Benton County groups map out Historic Preservation Month events, Harding centennial and hands-on workshops

Benton County historic preservation volunteers, local government staff and nonprofit representatives met in Corvallis in a hybrid session to begin planning May’s Historic Preservation Month, focusing on a Harding School 100th‑anniversary event, regional tours and several hands‑on workshops.

The meeting, convened by Benton County liaison Inga, brought together participants from Albany, Corvallis and Adair Village to coordinate dates, themes and logistics for multiple events across the county. “Im Inga. Im the Benton County Liaison to the historic resources commission,” she said while opening the session and noting that the county staff would coordinate the calendar.

Why it matters: organizers said coordinated scheduling and shared promotion would reduce conflicts and increase attendance for smaller groups that lack marketing capacity. The coalition discussed cross‑jurisdiction partnerships so single events — such as the Harding centennial or Camp Adair activities — draw visitors from Albany and Corvallis without overlapping with other big events.

Most prominent items discussed

- Harding School centennial: Donna Keim, representing a College Hill committee, said the Harding centennial is planned for May (date not specified) and that school staff and neighborhood volunteers want the Historic Resources Commission involved in planning tours and possibly tying the celebration to regular neighborhood historic tours. “Im Donna Keim, and, I used to live literally across the street from Harding. All my children went there,” Keim said, explaining she was representing the committee at the meeting.

- Camp Adair and Adair Village programs: Barbara Melton, president of Adair Living History, described a May 6 program at Camp Adair focused on memorials and historical interpretation and said a long‑term project to finish a restored barracks building will be used as an interpretive center. Melton said Adair Village will allow free parking for the event. The group agreed to list the Adair events among county offerings.

- Specters program and Indigenous storytelling: organizers said the Specters (gamified storytelling) project will emphasize a Native American storyline this year; participants discussed tying Specters episodes to tours and QR code content for businesses downtown.

- Hands‑on preservation workshops: Autumn Peterson and other local preservation advocates proposed a large, practical workshop on window preservation and paint‑removal techniques, with experienced practitioners such as Chris Gustafson and Scott McClure mentioned as potential instructors. Participants discussed using CLG funds to pay instructors and cover travel. Peterson offered on‑site space for demonstrations and said she could host hands‑on stations, weather permitting.

- Farmers markets and outreach: Rebecca Landis said the Corvallis and Albany farmers markets can host interactive booths and that Albany typically has more space for displays. The group discussed using market booths for short demos (e.g., native basketry, archaeology displays) and cross‑promoting Natural Areas Week events.

Theme, calendar and next steps

Participants tossed out theme ideas (one suggested “Local history offers roots and wings”) and several urged a follow‑up schedule that organizes events in geographic clusters to ease travel between sites. Inga said staff will manage the shared calendar and requested contact details; she asked participants to submit ideas so the group can vote on a theme and finalize scheduling. “Settle on a theme and have all of the ideas in by March first,” she said as a target for collecting proposals.

Other discussion points and resources

- Whiteside Theatre, the Albany Regional Museum and the Albany hangar project were discussed as possible venues or partners for exhibits and tours. The Albany hangar group is working on a centennial (2029) plan and museum connections. - OSU faculty members and students offered to contribute demonstrations, material assessments and outreach as part of community engagement and training opportunities. - Several speakers noted availability of CLG (Certified Local Government) funds to support paid instructors and project costs; participants urged equitable stipend planning if multiple demonstrators participate.

What was not decided

There were no formal votes recorded at the meeting. Participants agreed on a schedule for further planning: collect ideas and contacts, cast votes on a theme by email, and reconvene (or work remotely) to lock dates and marketing materials by early March. A small number of events (Adair May 6) already have dates; other event dates were described as “not specified.”

The meeting closed with staff offering to compile the ideas, coordinate calendars and circulate a contact spreadsheet so participating organizations can finalize logistics and promotional plans.