Neighborhood Group Hosting Preservation Workshops

For many Laramie residents, historic neighborhoods like the tree area and downtown represent the heart and heritage of the city. For the West Side League of Neighbors, learning the history of those neighborhoods and maintaining the architecture is critical to the look and feel of Laramie. That is why they have partnered with the Albany County Historic Preservation Board to host a series of three workshops to encourage homeowners to research and rehabilitate their historic properties.

The first workshop, "Is My House Historic?" will be held on Tuesday, August 28, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the gymnasium of the Lincoln Community Center at 365 West Grand Avenue. Participants will be introduced to the research resources available in Laramie. They will be able to learn more about when their house was built, who lived there, and what style it is in addition to getting a short history of Laramie and the West Side neighborhood.

A second workshop, "My Windows Leak!" will be held on Friday, September 14, from 7 to 9 p.m. with Kurt Dubbe, a preservation architect, focusing on common rehabilitation issues in older homes. Dubbe, who serves as a Wyoming advisor to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and as an advisory board member to the Alliance for Historic Wyoming, will be discussing repairing and replacing windows, fixing structural issues and options for exterior sheathing. Participants are encouraged to bring photographs of their historic homes and ask questions about problems they encounter.

The final workshop will be a walking tour with Dubbe on Saturday, September 15, starting at 10 a.m. Dubbe will lead an architectural rehabilitation walking tour of the West Side neighborhood, featuring properties considering or currently undertaking rehabilitation projects.

For more information, please contact workshop coordinator Carly-Ann Anderson at (307)214-7747. The West Side League of Neighbors was formed by West Side residents Gina Chavez and Wendi Chatman after they participated in an architectural survey of their neighborhood completed by Mary Humstone and the American Studies program at the University of Wyoming. These workshops have been made possible thanks to a Certified Local Government grant awarded to the Albany County Historical Preservation Board through the State of Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources, with support from the UW American Studies program.