HFFI’s Annual Meeting is only a few days away.  We hope you have it marked on your calendar! 
 
The meeting will be held on Sunday, March 23rd from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the auditorium of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library (1201 Caroline Street).  Come learn what HFFI has been up to and help us celebrate this year’s annual Preservation Award winners!
 
The event will also feature a presentation by guest speaker, Elizabeth Daly, entitled, “Woman Power: The Women of Fredericksburg Step Up” discussing the women who pioneered Fredericksburg’s early preservation movement, and a brief ceremony to honor this year’s recipients of the Trail to Freedom Committee’s William H. Carney Award, recognizing members of the community for their selfless contributions to the preservation of Virginia’s African-American history.  The meeting will begin at 2:00 pm and is open to the public. Attendees are invited to a reception immediately following the meeting.
 
This is also a great opportunity to renew your membership for 2014 and purchase tickets to upcoming events.
 
We look forward to seeing you there!
 

The City recently amended its permitting policies to provide additional safeguards and strengthening efforts that will preserve the unique character of the downtown Historic District.
 
As noted in a letter issued by the city’s Building Services Division, effective February 3rd, 2014, any proposed work involving “the installation of replacement siding, roofing, and windows” within the Historic District will now require a permit and a Certificate of Appropriateness from the City’s Architectural Review Board (ARB).  In addition, work involving any material changes that would affect a building’s architectural features or structure may also be subject to ARB review and approval.
 
The downtown area’s historic buildings and streetscapes are invaluable assets; assets that play a key role in maintaining this city’s economic vitality and quality of life.  They are also a nonrenewable resource; once they are lost they are gone forever. 
 
Elements such as windows, doors, and siding are important, character-defining features that contribute to, and help convey a building’s historic and architectural character. Their unnecessary loss, through demolition, neglect, or replacement with modern materials, not only affects the building itself but also contributes to a cumulative impact on the surrounding neighborhood and larger Historic District.  
 
With each loss, we slowly erode the qualities that make Fredericksburg such an appealing place to live, work, and visit. The city’s new permitting policy is crucial to ensuring that our amazing historic downtown is preserved for future generations.  
 
Owners should carefully consider the pros and cons before replacing their historic home’s windows or siding. Historic wooden windows, if properly maintained, will last considerably longer than the 25–30 year shelf life of modern vinyl units, and, when appropriately retrofitted, can not only save energy, but money as well.  
 
To learn more, read about the benefits of repairing and retrofitting historic windows in the Preservation Green Lab report here. And, be sure to visit the HFFI table at this year’s Earth Day Celebration in Old Mill Park on Saturday April 12th.
 
If you have any questions about the city’s new permit requirements, please contact Erik Nelson at 372-1179 or enelson@fredericksburgva.org or Steve Smallwood at 372-1080 or sjsmallwood@fredericksburgva.org.

 

 

The next issue (Volume 14) of HFFI’s Journal of Fredericksburg History is scheduled to arrive, hot off the press, this Friday, March 21st!  Be sure to come to our Annual Meeting on Sunday, March 23rd to pick up your copy. 

This latest volume includes a Forward written by the co-chairs of HFFI’s Publications Committee, Kerri Barile and Carthon Davis, III, and an eclectic mix of interesting and scholarly articles by local authors and historians:

Be sure to pick up your copy on Sunday!