Boulder, Colorado, May 3, 2006 - A historic home in New Orleans saved from demolition after Hurricane Katrina; Sicilian frescoes uncovered in an agrarian chapel used as a chicken coop; a vernacular structure conserved to highlight its value to local residents in Ghana – this is the type of work Heritage Conservation Network is accomplishing with the assistance of volunteer preservationists who join one of their hands-on building conservation workshops. HCN has been bringing people to historic sites since 2001 in their quest to help preserve the world’s architectural heritage. Projects this year include a building in the gold-rush town of Virginia City, Montana, a 17th century manor house in Slovenia, and a mining town in Chihuahua, Mexico.

The primary focus of each workshop is completing critical conservation work at the site. However, participants also learn and practice specific building conservation skills. Each workshop is led by a technical expert who teaches and guides participants as they work. This combination of altruism and training has provided a very cost-effective means of accomplishing preservation work for HCN’s local preservation partners. At the Francis Mill in Waynesville, North Carolina, for example, volunteers at a 2004 workshop generated 812 hours of labor valued at over $12,000. The value of the labor was used to match a grant from the Society for the Preservation of Old Mills. HCN is still working with the Francis Mill Preservation Society, which plans to return the mill to working order by 2007. The third workshop in their series begins June 18, 2006.

Workshop participants include a broad mix of people from history enthusiasts to active travelers as well as budding and professional preservationists. Workshop costs range from $300 to $950 per person per week. The fees include lodging, some meals, instructions and materials, but not transportation to the site. Descriptions of current workshop offerings are listed on HCN’s website, www.heritageconservation.net. Additional workshops in hurricane-affected historic neighborhoods are being planned; details will be posted as soon as they are finalized.

Heritage Conservation Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of architectural heritage around the world. HCN produces an annual series of hands-on building conservation workshops in association with local preservation partners in order to further the sites’ preservation and provide an educational experience for participants.