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PreserveCast is where the past and present meet to discuss how history impacts today – and tomorrow. Hosted by Nicholas Redding of Preservation Maryland.
Episodes
Monday Jun 25, 2018
Monday Jun 25, 2018
New Orleans. The Big Easy. The City that Care Forgot. It’s a place with few equals in history, architecture or culture. Protecting and preserving a place this significant is difficult and never-ending work. Fortunately, the Preservation Resource Center has been committed to doing just that for 44 years. Today’s guest, Daniel Del Sol, is the Executive Director of the Center and she came into leadership during a time of tremendous challenges and opportunities – all of which we’ll talk about on today’s episode. So, sit back, find a cool breeze, grab a Sazerac and get ready to talk preservation with a New Orleans twist on this week’s PreserveCast.
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/06/25/keeping-nola-hip-and-historic-with-danielle-del-sol/
Monday Jun 18, 2018
Monday Jun 18, 2018
Buffalo. The very word conjures up visions of snow drifts and shuttered factories –but the reality is much different. Today, Buffalo is a city on the rise and the rich history of this city by the lake is playing a starring role in its renaissance. Today’s guest, Jessie Fisher, is leading the city-wide preservation group charged with identifying, protecting and promoting that heritage. Fortunately, you won’t need your snow shovels for this interview -- its June and it’s a fine time to talk about all things Buffalo on this week’s PreserveCast.
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/06/18/preservation-buffalo-style/
Monday Jun 11, 2018
Monday Jun 11, 2018
Not all preservationists are environmentalists and not all environmentalists are preservationists – but today’s guest is, in fact, both. Kristen Harbeson is the Political Director of the Maryland League of Conservation Voters – the political voice of the environment. She’s a tireless advocate for healthy communities and has made a career in standing up for issues that matter – and while she’s currently fighting for a healthier earth, she’s also been a passionate voice for preservation. Kristen will explain how and why the environmental and preservation communities can play better together and how that might just save the world on this week’s PreserveCast.
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/06/11/kristen-harbeson-and-the-environmental-side-of-preservation/
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
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 21, 2018
Monday May 21, 2018
Living in a historic home can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but also, an incredibly trying one. It seems there is always some new challenge rising up out of the woodwork, especially when it comes to original wood windows. Some professionals will say the only way to improve the efficiency of your windows is to replace them, no matter if you want to preserve craftsmanship that’s lasted decades, if not centuries. Today’s guest, Sam Pardue of Indow Windows, was faced with just that problem, and he ended up creating a solution that is now being applied to windows across the country. As part of Preservation Month, we want to bring you up close and personal with a technological innovator and his invention. Step right up to the glass on this week’s PreserveCast!
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/05/21/keeping-original-windows-sam-pardue-indow/
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/
Monday May 07, 2018
Monday May 07, 2018
Talking about museums is one thing, but what about the folks on the ground who really make the history happen? Rod Cofield is our guest this week, and while currently the Director of Hisoric London Town and Gardens, he has been on the frontlines of history education his whole career. Rod and Nick spoke about his time as a costumed interpreter in Historic St. Mary’s City, and the many current projects at London Town including their plans to crowdfund reconstruction of the 18th century bar that once stood in the tavern building on site. This is no re-enactment, Rod was right here in studio with us, on PreserveCast.
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/05/07/rod-cofield-historic-london-town-maryland/
Monday Apr 30, 2018
Monday Apr 30, 2018
Preservationists come in all shapes and sizes, but have you ever heard of a preservationist cut-out doll? Today’s guest, Sarah Marsom, is a jack of all trades in terms of historic preservation. She’s a consultant, she’s a co-founder of the Rust Belt Coalition of Young Preservationists, and to top it all off she created the Tiny Activist Project, which raises funds through the sale of dolls that celebrate inspirational figures in preservation, like Jane Jacobs. Sarah and I cover all these programs and more. Stick around for a ~little~ while, on this week’s PreserveCast!
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/04/30/sarah-marsom-and-the-rust-belt-coalition-of-young-preservationists/
Monday Apr 23, 2018
Monday Apr 23, 2018
For some of the larger historic buildings out there, it can take a number of craftspeople and specialists to properly restore and preserve them. But few have the knowledge and ability to organize stone masons, window craftsmen, and countless other trade specialists who may otherwise be used to working independently. One of those few is with us today; Tyler Tate is the President of Lewis Contractors, a construction company that partially specializes in historic institutional buildings. Tyler spoke with Nick about details of some of the many unique projects his company has been involved in, like the Washington Monument in Baltimore, the Brice House in Annapolis, and more. We won’t try to ~build~ anticipation any longer, this is PreserveCast!
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/04/23/big-picture-preservation-tyler-tate-lewis-contractors/
Monday Apr 16, 2018
Monday Apr 16, 2018
As the winter comes to a close, you may find yourself dreaming of some relaxation time. Sure there’s the beach or camping, but have you ever considered a trip where you can help repair 500 year old stone towers in Eastern Europe? If your answer to that question is yes, this is the podcast for you. Judith Broeker, the co-founder of Adventures in Preservation, facilitates volunteer trips across the globe, connecting preservation craftspeople and experts with individuals who are ready and willing to lend a hand, and travel too! Judith and Nick discuss how these trips are funded, how projects are chosen, and the ways that these trips can assist historic communities, on this week's PreserveCast!
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/04/16/adventures-in-preservation/
Monday Apr 09, 2018
Monday Apr 09, 2018
As historic preservationists we often can feel a sense of despair whenever we see a building that's been abandoned for years or even decades. Our guest today, Matthew Christopher of Abandoned America, knows just that feeling. That's why he is dedicated to gaining access to abandoned buildings and spaces across the country, and photographing what he finds inside. Matthew's images have appeared in countless esteemed publications, and he has photographed abandoned sites ranging from old mental hospitals to public utility buildings to theme parks. Don't go away! Matthew and Nick discuss how he picks his sites, why he thinks these buildings end up so mistreated, and how photography and greater exposure can sometimes help turn things around.
Monday Apr 02, 2018
Monday Apr 02, 2018
It can happen to anybody; you’re walking along and notice a quarter on the ground, and when you pick it up you realize it’s historic! From the 1950’s or even earlier! It can make you wonder what history lies just beneath the surface. Well today’s guest, Lara Maiklem, does more than just wonder. Lara, also known as the London Mudlark, spends her time scouring the muddy banks of the foreshore of the River Thames, in England, constantly uncovering everyday discarded items that wash up from the river. That is, when she’s not busy moderating the largest online mudlarking community, and writing about the pieces she’s found. Join as Nick and Lara discuss the history of mudlarking, what it takes to try it out yourself, and more on this week’s PreserveCast!
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/04/02/the-london-mudlark-with-lara-maiklem/
Monday Mar 26, 2018
Monday Mar 26, 2018
Simply tracing the history of the LGBTQ community, as it is with other marginalized groups, can be challenging for a myriad of reasons. Let alone the challenges of identifying and interpreting historic places that were and are important to the LGBTQ community. Fortunately, Susan Ferentinos is leading the way, and has quite literally written the book on the subject, her book “Interpreting LGBT History at Museums and Historic Sites” won an award from the National Council on Public History in 2016. Susan and our guest-host Meagan Baco spoke about how she came to specialize in LGBTQ history, what unique challenges exist in studying this history, and much more on this week’s PreserveCast.
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/03/26/episode-64-preserving-lgbtq-history-susan-ferentinos/
Monday Mar 19, 2018
Monday Mar 19, 2018
If you’ve ever seen an image of the skyline of Baltimore City, one thing that might have stuck with you is the massive, glowing Domino Sugars sign. Earlier this month we at PreserveCast got to visit the sugar refinery underneath that sign, which to this day processes some 7 million pounds of sugar a day. We also visited the offices of Triangle Sign and Service, the company that has maintained the sign since they first installed it in 1951. Join the conservation between Nick, and guests Peter O’Malley, Vice-President of Corporate Relations for American Sugar Refining (the company that produces the Domino brand), and Joe Trabert and Dave Shapiro from Triangle Signs, about how and why this local icon has lasted so long, and what it takes to maintain it. Honestly, it was pretty sweet.
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/03/19/the-domino-sugars-sign-live-from-triangle-signs/
Monday Mar 12, 2018
Monday Mar 12, 2018
If you’ve ever wanted to dive deeper into classic fairy tales, you may have enjoyed Maryland’s once famous attraction the Enchanted Forest. But what happens to all of the buildings and unique concrete structures of a 1950s amusement park when it closes? In this case, they found a second life as part of Clark’s Elioak Farm, thanks to the efforts of the petting farm’s owner, Martha Clark, as well as the many who volunteered. Stick around to learn about the history of this Maryland icon, the story of a roadside attraction being saved by the community around it, and what it takes to maintain a massive concrete shoe. This is better than a bag of magic beans, this is PreserveCast!
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/03/12/the-enchanted-forest-at-clarks-elioak-farm/
Monday Mar 05, 2018
Monday Mar 05, 2018
In Berea, Kentucky, the local government has taken stock of the town's historic artistry and crafting traditions, decided to invest, and the craziest part? It seems to be working. Mayor Steven Connelly joined Nick to share some of the unique history of his town, for instance how they pushed back against segregationist policies of the Jim Crow South, and he shared news of what will hopefully be a bright future driven by tourism based on the local folk art heritage.
Also, just so you know, this is episode is brought to you in partnership with the Rural Maryland Council, as we explore historic rural communities on this week's PreserveCast!
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/03/05/berea-kentucky-gateway-to-the-mountains-and-to-the-arts/
Monday Feb 26, 2018
Monday Feb 26, 2018
You’ve probably heard of Andrew Carnegie or the Rockefeller family, but have you heard of Julius Rosenwald? Today’s guest may be able to help with that. Aviva Kempner is a Peabody award winning documentary filmmaker, whose work focuses on unsung heroes from Jewish history. I spoke with Aviva about her most recent work which details the life of Julius Rosenwald, who during the turn of the century both revolutionized the business of Sears and Roebuck, and vastly influenced black education in the Jim Crow South with his philanthropy.
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/02/26/the-rosenwald-schools-with-aviva-kempner/
Monday Feb 19, 2018
Monday Feb 19, 2018
If you think about history in Washington, D.C. you'll probably think about all the massive monuments and national museums. While there's nothing wrong with that, D.C. has local history and culture just like any city, and few places capture that history like the Heurich House Museum. Kim Bender and Jennifer Ezell joined Nick from the unique, Germanic castle-house, that was built by a pre-prohibition beer dynasty. They talked about the history of the museum, as well as how they combine historical knowledge and the modern world of craft brewing in their programming. It's not all about beer, but please remember to podcast responsibly on this episode of PreserveCast.
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/02/19/kim-bender-jennifer-ezell-the-brewmasters-castle-the-heurich-house-museum/
Monday Feb 12, 2018
Monday Feb 12, 2018
At first glance, it might seem strange to think of an archaeologist working in a state’s highway administration office. But in reality the two can go hand in hand. Julie Schablitsky has conducted archaeological research and digs everywhere from Scotland to Maryland to California, she has utilized augmented reality to allow people to explore reconstructions of slave quarters, and she has done all this as the chief of the Cultural Resources Section at the Maryland State Highway Administration. Move out of the passing lane, you don’t want to miss this week’s PreserveCast.
Monday Feb 05, 2018
Monday Feb 05, 2018
Big picture questions in public history and historic preservation can sometimes be intimidating to think about. What should the public expect from their historic institutions? How do public history sites remain relevant in a world that seems to change more and more every year? Fortunately, there are people out there like today’s guest, Dr. Taylor Stoermer. Taylor is an academic who knows how to bring history to the people, whether that be as the chief historian at Colonial Williamsburg, a Professor at Harvard and Johns Hopkins, an advisor to Disney on their revamped Hall of Presidents, or on Twitter as the History Doctor. He may not be an M.D., but his home state is Maryland.
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/02/05/the-history-doctor-taylor-stoermer/
Monday Jan 29, 2018
Monday Jan 29, 2018
What does it mean to be a preservationist? How does the built environment that surrounds you impact your daily life? Why does it matter? It’s never too early or too late to think about these questions, especially according to today’s guests, Matthew Craig and Christian Hughes. Matthew and Christian discuss their work through the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh to encourage young people to engage with ideas of historic preservation in their communities. Although PreserveCast may be the number one historic preservation podcast, these youngbloods have a few tricks up their sleeves with their own podcast.
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/01/29/young-preservation-association-of-pittsburgh-preservation-podcast/
Monday Jan 22, 2018
Monday Jan 22, 2018
Have you ever seen a building and had something about it rub you the wrong way, but you can't explain it? Well, today's guest may be able to help you find the right words. Kate Wagner runs the popular blog McMansion Hell, which takes a comedic approach to dissecting modern suburban architecture, as well as offering informative essays on urban planning and other architectural concepts, including historic preservation. We talked about the blog, how a building can earn the title "McMansion," and where these buildings fit in a larger historic context on this episode of PreserveCast.
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/01/22/kate-wagner-mcmansion-hell/
Monday Jan 15, 2018
Monday Jan 15, 2018
It's easy to be surprised by the history in your own backyard, even if you're a historic preservationist. Nathan Dennies, the chairperson and founder of the Greater Hampden Heritage Alliance, joined Nick to trace the history of Baltimore's iconic Hampden-Woodberry neighborhood, including the many recently repurposed historic mills, Baltimore's famous "Avenue," and the Jones Falls river. The area isn't just home to Baltimore's famous Hon-Fest, it's Preservation Maryland's home as well. After all, this is PreserveCast.
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/01/15/nathan-dennies-repurposing-historic-mills-the-jones-falls/
Monday Jan 08, 2018
Monday Jan 08, 2018
Often if we don't make a special effort to remember and tell the stories of individuals and groups within history, their contributions to our shared story can all too easily be forgotten. That is as true for Jewish-Americans as for any other group, and that is why Jerry Klinger founded the Jewish American Soceity for Historic Preservation. Jerry joined Nick to share some of the amazing stories he has learned of Jewish people throughout the country's history, as well as to share about projects coming in the future for his organization. This is PreserveCast.
Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2018/01/08/jerry-klinger-the-jewish-american-society-for-historic-preservation/