Preservation trainers in Kalamazoo City warn improper repairs speed decay of historic masonry

Blair Bates, a retired contractor with Building Renovation LLC who leads hands-on training for the National Park Service, warned that poorly executed repairs are worsening the condition of historic masonry in Kalamazoo City.

"There's two types of masons. There's a preservation mason and there's new construction masonry. Totally different," Bates said, urging property owners and tradespeople to learn appropriate techniques. He said that some apparent fixes — commonly sold as tuckpointing — can accelerate deterioration and sharply raise long-term costs: "where we go and do $100,000 worth of repairs, it turns into another 100 or 200,000 in just a few years." Bates described his role teaching preservation skills nationwide and said he committed to an eight- to ten-year period of instruction with the National Park Service.

Lynn H. Hotton, regional history curator at the Zang Legacy Collection Center at Western Michigan University, described decades of local preservation work and public education. Hotton said walking tours, a long-running local series and several publications helped raise awareness of architectural features and supported nominations to the National Register of Historic Places. "When you come to a community, you want to find what is unique about that community," she said, citing local landmarks that contribute to Kalamazoo City's character.

Why it matters: Bates framed the issue as technical and preventable — improper methods can make future repairs far more expensive and destructive — while Hotton emphasized the community value of preserving distinctive buildings and educating residents. Both speakers urged practical outreach: Bates favors hands-on training that lets learners "play in the mud" and Hotton described tours and publications that help residents spot and appreciate historic fabric.

Details from the session: Bates traced his career from early local work with Walker Parking Consultants to founding Building Restoration Inc., and described using welding, epoxy and wood injection alongside masonry techniques. He accepted recognition for his preservation work and credited colleagues and family for supporting training efforts. Hotton recounted ten years on the Kalamazoo Commission for Historical Preservation and eight years on the Kalamazoo Historic District Commission, and said a third preservation publication that began in the mid-1990s was published in 2001 after years of work.

What comes next: No formal action or vote was recorded in the remarks. Both speakers emphasized continued education and community engagement as practical next steps to reduce improper repairs and encourage preservation of local landmarks.