Advertise on podcast: PreserveCast

Join us for a conversation with Kate Wood, founder and principal at Worth Preserving where she works with owners, architects, trades and others to rescue, rehabilitate and reimagine residential properties. With expertise on character-defining features we explore what’s “worth preserving.”

Today we’re joined by Preservation Maryland’s (the organization that powers PreserveCast!) Outreach Manager Christiana Limniatis and Maggie Pelta-Pauls, our former Property Redevelopment Specialist, to discuss the process of researching a historic property – why people conduct the research, the hidden histories that can be uncovered, and how researching a historic property has real-world impact today. Check out Christiana and Maggie’s work here: https://www.preservationmaryland.org/researching-the-history-of-the-berlin-house/ and Preservation Maryland’s Property Research Guide here: https://www.preservationmaryland.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/PresMD-Property-Research-Guide.pdf

Join us as we talk with Andrew Rowand, a shoemaker who focuses on recreating shoes from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Andrew will take us through his process for making the shoes, where his inspiration comes from, and what started his decade-long journey. Andrew Rowand has worked as a shoemaker, for a decade. His work focuses on recreating examples of historical artifacts from the 17th century through the 19th century using period tools, materials, and methods. He has currently undertaken researching and cataloguing shoes found in early New England structures as part of his work. When he is not doing research or making shoes, Andrew serves as the curator and site administrator of the Eric Sloane Museum in Kent, CT, and on the Board of Directors of TradesUp, an organization building the next generation of creators, makers, and tradespeople through try-the-trades events, learning workshops, and community engagement.

Author and historian Martin J. Bollinger joins us to discuss his book, When Claiborne Bridged the Chesapeake: The Rise and Fall of the Ferry Era. Published in 2025, the book explores the rise and decline of ferry transportation linking Maryland’s Eastern and Western Shores before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, highlighting the economic, political, and technological forces that shaped the region.  Where to buy the book: Direct from the publisher: Buy from MCHC Press shop

Welcome back to PreserveCast! Today's guest is Itohan I. Osayimwese, professor of the history of art and architecture and urban studies at Brown University, where she is an affiliate faculty in Africana studies and at the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. She is the author of Colonialism and Modern Architecture in Germany and the editor of German Colonialism in Africa and Its Legacies.

Mary Katharine Goddard, known for her role as one of the first women to run a newspaper in American history, was appointed as the postmaster of Baltimore in 1775. This dual role placed her at the heart of communication during a time of great upheaval and transformation. Her contributions as a printer not only included the printing of newspapers but also vital documents like the Declaration of Independence. Through her work, she helped facilitate public discourse and community engagement, underscoring her importance in the early American landscape.

Today we're joined by Tim Altenhof, a Berlin-based architect, teacher, and author, currently serving as a senior scientist in architec­tural theory at the University of Innsbruck. He is the author of Breathing Space: The Architecture of Pneumatic Beings (New York: Zone Books, 2026), which we explore together in this episode.

Join us as we explore the innovative use of geocaching and GeoTours in heritage tourism with Emily Huebner from the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area. Discover how these tools engage visitors, promote regional history, and support preservation efforts, especially around the 250th anniversary of the United States. Learn more: https://heartofthecivilwar.org/explore/250th-geotour/

We are talking with Elicia Garske, a 2022 recipient of the Harrison Goodall Fellowship. Elicia shares her project, a summer program to connect skilled preservation contractors with young adults interested in learning more about this line of work. Join us to hear how her project unfolded and what lessons she learned along the way. Applications for this year's fellowship are due March 16th. Learn more at https://historictrades.org/goodall/

Today we're joined by Bruno Carvalho, Chair of the Program of History and Literature professor at Harvard University, where he teaches courses on cities. He is the author of The Invention of the Future: A History of Cities in the Modern World on the history of urbanization—from Lisbon to New York, Paris to Rio de Janeiro, and Buenos Aires to Lagos and Porous City: A Cultural History of Rio de Janeiro.

Today we’re traveling back to December 23rd, 1783, to the Maryland State House in Annapolis, a quiet moment that spoke louder than any battle: General George Washington’s resignation of his military commission. It’s easy to remember Washington as the victorious commander of the Continental Army, but what he did after the war was just as revolutionary. When he handed back his commission to Congress, he voluntarily gave up power, something almost unheard of in the 18th century, especially for a man who could have ruled as a king. In today’s episode, we’ll unpack why that decision was so significant — how it set a precedent for civilian control of the military, influenced the founding of the Republic, and helped define the very idea of American leadership. We’ll also look at what this moment meant for Washington himself — and for a nation still learning what it meant to be free. Our guest is Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky, a presidential historian and the Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library. She’s the author of the award-winning book The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution, which explores how Washington built the presidency and set lasting precedents for executive power. Her work has appeared in outlets like The Washington Post, TIME, and The Wall Street Journal, and she’s a frequent commentator on how early American leadership continues to shape our politics today. Her insight into Washington’s character, decision-making, and vision for the new republic makes her the perfect person to help us understand the deeper meaning behind that quiet yet revolutionary moment in Annapolis, when the most powerful man in America chose to give up power.

Today we're talking with the president and CEO of the Historic Savannah Foundation, Collier Neeley about his path to preservation and the work of the Historic Savannah Foundation, a legacy organization when it comes to preservation here in the United States.

You are once again listening to PreserveCast. Today I'm joined by archaeologist, professor, and a great friend, Dr. Kat Sterner, an assistant professor of anthropology at Towson University and the director of the Baltimore Community Archaeology Lab. This episode covers community archaeology and its impact.

Welcome to Revolution@250, a special production of PreserveCast, in partnership with Preservation Maryland and the Maryland Center for History and Culture. Our hosts are Katie Caljean, President and CEO of the Maryland Center for History and Culture and Nicholas Redding, host of PreserveCast and President and CEO of Preservation Maryland. In 1818, 42 years after the shot heard around the world cracked across a Massachusetts field, John Adams was asked to reflect on the meaning and impact of the American Revolution. In this brief letter, Adams explained that,   The American Revolution was not a common Event. Its Effects and Consequences have already been over a great part of the globe. And when and where are they to cease? But what do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American War? The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the Minds and Hearts of the People.  Revolutionary thought and thinking did not end with the Treaty of Paris, nor did it begin at Lexington and Concord. In this special podcast series, we’ll explore the revolutionary ideas that were catalyzed and accelerated by the self-evident idea that all men are created equal and what bold and new thinking that declaration has forged.  In our first episode we discuss abolitionist John Brown with historian Dennis Frye.    

Today we talk with Benjamin Takis, founding attorney of Takis Nonprofit Law, a Washington, D.C.–based firm serving nonprofit organizations in tax, governance, employment law, and business transactions. Ben explains why strong legal foundations and smart governance are critical for nonprofits — especially those stewarding historic places. As co-founder of Sustainability Education 4 Nonprofits and a frequent national speaker on nonprofit law, Ben brings practical guidance to help organizations stay compliant, resilient, and focused on their mission.