Special to 1812Blockhouse
Richland Preservation Action Group of the Richland County Historical Society and the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office will sponsor a Building Doctor Clinic for old-building owners in Mansfield on September 16 and 17.
The clinic features Building Doctors Mariangela Pfister and Kristen Koehlinger of the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office. It begins with a free seminar on Thursday evening, September 16, from 7-9 PM at the Oak Hill Carriage House, 310 Springmill Street in Mansfield. The seminar is open to the public and will feature guidelines for renovation projects and ways to solve some of the most common problems of buildings dating from 1800 to 1955.
On Friday, September 17 from 9 AM to noon, the Building Doctors will visit pre-1955 buildings within five miles of downtown Mansfield, advising owners on specific technical problems by appointment. The “doctors” examine all kinds of older buildings. Some of the things that typically call for an on-site examination include persistent peeling paint or flaking plaster, a wet basement or deteriorating masonry and plans for additions.
Due to the evolving status of COVID-19 in Ohio, to keep visits safe the Building Doctors will inspect only exterior problems, though as many old house owners know, many problems start on the outside and work their way in.
Pfister has been with the State Preservation Office for more than 30 years. She heads the Technical Services department, which reviews applications for federal and state rehabilitation tax credits, works with the Building Doctor program, works with grant applicants, and answers questions about the care and maintenance of older buildings. Pfister has a master’s degree in history from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree in history, English, and secondary education from Capital University.
Koehlinger joined the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office in 2019 as a project reviews manager. She holds a master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Purdue University and a bachelor’s degree in environmental design, with an architecture emphasis, from Ball State University. She previously worked almost 20 years as a structural engineer designing bridges and buildings, but her favorite projects involved historic properties, prompting her return to school at Eastern Michigan University where she received her second master’s degree in historic preservation.
The seminar and on-site consultations are free with advance registration. To register, visit building-doctor.org or call 800-499-2470 or 614-298-2000. For more information, contact
Julie Rohl of the Richland Preservation Action Group of Richland County Historical Society at 330-203-8175 or [email protected].
The Building Doctor program is made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office. Each clinic is made possible by support from local cosponsors, as well.
The Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office is Ohio’s official historic preservation agency. It identifies historic places in Ohio, nominates properties to the National Register of Historic Places, reviews federally-assisted projects for effects on historic, architectural and archaeological resources in Ohio, consults on conservation of older buildings and sites and offers educational programs and publications.
