Students are taught ancient techniques

NORTH CHARLESTON - The steady pings of hammers on molten metal, the grinding of stone and scraping of plaster fill the workshop of a new school that seeks to pass on Old World building techniques in an age of cookie-cutter construction.

The American College of the Building Arts, which opened its doors last summer with its first 10 students, is a four-year college that seeks to produce not only highly skilled artisans but also graduates who can become leaders in historic preservation.

"I've always been artistic and never knew really what to do with it," 19-year-old student Emily Waugh said as she struggled to turn a thin piece of hot metal into a blacksmithing staple since medieval times: a curved hinge.

In a quieter corner of a workshop built in a former Navy storehouse, student Colin Wohlford carefully smooths plaster to form a length of molding, using a method handed down for centuries.

Within four years, school officials hope to have 144 students majoring in architectural stonework, ornamental ironwork, carpentry, masonry, timber framing or plaster work.

"Everyone here is here because they believe this is something that needs to be done, should be done and deserves to be done," college President David AvRutick said.

"Our educational philosophy is you start learning with your hands and doing it with traditional techniques, then when you overlay power equipment and other tools, you are going to be that much better at it."

Such skills will help in preserving America's historic fabric, said John Hildreth, director of the Southern office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

"There is an awful lot of rehab work that goes on, but I think the true craftsmanship and understanding of traditional methods and materials is lacking," he said. "There are people looking for this kind of expertise."

Mr. Wohlford, 28, has an art degree from Lander University and spent the past four years working for the family business.

"I just didn't really want to paint for a career," he said.

On a regimented schedule, students spend four mornings a week in the shops working in their discipline. Afternoons are spent on academic pursuits, including math and architectural drawing along with English and Spanish.

Everyone takes Spanish because graduates might find themselves working with laborers who speak only Spanish.