Erika Howsare, Author at C-VILLE Weekly

Ancient skills: The Frontier Culture Museum threads the past into the present

When I find Mary Kate Claytor, she’s cross-legged on the grass under a catalpa tree, working a deer hide over the sharp point of an awl made from deer bone, trying to poke a hole. The hide is wet: It recently came out of a freezer, where it’s been waiting since it was taken from […]

Erika Howsare | November 11, 2020

Abode Magazines

High-altitude house: Restoring the spirit of a midcentury gem

The driveway is so steep it seemed like a no-go. On the day in 2009 when he first visited, “I drove up the driveway and told myself ‘Whatever’s at the top of this I can’t buy it,’” remembers the owner. “But then I got up there and thought, ‘Oh, I do have to buy this.’” […]

Erika Howsare | October 19, 2020

Abode Magazines

Starting over: An energy-efficient house rises on an old foundation

Mark Graham was actually relieved when he discovered that the first floor of his house was rotting. He’d planned to add on, not tear down. But when crews prepared to build a second story onto the 1980 brick ranch house in Ivy, they discovered some problems. “It turned out the walls had holes from rodents […]

Erika Howsare | October 19, 2020

Abode Magazines

Minimal modern: A new kitchen gets down to the basics

Mike and Isobel Sadler move every few years. They’re the third-generation owners of Charlottesville Area Builders, and they usually occupy a house their company has recently built—both to showcase new features for potential clients and to test-drive floors, appliances and so on. This summer, they moved again, to a contemporary home in Ivy looking toward […]

Erika Howsare | October 19, 2020

Arts Culture

Look again: Sanjay Suchak finds new views of the Old Dominion

In a year defined by wild new perspectives—on health, on risk, on human separation and connectedness—images have played a central role. Photos of people in crowds or isolation are newly fraught, and as we gather virtually, the visual appearance of other humans on-screen has become a startling, imperfect social lifeline. Sanjay Suchak’s photography show at […]

Erika Howsare | October 14, 2020

Culture

The long season of trees

My children have a library book right now that tells us trees appeared in the middle Devonian Period, over 350 million years ago. The drawings of these early specimens look strange to my eye, not as graceful as the trees out my window, but the proto-trees—Lepidosigillaria and Eospermatopteris—were doing important work. “Deeper roots and more […]

Erika Howsare | October 14, 2020

Culture Living

All hail the Harrison: A historic apple takes root in central Virginia

Once upon a time, the apple was king in America. There were thousands of specialized varieties, home orchards were widespread, and cider was the most commonly available beverage. These days, we’re used to a very different reality: Most Americans are familiar only with a handful of commercial apple varieties, bred for shelf life and looks […]

Erika Howsare | September 9, 2020

Culture Living

In their own backyards

“Phenology” might not be a word you use in everyday conversation, but it’s one of the keys to tracking climate change. The term refers to the study of timing in the natural world—the dates when plants flower, leaves emerge, seeds drop, and animals migrate. The USA National Phenology Network is building a stable of citizen […]

Erika Howsare | July 29, 2020

Culture Living

Hallelujah. What’s next?: The defeat of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline is only the beginning

On July 5, my family and I were in the car together when we had a media experience that feels old- fashioned and rare these days. All of us, at the same time, heard the headline on the radio: The Atlantic Coast Pipeline has been canceled. There followed a few seconds of disbelief, then many […]

Erika Howsare | July 29, 2020

News

The city’s newest wilderness: Right outside town, community forest will offer a wild escape

Just a quick drive from the most urban sections of Charlottesville is a unique wild environment—acres of boulder forests, sunny woodlands where blueberries grow, and a creek with architectural ruins along its banks. It’s all part of a 144-acre property called the Heyward Community Forest, snugged against the Ragged Mountain Reservoir. The city acquired the […]

Erika Howsare | July 29, 2020