City, County partner to celebrate Historic Preservation Month

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2013

For more information please contact:
Nancy Hiestand, Program Manager, City of Bloomington Department of Housing and Neighborhood Development, 349.3507, [mailto:hiestann@bloomington.in.gov]


City, County partner to celebrate Historic Preservation Month

Bloomington, Ind. - The City of Bloomington Historic Preservation Commission and the Monroe County Historic Preservation Board of Review are again collaborating on events to celebrate Historic Preservation Month.

For the second year, the City and County will sponsor the Old House Expo and Architectural Cake Contest on from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 11 in the City Hall atrium. Local museums as well as expert craftsmen and carpenters will host display booths. The year's judges for the cake contest are Tommy Kleckner of Indiana Landmarks, Gayle Cook of the Monroe County History Center and Erica Sagon of Edible Indy Magazine. After judging is complete the cakes will be shared with Expo guests.

Organizers hope the Expo will draw attention to the importance of hiring people with appropriate skills and expertise to repair and restore historic properties. The Expo provides an opportunity to meet contractors and look over product samples and past projects.

The City and County will also host the Rosemary Miller Lecture Series at 7 p.m. on May 17 at City Hall in the Council Chambers. This year's theme is Indiana University and its history of limestone architecture. The keynote speaker, former IU Vice President Terry Clapacs, is co-author of the soon-to-be-released IU Press publication "Indiana University: America's Legacy Campus." Clapacs' career at Indiana University spanned 43 years and he is one of the longest-serving vice presidents in IU history. Also presenting, as part of the Cornelius O'Brien Lecture series, is Neil Rippingale, the Dry Stone Conservancy's master craftsman. He will speak about dry stone masonry. Lectures are free and open to the public.

For more information about Historic Preservation Month, please contact Nancy Hiestand at 349.3507 or [mailto:hiestann@bloomington.in.gov.]

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