Courtland Rosenwald School Southampton County HELP FIND Virginia’s Rosenwald Schools Julius Rosenwald High School, Northumberland County ore than 360 Rosenwald schools M were built in rural areas across Virginia to improve the quality of public education for African Americans in the South. We’re calling on community members and Rosenwald alumni to share their intimate, local knowledge of the schools in their area to preserve this important history. Get Involved! If you know the location or former site of a Rosenwald school in your community, you can use our mobile survey tool to record preliminary information about the school, tag it exact location and upload images in real time. Ultimately, this information will be verified and used to advocate for the commemoration and adaptive re-use of Rosenwald school buildings so they can once again be vibrant community resources. Spring 2018 Visit bit.ly/rosenwaldinitiative to access the survey tool and learn more about our Rosenwald school advocacy work. HISTORIC VENTURES A Voice for Historic Places Since 1889 Preservation Virginia holds n 2009, after 120 years in operation, we embarked on an the notable distinction of ambitious new programmatic vision to serve as a resource in being the first statewide I historic preservation the continued and future growth of the historic preservation organization. We have a movement. Now almost a decade later, we are well on the way proud legacy of preserving, to achieving that vision. promoting and serving as an advocate for Virginia’s This issue captures the diverse and impactful nature of our treasured places of memory. efforts. You’ll read about brick and mortar preservation projects that maintain and care for our historic structures. You’ll learn First Lady Pam Northam (above BOARD OF TRUSTEES how crowd sourcing and a and 2nd to left) with former Patricia Loughridge Preservation From new app are helping to locate Preservation Virginia Vice Chair, Chair and document Rosenwald Trip Pollard, Chair, Patti Loughridge Richmond, Virginia Where I Stand schools and you’ll make Friday and CEO Elizabeth S. Kostelny. Genevieve P. Keller night dates with us at the Vice Chair Charlottesville John Marshall House to be John H. Guy, IV part of engaging community Vice Chair discussions! Alexandria Preservation Virginia Releases New Last fall, we organized an Gary Ometer Treasurer advocacy effort to protect Richmond the federal historic tax credit Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Study Elizabeth S. Kostelny (HTC). We joined a national ecision makers need facts and data to formulate wise decisions. First CEO and Board Secretary campaign supported by the Richmond Lady Pam Northam debuted the results of our study of Virginia’s Historic National Trust for Historic D Rehabilitation Tax Credit (HRTC) program along with complementary analysis Chief Emeritus Preservation to ensure that this important economic tool was Kenneth Adams undertaken by the Department of Historic Resources at our 2018 Legislative retained in the tax reform plan. We are grateful to many of Newport News Reception in February. you who reached out to your legislators to share how the HTC Make an Impact Audrey P. Davis In partnership with the Home Builders Association, we enlisted Baker Tilly, program has revitalized Virginia’s urban and rural communities Alexandria a national auditing firm, to measure the return on the Commonwealth’s on Virginia’s and preserved historic buildings. While there were changes to Ken Farmer investment in the HRTC program. The study confirmed what we know: the HRTC the program, it is still available for future projects. Historic Resources Charlottesville program makes good economic sense. Kevin R. Hardwick As this issue goes to press, the 2018 General Assembly session The study uses data from projects certified in 2014. The results? Estimates All Year Long Penn Laird is drawing to a close. A special fall session is being considered show that 2014 preservation projects generated almost $373 million in Ronald L. Hurst to discuss tax reform. In anticipation of those discussions, we economic activity and supported more than 7,000 construction jobs. Once Williamsburg commissioned an economic analysis to measure the return on completed, the projects had a lasting economic impact and created an estimated You can support Virginia’s historic resources by easily and Maral Kalbian the Commonwealth’s investment from the state’s historic tax 2,691 permanent jobs. And importantly, Berryville, Virginia credit program. You’ll read the study’s summary on these pages neglected, vacant buildings were repurposed securely establishing a monthly gift to Preservation Virginia H. Pettus LeCompte and we hope you will visit our website and subscribe to our The Historic and returned to productive use which Richmond e-newsletter to learn more about how you can help protect this raised surrounding property values and at bit.ly/preserveva. When you give monthly, you provide a Linda Marks program and the historic places it preserves. Rehabilitation inspired further revitalization efforts. Mechanicsville This fall, the General Assembly may predictable source of funding Thank you for believing in our vision. Tax Credit which ensures that funds are R. Latane Montague IV consider tax reform in a special session. Alexandria Program The results of this study will be powerful immediately ready to invest in confirmation of the catalytic effect our most urgent preservation, HONORARY TRUSTEES doesn’t just preserve advocacy and education efforts. the places that make Virginia of the HRTC program and the positive Anne Geddy Cross benefits in preserving what defines Establishing a monthly gift is Hanover unique, in 2014 alone it: Virginia—our historic fabric. an easy and efficient way to Elizabeth S. Kostelny Patricia Loughridge William G. Beville* resulted in $467 million We are grateful to the many supporters support the work that matters to Petersburg CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER PRESIDENT in economic output that made this study possible. It has been you all year long. C. Hobson Goddin • a true partnership with preservationists, If you would like to establish a Richmond supported 9,960 jobs developers and all who work in the field. monthly gift, please contact William B. Kerkam, III Preservation Virginia preservationvirginia.org • To learn more about the Baker Tilly Kate McClung at 804.648.1889, Richmond 204 West Franklin Street 804-648-1889 generated study, visit bit.ly/HRTCStudy. ext. 305, or visit bit.ly/preserveva $3.50 for every $1 invested *deceased Richmond, VA 23220-5012 to learn more. through the Cover: Students from Randolph-Macon College first three years are conducting an archaeological study at Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown. 1 & TECHNOLOGY Surveying Rosenwald Schools in Farmville: HISTORY Q&A with Longwood University Student ast summer, we launched our statewide survey of Rosenwald L schools. We recently partnered with Longwood University anthropology professor, Brian Bates, Ph.D., RPA, and his students to document schools in Prince Edward and Cumberland counties. Equipped with our mobile survey app, the students went into the community over winter break for a hands-on lesson in architectural surveying. We interviewed one of Bates’ students, Adriana Brown, a freshman majoring in Anthropology and “Actually finding the schools, Virginia Beach Historic Archaeology, about her experience surveying Rosenwald schools. taking pictures and We are no longer limited to having to go to Preservation Commission student members, (left to What interested you the most about assisting documenting them was an the library and look through an encyclopedia right) Madeleine Penree, with this project? Sean Diment and Justin Burns. exciting process because when we want to learn something.” MADELEINE PENREE Together, they’ve documented I’ve always been interested in history. It’s always been one it wasn’t like anything I had Virginia Beach history. of my strongest subjects and greatest passions. I’ve always seen the importance of learning about the past so we can move ever done before. forward in a more positive way. I had never heard of Rosenwald t our Legislative Reception in February, we met three by Virginia Beach City Council, both agree the Oceanfront is a ADRIANA BROWN schools before and had never done historical surveying, so I was ANTHROPOLOGY A Virginia Beach students who blew us away with the work great place to create entries for the Clio app. The area is home to definitely excited to try and learn something new. AND ARCHAEOLOGY ’21 they are doing to document local history in their hometown many historic sites including Dewitt Cottage, now the Atlantic LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY using the Clio app. The students’ journey to document local Wildfowl Heritage Museum, the Cavalier Hotel and Preservation What was your experience surveying history started with our 2017 Virginia Preservation Conference Virginia’s Cape Henry Lighthouse. the schools like? in Petersburg. It was there that Mark Reed, historic preservation “There’s so much history down at the Oceanfront because planner for the city of Virginia Beach, first learned about the that’s really where the City of Virginia Beach was mostly I loved every aspect of it, but especially the research part. When How hard was it to find schools that had been crowdsourced Clio app founded,” says Diment. I was researching the counties further away, I looked for schools turned into residences? on the internet using primary sources and old maps. I even from keynote speaker The Clio app presents an opportunity for younger tech savvy Most of them were pretty easy to find because I had Virginia Beach found community websites where people were talking about David J. Trowbridge, Ph.D., generations to get involved in historic preservation and teach the [geographic] coordinates and they had their original how much they love the Rosenwald schools. Actually finding the Students Using Marshall University. communities about the history hidden in their backyards. color scheme. They hadn’t really changed.