PreserveCast

This week we're sitting down with Susan McMahon, Executive Director of the Landmark Trust USA, a nonprofit organization that preserves historic properties and makes them available as short-term vacation rentals. Susan has a background in community development and historic preservation. Historic preservation has always been a professional pursuit and a personal passion of hers. 

On this week's PreserveCast we're joined by Kathryn Mayer, who built a searchable database of 19th-century coroner's records with the Baltimore City Archives. We're chatting about her project and more about how to evaluate historic information. 

Today we're joined by Marion Werkheiser and Will Cook from Cultural Heritage Partners, a law firm that works to leverage humanity's past to create a better future. With policy, funding, and staffing issues in the current political climate, the firm is working to educate the community and advocate for cultural heritage and historic preservation so our places are protected. Join us as we talk Section 106, executive orders, and other legal matters affecting the preservation community. https://www.culturalheritagepartners.com/

We're excited to sit down with Cristiana Pena, a digital communications expert in the preservation world. Cristiana is the social media director at CIRCA, where she creates an online community of old house enthusiasts by featuring real estate listings of historic properties. 

Today we're chatting with Amy Kehs, a brand strategist and communications expert for museums. She has owned Kehs Communications since 2000 and has worked for the most renowned and well-loved museums in the Washington, D.C. area. Her goal is to ensure that museums thrive in the next century and she hopes people will come to love museums as much as she does. She is the creator of the Love my Museum suite of services, free and affordable support for museum professionals, including the Love my Museum podcast. Learn more: https://www.lovemymuseum.com/

Today we're talking with Dr. Mary Anne Hunting and Dr. Kevin D. Murphy about their new book, Women Architects at Work: Making American Modernism, detailing the history of the women architects who left their enduring mark on American Modernism Dr. Mary Anne Hunting is an architectural historian and the author of Edward Durell Stone: Modernism's Populist Architect. Dr. Kevin D. Murphy is the Andrew W. Mellon Chair in the Humanities and professor and chair in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture at Vanderbilt University. His books include Jonathan Fisher of Blue Hill, Maine: Commerce, Culture, and Community on the Eastern Frontier.

Today we're joined by Laura Zimmerman, Chair of the Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage, and Liz Shatto, Executive Director of the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area, about the history of the organization, this year's Washington County House and Garden Pilgrimage (Saturday, June 7th), and engaging the public around history and historic places.  For more information and tickets: https://www.mhgp.org/washington-county

Today we're talking with Hank Levine is the President of the Bethesda (Maryland) Meeting House Foundation and the Secretary of the Bethesda Historical Society. He was a prime mover in the Foundation's 2023 purchase of the Bethesda Meeting House site and leads its ongoing efforts to preserve/restore the site and turn it into an active community asset.  He regularly leads walking tours of Bethesda and is a frequent speaker on the history of the community. Learn more: www.bethesdameetinghouse.org

Today we're talking with Jeffrey Ricketts, who, in July of 2022, took ownership of Mullen's Folly in Calvert, Maryland. Mullen's Folly is a log house located in northeastern Cecil County, Maryland. It was built possibly before 1789. It operated as a general store from 1789-1823 servicing the surrounding community with a wide variety of goods sourced in Philadelphia and Wilmington. After 1823, the building was converted into a house. From 1859-2022 the house was owned by four generations of the Berriker-FitzGerald family, until it was sold to Jeffrey, who is currently restoring the building to its late 18th-century appearance, and is rediscovering all of its lost history.  Learn more: https://www.eastnottinghamantiques.com/about-6  

Today we're talking with Dr. Cheryl Fogle-Hatch, founder of MuseumSenses LLC, a consulting firm that helps museums develop multi-sensory exhibits for everyone, regardless of their visual acuity. Creating exhibit content with tactile and audio components engages blind people with history, the arts, and sciences. Exposing sighted people to tactile and audio content creates an integrated experience for all visitors. Dr. Fogle-Hatch works with historic sites to improve their tactile experiences. Projects include: •           The Please Touch tour at Macculloch Hall Historical Museum in Morristown New Jersey •           Revolutionary Anthology: Power of Place exhibit at Fort Ticonderoga, New York •           Making History Accessible: Toolkit for Multisensory Interpretation, a digital publication produced by the Intrepid Museum and the NYU Ability Project.

Russ Carnahan, Honorary President and Strategic Advisor for Preservation Action, joins us today to discuss National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week. Congressman Carnahan served 4 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the St. Louis, MO region. He held several leadership positions including the Chairmanship of the bi-partisan Historic Preservation Caucus and the High Performance Building Caucus that focused on strategies that included use of green building technologies and policies for historic and new buildings. Previously as a state legislator, he was a champion of Missouri's nationally known State Historic Tax Credit that has successfully spurred saving and restoring countless historic properties. Congressman Carnahan is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Law and is a principal in the firm Carnahan Global Consulting.

Today we're going back in time, as we often do, speaking with Mark Sledziewski about his work as the Executive Director of the the National Capital Radio & Television Museum in Bowie, Maryland. The museum collects, preserves, and interprets artifacts, programming, and publications to educate the public about the development and impact of electronic media.

We're still feeling the love here at PreserveCast! Today we're talking with Trisha Tanner, Executive Director of the Alum Association at Mount  Holyoke, about Esther Howland (Mount Holyoke class of 1847), known as the “mother of the American valentine.” At a time when most women didn't have the opportunity to be employed, let alone lead, Howland founded her card-making business and pioneered an entire industry. 

Today we're chatting with Joe Redd, safety director at Durable Slate and Durable Restoration. We talk about preservation from many angles here on PreserveCast, but we've yet to cover safety! We're excited to have this important conversation with Joe on today's episode. 

Danielle Keperling has worked in the restoration industry since 2001, but her education in the traditional trades, construction industry, and historical preservation was built from an early age through her father's work in the traditional trades and her mother's love of historic architecture. Danielle works to help historic building owners restore and preserve their piece of our built history.

Welcome to another episode of PreserveCast! Today we're talking with a previous guest, Erica Avrami PhD, to discuss her new book Second- Order Preservation Social Justice and Climate Action through Heritage Policy. Erica is the James Marston Fitch Associate Professor of Historic Preservation at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. 

Today we're talking with Harrison Goodall Fellow Molly Baker. Molly also serves as HOPE Crew Manager in the Preservation Services and Outreach department at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Her focus is growing interest in the building preservation trades by engaging a younger, more diverse audience in hands-on preservation opportunities. Molly's fellowship capstone project was to collect, analyze, and publish replicable models for preservation trades training. Nationwide there are examples of successful trades training programs at various levels: high school technical education courses, conservation corps training, apprenticeships, volunteer opportunities, and accredited community colleges. However, often a barrier to entering these programs is their location. Molly's project produced a roadmap for smaller regions to create their own preservation trades training opportunities. 

Join us for a conversation with Kate Wood, founder and principal at Worth Preserving where she works with owners, architects, trades and others to rescue, rehabilitate and reimagine residential properties. With expertise on character-defining features we explore what's “worth preserving.” 

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...HAPPY NEW YEAR! On the eve of New Year's Eve we're talking with Dr. Alexis McCrossen, a author and Professor of History at Southern Methodist University, who is now working on book about the history of New Year's observances in the United States, tentatively titled, Time's Touchstone: New Year's in American Life. She is also the author of Holy Day, Holiday: The American Sunday (Cornell University Press, 2000) and Marking Modern Times: Clocks, Watches and Other Timekeepers in American Life (University of Chicago Press, 2013).  

Today we're thrilled to be joined by A.O. Scott, who, by day, serves as a critic at large for The New York Times Book Review. He's with us today to discuss his contributions to Beyond Architecture: The New New York, which commemorates the sixtieth anniversary of the passage of the New York City Landmarks Law. The 1965 law established the Landmarks Preservation Commission and initiated the era of historic preservation in New York City, the largest city in the United States. The book can be purchased here: https://www.nyrb.com/products/beyond-architecture-the-new-new-york

Today we're talking with Naomi Peach, project officer at Kiplin Hall and Gardens in North Yorkshire, the historic home of George Calvert 1st Baron Baltimore. Naomi is working on the Interpreting Kiplin for 400 Project, celebrating 400 years since the building of Kiplin Hall. The project seeks to engage with local community groups and previously under-represented audiences to create engaging and relevant interpretation for the museum and grounds.

Today we're talking with Stephanie Compton, a passionate zero-waste advocate, founder of Leave No Waste, and an advisor to policy makers. We'll discuss how her work relates to historic preservation, policy, and the deconstruction movement. 

We're again connecting with New England-based hand poke tattoo artist Owen McGrarry, who will be at Sailabration: Sailing Traditions in Ink - a festival celebrating the lives of sailors and the art of tattooing - on October 26th in Baltimore. Before the electric tattoo machine was invented in 1891 by a former sailor, tattoo artists used a simple poke and stick technique. Aboard ship, sailors often used the materials they had on hand, such as large needles for sewing sails, India ink, laundry bluing, and even gunpowder. Owen Payette McGarry is a traditional hand poke tattoo artist based in Boston, Massachusetts. He came to tattooing in 2014 through his interest in maritime folk art, while working as a boat builder.  Owen's previous episode: https://www.preservecast.org/2023/02/20/stick-poke-tattooing-with-owen-mcgarry/

Today we're sitting down with Renée Hamidi, executive director of Valleys Planning Council, a nonprofit that works to protect land and resources, preserve historic character, and maintain the rural feel of 130 square miles of northwestern Baltimore County, Maryland. We'll cover a bit about the work of Valleys Planning Council, and a current issue, the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project, that would put irreplaceable heritage sites and thousands of acres of public-and-private conserved lands at risk. 

Historical archaeologist Dr. Eleanor Breen currently directs the renowned public archaeology program and museum that preserves and interprets the buried history of the City of Alexandria, Virginia. She joins us along with return guest Scott Vierick, who serves on the Alexandria Archaeological Commission. Together they'll discuss the work of connecting Alexandrians with the Port City's past.     

Gene Kansas, an award-winning cultural developer, preservationist, and social entrepreneur, joins us to discuss his upcoming book Civil Sights (UGA Press, 2025), about the Sweet Auburn Historic District in Atlanta and the movement to preserve it.

Today we're talking with Vedet Coleman-Robinson, Ph.D., who serves as the president and CEO of the Association of African American Museums (AAAM), an organization bringing stories of civil rights and social injustice to the forefront, chronicling the strides that have been made, and emphasizing inequalities that still exist today. AAAM is hosting its 46th Annual Conference in Baltimore August 13-16.  Learn more:   AAAM Website: Association of African American Museums – The official web site of Association of African American Museums. (blackmuseums.org) Conference registration: AAAM 2024 Conference Registration – Association of African American Museums (blackmuseums.org)  

Continuing with the Smart Growth theme from last episode, today we're chatting with Maria Tova Enriquez Dougherty from HDAdvisors about urban planning, policy, affordable housing, and the Virginia Zoning Atlas. As always, we'll cover the connection to history and preservation and the real world impact of this work.  Maria is involved on a variety of projects, including providing policy research and programmatic development for HousingForward Virginia and the Virginia Statewide Community Land Trust (VSCLT) and affordable housing real estate development. As referenced in this episode:  www.HousingForwardVA.org https://www.zoningatlas.org https://www.hdadvisors.net/        

Today we're talking with Preservation Maryland's Revitalization Policy Analyst Briana Paxton about the intersection of historic preservation and smart growth, zoning, barriers to infill, and what preservationists can do to incentivize smart development.  

Today we're talking with Rachel Robinson Vice President, Preservation at Historic Annapolis, a non-profit organization in the historic capital of Maryland. Rachel takes us through her journey to a career in preservation and the organization's current projects.     

We're excited to (finally!) sit down with C&O Canal Trust's President & CEO Lauren Riviello to talk about the C&O Canal, unique ways to activate historic resources, and the innovative Canal Quarters program. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park preserves and interprets the historical, natural, and recreational resources of the C&O Canal and has more than 5 million visitors annually. Lauren joined the C&O Canal Trust in February 2021, serving as Director of Development prior to becoming President & CEO in April 2023. During her tenure leading the Trust's development team, the organization steadily enhanced its fundraising efforts, growing critical support for conservation, education, and preservation efforts in the C&O Canal National Historical Park. A native of Shepherdstown, WV, she grew up exploring the C&O Canal at Lock 38.    

On this week's PreserveCast, join us as we talk with Daniela Holt Voith, a founding principal of Voith & Mactavish Architects. Daniela will take us through her history as an architect, how she was introduced to preservation, and one of her latest projects in the Town of Oxford, Md., where she and her team had to walk the line between modern sustainable practices and preservation.

On today's PreserveCast we're sitting down with Angela Crenshaw, Director of the Maryland Park Service. We'll hear about Angela's background, the State Park system, famous Marylanders, and the important work she's doing leading the department that safeguards Maryland's cultural and natural resources. 

Join us this week as we talk with Winslow Hastie, President & CEO of the Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF). On this week's episode, we chat with Winslow about the 77-year old organization - it's past and future - and the Nathaniel Russell House, a 19th century historic house museum in Charleston, South Carolina, owned and operated by the Historic Charleston Foundation. In December 2023, HCF announced they would be divesting the house and a month later, after public outcry, that decision was reversed. Sit in on our conversation with Winslow as we discuss what this story says about the current and future state of preservation.

On this week's PreserveCast, join us as we talk with Andrew Rowand, a shoemaker who focuses on recreating shoes from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Andrew will take us through his process for making the shoes, where his inspiration comes from, and what started his decade-long journey. 

On this week's PreserveCast, join us as we talk with Jennifer Dewees, President at Maryland Center for Construction Education and Innovation, Inc. (MCCEI). Jennifer will discuss apprenticeships and how important they are to the construction industry, and the workforce as a whole. Jennifer is a co-founder and Construction Lead at the Maryland Apprenticeship Center where they are championing apprenticeships as essential pathways across all industries.    

On this week's PreserveCast, join us as we talk with Annie Polland, President of the Tenement Museum, about their new exhibit A Union of Hope. Annie will take us through how they discovered the story of Joseph and Rachel Moore, Black New Yorkers who lived in the tenement in the 1860s – 1870s, and how they recreated their apartment in the Tenement Museum while navigating historic preservation and interpretation.  

Today we're joined by two of Preservation Maryland's own (the organization that powers PreserveCast!), Christiana Limniatis and Maggie Pelta-Pauls, to discuss the process of researching a historic property - why people conduct the research, the hidden histories that can be uncovered, and how researching a historic property has real-world impact today.  Check out Christiana and Maggie's work here: https://www.preservationmaryland.org/researching-the-history-of-the-berlin-house/ and Preservation Maryland's Property Research Guide here: https://www.preservationmaryland.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/PresMD-Property-Research-Guide.pdf

On this week's episode we're talking with Natalie Henshaw, Director of The Campaign for Historic Trades. You may recognize Natalie's name (and voice!) as she hosts PreserveCast's Trades Takeover episodes, some of our most downloaded conversations here on PreserveCast.  Listen in to learn about the value of historic trades, apprenticeship programs, the impact they're having, and how you can get involved to make sure trades training happens in your community.  *March 3-9th is also Women in Construction Week - a perfect time for the head of a national historic trades program to share her knowledge about the industry and discuss equitable opportunities in the trades. 

Join us as we talk with Daniel Gagnon about his book A Salem Witch: The Trial, Execution, and Exoneration of Rebecca Nurse. Dan will take us on a deep dive into the world of the Salem Witch Trials and how one story stuck out and just had to be told. We cover everything from the accusations to the legacy, and how witchcraft themed tourism impacts modern storytelling.  Dan is the author of A Salem Witch: The Trial, Execution, and Exoneration of Rebecca Nurse. He is a high school history teacher on the North Shore of Massachusetts, serves on the board of directors of the Rebecca Nurse Homestead Museum, and serves as Chairman of the Town of Danvers' Salem Village Historic District Commission. He has shared his research through many in-person and online programs, including C-SPAN's television program American History TV, and has served as a subject-matter expert for local media. Learn more: https://danielgagnonhistory.com/

Join us on this week's PreserveCast episode as we talk with Bob Jaeger, President at the Partners for Sacred Places. Partners for Sacred Places, founded in 1989, is the only national, non-sectarian, non-profit organization focused on building the capacity of congregations of historic sacred places to better serve their communities.  Bob co-founded Partners for Sacred Places in 1989. Previously, Bob worked with the Philadelphia Historic Preservation Corporation as Senior Vice President for the Historic Religious Properties Program. He is the co-author of Sacred Places at Risk (1998) and Strategies for Stewardship and Active Use of Older and Historic Religious Properties(1996), author of Sacred Places in Transition (1994), and editor (from 1985 to 1989) of Inspired, a bi-monthly magazine with news and technical articles on religious property preservation. Bob holds a master's degree in preservation planning from Cornell University and an MBA from the University of Michigan.   Learn More: https://sacredplaces.org/  

On this week's PreserveCast we are talking with Elicia Garske, a 2022 recipient of the Harrison Goodall Fellowship. Elicia shares her project, a summer program to connect skilled preservation contractors with young adults interested in learning more about this line of work. Join us to hear how her project unfolded and what lessons she learned along the way.   BIO: Elicia Garske manages preservation projects for H.G. Christman Construction in South Bend. In her previous role as the historic preservation administrator for the City of South Bend, Elicia observed firsthand the challenge of locating skilled craftspeople who repaired vintage windows and that specialized in historic preservation. At home in La Porte, Elicia is the grounds superintendent for her neighborhood the Pine Lake Assembly–a historic lake retreat founded by settlers in the 1890s. Elicia's honed her skills as an interior designer and a sustainable building advisor with each of the three personal houses she has renovated. Dedicated to educating people on the importance of historic preservation, Elicia is a founding board member of South Bend TradeWorks, a non-profit group that rescues historic buildings and materials by reclaiming and selling architectural salvage and providing training on historic building renovation best practices.    Learn More: https://historictrades.org/project/elicia-garske/ Interview with Harrison Goodall: https://www.preservecast.org/2020/05/11/building-a-legacy-in-the-preservation-trades-with-dr-harrison-goodall/ 2021 Fellows Selected: https://www.preservationmaryland.org/2021-harrison-goodall-fellows-selected/ 2022 Fellows Selected: https://www.preservationmaryland.org/2022-harrison-goodall-preservation-fellow-selected/

Join us as we talk with Dr. Shirley Green about her book Revolutionary Blacks: Discovering the Frank Brothers, Freeborn Men of Color, Soldiers of Independence. Shirley's book follows William and Benjamin Frank through their military service in the Continental Army, their experience as free Black soldiers, and the paths they travelled.

Join us on this week's PreserveCast - our 300th episode! - as we talk with Alyssa Lozupone and Kris Turgeon about preservation training opportunities at Newport Restoration Foundation. Alyssa and Kris will provide us with background on this legacy preservation organization and the work they've done to establish a robust and successful Preservation Trades Specialist Training program and what lessons were learned along the way that could help other efforts like it around the country.  In 2023 The Campaign for Historic Trades partnered with Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) to create a customized training program focused on providing participants with an introduction to the preservation trades. The 12-week program is comprised of 60 contact hours of instruction including lectures, in-class activities, demonstrations, site visits, and shop tours.  Learn More: https://www.newportrestoration.org/preservation/

Join us on this week's PreserveCast episode as we talk with Mary Cleary, Senior Editor at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and Michael Knapp, Chief of Historical Services at the American Battle Monuments Commission, about the newly released book, Time Will Not Dim: American Battle Monuments Commission, A Century of Service, 1923 - 2023. Mary and Michael will take us through the book, their experience working on the book, and the history and future of the ABMC.

On the heels of The Campaign for Historic Trades' announcement that is has successfully registered its group apprenticeship program, Trades Takeover returns! The Campaign's Director, Natalie Henshaw, speaks with Héctor J. Berdecía-Hernández, founding Director-General of the Centro de Conservación y Restauración de Puerto Rico (CENCOR). CENCOR is a unique institution that seeks to develop the capacity of communities in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean to protect and conserve their cultural heritage. Its initiatives, programs, and projects provide educational and professional development opportunities to public and private cultural institutions, professionals, and the general public. Through preservation and conservation projects, study and research, education and training, dissemination, and promotion of cultural heritage, CENCOR helps people to know and explore Puerto Rican culture, history, and heritage, to protect and preserve it. In this episode, Natalie and Héctor discuss his career path into conservation, leading to the founding of CENCOR.

Cemeteries, like historic buildings and landscapes, provide critical connections to our past. On today's episode of PreserveCast we're talking with Preservation Maryland's Program & Outreach Manager Christiana Limniatis about U.S. presidential gravesites – how presidents are laid to rest, cemetery architecture, and a discussion about the unique features of presidential gravesites across the country.

Join us this week's PreserveCast episode as we talk with Senior historian and interpretive planner, Scott Vierick with the History Associates, Inc (HAI). We'll talk with Scott about the Falling Waters Battlefield and how HAI and Preservation Maryland worked to conduct an interpretive reconnaissance survey and the impact it had on plans for the Battlefield.

Join us on this week's PreserveCast as we talk with Robyn Hodgson about her book Abandoned Maryland Houses: Ruins of the Maryland Dream, which she co-authored with her partner Rhea Hodgson. Her book takes the reader through abandoned historic homes throughout Maryland through photographs and history. Robyn will share some of the behind-the-scenes of her photography and book. A brief disclaimer on this episode – neither PreserveCast nor Preservation Maryland, which powers this podcast, endorses, suggests or encourages anyone to ever explore, enter or otherwise investigate a historic place without owner consent. Always engage in ethical documentation and exploration of historic places. Learn More: https://www.instagram.com/morning_reveries/ Order the Book: https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/products/9781634994361

Although Salem is certainly the most famous American community to be beset by the mania of witchcraft, it was far from alone in its paranoia. On this special edition of PreserveCast, we're exploring the history of accusations of witchcraft and sorcery in Maryland. At this time of the year, as we look for opportunities to get the good shivers, we'd be wise to balance the frightening tales of witchcraft with the harsh reality of the lives ended by the hysteria and the lesson in that story – that well meaning people can make strange decisions driven by fear of the unknown. Perhaps, the story of witchcraft fascinates us, because in each of us there is fear of the supernatural and we wonder, if only subconsciously, if we too, could fall for an equally absurd fallacy. 

You're visiting New Orleans and you want to get off the beaten path – out of the French Quarter and into neighborhoods to experience the real, authentic cultural assets this historic, over 300-year-old city has to offer. So where do you go and what do you do? On this week's PreserveCast, we're sitting down with Danielle Del Sol, the Executive Director of the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans and Nathalie Jordi to talk about an Authentic New Orleans experience.