2022 December Preservation ePost

Join Our Leadership Team!

After a tenure of exceptional service as California’s Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer and Tribal Liaison, Jenan Saunders will be embarking next month on a well-deserved retirement. She will be missed as we wish her well! More about Jenan’s time with the OHP will be shared in the January issue.

As such, the California State Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) seeks an exemplary preservation professional to join our office in the position of Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, serving also as the office's Tribal Liaison. Preference will be given to candidates who meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards.

Qualities being sought include among others, the ability to plan, organize, and direct the work of multidisciplinary professional and administrative staff; integrate the activities of a diverse program to attain common goals; and develop cooperative working relationships with representatives of all levels of government and the public.

Full details and application instructions are at:

Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer-CEA(A)

Final Filing Date: December 22, 2022

Free Webinar Series Draws to a Close

The webinar series Home, Safe Home: Seismic Safety and Rehabilitating Historic Homes concludes with the December 15 session, "The Nuts and Bolts of Retrofits." This final session will address lessons learned from case studies, how to navigate local permitting and approval processes, and how to select, budget for, and work with qualified architects, consultants, and contractors.

The Home, Safe Home webinar series has been offered free by the Office of Historic Preservation through a grant from FEMA and in partnership with the California Preservation Foundation, Page & Turnbull, Structural Focus, and Melvyn Green & Associates.

Please join us on December 15, beginning at 5pm, for this final, informative session! If you missed any of the previous sessions, you can view the videos and download supplementary materials via the OHP Webinar Archives page.

New NEH Initiative and Funding Opportunity

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announces a new initiative, American Tapestry: Weaving Together Past, Present, and Future that will further NEH’s longstanding commitment to support Tribal Nations, community colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and other minority-serving institutions, as outlined in NEH’s Equity Action Plan. According to the NEH, American Tapestry “will build capacity at museums, libraries, archives, historic sites, cultural centers, and colleges and universities, benefitting more communities while amplifying the untold stories of historically underrepresented groups.” The initiative will also promote climate resilience and humanities research into the human, cultural, and historical impacts of climate change.

The American Tapestry initiative encompasses newly launched NEH grant programs that explore three themes: “Strengthening Our Democracy,” “Advancing Equity for All,” and “Addressing Our Changing Climate.” Visit the American Tapestry webpage to learn more about the program and its funding opportunities.

(Image courtesy of the NEH)

December Deadlines for Preservation Funding

African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund grants support the preservation of sites, museums, and landscapes representing African American cultural heritage.

(National Trust for Historic Preservation)

Letters of Intent due December 19, 2022.

Conserving Black Modernism grants support the preservation of modern architectural works by Black architects and designers.

(National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Getty Institute)

Letters of Intent due December 19, 2022.

Save America's Treasures Grant Program provides grants to support the preservation of historic properties and collections.

(National Park Service/National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities/Institute for Museum and Library Services)

Application deadline: December 20, 2022.

Hometown Grants help small communities (50,000 or less population) build, restore, or revitalize community spaces and buildings that help residents connect as a community. Grants are awarded quarterly.

(T-Mobile/Main Street America/Smart Growth America)

Application deadline for this quarter: December 31, 2022.

The next grant cycle will open in January 2023.

Coming up: California Humanities offers grants to support projects and efforts to educate about and preserve California's diverse cultural heritage.

Application deadlines range from January to November 2023.

(Photos courtesy of NTHP, NPS, Main Street America, Cal Humanities)

Changing Faces at the OHP

As 2022 comes to an end, we are noting some changes to staff here at the OHP.

This month we bid farewell to a valued member of our team, Jeffrey Delsescaux of our Archaeology and Environmental Compliance Unit. During his years with the OHP, Jeffrey was invaluable as a Section 106 project reviewer, working with federal agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, among others. Jeffrey will be taking up new assignments with the Cultural Resources Division of California State Parks, including some opportunities to focus on marine archaeology in the Sea Level Rise Adaptation Program. We will greatly miss Jeffrey’s professionalism and expertise as well as his friendly good humor and team spirit. We wish him the very best in his exciting new ventures!

December also finds us saying hello to two new members of the OHP team.

Aubrie Morlet takes up the position of Supervisor, Architectural Review and Environmental Compliance Unit. Aubrie’s experience includes a decade working as an architectural historian in the Cultural Resource Management field, and four years as historian for Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, California. Most recently she worked as lead for the Caltrans District 6 Cultural Resources Branch, overseeing technical studies for Section 106 and PRC 5024 compliance. Outside of work, Aubrie enjoys time with her granddaughters, and camping with her pugs.

Monica Newman joins the OHP in the role of Executive Secretary. Monica is new to State service but not to the busy day to day demands of office administration. For over a decade prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her husband ran a construction business with Monica managing all in-office responsibilities while her husband oversaw field operations. We look forward to Monica bringing her administrative talents to the OHP front office! When not working, Monica and her husband enjoy spending time with their two active teenage sons.

Welcome to the OHP, Aubrie and Monica!

Designating California!

As California settles into its winter season, we take a look at a Modern version of a Swiss Chalet, perched high above Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Mountain Station is located at an elevation of 8,516 feet within the boundaries of Mt. San Jacinto State Park. It is the upper portion of a tram system inaugurated in 1963. The Mountain Station is based on a Swiss chalet, with angled wings with sloping roofs and large windows to take in views. The building with its wings and outdoor terraces is fitted to the topography. The lower base of the building, including the tower that contains the tram’s mechanical equipment and receives the tramway cars, is constructed of reinforced concrete. The portion of the building above the concrete base is made primarily of wood and glass.

The Mountain Station is the work of master architect E. Stewart Williams and reflects his mature approach to commercial architectural design. William's architectural impact in the Coachella Valley is revealed in the sheer number of his built projects, in the prominence of some of his buildings, and in the respect for his work by scholars and architectural aficionados drawn to the region to celebrate his design legacy. The work of E. Stewart Williams helped define desert modernism by successfully uniting the warmth of natural materials with the precision of International Style Modernism in building designs devoted to client needs while tailored to the local setting.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Mountain Station retains historic and architectural integrity embodied in the distinctive characteristics of mid-century commercial architecture. The building achieved listing on the National Register of Historic Places in December 2016, under the Architecture of E. Stewart Williams Multiple Property Submission.

Photo courtesy of Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

State Historical Resources Commission

The SHRC meets quarterly each year. Commission meetings are open to the public and live-streamed through the Cal-Span network. Meeting dates, times, and agendas are posted to the SHRC Meeting Schedule and Notices page of the OHP website.

For upcoming nominations, visit the Pending Nominations page. Nominations already heard by the Commission are listed on the Actions Taken page, and video recordings of SHRC meetings are posted to the Meeting Recordings & Summaries page.

Learn more about the responsibilities and role of the SHRC.

News, Education, & More

Three-Part Holiday Series from the CPF

The California Preservation Foundation (CPF) is offering a free webinar series this month: EnLIGHTenment, Illusion, and Inspiration: A Three-Part CPF Holiday Series on Renewal. Sessions take place from 10-11 a.m. on December 6, 13, and 15, and focus on topics such as Architecture and Stagecraft, Enlivening Historic Sites in Holiday Lights, and more. Registration is required and donations are welcome!

Graduate Fellowships with Latinos in Heritage Conservation

Latinos in Heritage Conservation (LHC) is offering three paid graduate fellowship positions, each focusing on different specialities: GIS Research, Community Outreach, and Education. LHC is dedicated to preserving Latinix historic sites and culture throughout the U.S. Register for a free fellowship information webinar on December 14, 2022.

California Main Street Seeking Conference Proposals

California Main Street (CAMS) is accepting proposals for their 2023 annual conference to be held in-person February 21-23 in Oceanside, California. Conference themes include commercial revitalization, housing, promotion strategies, and other topics guided by the Main Street Approach.

Deadline to submit session proposals: December 15, 2022.

Tompkins Fellowship - Summer 2023

The Sally Kress Tompkins Fellowship, a joint program of the Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) and the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), permits a graduate student in architectural history or a related field to work on a 12-week HABS history project during the summer. The Fellow will conduct research on a nationally significant U.S. building or site, and will prepare a written history to become part of the permanent HABS collection. A $12,000 stipend is included and attendance at the SAH Annual Meeting is also covered.

Application Deadline: December 31, 2022.

CPF 2023 Preservation Awards Accepting Nominations

The California Preservation Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2023 Preservation Design Awards, recognizing excellence in historic preservation.

Nomination Deadline: January 27, 2023.

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