Field Trip
New
preservation trades
class gets hands-on experience
Ivy
Tech course provides
learning by doing in the field
By
Rhonda Deeg
Special to RoundAbout
(November 2010) – During the first six days
of October, a group of interested historic preservation students worked
alongside each other without realizing that by the end they would bond,
learn and admire all that was accomplished by their hands.
The Historic Preservation Trades Technology program of Ivy Tech Community
College, Madison campus, held its first Field Site course (one of five
courses in the program) for six days from Oct. 1-6 at St. Michael the
Archangel Church and Rectory. St. Michael the Archangel Church is the
oldest surviving Gothic building in Indiana and is owned by Historic
Madison Inc.
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Photo
by Rhonda Deeg Student
Erin Ware learns to plaster a |
Nine students (five from the Ball State University historic
preservation graduate degree program and four from Ivy Tech-Madison)
worked on three projects during the course of those six days: dry laid
stone, historic plasterwork and stained glass restoration.
Instructors Jan and Clint Bush, of Lexington, Ky., demonstrated how
a dry laid, stone wall is tightly woven together using sturdy foundation
stones and smaller harding stones to build a slightly battered retaining
wall. Students began this project, standing side by side, and carefully
took down a fallen retaining wall, dug the area clean and rebuilt the
wall properly using an aged old technique of laying stones without mortar.
Instructor Terry Wullenweber of Milan, Ind., spent two days working
alongside students as they cleaned, patched and repaired a historic
plaster wall inside of the church. Each student tried their hands at
the trowel and hawk, learned the importance of using lime instead of
drywall compound in a historic building.
While working on both masonry and plaster projects, students also teamed
with instructor Rhonda L. Deeg of Madison on the survey and documentation
of the circa early 20th century stained glass windows. High quality
photographs were taken and a survey of existing conditions was completed.
One pivoted panel was removed to begin the restoration process. Students
learned how to assess conditions determine proper repair techniques
and then began to take necessary steps to restore the first panel.
During non-work hours, students toured several HMI museum properties,
attended a wood window restoration demonstration, walked on an architectural
tour of Madison, and toured the Lanier Mansion State Historic Site.
The students also experienced an educational history of Madison from
HMI’s John Staicer and Heidi Kruggel and toured HMI properties.