IPTW 2006: "Rebuilding Hope – Reclaiming Heritage"
October 26-28, 2006 - Holy Cross, New Orleans

The 10th annual International Preservation Trades Workshop was as different from other IPTW’s as New Orleans is unique among American cities.  From the smell of Cajun cooking in the air, to the sight of ships passing along the levee above the main event location, it was clear that this was no ordinary venue when IPTW 2006 came to the Holy Cross Neighborhood of New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, October 26-28th, with the theme “Rebuilding Hope and Reclaiming Heritage.  Since Hurricane Katrina devastated the historic neighborhoods of New Orleans, PTN has been working with the World Monuments Fund, and our local partner the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association to help local residents rebuild and return home through initiatives like the Mobile Preservation Unit, and repair demonstration project at the Greater Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church.  IPTW 2006 took this to a new level, by waiving the usual workshop registration fee and inviting all to join us in an open workshop setting designed to promote learning and sharing the knowledge of the trades for all who care about restoring these communities.

In response, more than one hundred members of the PTN community from 26 states, and as far as Scotland, Canada and Sweden, came to New Orleans to work and learn side by side with local residents on four demonstration repair projects in Holy Cross.  PTN members repaired the porch and hard shingle roof of Andrew and Leslie Robinson’s shotgun house, demonstrated traditional plaster repairs, window, door, framing, and masonry pier restoration at Stacy Rockwood’s house, made repairs to the slate roof of Cathy Muse's house, and completed emergency repairs to the roof of the Fellowship Hall at the Greater Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church.  All of the repair projects were integrated into popular “Walk and Talk” sessions where local residents toured the neighborhood and the work in progress to ask questions and discuss treatment and repair options with tradespeople, architects and other preservation specialists.

Demonstrations of slate roof repairs, window and door restoration and painting techniques took place under tents at the main event location at the levee adjacent to the Industrial Canal.  Frank Jones, a 3rd generation New Orleans carpenter, presented a session on fabricating the ornate wood brackets that are a distinctive feature of traditional New Orleans architecture. View the list of presenters and demonstrators <here> 

More than 200 local residents attended IPTW to view the demonstration projects, attend “hands on” presentations and educational sessions such as “Repairing My House – Where Do I Start?”,  “The Common Sense Approach to Building Analysis”, and many others on mold remediation, house raising, selecting and working with contractors, and applying historic preservation standards. Forty students from the Priestley School of Architecture & Construction, a new charter High School in New Orleans joined in the pre-conference workshop at Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 and the repair projects in Holy Cross.  In addition, the World Monuments Fund sponsored the attendance of four students from the.

A separate pre-conference “Repair and Conservation Workshop”, sponsored by Save Our Cemeteries, was also held October 21-25th at Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.  PTN worked in collaboration with the American College of the Building Arts.  Instructors Hurchail Barthé, John Friedrichs, Frank Genello, Jean Lemineur, Simeon Warren and David Via completed repair and stabilization work on three historic tombs damaged by Hurricane Katrina including brick masonry repairs, restoration and conservation of stone memorial panels, and external plaster and rendering. 

One of the most memorable highlights of this, or any other IPTW, was the presentation of the 2006 Askins Achievement Award to Mr. Barthé, a sixth generation New Orleans master plasterer and distinguished teacher of the art of plastering.  Many members of the Barthé family, including his son Hurchail, an instructor at the Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 workshop were present as Marjorie Hunt of the Smithsonian Center for Folk Life & Cultural Heritage detailed his extraordinary contributions and dedication to the traditional trades in a career spanning more than 70 years.  Mr. Barthé, whose home and workshop were heavily damaged by the floods following Hurricane Katrina, remarked that he was grateful not only for the award, but also for the fact that his home is being repaired and he now has a wall to display it on. 

The presentation of the Askins Award was followed by the annual PTN Live Auction, with Auctioneer Buddy Ray.  In spite of high winds that threatened to send the big tent sailing, those attending enjoyed a lively event.  Members and friends of the PTN Community donated generously and bid vigorously to support the work and programs of the Preservation Trades Network. A new standard for dining at IPTW was set this year, with with breakfasts and lunches, and the Askins Award Dinner featuring Fine Cajun Cuisine by Debra Massey.

Roy Underhill, host of the PBS series The Woodwright’s Shop summarized the entire event, by talking about the complexity and richness of New Orleans culture and history, saying that IPTW 2006 was like “preservation jazz”, based on skill and tradition, as well as the ability to improvise, and to know “where to come in”.  If the workshop settings in a large tent and nearby church seemed reminiscent of another type of gathering, the analogy became clear when the choir of the Greater Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church raised their voices in song at the closing session.  As members of PTN and the local community clapped their hands in time to music of praise, it was evident that there was indeed a “revival” in progress, both for Holy Cross community, and for the traditional trades.  The people of Holy Cross opened their homes and their hearts to the PTN community, and those who attended will never forget the experience, or the many friends we’ve made there.