The Fairfield Foundation is teaming up once again with Adventures in Preservation to recruit a group of volunteers to do hands-on restoration work at the 1930 Texaco Station in Gloucester, Virginia, the week of August 26, 2012.
Work this year will focus on plastering the station’s interior walls. This is the last major preservation task needed on the station’s interior, bringing the project one step closer to completion. Volunteers of all ages are welcome; no experience is necessary, just a willingness to learn new skills and literally apply them.
Tom Karow installs replica stained glass window March 11, 2012 at the Edge Hill Service Station
The Fairfield Foundation purchased the building in 2010 in order to save it from demolition. They have succeeded in raising the money necessary to cover the mortgage and major work on the roof; volunteers have completed significant portions of the clean-up and preservation work to help the budget go further. This community effort has built great support for the project, both within the community and from volunteers outside of Gloucester. The goal of the project is to create a preservation resource center and involve community members in their local history.
Last year, volunteers contributed 210 hours in one week of work, as they learned how to glaze windows and then used their new skills to restore the large garage-bay windows.
For complete project details and registration information, see Plastering at the Pumps on Adventures in Preservation’s website.
Adventures in Preservation is a non-profit organization connecting people and preservation through enriching experiential programs. One- and two-week hands-on volunteer vacations give participants the opportunity to travel, experience their destination, and learn hands-on skills while saving a valuable community resource. Learn more about how AiP volunteers combine their power with the strength of local communities to make a difference at www.adventuresinpreservation.org.
The Fairfield Foundation combines research, public education and preservation as the cornerstones of their non-profit’s goals. Ongoing work at the Fairfield site is contributing significantly to knowledge about plantation life, specifically during Gloucester County’s “Golden Age” of 1675-1725, which coincides with the height of Fairfield’s prosperity. Sharing this knowledge with the public will increase the awareness of significant archaeological resources within the county and the importance of this period to our history. Public outreach and educational programs serve as examples of how to properly investigate, interpret, and preserve historic resources within the county.
