National Park (Old Faithful area)
Xanterra operates a Historic Preservation Department to help maintain the historic character of the many buildings it uses with Yellowstone National Park. Montana Conservation Corps crews will begin a pilot eight week stint this summer rebuilding a traditional pole-style sit rail fence in the Old Faithful area with hand tools. This work is intensive and repetitive, and it is difficult to find skilled labor that can effectively complete the project. In addition to building these skills, the crew will have the opportunity to view other projects in Yellowstone and work with experienced historic preservation staff.
Little Bighorn Battfield Historic Preservation
Little Bighorn Battlefield, MT
Montana Conservation Corps crews will join Historic Preservation Training Center and National Park Service personnel to restore VA military markers and individually-placed cemetery monuments at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in south central Montana. The site, which includes Custer National Cemetery, memorializes the US Army, the Sioux, the Cheyenne, and the Arapaho at the historic location of one of the final armed efforts of Native Americans. The young adults and veterans serving with MCC will have the opportunity to learn about preservation techniques from professionals while protecting a significant piece of the early history of the American West.
Historic Preservation of White Grass Ranch
Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (CO)
Unites States
RMYC will field a Historic Preservation Corps crew of five people consisting of one adult crew leader and 4 young adult crew members who will conduct 2 weeks of project work at the White Grass Ranch in Grand Teton National Park. The ranch is a facility that is cared for by the Western Center for Historic Preservation (WCHP) located at Grand Teton National Park. The crew will work under the leadership of one of the WCHP instructors on a variety of ongoing log structure preservation projects amidst the vast White Grass Ranch facilities.
RMYC is taking a leadership role in coordinating a partnership between the WCHP and number of corps organization in the west to facilitate a staff/leader training for corps in the fall of 2014.
Stone Masonry Historical Restoration Apprenticeship
Texas Conservation Corps at American YouthWorks
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, San Antonio, Texas
For each of the past five years, the Texas Conservation Corps has been supplying apprenticeship-style historical restoration interns to work with National Park Service master masons on projects at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. In 2014, two interns are receiving hands-on skills and training through this program while working to repair these Spanish colonial missions originally constructed in the 1700’s. Interns get a deep introduction to rock masonry subjects such as mortar mixing and selection, stone types and uses, proper tools and maintenance and historical building techniques. They also spend time working with the park Archeologist to discuss preservation repairs, data collection, archiving and planning future maintenance. When not at the park, the interns also take turns leading masonry projects with fellow corps members or participate in other training sessions. Past interns have gone on to restoration carpentry positions with the National Park Service or as architects with a focus on historic restoration.