Episodes
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
As COVID-19 has changed the everyday ways that we interact with each other and our communities, it’s clear that our environment has important physical and psychological effects on us all.
This podcast is part 2 of a five-part special series presented by PreserveCast and powered by Preservation Maryland and includes the audio recording of Dr. Jeremy C. Wells' presentation of this subject at a Preservation Maryland conference in 2016.
Dr. Jeremy C. Wells is an Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland's School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, with a research focus on the ways that people interact with their environment and the ways historic places – their decay and patina – influence their psychological and social health.
Dr. Wells’ research utilizes applied social science methods and presents new approaches for heritage rules, laws, and regulations. In this context of health and behavior, there is additional importance placed on the work of community planning, historic preservation, and evaluating what it is to live a healthy life in a healthy place.
Monday Mar 23, 2020
Monday Mar 23, 2020
As this current international pandemic has changed the everyday ways that we interact with each other and our communities, it’s clear that our environment has important physical and psychological effects on us all. Preservation addresses the physical material of our built environment – and those materials’ potential positive or negative health impacts – so too, does preservation address an emotional connection to a time and place in history.
This five-part special podcast series, Healthy, Hip & Historic on PreserveCast will feature five preservation visionaries that will place our preservation work in a broader context, identify challenges, and illuminate solutions for linking historic preservation and healthy communities.
Preservation Maryland brought Storm Cunningham, an author whose work is leading the way for partnerships between preservationists and environmentalists, to our annual statewide conference held in 2016 in Frederick, Maryland. Storm Cunningham is the publisher of Revitalization News online, and the author of "The Restoration Economy," "reWealth," and the forthcoming "Planetary Renewal: A Strategy To Reverse Our Decline."
As a regional partnership planner, he has facilitated comprehensive revitalization processes, not just a vision, project or plan which help places enhance their economy, boost the quality of life and increase climate resilience by repurposing, renewing and reconnecting their natural built and socioeconomic assets.
Storm joined our group of preservationists, planners and heritage tourism and museum professionals to show the group how they can think differently about who they partner with and what benefit comes from those partnerships. If we want to make the world a better and more sustainable place, we need to breakdown the silos each discipline has wedge themselves.
One example Storm will share was a potential relationship between “water people” and “solar people.” Instead of saying “we have nothing in common,” think about your goals and how they overlap. “Solar People” want solar panels to make clean energy and “water people” want to get safe and clean water long distances. Water evaporates unless it is covered, so why not cover the water channels with solar panels? This is a win-win. More energy and less water loss.
Monday Feb 03, 2020
Monday Feb 03, 2020
With 4.4 million visitors in 2018, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal is one of America’s most visited national park sites – a linear treasure of 184.5 miles of history, heritage and nature balanced precariously on the edge of the Potomac River as it curves from Georgetown in the District of Columbia to the foothills of the Alleghenies in Cumberland, Maryland.
Today’s guest, Heidi Glatfelter Schlag, is a preservation and heritage communications professional who works with the award-winning Friends group organized to help support, advocate, and fundraise on behalf of this national treasure. The C&O Canal Trust’s innovative and entrepreneurial approach to its work is changing the way visitors interact with the canal and its history.
So, keep your head down as we pass below the low bridges and keep a clear eye for the next lock – we’re headed to the C&O canal!
Monday Jan 06, 2020
Monday Jan 06, 2020
Start your engines – because on this week’s PreserveCast we’re talking historic cars and the history of the American Automobile with Diane Parker, Vice President of the Historic Vehicle Association. Buckle up and hit the clutch, because you’re listening to a revved-up edition of PreserveCast.
Diane Parker is Vice President of the Historic Vehicle Association (HVA). Surrounded by gear heads from a young age, Diane developed a love and appreciation for vehicles. Since joining the Historic Vehicle Association in 2013, she has combined her love of vehicles with her expertise in operations management. Focusing on the organization’s overall vision, values, beliefs, and strategic goals, Diane is extremely passionate about the organization’s mission to share the cultural past associated with America’s automotive heritage; and to ensure it is never lost nor forgotten.
Two major components of that include Cars at the Capital, their annual exhibition on the National Mall in Washington, DC and, the continued growth of their program that documents historically significant vehicles. That program is the National Historic Vehicle Register. Similar to the Register of Historic Places, and in partnership with the U.S. Department of Interior, the Register program ensures that culturally and historically significant automobiles are fully documented and reside within the Library of Congress in perpetuity.
Monday Dec 02, 2019
Monday Dec 02, 2019
Nestled in the verdant fields and forests of the Hudson Valley, Saratoga Springs is a historic jewel of New York State – a place where the past is evocative and ever-present. The unique and charming character of Saratoga Springs didn’t happen by accident – like many places it’s the result of dedicated preservationists, like today’s guest, Samantha Bosshart who leads the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation. On today’s episode, we’ll talk about preservation work in a small town with the nation’s oldest sports venue. Giddy up; we’re talking horses, houses and history on this week’s PreserveCast.
Samantha Bosshart joined the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation in 2008 and under her leadership, the Foundation completed a $750,000 restoration of the Spirit of Life and Spencer Trask Memorial; undertook a comprehensive cultural resource inventory of the Saratoga Race Course, and successfully advocated for the Foundation to review capital improvement projects to ensure the preservation of the historic character of the oldest sports venue in the country.
Prior to leading the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation, she held positions at the Historic Albany Foundation and Galveston Historical Foundation. Samantha is a graduate of both Indiana University and Cornell University where she received her Masters of Arts in Historic Preservation Planning.
Monday Oct 07, 2019
Monday Oct 07, 2019
As preservationists, we here at PreserveCast are usually concerned with the physical history: what we can know from the cold hard facts in front of us.
But seeing as how it’s October and Halloween is around the corner, we thought we’d talk a little about haunted history.
Author Colin Dickey joined host Nick Redding to talk about the history of ghost stories and share what we can learn from the places that scare us.
If you've ever wondered why American horror stories typically feature an old Victorian mansion or forgotten roadside motel...this episode is for you!
Monday Sep 09, 2019
Monday Sep 09, 2019
Do you ever wonder how people can write new books about history?
Shouldn’t it never change because it’s all in the past?
The truth is anything but.
No one can explain that better than our guest, Dennis Frye, as we approach the 157th Anniversary of the Battle of Antietam.
Having been involved in everything from giving tours to leading nationally important preservation and battlefield protection organizations, few people know Civil War history like Dennis.
In his recent book, Antietam Shadows: Mystery, Myth & Machination, Dennis makes the case that history should never lie dormant, it always needs to be re-examined, stating, "Historians should always be challenging themselves. They should always be a detective. They should always be mining for new information, and if it completely reverses something that’s conventional, good, good. Throw it out there and let people see it in a different way, in a different manner, in a different light."
Listen in to this episode of PreserveCast to hear from Dennis about his investigative and inclusive approach to historical research on this special re-broadcast in commemoration of the 157th Anniversary of the Battle of Antietam.
Monday Aug 05, 2019
Monday Aug 05, 2019
Why is it that some communities succeed and others flounder? What draws people into some shops and not others? What makes a great community? Is there a science to revitalizing downtowns and communities? Today’s guest, Heather Arnold, has made a career helping to answer these questions and many more. Grab you calculators and open up a new spreadsheet, because on this week’s PreserveCast we’re taking a deep dive into the science of revitalization and community redevelopment.
Heather Arnold is the principal of research and analysis and managing director of public sector work at Streetsense, a strategy and design collective based in Bethesda, MD. In this role, Heather specializes in retail market analysis, incentive planning, and merchandising for downtown environments. With over 20 years of experience, she has made incredible strides toward shaping urban commercial landscapes and increasing access to opportunities in underserved neighborhoods. In this pursuit, she has been a catalyst for meaningful change — from repositioning malls toward active uses to creating community where surface parking once dominated.
With an expert eye toward the development and implementation of retail solutions, Heather brings data-driven strategy to communities in need.
Monday Mar 04, 2019
Monday Mar 04, 2019
Chicago's Glessner House is a National Historic Landmark that was designed by noted American architect Henry Hobson Richardson and completed in 1887 for John Glessner and Frances Glessner. The structure served as an inspiration to architects such as Louis Sullivan, Mies van Der Rohe, and the young Frank Lloyd Wright and helped redefine domestic architecture.
On this week’s PreserveCast, we’re talking to Glessner House’s Executive Director and Curator Bill Tyre about the unique design and residents of this house including, Frances Glessner Lee, daughter of John and Frances Glessner. Lee was the first female police captain in the United States, likely the inspiration for Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote, and is known as “the mother of forensic science.” Her series of extremely detailed dioramas, “Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death,” influenced investigative training for many years. The dioramas were recently featured in an exhibition at the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery in 2018. The Glessner House will host a Birthday Gala in honor of Lee later this month at which her meticulously detailed miniature model of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will be on display for the first time in six years.
Bill Tyre is the Executive Director and Curator at Glessner House Museum. He’s one of just three full-time staff members who manage and maintain one of Chicago’s most famous homes. Glessner House was saved thanks to preservation efforts that resulted in the formation of both the house museum and Chicago Architecture Center in 1966.
Monday Feb 11, 2019
Monday Feb 11, 2019
For many PreserveCast listeners, Illinois may only mean Chicago and the hustle and bustle of the second city – but Illinois is a massive state with a rich and stunning diversity of heritage. It’s a big job to advocate for and preserve that heritage and Landmarks Illinois, founded in 1971, is in a race against time to help the people of Illinois save places that matter. Landmarks Illinois’ President and CEO Bonnie McDonald is today’s guest – a leader in the field who is blending economic and real estate development with historic preservation in new and intriguing ways. It’s time to talk preservation prairie style on this episode of PreserveCast.
Monday Dec 24, 2018
PreserveCast Ep. 101: A Retrospective with Your Host, Nick Redding
Monday Dec 24, 2018
Monday Dec 24, 2018
This is also our 101st episode – and we’re changing the format slightly today to offer a brief retrospective on what we’ve learned about ourselves and preservation over the past 100 episodes – and to talk about where we’re headed moving forward...
If you’ve enjoyed these past 100 episodes, we hope you’ll consider making a year-end gift to offset our significant expenses in bringing you this content. Think of us as your Preservation Netflix – even a one-time $20 gift would go a long way! You can make a simple online donation to Preservation Maryland at presmd.org and hit the DONATE button in the upper right corner.
Monday Dec 17, 2018
Monday Dec 17, 2018
It takes a village to make a preservation project a reality – and in today’s complex financial environment it also takes an expert in tax credit law to take a project from idea to completion. Today’s guest, Bill MacRostie is one of the nation’s leading experts in that complex but critical field. Sharpen your pencil and grab you calculator, because we’re talking the dollars and cents of preservation on this week’s PreserveCast.
In private practice for more than 30 years, Bill MacRostie has advised clients nationwide on projects ranging in size and type from the multi-phased $175 million mixed-use project in Detroit, Michigan to a $1.5 million hotel rehabilitation in Santa Rosa, California. For the 14 years that NPS certification project review was conducted in regional offices, Bill worked extensively in every regional office and most major states around the country.
Bill MacRostie is now a senior partner at MacRostie Historic Advisors where he advises clients on historic rehabilitation tax credit design and regulatory issues. In addition, he also serves on the board of directors of the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association and previously served on the board of Preservation Action.
Monday Dec 10, 2018
Monday Dec 10, 2018
Historic places and resources come in all shapes and sizes. On Maryland’s eastern shore, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum preserves and restores a wide variety of historic resources – including historic boats and ships. Today’s guest, Pete Lesher, the chief curator of the museum is assisting in the latest restoration project of the 1882 Chesapeake Bay nine-log bugeye Edna E. Lockwood. You don’t know what a bugeye is? Well batten down the hatches and check your port and starboard as we set sail for this week’s PreserveCast.
Pete Lesher is chief curator at Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, where he has served on staff since 1991 and now oversees museum collections, exhibitions, and programs. He graduated Lafayette College, holds an MA in history from Columbia University, and studied maritime history at Mystic Seaport’s summer Munson Institute for American Maritime Studies.
Active in his community, Pete is a member of the Talbot County Council, chairs the St. Michaels Historic District Commission, and serves on the boards of the Maryland Humanities Council, Council of American Maritime Museums, and Maryland Heritage Areas Authority. In his spare time he sails, taking particular pleasure in his role as jib tender on the 1882 Chesapeake Bay sailing log canoe Island Bird.
Monday Dec 03, 2018
Monday Dec 03, 2018
Do you enjoy international travel, historic buildings, and helping to restore important places? This week’s guest works to connect those interests through her work as Executive Director of Restoration Works International, an organization whose mission is to restore buildings of cultural significance and provide cultural exchange and understanding. Make sure you have your passport ready and lock that tray table in the upright position – we’re headed overseas this week to talk international preservation on PreserveCast!
Melanie Lytle is the Executive Director of Restoration Works International, an organization which uses national and international volunteer tourism as the catalyst for its mission to help communities around the world protect their cultural heritage sites and prosper through preservation and renewal of their history. A trained architectural historian, prior to her current position, she served as the Executive Director of the non-profit Maryland Association of Historic District Commissions. Melanie is a graduate of Goucher College's MA in Historic Preservation program.
Monday Nov 05, 2018
Monday Nov 05, 2018
Towny Anderson has over 40 years of experience with historic preservation. He has restored historic properties first as craftsman, then contractor, and later developer and owner. He was an independent scholar, cum laude graduate of Middlebury College and attended the Preservation Leadership Training program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Anderson served as Vermont’s first appointed State Historic Preservation Officer, as a Director of the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers and as Chair of the Vermont Historic Preservation Advisory Council. He is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum. Anderson co-wrote groundbreaking statewide legislation encouraging reinvestment in Vermont’s historic downtowns. He was a founding board member of MainStreet Steamboat Springs. Two of his certified historic rehabilitation projects received National Trust Preservation Honor awards. Appointed Executive Director of HistoriCorps in August 2012, Towny Anderson is bringing together everything he loves about historic preservation – buildings, people, beautiful places, and education.
Friday Oct 26, 2018
Friday Oct 26, 2018
If you work in historic preservation long enough, inevitably the question comes up, "Do you believe in ghosts?" For today’s guest, Mindie Burgoyne, she’s made a career of telling those stories as a travel writer, blogger, author, and most famously, a tour operator.
Her focus is traveling within the context of a story to the mystical places that stir the mind and spirit. Her tour company has three subsidiaries: Chesapeake Ghost Walks, a cluster of ten regional ghost walks on the Eastern Shore of Maryland; Thin Places Mystical Tours, which hosts annual tours and travel services to sacred, off-the-beaten path destinations in Ireland; and Travel Hag Adventures, "a travel club for girlfriends."
In this episode, Nick and Mindie discuss how she began hosting ghost tours both domestically and abroad. You will learn: a creative approach to marketing history and preservation to non-preservationists; how to maintain historic integrity while sharing local lore and ghost stories, how to combat negative perceptions of the paranormal within the field of preservation, the difference between educating and conjuring, and if Mindie actually believes in ghosts herself.
So leave the light on or risked getting spooked on this year's PreserveCast Spooktacular.
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Monday Oct 01, 2018
Monday Oct 01, 2018
Virginia’s Piedmont is a magical place filled with rich, verdant farmland and the Shenandoah National Park. Protecting a place this large and special is no simple task. Fortunately, the Piedmont Environmental Council has been on the job since 1972 and has preserved hundreds of thousands of acres of land. Recently, they’ve launched a new historic preservation initiative to connect the influx of new residents to historic places throughout Virginia. Today’s guest, Kristie Kendall is leading that initiative.
Kristie is no stranger to landscape preservation. While growing up in Fairfax County, Virginia, she watched the obliteration of important farmland and historical sites near her home. It was then that she learned the importance of protecting land. While earning her Master's degree as a former employee of the American Battlefield Protection Program in Washington, D.C., Kristie has advocated for the preservation of significant battlefield landscapes across the country.
Today, she leads outreach initiatives to build connections between the growing number of new, international residents in Virginia to the state's historic places and parks.
This week, Nick and Kristie discuss the challenges associated with preserving historic landscapes in a rapidly changing world. You will learn: the importance of protecting natural and historical landscapes beyond the physical boundaries of a national park; how the PEC defeated a proposal for major land development and disruption from a mega media giant; and how to engage communities of residents that may not have historical ties to historical places
Gather round, we’re sharing the secrets to community building within historic spaces on this week’s PreserveCast!
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Monday Sep 10, 2018
Monday Sep 10, 2018
Ellicott City, Maryland is a place that exudes authenticity. It has been flooded repeatedly, traipsed over by Civil War soldiers, and stained by locomotive smoke. Unfortunately, the most recent floods have resulted in local officials calling to demolish large portions of the historic district, a move that could set a terrible precedent here in Maryland and beyond.
Today’s guest, Mary Catherine Cochran is working to stop that plan and to find a way to balance life, history, and safety. As a Howard County native and lifelong preservationist, Mary Catherine co-founded Preservation Howard County and has served as the executive director of the Patapsco Heritage Greenway. In recognition of her work, she was inducted into the Howard County Women's Hall of Fame in 2017.
As a tireless defender of Ellicott City, Mary Catherine is working in partnership with a grassroots collective of supporters and larger organizations like Preservation Maryland to defeat a new proposal that would demolish large portions of this historic town.
In this episode, Nick and Mary discuss:
- the importance of making science-based decisions to mitigate flooding in an age of climate change
- ways to engage a community that has been traumatized with the physical and the financial losses of their businesses
- the challenges associated with public acquisition of private businesses located in historic buildings
- how to contact the Howard County Council to voice your opinion on saving this community
Grab your hard hats and get to work with Nick and Mary on this week's episode of PreserveCast!
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Monday Sep 03, 2018
PreserveCast Ep. 85: Modernizing Historic Annapolis with Karen Theimer Brown
Monday Sep 03, 2018
Monday Sep 03, 2018
For today’s guest, heading back to the eighteenth century is a daily occurrence and a requirement. Karen Theimer Brown is the vice-president of preservation at Historic Annapolis, a non-profit organization tasked with protecting, preserving and interpreting the history of Maryland’s capital city. Founded in 1649, Annapolis remains one of the most authentic and intact colonial towns in all of America.
For Karen and her colleagues at Historic Annapolis, it’s a full-time job to protect that authenticity from rising tides and pressure to grow. Grab you Old Bay and get your crab mallet ready. We’re headed to Naptown to talk preservation’s past and future on this week's PreserveCast.
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Monday Aug 20, 2018
Monday Aug 20, 2018
In Maryland the land across the Chesapeake Bay, the Eastern Shore, is a place rich in history. The landscape itself oozes history and speaks in many voices for those willing to listen. Dorchester County, founded in 1669, is one of the Shores’ most historic places most famous for its connection to Harriet Tubman.
This week’s guest Amanda Fenstermaker works tirelessly to market, advocate and protect her native county’s history – and the results are showing as the county is quickly becoming a major tourist destination for those interested in learning about our nation’s African-American history.
Join us this week for a journey to the Eastern Shore, a teaser for a real road trip you’ll certainly want to make on your own very soon.
Monday Jul 16, 2018
Monday Jul 16, 2018
Enjoy this re-release of episode 24 from our archives as PreserveCast takes a quick summer break. Explore roaside architecture along Maryland's historic Route One with our executive producer Aaron Marcavitch in "Diners, Dueling Grounds, and Dives." Sit back, listen up, and relax while we return with a new episode soon.
Route One was once America’s thoroughfare, built over the older Quebec-Miami International Highway and the Atlantic Highway. A decent stretch of this old road falls under the purview of Aaron Marcavitch, the Executive Director of Maryland’s Anacostia Trails Heritage Area and this week’s guest. Aaron is an advocate for the preservation of roadside architecture, ranging from diners that predate the highway system to an old Woolworth’s. This is all in addition to his work preserving communities and buildings throughout his area, including an old dueling ground just north of Washington D.C. Roll down the window and put your feet on the dash, this is PreserveCast.
Monday Jul 02, 2018
PreserveCast Ep. 78: America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places
Monday Jul 02, 2018
Monday Jul 02, 2018
Just last week, the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced its annual list of the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in America. Two of these eleven sites are located in Maryland! Since Preservation Maryland is the host of PreserveCast, this news hit close to home, quite literally.
The historic waterfront of Annapolis and George Washington’s historic view at Mount Vernon in Maryland have received proposals to undergo altered landscapes. Listen in as Nick and Meagan discuss the impact and opportunities of such listings and early efforts already underway to address these challenges head on.
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/07/02/americas-11-most-endangered-historic-places/
Monday Jun 04, 2018
Monday Jun 04, 2018
Do you ever wonder how people can write new books about history? Shouldn’t it never change because it’s all in the past? The truth is anything but, and no one can explain that better than today’s guest, Dennis Frye. Having been involved in everything from giving tours to leading nationally important preservation and battlefield protection organizations, few people know Civil War History like Dennis. And in his new book, Antietam Shadows, he makes the case that history should never lie dormant, it always needs to be re-examined. Join as Nick and Dennis talk about Dennis’ new book, highlights from his career in preservation, and more on this week’s PreserveCast.
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/06/04/antietam-shadows-dennis-frye-history-we-think-we-know/
Monday May 28, 2018
PreserveCast Ep. 73: Brittany LaVelle Tulla and Historic Charleston
Monday May 28, 2018
Monday May 28, 2018
What do you think it takes for a historic location to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site? This week’s guest, Brittany LaVelle Tulla, thinks that her home and her passion, Charleston, South Carolina, has what it takes. Join Nick as he and Brittany talk all things historic preservation in one of the most famous historic towns in the country, including Brittany’s own business as an architectural historian, her work with the Charleston Young Preservationists, and the dynamic and unique challenges facing a town that many see as a total preservation success. This is PreserveCast!
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/05/28/brittany-lavelle-tulla-historic-charleston/
Monday May 14, 2018
Monday May 14, 2018
The British Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is just around the corner. It’s a historic moment, and the buzz around it has even crossed the pond and reach PreserveCast. The excitement has also provided us the perfect reason to talk to a true Baltimore Original, Philp Baty. Philip has spent years curating a private collection of items all related to Baltimore’s own member of the royal family, the Duchess of Windsor. We got to Philip just in time, as the one-of-a-kind collection is being put to auction in conjunction with the marriage of Harry and Meghan. Philip’s passion for the Duchess is also one-of-a-kind, on this special Royal Wedding edition of PreserveCast.
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/05/14/baltimore-royal-family-duchess-of-windsor-collection-adele-corner-house/