Gene Kansas, an award-winning cultural developer, preservationist, and social entrepreneur, joins us to discuss his book Civil Sights (UGA Press, 2025), about the Sweet Auburn Historic District in Atlanta and the movement to preserve it. Sweet Auburn Historic District is the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), and was a hub for Black commerce […]

Dr. Jeremy C. Wells is an award-winning historic preservation scholar, teacher, author, consultant, and musician. He is an expert in US-based and international historic preservation theory, practice, and public policy; social science applications in historic preservation; community-based preservation/conservation and urban planning; and higher education teaching and administration. His latest book, Managing the Magic of Old […]

New year’s greetings from PreserveCast! Today we’re talking with Lori Beth Finkelstein and Michelle Fitzgerald from Johns Hopkins museums about Homewood Museum’s recently opened If Homewood’s Walls Could Talk: A History of an American House. Lori is the Philip Franklin Wagley Director & Curator of Johns Hopkins University’s Evergreen Museum & Library and Director of […]

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 […]

The PreserveCast team is here to put you in the holiday spirit with a special release on the history of Santa Claus. You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen . . . but what about the jolly old elf holding the reins? St. Nicholas, Old St. Nick, Sinterklaas, or simply Santa Claus. He’s […]

Julia Berg and Sarah Mason are veteran Maryland public school educators and co-founders of Digging Deeper Educational Consulting, established in 2024. With nearly 30 years of combined classroom experience, they have taught middle school social studies, developed curriculum for elementary and middle grades, and led professional development at the school, district, state, and national levels. […]

Today we’re joined by Dr. Paige Figanbaum, executive director of Nevada Preservation Foundation (NPF), to discuss Nevada’s landscape, the “Endangered Sites” list, and the preservation of the Howard Hughes House. Prior to her current role at NPF, she served as lead historian and program manager for the organization’s Home + History Las Vegas festivals, where […]

Today we’re joined by Dr. Stephanie Gray, discussing how the New Deal shaped history through politically driven commemoration and her new book, Restoring America: Historic Preservation and the New Deal. Dr. Gray earned her B.A. in History from Mount Holyoke College and both M.A. in Public History and Ph.D. in U.S. History from the University […]

Are you starting to get into the holiday spirit? In this episode, we’re joined by Pamela McColl—award-winning author, publisher, and historian of Christmas tradition. Since the 1990s, McColl has worked through her own publishing company to bring books of social and historical significance to readers. Her latest work, Wondrous Mrs. Claus: A Literary and Pictorial Review […]

Today we’re joined by Benjamin Prosky and Will Hamilton of the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation to discuss the organization’s latest report on the State of American Historic Preservation Education, calling for rebranding, resilience, and workforce growth. More here: https://www.jenrette.org/archive/preservationeducationreport

Historian Richard Bell received his PhD from Harvard University and his BA from the University of Cambridge. His research explores American history between 1750 and 1877, uncovering the people, politics, and paradoxes that shaped the early republic. Bell’s newest book, The American Revolution and the Fate of the World (Penguin/Riverhead, 2025), has earned starred reviews […]

Today we’re joined by Despina Stratigakos and Elana Shapira about their new book, Finding Ella Briggs: The Life and Work of an Unconventional Architect. Ella Briggs was a talented architect, designer, and writer whose influence was felt on both sides of the Atlantic. She trained with the Viennese Secessionists and brought their radical ideas to […]

Today, ahead of Maryland Emancipation Day on November 1, we’re joined by Alex Green, president and chief interpreter at the Harriet Tubman Freedom Center in Cambridge, Maryland, as well as founder of Harriet Tubman Tours. Come along as Alex discusses his work in education and heritage tourism.

Today we’re talking with Dr. Vaughn Scribner about his book, Under Alien Skies: Environment, Suffering, and the Defeat of the British Military in Revolutionary America. Vaughn is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Central Arkansas. In addition to his latest book, he is also the author of Merpeople: A Human History (Reaktion […]

Cory McCray is a journeyman electrician, father of four, and public servant who proudly represents East and Northeast Baltimore in the Maryland State Senate. As the only member of the Maryland General Assembly to have completed a registered apprenticeship, he brings an unwavering commitment to expanding access, uplifting working families, and removing barriers to opportunity. […]

Today we’re joined by Kevin Miller, an architect who also serves as the President of the Board of Baltimore Architecture Foundation. Kevin and his team have been preparing for Doors Open Baltimore, an annual city-wide festival honoring Baltimore’s diverse cultural tapestry by highlighting its vibrant neighborhoods, captivating architecture, and distinctive spaces that contribute to the […]

Today we’re joined by Marden Fitzpatrick Nichols, who selected, translated, and introduced a collection of ancient Roman writings about home design and decoration in How to Make a Home: An Ancient Guide to Style and Comfort (Princeton, 2025). Nichols is particularly interested in how debates about the significance of art and architecture shaped ancient Roman cultural […]

Typically we’re in studio 1:1 with our guests, but today’s episode comes to you in different format. Join us on-site at the Maryland Association of Counties’ annual conference where we pulled up a chair (and a mic) with policymakers, heritage area colleagues, Main Street advocates, county reps, elected officials, and fellow history lovers to swap […]

As preservationists from across the country gather for the PastForward 2025 conference, we’re reminded that our work—protecting and activating historic places and the stories they hold—is more important than ever. On this special release episode of PreserveCast, we welcome Carol Quillen, President & CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, for a timely and […]

Kate Livie is a Chesapeake educator, writer and social historian whose work explores the Chesapeake’s culture, history, traditions and environment. Formerly the director of education and associate curator at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, Livie serves as adjunct faculty in Chesapeake Studies at Washington College and as chairman of the maritime committee at the Maryland […]