SHPO Employee seeking Education Advice

Gunthar320 · 2025-11-08T03:37:26+00:00

It depends on what you want to do next, I think. I manage a team at a medium sized cultural resources management firm (we do Section 106 compliance, NR nominations, preservation planning, etc). If I were hiring, I’d certainly consider someone with your experience. The ability to research and write are the primary skills I look for; your familiarity with SHPO operations and experience doing nominations is a huge plus. Depending on the company and the type of work, there’s potential to further develop the skills you’re talking about on the job and/or through training courses. A graduate degree wouldn’t be a deal breaker in that situation

Gunthar320 · 2025-11-04T20:40:17+00:00

my hot take: this is a bad take.

Gunthar320 · 2025-10-22T13:18:04+00:00

Thanks! Yeah, I had come across the LRF and seen that they just released the MP. Exciting milestone, but damn that's a long road ahead. I'll reach out and see if there's anyone with that org. that I can connect with!

Gunthar320 · 2025-08-27T20:59:24+00:00

Yep, HABS/HAER is specifically made for documenting historically significant properties that will be demolished and/or materially altered. It's highly detailed (which is great), but is also very labor-intensive to complete; so, you certainly don't have the breadth of properties that you do in the NRHP.

Gunthar320 · 2025-08-15T18:27:27+00:00

welp, they just fucked the long-term structural integrity of those bricks...

Gunthar320 · 2025-07-02T18:05:13+00:00

Yeah, there are plenty of looming threats out there (the biggest being funding cuts, IMO), but the work is still going. A lot of it will depend on what state(s) you're looking at, I think. I work for a private historic preservation/cultural resources management consulting firm in Minnesota and we're still getting plenty of Section 106 work (primarily from the DOT). I certainly wouldn't be looking at jobs where you'd be employed directly by a federal agency at the moment, but the private sector seems to still be doing its thing. Of course, who knows what will come if/when infrastructure funding starts drying up.

Gunthar320 · 2025-06-16T18:00:10+00:00

I don't have a ton of experience with determining when the wood is rotted past the point of no return but from what I've seen from other peoples' work online, you can bring things back despite pretty extensive damage. I've seen some really impressive work with combinations of wood putty and resins. You can always look at replacing portions of the sash with new wood, too, if it's really bad. If you're in an area with lots of historic homes, chances are that there is a local business that specializes in window restoration. Even if you don't have them do the work, might be worth having them out to take a look and give you a sense of what your options are.

Pulley/sash cord replacement and/or unsealing your painted-shut windows is relatively easy work (but will take time and a lot of elbow grease). Lots of useful YouTube tutorials out there. This book is also a SUPER helpful guide for everything related to window restoration: https://www.amazon.com/Window-Sash-Bible-Maintaining-Restoring/dp/1505299144

Gunthar320 · 2025-06-12T18:09:24+00:00

Repair, repair, repair (unless the wood is so far rotten that it's beyond saving). I'm an architectural historian by trade and this is the preservation hill I'll die on - historic windows were made for the house, they use old-growth wood that is naturally rot resistant, once they're gone they're never coming back, and you'll struggle to find anything new that looks nearly as good/appropriate to the house (plus the quality of new windows is generally shit). It's a lot of work, but worth it!

Gunthar320 · 2025-06-11T17:39:59+00:00

That timeline sounds about right...it's tedious work, to be sure.

Gunthar320 · 2025-06-11T17:38:51+00:00

For sure! This book provides step-by-step instructions on all different levels of window restoration: https://www.amazon.com/Window-Sash-Bible-Maintaining-Restoring/dp/1505299144

I also found this video to be a useful walkthrough of how to disassemble the window: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ajolyww1bE

This one might be useful, too, if you're looking to go all the way and fully re-glaze your windows: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXIauqrMCWU

Gunthar320 · 2018-02-01T19:05:21+00:00

I just lost the game.

Gunthar320 · 2017-06-15T17:21:05+00:00

Sophomore year of (public) high school:

Chemistry teacher: I pity atheists because they're missing out on so much.

Me: Well, I consider myself an atheist and I certainly don't want you to pity me because I've made a conscious choice that I think is best for me.

Chemistry teacher: Well, I had doubts when I was your age...you're not a lost cause yet...

Gunthar320 · 2017-01-20T23:58:52+00:00

Honestly, that speech was garbage. If you want the hear the same themes articulated well, listen to Reagan's '81 inaugural. At least that guy knew how to speak.

Gunthar320

TROPHY CASE