Happy Retreat Request for Qualifications

Historic Structures Report Underway

May 4, 2016 | Happy Retreat History, Historic Preservation, News & Announcements

The consulting firm of Maral Kalbian, LLC, of nearby Berryville, Virginia, has been hired to prepare a Historic Structure Report (HSR) on Happy Retreat. The National Park Service provides this description of a historic structure report, considered an essential first step in restoration:

A historic structure report provides documentary, graphic, and physical information about a property’s history and existing condition. Broadly recognized as an effective part of preservation planning, a historic structure report also addresses management or owner goals for the use or re-use of the property. It provides a thoughtfully considered argument for selecting the most appropriate approach to treatment, prior to the commencement of work, and outlines a scope of recommended work. The report serves as an important guide for all changes made to a historic property during a project-repair, rehabilitation, or restoration-and can also provide information for maintenance procedures. Finally, it records the findings of research and investigation, as well as the processes of physical work, for future researchers.

The HSR will provide the foundation to guide the restoration of Happy Retreat. Maral Kalbian is an architectural historian. She will be joined by Dennis Pogue, a member of the faculty of the University of Maryland and Ken Livingston, an architectural technician from Berryville. As a team, they have extensive experience in architectural history, archaeology and historic preservation. They have recently completed HSRs for Belle Grove Plantation, in Middletown, Virginia, and Clermont Farm, in Berryville. Their initial report will be completed this summer. The HSR will be ongoing. The first phase will focus on the house. The outbuildings will be addressed in a later phase.

The HSR will provide the foundation to guide the restoration of Happy Retreat. Maral Kalbian is an architectural historian. She will be joined by Dennis Pogue, a member of the faculty of the University of Maryland and Ken Livingston, an architectural technician from Berryville. As a team, they have extensive experience in architectural history, archaeology and historic preservation. They have recently completed HSRs for Belle Grove Plantation, in Middletown, Virginia, and Clermont Farm, in Berryville. Their initial report will be completed this summer. The HSR will be ongoing. The first phase will focus on the house. The outbuildings will be addressed in a later phase.