PreserveCast

Trades Takeover with John Chan of Durable Restoration

Trades Takeover is back! In this episode, Director of Historic Trades Natalie Henshaw speaks with John Chan, Principal and Executive VP for the Durable Slate Company. John is a nationally recognized expert in historic roofing and a passionate advocate for preserving traditional roofing methods. He started slate, tile and copper roofing at The Durable Slate Company while on college summer breaks in 1986 and joined the company full-time in 1989 after graduating from UCLA. After working through the ranks in the field, he became a principal of the company in 1992. In 1996, he relocated to open the Cincinnati branch, then went on to open the New Orleans branch in 2006. During this time, he worked on over 10,000 slate and tile roofs all over the United States and Europe.

John’s expertise in slate and cooper roofing has led to his role as a board member of the National Slate Association. He also served as the organization’s president from 2012-2018, tripling the typical term limit for the position. Over the years, his lectures and educational outreach have influenced best practices across the industry.

Take a look at the Norwegian Embassy’s pre-patinated copper roof John mentions in the episode, and learn more about Durable Slate at https://www.durableslate.com/

 

Episode Links:

• International Federation of the Roofing Trade  (IFD) https://ifd-roof.com/index.php/en/about/
• National Slate Association (NSA) https://mobile.slateassociation.org/
• National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA)  https://www.nrca.net/
• The Slate Roofing Contractors Association of North America, Inc. (SRCA) https://www.slateroofers.org/
• The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) https://www.smacna.org/

Giants of Urban Design with Thomas Campanella

We're sitting down with historian and author of the new book, Designing the American Century: The Public Landscapes of Clarke and Rapuano, 1915–1965, Thomas Campanella. Tune in as we talk about two unsung giants of American landscape and urban design.

 

A Foundation for the Future with Benjamin Prosky from the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation

Today we're on with Benjamin Prosky, president of the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation, working to advance education, innovation, and stewardship in the fields of historic preservation, decorative arts, and historic landscapes. Listen in as Ben covers his preservation journey and the resources the Foundation stewards. 

All Hands on Deck: a Maritime Story with Olive Theodore

Join us as we sit down with Olive Theodore, founder of Walrus Boat Recycling, a nonprofit project centered around saving and upcycling boats, and the capital campaign manager of the Center for Wooden Boats, aiming to connect each of us to Seattle's living maritime heritage of building, exploring, and using small boats through hands-on experiences. Listen in as we cover all things maritime!

Juneteenth at Williamsburg: Reclaiming the Story of the Bray School with Jack Gary

On this special-release episode of PreserveCast, we're sitting down with Jack Gary from Colonial Williamsburg’s Department of Archaeology to discuss the opening of a "new" site at Colonial Williamsburg.

Today, on Juneteenth, Colonial Williamsburg is opening a powerful chapter of American history,  the Williamsburg Bray School, the nation’s oldest-known schoolhouse used to educate enslaved and free Black children. The site dramatically expands the narrative of Colonial Williamsburg, deepening how the museum tells the story of our country’s origins through the lens of race, education, faith, and community. The project also centers descendant voices, who are helping to shape how these stories are shared with the public.

About Our Guest

Jack leads all aspects of archaeological research within Colonial Williamsburg’s Department of Archaeology. He oversees a department of 30 professional archaeologists engaged in historical research, field excavation, laboratory analyses, and documentation of Colonial Williamsburg’s archaeological resources. He is an expert in the field of environmental and garden archaeology, community engaged approaches to archaeology, and material culture studies. The Foundation’s archaeological collection of over 60 million artifacts falls under Jack’s responsibility.

More on the William Bray School: https://www.preservecast.org/2023/05/15/the-williamsburg-bray-school-with-dr-maureen-elgersman-lee/

 

The History of Juneteenth with Dr. Dennis Doster

In 2021 - 159 years after the first Juneteenth - the celebration became a federal holiday, changing the understanding of awareness of the holiday for millions of Americans. On this week’s PreserveCast, we’re talking with Dr. Dennis Doster, who runs the Black History Program for the Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation about what the designation means and how Juneteenth fits into the broader American story. 

Dennis A. Doster, Ph.D. is the director of the M-NCPPC Black History Program. Dr. Doster has close to 15 years of experience in the field of Public History. He has worked for the National Archives, the Johns Hopkins University, and the Alexandria Black History Museum. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor in African American Studies, History, and Women’s Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Maryland, University College.

Learn more at: https://www.pgparks.com/1378/Black-History

Preserving the Past for the Public with Susan McMahon

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. 

Paper Trails with Kathryn Mayer

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. 

Law and the Preservation Community with Marion Werkheiser and Will Cook

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/

Old House Lovers with Cristiana Pena

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. 

Love Our Museums with Amy Kehs

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/

Women Architects at Work with Dr. Mary Anne Hunting and Dr. Kevin D. Murphy

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.

The Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage with Laura Zimmerman and Liz Shatto

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

Preserving a Community Asset with Hank Levine

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

Rediscovering Lost History with Jeffrey Ricketts

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

 

Developing Multi-Sensory Experiences with Dr. Cheryl Fogle-Hatch

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.

National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week with Russ Carnahan

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.

Preserving Electronic Media with Mark Sledziewski

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.

The Mother of the American Valentine with Trisha Tanner

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. 

Staying Safe While Preserving with Joe Redd

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. 

Practical Preservation with Danielle Keperling

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.

Second- Order Preservation with Erica Avrami

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. 

Preservation Trades Program Creation Guide with Molly Baker

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. 

Worth Preserving with Kate Wood

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.” 

The History of New Year’s with Dr. Alexis McCrossen

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).