What's New - Fall 2005

PRESIDENT CHARISSA WANG DURST GETS MARRIED

After 20 years, Charissa Wang and Don Durst finally got married on July 1, 2005, at the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio. They first met in the fall of 1984 in art class, drawing, of all things, naked men! They did not actually converse with each other until the fall of 1985, when they ended up in the same architecture studio at the University of Maryland.

Charissa and Don founded Hardlines: Design & Delineation in 1990 and incorporated the firm in 2000 under the present name, Hardlines Design Company. Don now works as an architect for the State of Ohio, which meant that both their livelihoods were not dependent upon the same entity.

After the ceremony, Charissa and Don honeymooned in Maine, visiting Bar Harbor, Camden, and Portland, as well as spending three days on the schooner Grace Bailey. They finished the trip with three days in Boston. Charissa is currently in the process of revising 15 years of government paperwork to reflect her name change to Charissa W. Durst.

HDC RECEIVES COMMENDATION FROM ODOT!

HDC recently completed the Phase III Data Recovery of the Possum Hollow site in Clermont County, Ohio. The report was finalized earlier this year and highly regarded by the client. John P. Schweikart of ODOT's Office of Environmental Services wrote: "In sum, it is the opinion of this office that on the whole, this Phase III report is a comprehensive, well organized, and well edited document. Furthermore, this report stands out due to its superb consideration of the geomorphology of the site as well as its exceptionally high-quality artifact photographs and excellent figures overall."

HDC COMPLETES HIGH PROFILE PROJECT AT EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE

HDC recently completed a sensitive preservation planning project to support the Air Force's largest housing privatization project at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The project would impact 14 buildings in the Camp Pinchot Historic District, one of the U.S. Forest Service's earliest and most intact complexes, which was first constructed in the early 1900s soon after the agency's establishment under Theodore Roosevelt.

HDC worked with the Air Force, National Park Service, Florida State Historic Preservation Office, Florida Historical Trust, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation to prepare a comprehensive study to examine the possible reuses and their cost implications. Frederick P. Gaske, Florida State Historic Preservation Officer, hailed the report as containing "extremely valuable documentation and recommendations regarding the potential adaptive reuse alternatives for Camp Pinchot."

HDC FINISHES FIELDWORK AT THE SHAKER SITE

In June 2005, HDC finished fieldwork for the excavation and data recovery of the North Family Lot of Union Village, Ohio, which is a portion of a once-thriving community of Shakers. Union Village began as a Shaker community in 1805 and grew rapidly through the 1830s to a large settlement on approximately 4,500 acres of land, with up to 600 people living at nine separate family lots. Besides being a spiritual center for Shakers, Union Village was also a center of craft production. Some of the various products manufactured at Union Village include hats, pottery, baskets, brooms, furniture, mats, textiles, and pharmaceuticals.

HDC first completed remote sensing of the site using both a fluxgate gradiometer and magnetic resonance imaging. HDC then proceeded to expose structures whose location was determined from the remote sensing and historic maps. A total of 108 features were identified through excavation along with a minimum count of approximately 32,000 artifacts. The final report is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2006.

HDC WINS MAJOR SCHOOL RENOVATION PROJECT

In a joint venture with SEM Architects, Inc., HDC is currently working on the renovation of an 87,000 square foot middle school originally constructed in the early 1900s. The work consists of all new mechanical, electrical and life safety systems as well as a complete upgrade of the interior finishes. Other major work includes a new entry sequence and supporting site and landscaping work, including walks, walls, and exterior spaces. This project is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2008.

HDC DOCUMENTS MORE STRUCTURES FOR THE CORPS

Since 1996, HDC has been documenting historic navigational structures for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District. Our most recent project is the HAER Documentation of Emsworth Locks and Dam, which began construction in 1919 to replace Davis Island Dam, the first lock and dam facility on the Ohio River, and Lock and Dam 2. The Emsworth facility was completed in 1922, with two concrete fixed-crest dams and two locks.

From 1935-38, a concrete movable-crest gated dam was constructed at the site. The facility was the second gated dam to be built on the Ohio River and is one of only two dams on the river that have vertical-lift gates; dams built on the Ohio after World War II generally have Tainter gates, which rotate up and down on trunnion-mounted hinges. The Emsworth locks were converted to a hydraulic operating system in 1978-80, and several other upgrades and alterations have been made to the facility. Emsworth Locks and Dams are still functioning to maintain the navigation pool on this part of the Ohio River. The complex is historically significant for its role in maintaining the slackwater navigation system of the Ohio River, which is an important transportation artery for goods and materials, and it is also significant as one of only two vertical-lift gate dams on the Ohio River.

THE DOMESTICATION OF DONUT

When Donut joined the firm back in May 2004, she was called "Cujo" and "Psycho-Pup." Folks at HDC simply concluded she was "wild." It turned out she was found on the streets at the age of four weeks. A volunteer at the dog shelter fostered her for another four weeks until she was old enough to be spayed and adopted. Donut's foster mother called her the "Little Monster" since Donut bit her twice a day for those four weeks. Notice that the day Donut was old enough, she was put up for adoption! When she was almost a year old, Donut actually started taking naps during the day, and is considerably calmer than when she was younger. We at HDC like to say she hasn't bitten anyone since last year! She's now in her sixth training class, and has actually made it to advanced obedience and basic agility.

Sadly, Donut was diagnosed with bad knees that have a tendency to pop out of their joints and then pop right back in. Only 18 months old and already facing knee surgery! However, it may be the only way to preserve the one thing she loves doing more than anything else: play and wrestle with other dogs. Her favorite playmate is Journey, a German Shepherd about one month younger than she. So, for a few weeks last year, they were about the same size. Journey is now 85 pounds, and Donut may top out at 27 on a good day, but neither one seems to notice the size discrepancy when they get together!