'A Passion for Preservation: Urban Mining Explored' in New Haven

NEW HAVEN  - Joe DeRisi of Urban Miners, an architectural salvage store in Hamden, will discuss "the importance of preserving historic buildings, why many are destroyed, and how others can be saved, in a free presentation at the historic Pardee-Morris House" at 2 p.m. June 21, according to a release.

"The first of this year’s 'In-Season Talks' takes place at 325 Lighthouse Road in New Haven’s Morris Cove neighborhood, the release said.

 

"According to DeRisi, many old materials are irreplaceable, and should be reused."

 

“The wood used for framing houses many years ago is considered furniture-quality now,” he said, in the release.

 

"He created Urban Miners in 2007 to salvage building materials and household goods and pass them on to consumers in order to “repurpose” the materials the buildings were made from," ... “No historic structure should be demolished unless the building materials are unrecoverable.”

 

"Often the difference between deconstructing a historic house (saving more than 80 percent of it), versus demolishing and throwing it away, is only a few thousand dollars. In those cases, DeRisi says, deconstruction should be subsidized.  He will cite specific examples, with numbers to support his argument, and show photos of houses Unban Miners has deconstructed, and others that weren’t."

 

 

Also, "DeRisi holds a master’s degree in resource management as well as a certificate in deconstruction, and has worked locally as an environmental analyst, conservationist and former building contractor. He works alongside a staff of talented others who share a vision for a sustainable future and a commitment to customer service."

 

Also in the release:: The Pardee-Morris House is one of the oldest surviving historic structures in Connecticut, and listed on the national and state registers of historic places.  The original house, built by Amos Morris circa 1750, was burned by the British during their raid on New Haven on July 5, 1779, and later rebuilt and expanded by the Morris family. In 1918, William S. Pardee, a descendant of the Morris family, willed the property to the New Haven Colony Historical Society, today the New Haven Museum.  Sign up for e-blasts at info@newhavenmuseum.org, or call the New Haven Museum at 203-562-4183. 
 

Editor's note: All information and the photos in this post were contributed. Click one of the buttons below to share it.