For Immediate Release
Boulder, Colorado and Cairo, Illinois, October 15, 2009 - Neal Moore, CNN citizen journalist, featured Adventures in Preservation’s shotgun house restoration project in Cairo, Illinois, on his October 9 video blog, http://flashriversafari.wordpress.com/. Moore is documenting “positive American stories whilst highlighting multiple uplifting community projects,” as he travels the entire length of the Mississippi River by canoe this year. You can view the clip at http://rss.ireport.com/docs/DOC-339784. The shotgun house restoration project will continue in June 2010 in a second, expanded, two-week workshop, and AiP seeks volunteers to participate in the community-based preservation project.
The 2010 workshop, June 13-26, will provide training and experience in a variety of building conservation techniques used in the restoration of a wood frame structure covered with wood siding and detailing. Participants will have the opportunity to learn and try their hand at such tasks as the repair and re-glazing of historic wood windows, repair and replication of deteriorated wood detailing, assessment of potential structural problems, and much more.
The house restored during the 2010 workshop is just one of over 200 properties in Cairo listed on or being evaluated for inclusion in the Cairo Historic district and listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Once restored, the house will be available for purchase as affordable housing, a process that is currently being developed with the City of Cairo and project partners, including Cairo VISION 20-20 Committee; the School of Architecture and the Department of History at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale; Cairo Chamber of Commerce; Landmarks Illinois; Ray Black & Son, Inc.; AmeriCorps VISTA; and the Southernmost Illinois Delta Empowerment Zone (SIDEZ).
The workshop will be two weeks in length and participants may register for either one or two weeks. The cost is $775 for one week and $1,275 for two weeks, which covers lodging; breakfast, lunch and snacks; insurance; workshop materials and instruction; and a fieldtrip. A reduced rate of $425 per week is available for volunteers staying in an RV, and rates of $85 for one week and $125 for two weeks are available to local residents not needing lodging. Information on where RV’s can park will be provided upon request.
For more information on this volunteer vacation, or to register online, visit www.adventuresinpreservation.org/ws-cairo-2010.htm.
About Adventures in Preservation
Adventures in Preservation is a non-profit organization that has been supporting community-based heritage preservation projects since 2002. Its one- and two-week hands-on volunteer vacations give participants the opportunity to learn preservation skills while actually restoring buildings and experiencing the local culture. Learn more about how AiP harnesses the power of volunteers and the strengths of local communities to make a difference at www.adventuresinpreservation.org.
Contact:
Judith Broeker
Adventures in Preservation, Program Director
+1 303 444 0128
jbroeker@adventuresinpreservation.org
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