NORTHERN VIRGINIA DAILY
Article date: September 23, 2002

Avtex demolition is ahead of schedule

Artifacts found at site will have to be moved

By: Mary Beiler

With the Avtex demolition work about 30 days ahead of schedule, recovered artifacts for a cultural center that fill a 50,000 square foot building will have to be moved within the next 60 days.
"We do not want to delay demolition," said Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Stephen A. Heavener.

The demolition of the 264,000 square foot Section II has been completed, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to start on Section I, located on the eastern side of the site, which includes the Polymer Plant.

Through a memorandum of agreement signed with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, the EDA is responsible for taking inventory and salvaging materials on the site that may have historical or cultural significance.

These materials will then be displayed in the Front Royal Center for Heritage and the Environment, which will be in the former administration building.

Once the materials are sorted, officials will have to determine what will be kept for the museum, and where the items will be stored, Heavener said.

The items, which include artifacts, files, maps, and documents, are currently being stored in the Shipping Three building- the next structure scheduled to be demolished by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Because of the large volume of artifacts and documents recovered, the EDA is looking for volunteers to help, especially retired employees who have knowledge of the documents and will be able to sort what is important and worth keeping and what is not.

Ed Thorsett, a cultural resource coordinator with the EDA and a Shenandoah University professor, said he also plans to bring some of his students and several history professor to help. The public also is welcome to help, he said.

While the amount of material collected and stored in the building is overwhelming, Thorsett said he only expects to keep about 20 percent of it for the museum.

The only question that needs to be answered is where the material will be stored once it is sorted and removed from Shipping Three.
Heavener suggested storage containers, but the EDA will need to determine how many will be needed, where they can be obtained, and where to store them on-site.

Thorsett remained optimistic at Friday's meeting, saying that he believes the 60 day dateline is "do-able."