From September to October, The Campaign completed 3 workshops: a masonry repointing workshop at Arthurdale Heritage in West Virginia, a masonry repointing workshop at Hargett Farm in Maryland, and an architectural wood refinishing workshop at Community Forklift in Maryland. There was a total of 23 attendees across all three workshops. The instructors, David Gibney (Arthurdale Heritage and Hargett Farm) and Natalie Henshaw (Community Forklift) received great feedback from workshop attendees.
Hargett Farm: Sept 26-27
Participants practiced repointing on the brick foundation of a historic barn. Over two days, David taught the students about the lime cycle, mortar mixing, and proper techniques for dealing with historic masonry.
One workshop attendee shared:
“I wish more people had the time, interest, and means to attend a training like this. It was educational and fed my soul in a way I don’t often experience these days.”
-J.R., Hargett Farm Masonry Workshop
Arthurdale Heritage: Oct 17-18
Led by David Gibney, attendees practiced repointing brick and stone, applying hands-on skills to both materials.
Community Forklift: Oct 18
This one-day workshop included training stations where people could learn about different aspects of pigment pastes, dye bases, varnishes, and paint stripping techniques. Natalie also led students in experimentation with historic varnish recipes!
At The Campaign for Historic Trades, our goal is to expand access to historic trades training across the United States. Most workshops are currently two-day, 16-hour sessions blending theory and hands-on practice. In 2026, with the BEST Workshops (Brick, Earth, Stone, and Timber) joining The Campaign, we will offer more workshops spanning three to four days.
We are looking for host sites!
If you have a historic site or warehouse space and want to provide trades training to your community, contact us. And if you are interested in learning a new trade or deepening your skills, stay connected for updates on upcoming workshops.
For questions or more information, contact Kelly Pratt at kpratt@historictrades.org.