GREETINGS,

As the Green River Academy Preservation Society has come into operation over the past few years, we find ourselves in an opportune position to greatly benefit the field of preservation. By contributing a landmark building for studies in adaptive use, LEED or “Green” preservation and by taking a new approach to  interpretation, we believe buildings such as our hub building, the historic Green River Academy, can have a positive impact on communities culturally, economically and environmentally.

By partenering with the state historians, preservationists, architects and engineers, our intention has become to use the Green River Academy as a model of study to benefit and promote preservation as a field that is economically viable and environmentally responsible in tandem with being a field that continues to retain our cultural patrimony. To accomplish these tasks, our organization will hold forums where community discussion, debate and research can converge resulting in a preservation and business plan for the Green River Academy.

Additionally, we will establish valuable online resources regarding the preservation and business planning methods used in the Green River Academy project. Through this case study, we hope to contribute to the answer of one of the greatest problems of the 21st century; the reduction of sprawl, promoting urban infill and encouraging the adaptive use of existing building stock.

Fortunately, modern building practice is now more concious than ever of the importance of retaining and reusing historic buildings. The positive impact historic buildings have on our communities is the driving force in the effort to preserve our history.

Our hope for the Green River Academy is that the building may continue a 180-year tenor of public service in the capacity of an institution of advanced educational opportunity, as it was in the 19th century. Our desire is for the Academy to become a training facility for our regional workforce. A place where our people may attain the skills needed to compete for careers in new and advanced technological industries that have recently established manufacturing facilities in our area.

Take a moment to note our website, our social networking efforts, our online opportunities and please keep in touch. We also invite you to become a member of the Academy Society, which provides many benefits and includes membership passes to our Academy Society events. Thank-you for your interest and we look forward to serving our community.

Matthew Colin Bailey