Historic Preservation and Restoration Technology (HPRT)

College of the Redwoods offers a dynamic program that is the only hands-on undergraduate preservation degree program west of the Mississippi to offer both a five-course certificate and a two-year A.S. Degree option . . . “We teach students to succeed by getting their hands into it”.

Within the Construction Technology program, Historic Preservation and Restoration Technology (HPRT) currently offers both a five-course Certificate of Completion program, offered since fall 1996 and a new Associate in Science (A.S.) Degree option.

Work is underway to develop new courses and several short seminar/workshop courses for specialized training situations. One of our goals is to provide trainable skills for different businesses that deal with historic properties located within and without of our immediate area.

Students entering the HPRT program come from several sources. Graduate students, construction students, carpenters, trades-people, homeowners, architects, historians, preservationists and students transferring into graduate programs may all seek this program to gain hands-on experience in one of the richest architectural areas on the West Coast. This may be an important addition to reaching your future goals in the Preservation Field.

Our mission is to provide quality training in the field of Preservation by experts in the field. Theoretical coursework along with hands-on training make this program an exciting experience for students. We provide students with a valuable training by working in the field on one of Humboldt Counties greatest assets, historic redwood homes and structures (Jewels of Humboldt).

Field Technique classes take students to a job-site to learn stabilization, weatherization and valuable restoration carpentry techniques by doing the work.

Architectural Millwork students focus their training on learning to operate woodshop equipment to duplicate, fabricate and repair historic wooden details and architectural moldings. Learning to grind profile-molding cutters for reproduction of historic trim is a valuable skill that students can achieve.

Materials Sciences are courses developed to teach students the wide variety of materials used in building historic homes in this region, comparing old with new materials, as well as exposing them to the hands-on techniques of building with different materials. Courses will include those like: woods, metals, masonry/plaster, interior finishes, leaded glass, and flooring.

Preservation Theory, Historic Research/Documentation and Historic Building Analysis courses are fundamental to training students the many important aspects of preservation sensitivity and awareness, which can provide them with employable knowledge and skills in this fast growing field. Secretary of Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Rehabilitation and documenting "Historic Fabric" are factors in Historic Reports that are practiced as the hands-on component to theory courses.

Some of the new courses will include: Historic Registry (learning the different formats of registering a historic structure on local, state, and national levels), Historic Building Analysis (student learn to do a live building evaluation and existing conditions assessment), Recording Historic Buildings (current methods for examining and recording historic structures), and Architectural History.

Through successful completion of both our theory and hands-on courses, students shall become well rounded and qualified to help make sound preservation choices, to continue with further higher education, enter the preservation work force, and generally, to spread thoughtful and quality knowledge within the community.