FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 31, 2012) — The early-bird registration deadline has been extended through Sept. 7 for the 2012 Kentucky Historic Preservation Conference on Sept. 20-22, with educational sessions primarily in Princeton and other activities planned in Dawson Springs, Eddyville and Kuttawa.
Complete program and registration information is available at the conference website, www.kypreservationconference.org.
This year is the first time the biennial conference is taking place away from a major metropolitan region, and this regional approach is reflected in the theme “Our Towns: Partnering Regionally, Preserving Locally,” which emphasizes the need to focus local efforts in neighborhoods and communities while seeking opportunities to work together regionally for the economic benefit of all.
uest speakers will include Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Bill Cunningham, author of “On Bended Knees: The Night Rider Story,” “Castle: The Story of a Kentucky Prison” and other titles focusing on the region’s history; Art Jackson, Director of the Small Towns Economic Prosperity (STEPs) initiative for the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center Inc.; economist Donovan Rypkema, principal of PlaceEconomics in Washington, D.C., who will discuss his new report “Historic Preservation and Rightsizing”; and Jane Turville, writer, director and producer of the award-winning movie “The Greenest Building.”
Other highlights include:
— Sessions on best practices for preserving endangered historic sites, converting schools and other public buildings into affordable housing, preservation advocacy, grant writing and nonprofit management, form-based codes, revolving loan funds, Certified Local — Governments and local preservation ordinances, earthquake retrofitting, and brownfields redevelopment
— Resources for community and economic revitalization
— Educational sessions on the benefits of Cultural Arts Districts, creating a meaningful public education event, the Kentucky Trail Towns program, leveraging regional strategies for Main Street and more
— Hands-on demonstrations, preservation training, and business and product information at the Practical Preservation Showcase
Also included with registration for the Thursday-through-Saturday conference are an opening night reception on the grounds of a privately owned historic home, and lunch Friday and Saturday. Additional ticketed activities include:
— A training workshop for real estate professionals on historic preservation and how to best market historic properties
— Extended tracks on the Civil War, cemetery preservation and Preservation 101
— Regional tours: Discover Dawson Springs, Mantle Rock Archaeological Tour, Barn — Tour of Livingston and Crittenden Counties, and a Land of Lakes Tour, including a guided tour through the Kentucky State Penitentiary, known as the “Castle on the Cumberland”
— Fish fry with a musical performance by Princeton’s own Eddie Pennington, widely recognized as one of the greatest living thumbstyle guitarists, followed by a showing of “The Greenest Building” and a discussion with the filmmaker and Rypkema, with proceeds benefitting Preservation Kentucky
Conference co-sponsors are the Kentucky Heritage Council/State Historic Preservation Office and Preservation Kentucky Inc., with presenting sponsors the city of Princeton, Princeton Main Street/Renaissance on Main, Princeton Tourism Commission, Lyon County Tourism, and the Dawson Springs Main Street and Preservation Program, with assistance from many other local organizations.
“We look forward to showcasing historic sites in Caldwell, Hopkins and Lyon counties as well as the natural beauty of the region,” said Lindy Casebier, acting executive director, Kentucky Heritage Council. “With so many dynamic speakers and activities packed into three days, I encourage those interested in preservation and its direct impact on economic development to attend this conference. This will provide an excellent opportunity for participants to educate themselves on the advantage of local historic assets, explore regional partnerships, share successes, and come away with a whole new toolbox of information and resources.”
“What better place to hold this conference than the Princeton and Dawson Springs Lakes region?” said Rachel Kennedy, executive director, Preservation Kentucky. “The range of historic, prehistoric and natural resources is really inspiring to me, as I know it will be to you as well. This approach also represents an effort to bring education and training activities to portions of our beautiful state that have been historically underserved. Regardless, I hope Kentuckians from east, west, north, central and south will attend and benefit from sessions that spotlight economic development possible through historic preservation, as well as hands-on training opportunities that can translate into preservation jobs.”
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