2023-2024 Course Catalog
Summer 2024 Offerings
Field Study: Cultural Landscapes and Environmental Challenges at Red Bank Battlefield Park
One-day workshop, Saturday, June 8th, 2024 | Credit/no credit | .5 CEU
The James and Ann Whitall House at Red Bank Battlefield Park, 100 Hessian Ave, National Park, NJ 08063
Saturday, June 8, 2024 from 10 AM – 4 PM.
Using Red Bank Battlefield Park as a case study, this workshop will examine the long history of a cultural landscape from its Indigenous use to the modern day. The workshop will use as its foundation the work of geographer Pierce Lewis, who argued, “all human landscape has cultural meaning, no matter how ordinary it may be…. Our human landscape is our unwitting autobiography, reflecting our tastes, our values, and even our fears, in tangible, visible form.” (Lewis, Axioms for Reading the Landscape, 1970).
The workshop will prompt participants to physically explore the park’s landscape–from beach to bluff–centering discussion on how the landscape has changed over time and the challenges of preserving this historic landscape. The park faces an increasingly alarming battle with the rising waters of the Delaware River and intense storms that shorten the life of our historic roof while the erosion of our trenches threatens to expose historic burials. We will explore how this landscape has changed over time, historic strategies Gloucester County has used to mitigate environmental threats, and what the future holds for site interpretation after the discovery of a mass grave in 2022.
Red Bank Battlefield Park is a multicomponent site. In 1748, Quakers James and Ann Whitall established their home on the Delaware River. However, the site saw Indigenous use for thousands of years prior to the Whitall’s arrival. Today, the park is remembered as the home of the Whitall family and Fort Mercer. Constructed in 1777 to defend Philadelphia, Fort Mercer dominated the Whitall’s 400-acre property. The Battle of Red Bank on October 22, 1777 saw a tremendous loss of human life the Hessians experienced in the Revolution. The Whitall’s farm served as a mass grave with upwards of 100 individuals buried throughout the property. In 1906, after years of neglect, and thanks to the efforts of the Gloucester County Historical Society, Red Bank Battlefield became a part of the Gloucester County Parks system. Every year 200,000 people visit the park to enjoy the scenic walkways, celebrate family and work events, and learn some history.
Cost: $85
About the Instructor:
Jen Janofsky, Ph.D. is a Professor of Public History at Rowan University and the Director of Red Bank Battlefield Park. She is the co-director of the Red Bank Battlefield Archaeology Project. She has been a practicing public historian for over 20 years prioritizing community engagement and the production of accessible history.
Spring 2024 Offerings
Materials & Techniques of Preservation
10-week class | credit/no credit | 2 CEUs
In-person at Rutgers University, Camden – Writer’s House, 305 Cooper St. Camden, NJ 08102
Tuesday, February 6, 2024 – Tuesday, April 9, 2024 from 6:30 – 8:30 PM.
This course offers an overview of different materials commonly used in our region and the techniques for their repair. Repairing existing regional materials not only maintains historic aesthetics, but preservation also reduces demands on natural resources from a sustainability standpoint. Materials to be examined are: masonry (stone, brick, concrete, terra cotta, mortar), wood, finishes, plaster, and metals. The class will discuss techniques utilized to read historic evidence in buildings and provide an introduction to the NJ Rehabilitation subcode.
Tuition: $275
About the instructor:
Bob Russell is a partner in the Princeton-area firm Holt Morgan Russell Architects. He has over thirty years of experience and has carried out historic preservation projects at such notable sites as Drumthwacket, Craftsman Farms, Allaire Village, and High Point Monument. He and his firm have also done significant work at the Princeton and Rutgers University campuses, particularly in the restoration of old buildings. He has taught in the Drew University Historic Preservation program.
Introduction to Archaeology in Historic Preservation
10-week class | credit/no credit | 2 CEUs
Online via Zoom and Canvas (Rutgers course management system)
Wednesday, February 21st, 2024 – Wednesday, April 24, 2024; live online from 7:00 – 9:00 PM
This course will provide an accessible introduction to archaeological methods and theory and will encourage students to consider archaeology’s role in historic preservation. Students will explore case studies which have contributed to the development of the discipline as it is currently practiced as well as the federal law which protects archaeological sites. Current events and technologies will also be discussed, including the impact of climate change and resulting sustainability treatments on historic sites and their relationship with archaeological investigation.
Required technology: Computer with webcam and microphone and a reliable internet connection.
Tuition: $275
About the instructor:
Alexis Alemy is a Historic Preservation Specialist with the New Jersey Historic Trust, serving as the Trust’s staff Archaeologist and assisting with the administration of the Trust’s grant programs, which allocate matching funds to non-profit organizations and municipalities toward historic preservation projects. Prior to joining the Trust she had been employed in cultural resource management as an archaeologist for nearly a decade. Partnering with a colleague, she recently launched a virtual course on Archaeology in Early Childhood through Kodo Kids. She is a board member for the Archaeological Society of New Jersey.
Fall 2024 Offerings
Introduction to Historic Preservation
10-week class | credit/no credit | 2 CEUs
Online via Zoom and Canvas (Rutgers course management system)
Tuesday, September 5, 2023 – Tuesday, November 14, 2023; live online from 7:00 – 8:00 PM
This course is an introduction to the preservation of the built environment, examining the history and philosophy of historic preservation as well as how the discipline is practiced today. It will provide the historic framework of how preservation has emerged as a field of specialization and will expose students to the terminology used by its practitioners. At the end of this course, you should understand,
- the key concepts that have informed and continue to guide modern preservation practice in the United States
- the core programs and terms used in preservation practice;
- that historic preservation is a multi-disciplinary field and the roles that various professions and perspectives play in achieving preservation outcomes;
- how preservation in the United States relates to preservation in other parts of the world.
**This course is required to earn the Continuing Education Certificate in Historic Preservation**
Required book: Tyler, Norman. Historic Preservation: An Introduction to its History, Principles, and Practice. 3rd Edition. New York: WW Norton Company, 2018.
Required technology: Computer with webcam and microphone and a reliable internet connection.
Tuition: $275
About the instructor:
Jennifer Boggs is a historic preservation specialist who has practiced primarily in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She holds an M.A. in the History of Art and Archaeology from the Institute of Fine Arts, NYU, and an M.S. in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania.
Preservation Planning
10-week class | credit/no credit | 2 CEUs
Online via Zoom and Canvas (Rutgers course management system)
Wednesday, September 13, 2023 – Wednesday, November 15, 2023; live online from 6:30 – 8:30 PM.
This course provides an overview of urban planning as it relates to the preservation field, emphasizing the history of planning, planning processes, land use laws in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and economic development best practices at the municipal level. Students will learn through lectures, hands-on activities, and at-home assignments. At the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Begin to interpret a zoning notice letter
- Identify land use regulations that affect historic places, structures, or sites
- Understand the impact of historic planning practices
- Attend and understand a meeting held by the local Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Adjustment, or Historic Preservation Commission
This course will provide an introduction for those who are new to planning or who are curious about the intersection of planning and preservation, such as historic property board members, volunteers, or managers; local government elected officials or review board representatives; property owners on a historic site or in a historic district; and anyone who wants to learn more about preservation from a planning perspective.
**The course fulfills a requirement for the continuing education certificate in historic preservation.**
Required technology: Computer with webcam and microphone and a reliable internet connection.
Tuition: $275
About the instructor:
Meredith Johnson is a city planner and historic preservationist who has practiced in Texas, Washington State, and Pennsylvania. She has teaching experience with Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania. Johnson holds a BS in Urban & Regional Planning from Texas State University and an MA in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania.
With over a decade of experience in the field of urban planning and preservation, Meredith has established herself as a highly skilled professional in both the public and private sectors across the nation. In 2019, she took a significant step in her career by founding Johnson Planning & Preservation, LLC.
Throughout her career, Meredith has gained a diverse range of expertise, spanning from public policy to development. Her areas of focus include compliance reviews, education, and construction management. She possesses a unique specialization in form-based codes and nontraditional policy solutions, which she employs to promote equitable preservation.
Beyond her consulting work, Meredith also contributes to academia as an adjunct professor of planning and preservation policy at Temple and Rutgers Universities. Her role as an educator allows her to share her wealth of knowledge and practical experience with aspiring professionals in the field.
Meredith’s dedication to urban planning and preservation is evident in her extensive experience, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to academia. Her multidimensional background equips her with the skills necessary to tackle complex challenges and create innovative solutions that contribute to the sustainable development and equitable preservation of communities.
Cemeteries and Historic Preservation
One-day workshop, Saturday, September 30, 2023 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Credit/no credit | .7 CEU
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 188 Rector Street in Perth Amboy, NJ 08861
Through a combination of classroom instruction and on-site investigation, participants will learn about New Jersey’s cemeteries and their historical context, as well as how to assess a cemetery’s preservation needs and possible treatments. This one-day workshop will take place in at St. Peters Episcopal Church, 188 Rector Street in Perth Amboy, NJ 08861 and will be led by experts in New Jersey cemetery history, conservation, and ground-penetrating radar (GPR).
This workshop is generously co-sponsored by Middlesex County. Thank you!
Presenters: Mark Nonestied, Richard F. Veit, Dennis Montagna, Joseph Ferrannini, Ken Braswell, and staff from Richard Grubb & Associates.
Cost: $85 (includes refreshments)
Attendance policy: You do not need to be pursuing the Certificate in Historic Preservation to take this workshop. However, participants must attend the entirety of the workshop for their participation to count toward the Certificate and to receive CEUs.
Wood Doors and Shutters Restoration
Half-day workshop, Saturday, November 11, 2023 from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM| Credit/no credit | .4 CEU
In-person at Ohio House in West Fairmount Park, Philadelphia
Senior staff from the building conservation team at the Fairmount Park Conservancy will share best practices for restoring and maintaining traditional wood doors and shutters. Anatomy of door and shutter components, door weatherization, traditional hardware maintenance and restoration, product recommendations, and how-to demonstrations will be shared from the viewpoint of preservation trades professionals. This workshop is meant to add clarity to materials and design as well as outline the basic process and materials needed for some common repairs. Audience: preservation students, design professionals, Historic Architecture Review Board members, contractors and old house owners. This workshop will also prove helpful to anyone evaluating restoration contractors for door or shutter repair.
This workshop is offered in partnership with Fairmount Park Conservancy. Thank you!
Cost: $55 (includes refreshments)
Attendance policy: You do not need to be pursuing the Certificate in Historic Preservation to take this workshop. However, participants must attend the entirety of the workshop for their participation to count toward the Certificate and to receive CEUs.
About the Presenters:
Tom McPoSyle joined the Fairmount Park Conservancy in 2006, excited to join a team where his love of preservation intertwined with his passion for art and the outdoors. As director of the Conservancy’s building conservation program since 2018, Tom values the holistic approach taken by the Fairmount Park Conservancy in historic preservation. Building conservation, capital project management, event programming and adaptive reuse programs administered by FPC work together to preserve and give new relevance to the historic sites in the park. Tom brings over 20 years of conservation experience to his role at the Conservancy. He has also been teaching preservation workshops to the community for over a decade and hopes to make preservation ideas and techniques more accessible to all Philadelphians. Tom was raised in central PA where he started his career in preservation working with a firm that specialized in historic decorative surfaces. He has a sculpture background and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Delaware. He enjoys working on his mid-19th century farmhouse, going on camping excursions and walking the nature trails in the Wissahickon Valley.
Andrew Staples started working with the Conservancy in 2016 through the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s preservation apprenticeship program. Prior to joining the Conservancy, he spent five years working as a contractor in his father’s plumbing and heating business. Having been brought up around the trades, he developed a life-long interest in the history of building techniques and construction. Andrew is thrilled for the opportunity to work with Fairmount Park Conservancy’s talented conservation team on some of the city’s oldest buildings. He especially enjoys having the opportunity to directly engage with the work of earlier craftspeople. Andrew holds an MA in Archaeology of Buildings from the University of York in the UK.
Summer 2024 Offerings
Field Study: Cultural Landscapes and Environmental Challenges at Red Bank Battlefield Park
One-day workshop, Saturday, June 8th, 2024 from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Credit/no credit | .5 CEU
The James and Ann Whitall House at Red Bank Battlefield Park, 100 Hessian Ave, National Park, NJ 08063
Using Red Bank Battlefield Park as a case study, this workshop will examine the long history of a cultural landscape from its Indigenous use to the modern day. The workshop will use as its foundation the work of geographer Pierce Lewis, who argued, “all human landscape has cultural meaning, no matter how ordinary it may be…. Our human landscape is our unwitting autobiography, reflecting our tastes, our values, and even our fears, in tangible, visible form.” (Lewis, Axioms for Reading the Landscape, 1970).
The workshop will prompt participants to physically explore the park’s landscape–from beach to bluff–centering discussion on how the landscape has changed over time and the challenges of preserving this historic landscape. The park faces an increasingly alarming battle with the rising waters of the Delaware River and intense storms that shorten the life of our historic roof while the erosion of our trenches threatens to expose historic burials. We will explore how this landscape has changed over time, historic strategies Gloucester County has used to mitigate environmental threats, and what the future holds for site interpretation after the discovery of a mass grave in 2022.
Red Bank Battlefield Park is a multicomponent site. In 1748, Quakers James and Ann Whitall established their home on the Delaware River. However, the site saw Indigenous use for thousands of years prior to the Whitall’s arrival. Today, the park is remembered as the home of the Whitall family and Fort Mercer. Constructed in 1777 to defend Philadelphia, Fort Mercer dominated the Whitall’s 400-acre property. The Battle of Red Bank on October 22, 1777 saw a tremendous loss of human life the Hessians experienced in the Revolution. The Whitall’s farm served as a mass grave with upwards of 100 individuals buried throughout the property. In 1906, after years of neglect, and thanks to the efforts of the Gloucester County Historical Society, Red Bank Battlefield became a part of the Gloucester County Parks system. Every year 200,000 people visit the park to enjoy the scenic walkways, celebrate family and work events, and learn some history.
Cost: $85 (includes light breakfast – please bring your own lunch!)
Attendance policy: You do not need to be pursuing the Certificate in Historic Preservation to take this workshop. However, participants must attend the entirety of the workshop for their participation to count toward the Certificate and to receive CEUs.
About the Presenters:
Jen Janofsky, Ph.D. is a Professor of Public History at Rowan University and the Director of Red Bank Battlefield Park. She is the co-director of the Red Bank Battlefield Archaeology Project. She has been a practicing public historian for over 20 years prioritizing community engagement and the production of accessible history.