Local preservation groups working to 'Restore Jacksonville'

News

by Caroline Gabsewics

Staff Writer

Two local preservation groups are coming together this weekend to host a conference focusing on preserving Jacksonville’s historic homes.

The Riverside Avondale Preservation group (RAP) and Springfield Preservation and Revitalization Council (SPAR) are hosting the first-ever event of its kind in Jacksonville Friday-Sunday.

The “Restore Jacksonville Conference” is offering educational lectures, hands-on workshops and neighborhood tours.

Jean Grimsley, a board member of RAP and the chairperson of the conference, said she has been working on the event for the past year. She started out doing some research on events like this in other cities and one name kept on coming up. That name was John Leeke, a nationally known preservation consultant.

“I never thought we’d be able to get him and this all started with him making his schedule available to us,” said Grimsley.

Leeke is one of 25 different speakers scheduled to address different restoration topics on Saturday. Leeke has been in Jacksonville since Monday and for two days he is performing two 8-hour home inspections. One home is in Springfield and the other is the home that houses the Riverside Avondale Preservation group in Avondale.

On Tuesday Leeke spent eight hours identifying what is in good condition, bad condition and what is original at the home in Springfield. Steven King and his wife purchased the house in May.

“We wanted to move to Springfield because we have lived in other downtowns in the country and it is very energetic,” said King. “We all have a common bond because we are all fixing up the neighborhood. There is a strong community feel here.”

During Leeke’s inspection of the home inside and out, he pointed out to the homeowner what needs to be repaired and how, so he can preserve the character of building. Leeke pointed out that the rough faced block holding the columns in the front of the house are in good condition and don’t need to be repaired, but the original railings have been replaced and the current ones don’t look original. Two other areas Leeke pointed out were the wood decaying on the window sills and a decaying water table, which is common on older homes and helps protect the foundation from water damage. Leeke said both of those need to be replaced, because it could turn into an even bigger problem for the homeowner.

“The homeowner will have to do a series of projects to bring the home to good condition,” said Leeke. “This building was built with materials and methods that will respond well to incremental repairs. The repairs can be done in series and when it fits into their budget.”

“Spot repairs” as Leeke calls them is what this conference will focus on, he said.

“It is an alternate to modern remodeling,” he said. “Spot repairs help preserve the characters of the buildings.”

King said as of right now they have not begun any major projects on the home that was built in 1914.

“We are focusing on doing research first and that is what this week is about for us,” he said.

King won the opportunity to have Leeke come into their home to do an inspection through the registration process for the conference.

“We got picked and it turned out great for us,” he said.

Another speaker on Saturday is Wally Conway, president of Florida HomePro Inspections. His lecture is on “$50,000 Problems from 50 cent Repairs.” Conway has also been on the HGTV show, “House Detectives.” Another speaker is Wayne Wood, a local preservationist who has written several books on the historic buildings and homes in Jacksonville. Other speakers include local architects, craftsmen, realtors and local conservation experts.

“We wanted to present a wide variety of topics because we have a large audience we are focusing on,” said Grimsley.

She added there are five groups they wanted to focus on:

• current and prospective owners of historic homes
• existing homeowners and how they can maintain their historic homes
• do-it-yourself homeowners
• preservation enthusiasts
• contractors and investors in the business of preserving homes

Grimsley said the Contractor Workshop Friday in Springfield is primarily for craftsmen, contractors and architects. The lectures on Saturday and the neighborhood tours on Sunday are open to everyone who registers for the event.

In addition to the lectures and tours, everyone will receive a reference binder they can take home. The binder will include over 200 pages of information on preserving historic homes.

“Everything we talk about will be in a take-home format and they can reference it when they need to,” she said.

Grimsley said they are expecting anywhere from 200-250 people, but they can accommodate up to 300. They are also hoping to hold the event again next year.

“It is a way for the RAP and SPAR to respond to everyone’s questions,” she said. “There are so many things we can do to help preserve homes.

“We have been really fortunate that both preservation councils have been able to come together. It has really forced some ties between us.”

The event was made possible through funds provided by the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission and First Guaranty Bank. The bank stepped in to help the groups when funds from the State fell through.

The registration fee of $50 covers the lectures, tours and the preservation manual. If interested call 322-8481 or visit the conference’s Web site, www.restorejacksonville.com and print the registration form and bring it to the conference.

Restore Jacksonville Conference

Friday-Sunday

Friday, Oct. 12

Contractor Workshop: “Business of Preservation”

9 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Bay, 9th and Main in Springfield

For craftsmen, contractors and architects to learn restoration standards and new techniques.

Saturday, Oct. 13

Lectures

Main Library Conference Center

9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Lecture topics: