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S-1 Necessary Messes: Historic Mortar Recipes/
Science and Art of Historic Plaster Small Program Room

This technical session will focus on the art and science of two prevalent historic building materials: mortar and plaster. Participants will learn about historic flat and ornamental plasterwork with examples and case studies that will illustrate plaster material composition, analysis, chemistry, history, and conservation practices. A discussion about mortar will demonstrate how historic mortar recipes are much different than today due to the form in which lime is now commercially available. Case studies and techniques will demonstrate the challenge of executing the specifications of a replacement historic mortar. Participants will learn how to choose appropriate sands, reclaiming aggregates from historic mortars and the importance of mixing to achieve the right finished product.

Abandoned properties, particularly in our urban cores, are one of the most common and toughest challenges historic preservationists must confront. This session will foster awareness of proactive strategies that communities are using to address abandonment and, in the process, help restore and rehabilitate character defining historic buildings. The Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey will illustrate the situations that create and exacerbate property abandonment. Attendees will learn how the 2004 Abandoned Property Rehabilitation Act (APRA) has empowered towns and cities to address problem properties. Case studies from Newark and Trenton will examine how municipal officials, property owners, and community development corporations use the APRA and other tools to instigate historic rehabilitation and urban revitalization.

If museums are to reach their full potential, they must unite around shared standards and best practices for audience engagement, conservation and preservation, education, ethics, finance, professional devel- opment, security, and more. In this session participants will learn about two models:
• The Continuum of Excellence is a new field-wide model that enables and encourages all museums to participate in a process of achieving
excellence through Core Standards and programs that offer opportunities for various levels of assessment, feedback, and recognition that build on one another.
• The Standards and Excellence Program for History Organizations (StEPS) is a voluntary, self-assessment tool created by the American Association for State and Local History. The program encourages aware- ness and achievement of national standards for small to
midsized history organizations. In New Jersey, the Best Practices for Nonprofit History Organizations Workshop Series is based on the StEPS organizational topics.

Hurricane Sandy’s devastation of the coastlines New Jersey’s coast raised questions about how and where to rebuild. The future of historic properties damaged by the flooding is especially problematic, since insensitive rehabilitations can result in a loss of historic character. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides guidance for building and retrofitting existing structures with “flood resistant materials,” as well as other strategies for minimizing damage to structures, such as elevating buildings and building systems. Some strategies, however, may adversely affect a building’s historic appearance or relationship to its site. Panelists will review how flooding affects building design and what qualities of traditional construction allow historic properties to be as resilient as they are. Participants will hear a first person account of an historic home damaged by high water that was sensitively restored in accordance with FEMA’s goals of rebuilding “better, safer, stronger” after a disaster.

Urban archaeology, exploring what lies beneath the built surfaces of the city, may yield rich treasures and vital knowledge about the history and development of our urban environments. Even if a historic building is gone, buried wells, pits, wharfs, and other features may be studied, preserved and inform city planning efforts. This panel session will explore three case studies in which urban archaeology played a key role: Destruction of a swath of Philadelphia’s waterfront for interstate construction galvanized early support for urban archaeology in the United States; 19th century toys and material culture from excavations in New Jersey and New York teach a child’s perspective; and privy deposits in Newark provide insights about working class German and Irish immigrants.

This field session will address the history of the Museum’s architecture, the surrounding cityscape of the James Street Commons Historic District and its evolution over time. Using real life examples of the original 1926 museum, Ward Carriage House, 1885 Ballantine House, 1784 schoolhouse, Polhemus House (demolished) and a 1916 former YWCA, the session will raise questions of adaptive use, historic preservation and urban obsolescence in light of changing demographics and patterns of use. It will also address changing attitudes toward how museums present themselves to their audiences.

This is a walking tour. Please wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather.

In the early twentieth century, John J. Earley developed a process for creating concrete that resulted in the construction of several remarkable structures including the Edison Memorial Tower and Washington D.C.’s Meridian Hill Park. The 1915 Park was designed to resemble an Italian Renaissance garden. Its perimeter walls, paving, cascade, stairs, fountains, benches, and other ornamental elements are all constructed with multiple types of exposed aggregate concrete. The 1938 Edison Tower includes twelve different concrete mixes for the 117 foot high fluted shaft. This panel session will present the challenge of restoring these historic mosaic concrete structures through the use of mockups by contractors with a high level of craftsmanship, experience in historic repairs, and knowledge of materials.

Public participatory geographic information system technology (PPGIS), can be a powerful tool to engage the public with today’s community outreach efforts. In a world dominated by handheld devices, PPGIS permits wide participation and offers a cost effective ongoing “virtual forum” throughout a project’s development and implementation that can expand community outreach from a one night only presentation into a 24/7 portal for understanding and involvement This panel session will examine several case studies that utilized PPGIS as part of the historic preservation planning process. Discussion will include process and results for each of the case studies, as well as any best practices developed and pitfalls to avoid. Finally, a real time demonstration of the technology using handheld devices will help to explain its potential.

In 2009, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the 1772 Foundation partnered to design the Northeast African American Historic Places Outreach Program, a leadership training initiative for emerging grassroots organizations and established nonprofits. This session highlights the Board Building component which is funded with the generous support of the 1772 Foundation. The board training is based on three variables most critical to strong organizations sound governance, financial management, and leadership. The session will be punctuated by one of the program participants who will discuss the “transformative” impact the program is having on her group. The NJ Historic Trust and Historical Commission are exploring this model for a capacity building board training initiative that would provide assistance to approximately five diverse history organizations for twelve months.

Geared toward Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) members, this panel session assembles several Chairs who represent HPCs that vary in size, type of commission, activities undertaken and how they work within a community. Within the parameter of the municipal land use law, the establishment of a local commission may be regulatory or advisory, may have paid staff and/or a budget, may have professional and/ or legal guidance available, and may address different types of applications. The moderator will facilitate a dialog that explores how commissions implement their ordinances, handle their public meetings, engage with the community, work with the governing body, and interact with applicants. This session would also be beneficial to local government officials, planners and other professionals who assist municipalities in preparing ordinances and implementing their master plans.

Safety for the more than three million annual visitors is the paramount concern of the National Park Service at the Statue of Liberty. When the Park Service embarked upon a program to update the fire safety and egress, improve visitor amenities, provide better accessibility, the
physical constraints imposed challenges as monumental as the Statue. This panel session explore the collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach to installing a new concrete shaft that did not compromise the original steel girder system designed by Gustav Eiffel. Finally, the impact of Hurricane Sandy on Liberty Island and the Statue will be reviewed as the NPS moves forward with plans to reopen the facility.

This session will describe a series of proposed planning interventions along the Raritan Riverfront in Somerset and Hunterdon Counties that seek to combine historic preservation, landscape restoration, economic development, active and passive recreation and place making principles to neglected and largely inaccessible portions of the Raritan riverfront.

Historic, cultural and social institutions face significant challenges in attracting larger and more diverse audiences, conveying their messages in ways that appeal to tech-savvy individuals, and drawing on a broad range of sources for interpretation. This panel session will explore options of using available technology to offer new means of interpretation. Participants will learn about mobile phone applications, how they can be used as marketing and interpretation tools, and how to begin developing concepts for applications. Another case study will explain how audio podcasts can conveniently present interpretive material in both urban and rural settings. The research, script writing, recording, signage, web site support and marketing will outline a template for practical use.

Archaeology serves an essential role in planning and promoting publicly funded rehabilitation, preservation, and educational projects.
Archaeology provides data for nominations to the State and National Register of Historic Places; supplies planners, architects, and engineers with ways to appropriately design projects to avoid or minimize impacts to non-renewable archaeological resources; and offers educational information to the public. This session highlights these and other benefits by examining archaeology’s role at White Hill Mansion, Clark Watson House, Dey Mansion, Kay Evans Farmstead, and the Abbott Farm National Historic Landmark.

Advocates are the voices who present their concerns about history and historic preservation to elected officials and lobby as the way to reach those decision makers. The role of advocate is to educate legislators about public history and historic preservation concerns, thus enabling them to develop good, forward thinking legislative policies. This panel session will explore advocacy at the Federal, state and local levels, and lobbying will be discussed as a critical component of effective history and preservation advocacy.

Along with unprecedented economic and physical devastation,
Supertorm Sandy brought to New Jersey an unavoidable reminder of the critical importance of disaster planning. All around the state, historical organizations braced for the storm’s impact, and then struggled to cope with its aftermath. This double session workshop will present three case studies of disaster mitigation drawing from the experiences of a large institutions, a small institution and a county organization. The second part will be in the format of a workshop and panel discussion on strategies and resources for disaster planning. The session will conclude by providing information about a new series of workshops on disaster planning and collections care that will be offered in New Jersey over the next two years (funded by a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services) along with the opportunity for all participants to discuss particular preparedness strategies with their colleagues.

The Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit workshop will focus on the
fundamentals of the Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit program and will offer examples of the many successful adaptive reuse projects. The workshop will also address challenges developers face while trying to juggle program goals, finance goals, code restrictions and the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Participants in the workshop will have the opportunity to visit successful adaptive reuse projects that utilized the Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit.

This is a bus and walking tour. Please wear comfortable footwear and dress for the weather.

In this walking tour participants shall see and hear first hand the development conflicts and compromises of when the largest City in the State’s business district is both a Historic District and a Redevelopment Area. Participants will visit the transformation of a Cass Gilbert building into a hotel, the creation of a new downtown sub-district where charter schools are the center, the reimaging of the oldest park in the City and the how and why of two blocks of demolition for the building of a new office tower. There will also be discussion of signage and the City’s façade improvement program.

This is a walking tour. Please wear comfortable footwear and dress for the weather.

The tour will begin at the Newark Museum and travel through down- town viewing the history of Newark beginning with the Gutzum Borglum statue of the “Puritan and the Indian” commemorating the founding of the city in 1666. The tour will view some of the city’s great architectur- al landmarks including the Essex County Courthouse, designed by Cass Gilbert, the Peddie Memorial Baptist Church, designed by William Halsey Wood, Old First Presbyterian Church, and Trinity Cathedral, which was used by the British soldiers when they occupied Newark in 1776. Participants will also view more recent development project including the Prudential Center (the “Rock”), home of the NJ Devils, and NJPAC, home of the NJ Symphony, plus the expansion of the college/university sector which makes Newark the “University Center of New Jersey”.

The second part of the tour will explore the North Ward and Branch Brook Park, designed by Frederic Law Olmsted, followed by the Forest Hill Historic District. Before heading back to the Museum, a stop will be made at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the fifth largest church in North America. The last stop will be the Plume House, built in 1725, where discussion will focus on NJDOT’s future expansion of Route 280, which has the potential to further endanger the Plume House’s future.

This is a bus and walking tour. Please wear comfortable footwear and dress for the weather.

Branch Brook Park is the first county park in the nation, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and recognized as one of the finest examples of the landscape artistry of Frederick Law Olmsted and the Olmsted Brothers firm. The 400 plus acre site is a busy urban park that draws more than one million visitors a year, including international visitors who enjoy the blossoming of the country’s largest collection of historic Japanese cherry trees. During decades of insufficient funding, the park experienced substantial deterioration. The Branch Brook Park Alliance (BBPA), a nonprofit corporation, was established in 1999 to work in partnership with Essex County to restore and revitalize the park. To date, more than $46 million has been invested for capital projects.

The tour will take participants through portions of the park stopping at the Essex County Cherry Blossom Visitor Center for an in-depth discussion of the Park’s history and restoration. Panelists will highlight the integral relationship of the historical design of the park to its modern function.

The tour will continue through the park and into the Forest Hill Historic District to visit two historic residences.

This is a bus and walking tour. Please wear comfortable footwear and dress for the weather.

Essex County Branch Brook Park is part of the historic Essex County Park System. Transportation for today’s tour is provided by the Essex County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs.

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