About The Foundation for Historic Building Rescue

A non-profit foundation
Mike Hart, who formed the Foundation for Historic Building Rescue, Inc. has been saving endangered 18th &19th century architecture for more than 15 years as a very serious hobby. He has dismantled houses and barns numbering in the 100's. Hart's love of antiques developed when he was a child growing up in Cedars, Pa. He went treasure hunting in old dumps for bottles, and kerosene lanterns, instead of playing sports. According to Hart, "the best way to learn about history is to be able to see and touch the past." His interest in architecture was created when he purchased and began restoration of his first home - an 1840 stone farmhouse in Telford, Pennsylvania. As he frantically searched for parts, he found that many of the homes of this era were being casually destroyed as a by-product of urban sprawl. A situation he considered a tragedy.

Mike Helping to Carve a Hand Pump at the Goschenhoppen Folk Festival (Aug. 2000)

"You can't throw this stuff out," Hart says, "when it's gone, it's gone there's no retrieving it." He began dismantling old houses and barns to replace the lost parts of his first home. But, it didn't stop there. Over a hundred buildings later, it has become a religion to him, a religion whose relics are vanishing rapidly as developers blanket the landscape with new homes.

The foundation was created to answer the age-old conflict between progress and preservation. It can entice developers to consider preservation, in one form or another, instead of mere destruction. It can remove the burden of these structures from the developer or the property owners, while placing it in historically minded, yet efficient hands. "Whether we work with the municipalities to make variations in development plans, or carefully dismantle and remove the buildings - it's become a situation where everyone wins."

The Foundation's Historic Architecture Rescue Team (HART) is made up of a crew of craftsmen, historical specialists, interns and volunteers who have the capabilities and equipment to assess historical significance, dismantle, document, photograph, videotape and restore historic architecture. All our preservation activities involve: the careful dismantling and documenting of the historical buildings for reassembly. Photographs and video taken of the process facilitates accurate reassembly and provides materials for our education component.

The foundation goals are based in both preservation and education

1. Begin development of a Historic Preserve where rescued structures can be relocated.
2. Develop Preservation Programs to save endangered architecture.
3. Educate the public about our historic resources.
4. Ensure the longevity of Rescued Structures into the future.

The Foundation's financial approach is a different one. Because of the vast number of dismantled structures under our belt, we hold an inventory of salvaged restoration materials. This inventory along with the use of our own Rescue Team and equipment allows for a cost-effective approach to preservation. Most times the restoration costs are significantly reduced. Although Hart spends countless hours in the preservation process, he draws no salary from any of the foundation's activities. Further projects are financed through tax-deductible donations, the sale of dismantled structures, and demolition activities.

Find out the details of each of these goals as you browse through this web site. Click on the bold items in the goals listing to find out more about each item. Have some fun with history at our Name That Piece page.