2012 Summer Speaker Series

The Historic Indian Agency House at Fort Winnebago will host their third annual lecture series this summer, with one lecture a month from June to September. The series, entitled “Saving the Structures that Tell Our Story: The Impact and Importance of Historic Preservation,” will explore the whys and hows of historic building preservation, particularly appropriate in light of the ongoing restorative work now taking place on the 1832 Indian Agency House.
 
Each installment of this 4-part speaker series will be held on the final Tuesday of each month at 6:30PM.
For the third year in a row, this speaker series is free to the public and made largely possible by generous grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the City of Portage Historic Preservation Commission and the Great Circle Foundation Inc. of East Northport, with additional financial support provided by Forever Yours Jewelry of Portage.
 
The first of the 2012 series will take place Tuesday, June 26. At this time, Peter Rott, Preservation Architect and head of the Historic Indian Agency House Restoration and Stabilization project, will discuss the ongoing efforts to preserve the 1832 Fort Winnebago Indian Agency. 
 
Besides detailing the many and fascinating aspects of this particular project and addressing the overall stewardship of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America (owners of the HIAH site), Rott will attempt to put the Agency House efforts into the wider context of preservation practices and thought in America today. Historic preservation is a changing field and often an arena for public debate—what is worth saving and how do we fund these projects? 
 
Rott has extensive educational and professional experience in the field of historic preservation, including maintaining an active role in the ongoing conservation of the architecture of Wisconsin native Frank Lloyd Wright. The firm at which he works, Isthmus Architecture, was hired by the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of Wisconsin in 2010 to oversee the restoration of the 1832 Historic Indian Agency House, and Peter has been at the capable helm of this intriguing project ever since.
 
Installments two through four of the series will focus on a range of preservation-related topics, from July’s spotlight on the environmental and economic benefits of historic preservation practices (led by nationally renowned preservation expert Michael Jackson, now serving as the Chief Architect of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency); to August’s focus on tax credits available to private home and business owners (to be presented by Jen Davel, Senior Preservation Architect with the Wisconsin Historical Society); to an informative September presentation and discussion by Jen’s colleague and fellow Senior Preservation Architect Mark Buechel to close the series with the “Top 10 Way to Mess Up Your Historic Home.”  
 
The museum and visitor’s center exhibits, always free to the public, will be open 5PM until the lecture begins at 6:30.  Take this opportunity to catch one of 2012’s Restoration Tours—exclusive to this season! Trained guides will be available to tell the story of the Historic Indian Agency House site, including tours of the Native American encampment and prairie garden, and a hands-on discussion of the ongoing restoration efforts, including actual artifacts found during the excavation phases of the project. (Minimal fee applies; free for Supporters members). Light refreshments will be provided for lecture guests.
 
The Historic Indian Agency House hosts a variety of children’s and adult programming throughout the year, including book-your-own Scout workshops! Visit www.agencyhouse.org for a full listing of events, or call 608-742-6362 with any questions. 
 
 
PICTURE CAPTION: Preservation Architect Peter Rott, of Madison firm Isthmus Architecture, kicks off the 2012 Historic Indian Agency House Summer Speaker Series with a discussion of the HIAH Restoration project and a broader view of the status of historic preservation in America.
 
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