Original Hometown Heritage manuscript submitted June 3, 2010. newspaper issue date is not recorded here. Original event announcements and contact details are historical, not current.
Sometimes when folks think about preservation, visions of complicated and expensive rules about restoring structures come to mind. But there are simple and effective ways to learn skills that preserve the heritage resources you care about.
You’ll get the opportunity to learn some basic heritage preservation skills during the National Park Service’s Community Preservation Fair on June 12. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the headquarters of the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT), located at 645 University Parkway. You might know it better as the old Women’s Gym on the campus of NSU.
Along with partners Cane River Creole National Historical Park (CARI) and the Cane River National Heritage Area (CRNHA), NCPTT will offer a series of demonstrations and hands-on activity stations that articulate preservation practice in “baby steps.”
Hands-On Conservation Activities
For example, one station will focus on the care of windows. Historic windows are a valuable feature of a home or other structure and can be maintained easily with some forethought. This station will explore restoration concepts, appropriate painting, and replacing glazing for these architectural gems.
CARI and CRNHA will present the “Landmarks in Time” exhibit and also “The Spirit of a Culture” DVD that feature area culture. These are complemented by biographical rack cards featuring people demonstrating local their crafts and traditions. These organizations will also host an activity for children.
Another station will focus on the proper cleaning of grave markers, which may sound like a common sense thing to most people. But there’s an art and science to cleaning the markers if you want them to last for future generations to enjoy. It’s not hard, but the right tools and techniques are essential.
Landscape and Disaster Preparedness
Whatever the heritage resource, it exists in the context of a landscape. This usually means contending with trees. One of the stations will teach techniques to preserve trees in a historic setting, including proper pruning, mulching, removal and planting. Not all trees are created equal, and you may be surprised that trees may need very different approaches to tending based on age and species.
Of course, disaster planning is an important part of making sure our historic legacy survives to the future. Whether they’re local or national, disasters seem to be more frequent these days. Make sure to visit the station on preparing for natural disasters, including ways to protect your heritage treasures and your home.
Refreshments will also be served for the event. Everyone’s invited, so while you’re making plans to visit Melrose on Saturday be sure to fit in a stop at Nelson Hall as well. For more information on the Community Preservation Fair, contact Sarah Jackson at sarah_m_jackson@nps.gov or call 318-356-7444.
What Remains
The fair described here was a one-day event in 2010, but the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training has continued the underlying work. Still based in Natchitoches, it conducts conservation research and hands-on training. In June 2026, students in its 3D Digital Summer Field School presented documentation of historic buildings using drones, 3D tours, and recorded histories. The technology has changed since the fair’s demonstrations of window repair and gravestone care, but the aim remains recognizable: giving more people practical ways to document and preserve local heritage. NCPTT programs · 2026 field school.
Updated October 2026
Supporting Documents & SourcesView related reporting & supporting materials
| Related article | Ten Years of Preservation in Your Community |
|---|
Article Catalog CardView the manuscript record, provenance & surviving materials
| Artifact | Newspaper column manuscript. |
|---|---|
| Institution | Natchitoches Times; NCPTT; Cane River Creole National Historical Park; Cane River National Heritage Area. |
| Period | June 2010. |
| Role | Columnist and heritage communicator. |
| Evidence | June 3, 2010 original manuscript submission. |
| What survives | Email manuscript. |
| Status | Archival restoration; newspaper issue copy not yet matched to manuscript. |
Critical Questions + Add to the Record
Application here: The community fair demonstrates that preservation skills are learned through participation, hands-on practice, and shared judgment.
Know something that adds context, documentation, correction, or firsthand knowledge to this record? Keep this page open and copy its URL into the contribution form.
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