A Message from the Director

Shanon Shea Miller, AICP

OHP recently launched some really exciting initiatives. We had a soft launch of our Living Heritage Trades Academy and convened a working group to explore a deconstruction/ salvage policy for the city. We'll share more about both initiatives as they grow.

In April, City Council voted to establish our city's 30th historic district, Westfort. Previously designated as a neighborhood conservation district (NCD), this charming collection of early 20th century homes is nestled between Broadway and Fort Sam, just across the street from the Brackenridge Park Golf Course. We have a couple other pending districts, so stay tuned as we continue working with residents on those designations.

The Amazing Preservation Race for Kids , one of our most popular events, returns this Saturday, June 16, at Yanaguana Garden. We'll have challenges for kids of all ages, plus access to buildings at Hemisfair Park usually closed to the public. Registration is just $5 per child and includes a kid's T-shirt and medal. Register today!

We'll be working hard this summer on several big fall events. We're excited to announce our second annual Living Heritage Symposium, which will meet at the Bexar County Courthouse September 5-7. We'll share information about our speakers as the event nears; they represent national and international programs and research, and we're excited to hear about the tools they use to support and preserve intangible heritage.

 Our Historic Homeowner Fair marks its 10th anniversary on Saturday, September 29, at the Pearl Stable, and will feature vendors and information booths for those interested in home maintenance and preservation. And OHP is sponsoring the 89th Texas Archaeology Society annual meeting , October 26-28, at the historic Menger Hotel, which includes a public forum that Friday night that's free and open to the public.

Mark your calendars and join us for these exciting programs!

Shanon

REHABARAMA 2018 Tackles 20 Homes in Highland Park

More than 200 volunteers, including contractors who donated their time and skills, met Saturday, April 7, on the 1100 and 1200 blocks of E Highland Blvd for REHABARAMA 2018, presented by Guido Companies . This unseasonably cold single day of service brought together local contractors, volunteers, and students to perform repair and maintenance on 20 historic and aging houses in Highland Park. Volunteers replaced and painted wood siding, refreshed trim, did some light landscaping, and met many other rehab goals over the course of the day. Check out photos of our volunteers and see before an after shots on Facebook.

We couldn't have completed this day of service without the help of our volunteer contractors from Artchitectural Interiors , Guy Chipman Construction , CVF Homes , Clark Construction , Wood Window Makeover , AREA Real Estate , AO Design & Construction , Dean Howell Inc. , NARI San Antonio , Quality First General Contractors , G6GC, JBC Custom Homes , Barron Restorations , Biela Glass , Curtis Hunt Restorations , JC Stoddard Construction, and Joseph Villareal.

The work continued on Saturday, May 19, when Guy Chipman lead the Rehabber Club Porch Repair Certification Course at a 19020s Craftsman bungalow in Highland Park. Chipman taught attendees how to replace beams, identify appropriate materials, and install tongue-and-groove decking. Participants received a certificate in porch repair from the Rehabber Club.

The porch repair course also marked the launch of the OHP Living Heritage Trades Academy. We'll share more about the trades academy in the near future; keep an eye on this mailing list or follow us on Facebook for updates.

Many thanks to our REHABARAMA 2018 sponsors: Guido Construction Company, Guido Lumber Company, Frost, Whataburger, Pumpkin Holdings, the Historic Pearl, H-E-B, and Niagara Water Samoa.