Speaker Series, 2021 -“Love Begins at Home” – Carmen & Austin Slater

Austin and Carmen Slater, owners of the Christian Clise House on West New Street in Shepherdstown, will give the final Historic Shepherdstown Speaker Series talk of 2021 on October 13 at 7 p.m. via Zoom.

The Slaters’ talk, “Love Begins at Home”, will recount their experience renovating the 18th Century home. Additionally, the Slaters will step us through the process of making application for the West Virginia State Historic Restoration tax credit, which they successfully navigated.

Earlier this year, the Slaters received Historic Shepherdstown’s Preservation of Historic Structures Award for their restoration work.

The Christian Clise House, circa 1789, was built as a log house. Clise purchased the lot from Abraham Shepherd in 1785. Succeeding owners enlarged the house, adding a center hall, siding and other unique architectural details. The house is an excellent example of refined log and chink construction covered with painted weatherboard siding.

The Slaters undertook the project both to restore and preserve this unique and historical residence. Improvements included removing paint from the exterior rubble foundation, renovating the southeast and northwest chimneys, replacing the roof over the basement door, and uncovering a window under the front porch.

Both Austin and Carmen Slater have a deep interest in history. Austin holds an MBA from George Washington University and an B.S. from Shepherd University. He is the retired president and CEO of the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative and remains involved in finance and investment activities. Since he moved to Shepherdstown, he has joined the Board of Historic Shepherdstown Commission and become a volunteer at Antietam National Battlefield. Carmen is a licensed personal trainer and a former dental hygienist. Having renovated and operated several homes and investment rentals, Carmen was the hands-on force behind restoring the Christian Clise House. A passionate animal rights supporter and environmentalist, she devotes much of her time to her ever-expanding organic garden.