Bay St. Louis, Mississippi – November 20, 2006 Historic home owners and residents will have the opportunity to learn preservation carpentry skills at a hands-on building conservation workshop Heritage Conservation Network is organizing in Bay St. Louis. Participation in the workshop, which begins January 1, 2007, is free for area residents looking for advice and training as they repair their own historic homes.

The workshop will be held at a home in the Washington Street Historic District. A restoration expert will teach and guide participants as they work on rebuilding the house’s porch. Other preservation topics will be discussed as well. The workshop is part of a larger project called Rebuilding After Katrina Using Local Resources. With funding from the Hamer Center at Pennsylvania State University, the project is exploring various avenues of rebuilding, including deconstruction, salvage and reuse. Salvaged historic materials will be used to the greatest extent possible during the workshop.

The two-week workshop is scheduled for January 1-13, 2007; participants may sign up for one or two weeks. Pre-registration is required. For complete details and to register, see HCN’s website: www.heritageconservation.net/ws-bay-st-louis-2007.htm.

Heritage Conservation Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of architectural heritage the world over. In 2006, HCN coordinated volunteer cleanup and restoration efforts at seven historic home sites in Bay St. Louis and New Orleans. Anyone wishing to contribute to their efforts should contact Judith Broeker, Program Director, at +1 303 444 0128 or workshops@heritageconservation.net.