Category Archives: Uncategorized

The “Animagic” of the Holidays with Rankin/Bass Production’s Official Historian, Rick Goldschmidt

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, but do you recall Rankin/Bass – the company behind some of America’s most beloved stop-action holiday films? Today’s guest, Rick Goldschmidt does. He’s a historian of Rankin/Bass Productions – the creative team that created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Year without a Christmas, and dozens upon dozens more. Preserving […]

John Brown’s Legacy Lives On in Upstate New York with Martha Swan

John Brown. Few names in American history inspire as much controversy, admiration, and consternation. He was a controversial figure in his own time and remains so today. No matter your opinion, Brown’s legacy is critically important and must be explored and remembered. Today’s guest, Martha Swan, is the founder and Executive Director of John Brown […]

The UK’s Kiplin Hall: Exploring the Ancestral Home of Maryland’s Most Prominent Colonists with Director James Etherington

When most Marylanders – or most Americans for that matter – think about the first European settlers they generally begin that story on the shores of North America. However, in reality, these early colonists had long lives in their native countries before they ever set foot in America. Today’s guest, James Etherington, is the Director […]

Sparking and Sustaining Positive Change in Your Historic Community with Dana Saylor

Change can be difficult. Building momentum, engaging diverse audiences, and bringing history to life is the tough stuff of preservation and community engagement. Today’s guest, Dana Saylor, has made it her mission to help fellow preservationists, artists, community leaders, and interested citizens in developing strategies that turn ideas into action.  On this week’s PreserveCast, we’re […]

Olivia Williams of McLeod Plantation: Fighting Racism & Building Empathy through Honest Educational Interpretation

Today’s guest is a part of a powerful movement to share the authentic, painful and real history of slavery at some of America’s most visited plantation sites. Olivia Williams is a cultural history interpreter at McLeod Plantation Historic Site in Charleston, South Carolina. She’s been featured in the BBC, CBS News and the New York […]

Mining Historic Stream Beds for the Newest Iteration of Eco-Friendly Paint with Michelle Shively of True Pigments

In some cases, the legacy of history is buried deep – requiring research, archaeology, or exploration to find it. In other cases, the legacy of history literally clouds our streams. On today’s PreserveCast, we’re blending modern environmentalism with a discussion of the legacy of mining in rural Ohio – and how old damage is creating […]

Cultivating Common Ground at Sotterley Plantation with Nancy Easterling

Our nation is confronting challenges on almost every front – so why invest money in historic sites when the challenges are so great? Places like Historic Sotterley, located in Southern Maryland, can make the case for why we should invest. Sotterley has worked to become an exceptional cultural and educational resource for its region and […]

[SPOOKTACULAR] Michael Zittle: The Wizard of South Mountain

On this week’s PreserveCast, we’re taking a departure from our normal programming to bring you a tale of old about the story of Michael Zittle – the Wizard of South Mountain. Much of what we know of Michael Zittle and the lore of South Mountain comes from Madeline Vinton Dahlgren, a 19th-century author, tavern keeper, anti-suffragist, and […]