Heritage Renewal

I'm not satisfied with the vocabulary commonly used to describe the vernacular architecture of Ukrainian homesteading settlement in western North Dakota. "Wattle and daub" doesn't really capture the earth construction technique used. For now, I'm referring to it as post and earth-fill construction. Whatever we call it, I've posted to Heritage Video documentation of an excellent example in a fair state of preservation. Go here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM4TCmIXNtM

Coming up this summer, with registration beginning 30 March: an original course offering combining study tours with on-site experience. "Prairie Earth, Prairie Homes: A Field School" focuses on earth and sod houses on the plains of western North Dakota. Participants will visit and study earth buildings ranging from Mandan earth lodges to the Scoria Lily Ranch, an earth-brick country home built in the Moderne style. In the ghost town of Haley and other locales we will find cut-sod houses that were occupied late into the 20th century. Most salient on the northern prairies are the earthen homes of the Germans from Russia; participants not only will visit and study these wondrous buildings but also take part in the restoration of the historic Hutmacher farmstead in Dunn County. The Center for Heritage Renewal is collaborating in delivery of this field school.

3 to 6 hours of credit, undergraduate or graduate

A website for the field school is under construction here - www.ndsu.edu/instruct/isern/earth/

To express interest or get further details: isern@plainsfolk.com