Our editor reached out to follow up on an invitation to an event held in support of the Town of Gordonsville. Lauren Bauk, of PBM Capital Group in Charlottesville, filled us in on the goings-on in the Town, a possible new use for some vacant buildings and a new program at the Univeristy of Virginia.
PBM owns twelve commercial properties on Main Street in Gordonsville, VA. PBM Products was formerly based there; Perrigo remained there with its employees when they purchased PBM Products in 2010. In March of 2015, Perrigo relocated all Gordonsville employees to Charlottesville, leaving all of the office space (and about half of downtown Gordonsville) vacant. Each day for nearly twenty years, there were upwards of 100 employees in town visiting restaurants, local retails stores and shops, gas stations, etc. Now that all of these employees are gone, the Town has become quite a different place. PBM Capital reached out to the UVa School of Architecture late last summer to see if any of their faculty members might be interested in using their Gordonsville campus (the twelve or so buildings that Perrigo vacated last spring) as a possible project site for a graduate or undergraduate seminar. By that point in the year, curriculum for the 2015-2016 school year had for the most part already been planned so the timing didn’t end up working out. This fall 2016 semester, however, they did have a professor interested in using the campus and the Town of Gordonsville as a project site for a graduate seminar.
Andrew Johnston, Ph.D., Associate Professor in Departments of Architectural History and Architecture at the University of Virginia, has chosen Gordonsville as the site for one of his graduate seminars this fall. Andrew’s research interests focus on industrial and infrastructure heritage, cultural landscapes, critical heritage studies, and heritage and preservation, and so, these will be some of the major areas that will guide the course of study for the next couple of months. The course will be made up of a combination of students whose focus areas include architecture, landscape architecture, planning, and architectural history. They will be researching the history of the Town, talking to longtime residents and business owners, looking at plans from the past and for the future, and trying to understand issues and/or roadblocks that the Town faces. The hope is to present the people of Gordonsville with a useful proposal at the end of the semester for how their findings and research might be put into real-life effect in the future.
Lauren explained that Paul Manning (PBM Capital’s Founder) got the project rolling in that he reached out to UVa with this “empty canvas”, a group of buildings that were at one time PBM occupied and later held by Perrigo. She was careful to explain, “the course will really involve the whole Town of Gordonsville and many key people in it will be responsible to get the ball rolling.” The ‘project’ has grown to encompass much more than just PBM’s buildings, and the bright focus of the endeavor shines to UVA and Gordonsville itself.
I was interested since I have gotten involved with other Gordonsville related groups in the past, namely the Greater Gordonsville, Inc. (GGI). GGI is a non-profit organization devoted to promoting the economic, cultural, and historic development of the area, and to representing the interests of all stakeholders including businesses, local citizens, and government. I attended a meeting in June of 2015 where the GGI Board provided an overview of the primary activities completed to date. They solicited the audience with an opportunity to volunteer for various committees, a significant amount of time was opened up for suggestions from all stakeholders, and a calendar was set for the remainder of 2015 goals and meetings. The organization was created by Bruce and Jacqueline Gupton, and they have done a great job so far of finding support and really getting some good momentum going. This was the first official meeting, and they had a meaningful turnout.
The Gupton’s hosted a kick-off reception for the UVa course at their home, Rocklands, in Gordonsville on Saturday, September 10th where many got the chance to meet Andrew and the students. People who live and work in Town will be a wonderful resource for the students, and their input will be very much appreciated as they start their work.
The welcome evening began with opening remarks by Andrew Johnston, Bruce and Jacqueline Gupton, and Bob Coiner, Mayor of the Town Gordonsville. A few willing Town members and business owners followed the opening remarks to extend a quick welcome as well.
The workshop weekend (charrette as they call it in the architecture world) was held the weekend of October 14 – 16th. Students stayed at UVa to work that Friday the 14th, and then spent the majority of the day Saturday and part of the day Sunday out in Gordonsville. The workshop Saturday and Sunday was held at Christ Episcopal Church in Gordonsville. There was an open house for students and Gordonsville Town members to mingle and exchange ideas on Saturday. The BBQ Exchange catered lunch in the church’s large banquet hall with plenty of tables and chairs, and a beautiful garden and patio. Sunday the students worked on their own.
Friends and neighbors in the town were invited and eagerly participated throughout the day. The students were interested in finding out what is at the heart of Gordonsville, and creating project goals that result in plans that could realistically be put into place. The history of the Town and the concerns and goals that community members have for moving forward were essential points the students worked to extract from the interaction. The students went on a walking tour of the town led by Chris Stevens and Angel May from the Exchange Hotel.
Andrew was overjoyed with the warm welcome and encouraging words he has received from everyone he has spoken with in Gordonsville, and comments, “I truly believe that this is going to be a great experience for everyone involved!”
The syllabus that summarizes the goal of the course, titled: Community History, Planning, and Design Workshop: Gordonsville Transformations, explains:
“This year we will partner with the mayor, town council, and a variety of stakeholder groups of the Town of Gordonsville, VA to explore ongoing challenges in their community, and propose possible futures from the varied perspectives of each of our disciplines.
Part studio course and part seminar, the Community History Workshop is both an in-depth historical analysis of the architecture, urban form, and planning of a selected community, and a forum for speculative futures and plan making for the community, informed by a methodologically-driven in-depth analysis of the community in partnership with stakeholders. This heritage-focused course explores the real significance of the built landscape as an element in, and an expression of, the social and cultural life of the community and as key for plan-making and design for the future.”
Lauren explained that PBM Capital is excited to have the chance to provide such a unique resource for the School of Architecture, and hopes that other members of the Gordonsville community will continue to get involved when the need arises and the time comes. Lauren commented that “Gordonsville itself has a great spirit and a great number of dedicated Townspeople, and we feel that this combination could create a truly incredible opportunity not only for the students but also for the Town. These students might prove to be a breath of fresh air, and could become a great resource as we work together to take Gordonsville into the future.”
The UVa course is a great project, and that it would be great to get the word out about it. Professor Johnston and the students are happy to talk with anyone who has input. Contact the Professor by email at [email protected] (Campus Office: Peyton House 108).