About the Society
Mission
The Society for the Preservation of Historic Cements, Inc. is dedicated to education, research, documentation, and training in the history and use of historic cements, and advocates preservation of significant examples of the materials and their application.
The SPHC is a non-profit, 501(c) 3 organization.
History
SPHC is a venue for education and advocacy concerning the wide range of distinct cementitious materials used historically in the United States and around the world. These cements are not only an important record of the technology and materials available at a particular time and place, but are components of a building system whose performance and appearance are character-defining features of the structures in which they are located.
SPHC is an outgrowth of the American Natural Cement Conferences. It has sponsored a paper session at the Association for Preservation Technology Annual Meeting (Montreal), and is presenting an upcoming conference in New York City, March 2011.
Previous Conferences Board Members
Jeffrey M. Chusid Leya Edison Michael Edison Cynthia Field Jack Healy
American Natural Cement Conference 1: Rosendale, NY
American Natural Cement Conference 2: Washington, DC
American Natural Cement Conference 3: Syracuse, NY
SPHC Paper Session, APT Annual Meeting: Montreal, QE
Jeffrey M. Chusid is an architect and associate professor in the Historic Preservation Planning Program at Cornell University. He is the author of Saving Wright (WW Norton 2011), and has directed or consulted on projects in California, Texas, New York, China, Fiji, Bosnia, Ukraine and India.
Leya Edison is Vice President and General Manager of Edison Coatings, Inc. in Plainville, Connecticut. She served as Conference Moderator, and was one of the primary organizers of the First and Second American Natural Cement Conferences. She authored a paper entitled "Perspectives: The Reintroduction of Natural Cement", published by the Journal of ASTM International in 2007, and providing an overview of the conference papers published by ASTM in STP 1494: Natural Cement.
Michael Edison is a chemical engineer and President of Edison Coatings, Inc. in Plainville, CT. For the past 37 years he has worked in product and process development and technical services, focused primarily on restoration materials for historic masonry, stone and concrete. He is a Director of the APT Northeast Chapter, a Past President of the CT Chapter of ICRI and Chairman of ASTM Task Group C1.10.04 on Natural Cement.
Dr. Field earned her doctorate with a thesis titled "Daniel Hudson Burnham's City Planning; An Examination of the Development of City Beautiful Planning." (1974) Most recently she has been co-editor and author of a chapter of The National Mall: Rethinking Washington's Monumental Core (2008) and published an essay on "The McMillan Commission's Trip to Europe" in the series Historical Perspectives on Urban Design: Washington, D.C.1890-1910, (1984). Her other publications include essays in Adolf Cluss: Architect, from Germany to America (2005), Paris on the Potomac (2007), and Montgomery C. Meigs and the Building of the Nation's Capital, (2001).
As Principal at Ryan-Biggs Associates in Clifton Park, NY, Jack Healy is responsible for structural engineering design and management of historic preservation and masonry repair projects. He is Past-President of the Capital District Chapter of the NYS Society of Professional Engineers and in 2005, was named Outstanding Professional Engineering Manager of the Year by the chapter. He maintains memberships in APT, ASTM, and AISC. He is a Certified Program Evaluator for the Practicing Institute of Engineering and holds professional engineering licenses in NY and MA.