WORKSHOPS
Upcoming Workshops
Sponsored in part by
Title
Date / Time
From Advocacy to Adaptive-Use: Saving Sleeping Bear Heritage
Join in the journey of a community grassroots group sounding an alarm, to becoming an official park partner of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, impacting the destiny of over 300 national park historic structures and landscapes. We will explore an overview of the rich heritage within the bounds of Sleeping Bear and the shifting sands from demolition to preservation. Four focus areas will be highlighted: the Port Oneida Rural Historic District including saving a barn and the beavers; the challenges of preserving the Katie Shepard Hotel on North Manitou Island, and adaptive-reuse. These projects will illustrate the diversity of preservation efforts, and what the future in the Lakeshore may look like.
Susan has been with Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear since 2000, becoming Executive Director in the fall of 2007. She has guided the official national park partner from its inception, through two strategic plans, fundraising for and overseeing program management for dozens of preservation projects, historic interpretive programs and exhibits, and adaptive use plans for historic buildings. Susan graduated with honors from Michigan State University with a degree in Parks and Recreation Administration and did her internship in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Her dedicated career helping several nonprofit organizations include positions in Development with Greenhills School in Ann Arbor, and Grander View; and was the first Director of Leelanau Enrichment Programs for six years at the Leelanau Center for Education.
February 27, 2025
1 PM ET
Historic Union Church Building: How A Small Community came together to save a Historically Significant Church Building listed on the National Register of Historic Places
A pre-Civil War Church Building, in rural (South) Berrien Center, Michigan, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was in danger of being considered for demolition. The Local Building Official and neighborhood Architect along with a few Berrien Township Officials decided a fair assessment of the building was necessary. What started as something small became a project to save the building for future generations.
James P. Furkis, AIA, NCARB, LEED GA is a sole practitioner Architect DBA Furkis Architectural Consulting (FAC). FAC is a full-service Architecture Firm and Consulting Firm located in Berrien Center, Michigan. He is a Registered (Licensed) Architect in Michigan, Indiana, and Iowa. He also is a Qualified Historic Architect by The Historic Preservation Office in the State of Michigan and is a Qualified Historic Architect by the Indiana DNR Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. Since earning a Bachelor and Master of Architecture Degree from the University of Detroit Mercy, 2000 and 2002, he has over 25 years of experience working at Architecture Firms in Indiana, Michigan, and Iowa. He has worked on building projects of diverse types and sizes including Additions, Renovations, Restorations, and New Construction including Historic and/ or Old Buildings and Houses. Since 2014, he has taught as an Adjunct Instructor in the Construction Technology Program at Southwestern Michigan College.
March 20, 2025
1 PM ET
Practical Preservation Workshops
These workshops are designed to educate historic home owners and commercial building owners on the benefits of historic preservation. The participants will gain a profound understanding of restoration techniques and methods, at the same time, discovering invaluable ways to save money.
Workshop participants will gain the knowledge and skills they need to perform masterful restorations as well as a greater appreciation for the cost-effectiveness of historic preservation.
- Don’t pass up the opportunity to learn the valuable trades of:
- Building Assessment 101
- General Maintenance for Historic Buildings
- Masonry Maintenance and Repair
- Plaster and Stucco Repair
- Porch Repair
- Weatherization
- Window Restoration and Repair
Understanding Preservation Practices
- Historic Preservation can be confusing.
- What do designations mean?
- How do I research my historic property?
- Are there incentives to rehab and preserve?
- Understanding Historic Designations
- Researching Your Historic Building
- Preservation Incentives For Nonprofits and Communities
Realtor Education Workshop
Join the Michigan Historic Preservation Network for this workshop to equip Realtors and real estate professionals with tools to help market and sell older homes. Learn how to communicate the value of owning a historic property to your clientele!
Continuing Education: The workshop offers two elective CE credit hours.
- Topics include:
- Different Types of Historic Designation
- Historic Districts and Property Values
- Current Market Trends
- Identifying Historic Architectural Styles
- Researching Historic Information
- Marketing Historic Buildings
For more information, please call us at 517.371.8080
or e-mail us at Info@mhpn.org