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 […]
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 195os 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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
In Berea, Kentucky, the local government has taken stock of and decided to invest in the town’s historic artistry and crafting. Mayor Steven Connelly joined Nick to share some of the unique history of his town, such as how they pushed back against segregationist policies of the Jim Crow South, and he shared news of […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]