IPTW 2015, Burlington, Vermont - "All the trades under one roof"

There was one thing all those who attended IPTW 2015 in Burlington, VT could agree upon….the Coach Barn at Shelburne Farms was probably the most spec-tacular venue of any previous IPTW and the perfect venue for “All the Trades Under One Roof.” Well, we didn’t exactly get them ALL under one roof, but we did our best. With over 20 demonstrators, a few (primarily timberframers) had to spill out into the am-ple courtyard and a few took cover under some tents in front of the building. 

While there were a few brief showers primarily during setup time, the weather generally was wonderful! From Stained Glass to Plaster, from Masonry to Wood Carving, attendees had a lot to choose from. A few first timers said their only complaint was that they did-n’t have enough time to see everything! 

The keynote speech was delivered by Bill Remsen, who shared his 30+ years of experience in international heritage preservation. Bill was an excellent speaker and had the audience captivated with his wonderful slides. 

The food was excellent and our caterers did a great job making sure that there was enough food for everyone. Nobody went away hungry! Thank to Ian Stewart for making all the arrangements. 

While the Pub Crawl didn’t come off as planned, everybody who attended had a great time sampling the various “Ciders” that Burlington and Vermont is known for. PTN basically took over the first stop on the crawl. 

The people at Shelburne Farms were very hospitable. They opened up the main lodge for tours and over 30 attendees took advantage of the opportunity to tour this historic building. During the setup time, they took deliv-ery of some historic furniture that they were going to store in the coach barn so those who were present got to see the hand-cranked carriage lift in operation. Later, attendees were even given a ride. 
This year’s auction raised over $6000 toward student scholarships. The highlight again this year was the auctioning of David and Angelique’s scagliola column which gets more elaborate every year. This year, fellow plasterer Sarel Venter took home the top prize! Andy DeGuchy once again supplied the beer and his souvenir beer glasses which have become a staple of IPTW events. We thank Andy for his continued support of the organization through this annual endeavor. 

At the annual business meeting, new PTN board members Mike Kassman and Jim Nelson were installed, along with the reelection of Sarah Jackson and Zak Dunne who began their second 2-year term. Sunsetting board members Andy Roeper, Lisa Sasser and Bob Zoni were thanked for their years of service. [Note: Next year, Dave Mertz and Sam Newton will sunset. Pete Janko reapplied and was ap-pointed after the face-to-face Board meeting in Septem-ber.] 

At the Executive Committee meeting, Ian Stewart was elected President, Dave Mertz was elected Vice-President, Jim Nelson was elected Treasurer and Sarah Jackson was reelected as Secretary. 

Project  Data

Date:   July 22-24

City:  Burlington, Vermont

Askins: David Hayles