Cory Herrala

Bulgarian National Committee of ICOMOS

As a US/ICOMOS intern working in Sofia, Blgaria, in southeastern Europe for the Bulgarian National Committee of ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites), my primary task was to survey and document a mid-nineteenth-century National Revival style residence in Old Plovdiv, located in Bulgarian Thrace. The structure was one of a cohesive district of buildings and archeological sites considered to be of national significance and a possible future UNESCO World Heritage Site. After measuring, photographing, and sketching the building inside and out, I converted the information into an electronic format as a complete set of documents for the archival record. A preliminary assessment of existing conditions was also included as part of the set. I was also able to travel throughout Bulgaria's beautiful mountainous countryside. The predominately rural landscape was literally covered with the remnants of thousands of years of history. US/ICOMOS supplemented the educational component of the internship by facilitating meetings with the National Park Service, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation for all U.S. and international interns.