White Plains, NY is home to the Hudson Valley's new regional history center, which of course preserves the region's vintage documents and exhibits. The facility - located on a nine-acre site donated by the estate of Laurence Rockefeller - opened in 2011 and allows historians to preserve items that may not fit in other sites in the valley. The building is also home to the historic society's library, and more than 16,000 artifacts dating as far back as the 1600s, including artwork, books, manuscripts, and even maps. It goes without saying that the organization wants to do everything it can to preserve the community's historic heritage, and the new building helps them do just that. The Historic Hudson Valley center also hosts many special events throughout the year, including lectures, workshops, and weddings.

The new headquarters is also environmentally friendly, containing many "green"€ materials like computer-driven controls that regulate geothermal heating and cooling; in fact, the temperatures are controlled by whichever rooms are occupied. Other green elements include solar-assisted hot water and closed cell spray foam insulation provided by Coastal Insulation.

As we have mentioned in prior blog posts, closed cell spray foam insulation helps block out air and water vapors, and rises to become an insulator for the building. As a result, it keeps unwanted air and heat from getting inside, which could damage historic documents or files. In addition, it helps seal cracks and gaps in the walls or foundation, preventing rodents or insects from seeping through, both of which could also damage items on display. In addition, Coastal spray foam does not lose its shape, which provides the potential to preserve the important and historic documents.