Editors
Claire Cox
Claire Jackson
Chloe Martin
Hannah St. Onge
Cover Photo by Amalia Leifeste
Graphic Designer and Photo Editor
Claire Cox
Claire Jackson
Chloe Martin
Hannah St. Onge
Contributing Writers
Claire Cox
Deryn Candelaria
Rachel Fore
Claire Jackson
Chloe Martin
Jocelyn Patterson
Shawnya Peterson
Hannah St. Onge
Nolly Swan
http://www.clemson.edu/caac/academics/architecture/programs/ historic-preservation/
LETTER FROM
Dear Program Family and Friends,
Big. Shoes. To. Fill.
That is the initial message that comes to mind as I write my first ‘letter from the director’ for the MSHP annual newsletter. I am delighted to have stepped into the Director’s role last January, and I recognize that I do so standing on the shoulders of giants. These include a director who set the tenor and tone for the program as a student-experiencecentric and project-based curriculum near its inception, Ashley Wilson; one who established much of the rigor of the program and brought the program to the national standing that we enjoy now, Carter Hudgins; and one who moved our engaged community work ahead in important ways forging relationships with a range of communities, Jon Marcoux.
My conviction about our program’s preservation education methods has kept me an invested faculty member over the last decade plus, and I look forward to building on the program’s core strengths of student-learning-through-doing as our program continues to work with the stewards of historic places in their preservation endeavors. Working with me toward these ends I am honored to introduce two full-time faculty members in this newsletter. Please read on to learn more about Laurel Bartlett and Frank Ordia and the expertise that they bring to their positions of Research Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor.
THE DIRECTOR
It is an exciting time to be part of historic preservation as a new era of our discipline is taking shape - one marked by broader inclusivity and deeper social engagement. I see our program being part of this by teaching specialized, professional skills to be used for lofty objectives such as keeping historic places contributing to society. Graduates of our program have considerable experience investigating the physical fabric of historic buildings and landscapes, using analytical and research skills to develop nuanced and thorough historic contexts surrounding a historic place, and evaluating and conserving historic materials. As professionals and community members the goal is to use these technical and analytical skills in service to a broadening range of historic places. The places that we work have in common that they are important places to
people, and that they contain powerful stories about the past.
In this newsletter you will see a number of our projects from the 2023-2024 academic year. As usual students deployed and developed their research, observation, and analytical skills through this work. Their efforts have helped record and promote preservation treatments for an incredibly intact row of houses built by and for enslaved people on a former plantation site; identified and mapped burial locations at a historic cemeteries using ground penetrating radar; completed a Historic Structure Report through investigation, research, and conditions assessment; and so much more.
The year’s productivity also included grant funded work taken on by faculty, which you will read about in the article on the John's Island Preservation Field School. Faculty and students also worked on a Historic Structure Report for the D-3 Park Police Substation in Rock Creek Park, Washington DC for the National Park Service as part of a funded project.
The ‘on the road’ section and our ‘alumni updates’ are always highlights as we put together this newsletter. Camaraderie and adventures remind me of the important balance to our purposeful work. It is a real joy to hear what the program alumni, going back as far as 2005, are doing with their careers and to hear of their impacts in the field. I think I can speak for the program's faculty to say that we are so proud to be a part, in a small way, of our graduates' professional successes.
Happy Reading!
Amalia Leifeste, AIA
Introducing New Full-Time Faculty Members
Dr. Laurel Bartlett
Dr. Bartlett has joined the program as a Research Assistant Professor. In this role she will continue to teach the courses we have come to know her for, direct the Historic Preservation Summer Minor program, and work on externally funded research projects.
Dr. Laurel Bartlett received her PhD in Planning, Design, and the Built Environment (PDBE) from Clemson University with a concentration in Historic Preservation, focusing her research on use and visitor impact at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. She also holds a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Clemson University and B.A in political science from Geneseo State University. Her research agenda focuses on visitor impact at historic sites and southeastern vernacular architecture.
Prior to this role, she served as a lecturer in American Architecture for the Clemson University Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, specializing in architectural history, preservation theory, and Section 106 consultation. Dr. Bartlett is trained professionally as an Architectural Historian and formerly worked in private practice as a Principal Investigator in the cultural resource management field.
Dr. Bartlett's HABS documentation of Hangar 101 and Hangar 102 in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
Dr. Bartlett's behavioral heatmapping of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello to determine visitor impact at the site.
Frank Ordia
Frank Ordia has joined the program as an Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation. In this role he will teach the History and Theory of Historic Preservation class and the Economics portion of Historic Preservation Law and Economics class. As a tenure track faculty member he will also pursue a research agenda that contributes to the field of historic preservation through his research interests of preservation planning, economic development, and preservation.
Ordia earned his Master of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.A. in History from Baylor University. He was a Lecturer at the College of Architecture and a Library Researcher at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Ordia’s professional experience includes planning and preservation consultancy in Austin, Texas, where he managed historic tax credit applications, National Register nominations, and redevelopment projects. He also held a role at an oil and gas development firm, handling private equity investments and drilling projects. His research focuses on tax incentives, real estate development, and urban design.
Please join us in welcoming these new faculty members to Clemson's MSHP program! The addition of these professors marks an exciting next chapter for the MSHP program to have 3 full-time faculty, along with our amazing set of lecturers, dedicated to students' education and advancing the profile of our program.
2023 Project listed on National Park Service's National Underground Railroad - Network to Freedom by Frank Ordia.
Illustratrd Glossary of Conditions for a conditions assessment by Frank Ordia.
On The Road.
The Lowcountry and Beyond
4 / / First year students visiting Colonial Dorchester for their American Architecture class 1 3 4
1 / / First and second year students on the Spring 2024 trip to visit St. Augustine, Florida
2 / / First year students at Clemson main campus for their "Coming Home" trip in the Fall of 2023
3 / / First year students visiting Mepkin Abbey for their Cultural and Historic Landscape Preservation class
5 / / First year students in Beaufort to study New Urbanism and infill design for their Preservation Studio class
6 / / First year students on a dock after their GPR and cemetery assessment of a historic cemetery in Scanlonville
7 / / First year students on a trip to Edisto Island for their Historic and Cultural Landscape Preservation class
8 / / First year students inside a massive chimney on a site visit to Hampton Plantation for their Advanced Conservation class
Documenting Slave Dwellings
Colleton County, SC
by Nolly Swan
Fall 2023
Throughout the Fall 2023 Semester, First-Year MSHP Students, alongside Historic Preservation certificate students, had the opportunity to document four of the eight remaining slave dwellings on a former rice plantation in Colleton County, South Carolina. As part of their Investigation, Documentation, and Conservation (IDC) class, students set off to the plantation to gather photos, measurements, and even conduct ground-penetrating radar around the surviving dwellings. With the help of professors and experts like Jobie Hill, this research was carefully analyzed into a full report for the owners, including recommendations for the preservation of the buildgins and site.
The class looked into other surviving slave dwellings in and around the ACE Basin for reference. Using a variety of sources, the students compiled a list of thirty-nine properties with surviving slave dwellings, almost all of which are owned by a public entity. Very little is known about surviving slave dwellings on privately-owned former plantations, and considering that most undocumented slave dwellings remain on private land, the responsibility to document, research, and maintain is often left to the owners who may feel uncomfortable confronting that history. Historically, the documentation of slave dwellings on plantations is scarce because of their lower priority on plantations for use and maintenance over time. The opportunity to document the surviving slave dwellings at this private plantation was an especially important project for the students as it relates to the broader, underrepresented history of slavery in the South.
Prior to European colonization, Colleton County was historically settled by the Edisto Natchez-Kusso people. In as early as 1697 the land was used for rice cultivation, which it continued to grow until the late 19th century when rice production slowed and became difficult due to a loss of labor and other rising expenses. After the end of slavery, the freepeople on the plantation were allowed to remain in their homes until they decided to relocate elsewhere. Previous research reports on the enslaved population done at the plantation feature the descendant cemetery, and a structure known as “Mary’s House” (Mary being the last descendant to live at the plantation in the 1980s), which helped us identify other families who lived
The MSHP Class of 2025 and certificate students at their IDC site, photo by Amalia Leifeste.
at the plantation using census record data. Although the census sheets do not clearly identify which families lived in each dwelling, opportunities for future research are abundant on this property.
Through conditions reports, students were able to identify historic construction methods and materials to provide insight into the lives of the inhabitants. Finishes analysis of the interior/exterior paints, wallpaper, and newspaper also helped to infer about the lives of those that lived on the property and even helped identify potential inhabitants. This documentation, alongside the class’ Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) drawings of the interior and exterior facades, were all completed with the intention of having a collection of information for the historic record, proper management, and potential nomination of this site on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark. Although this decision is ultimately up to the family who owns the former plantation, the final piece of this project included student recommendations for the future of this site. In these recommendations, the class outlined incentives for opening these marvels to the public which would thus promote local history, allow for the use of historic tax incentives, and most importantly, engage descendant communities with lost pieces of their past.
For many reasons, this IDC project will be a fond, yet somber, memory for the students in the first year cohort. As this cohort’s first major project, where they applied new skills and learned how to work together, they also had the opportunity to amplify lost narratives about the realities of slavery. This project is easily one of this cohort’s proudest accomplishments to date.
Photos by Amalia Leifeste and student Ryan Holcomb
First year students documenting a surviving slave dwelling, photo by Amalia Leifeste.
Students taking measurements for measured drawings
Amalia Leifeste and Carter Hudgins teaching students about building investigation and documentation
Student performing paint microscopy to analyze the paint stratigraphy of one of the slave dwellings
Furnishing the Manigault House
Charleston, SC
Fall 2023 by
Claire Cox
Second-year students in Historic American Interiors explored and studied the historic interiors, furnishings, and decorative arts of American domestic spaces from the 17th century to the end of the 19th century. Taught by Professor Elizabeth Ryan, a professional decorative arts appraiser, students toured numerous historic houses in Charleston to examine different approaches to how historic house museums interpret and restore historic interiors.
For their final project, the students created a historic furnishing plan of the Joseph Manigault House for the Charleston Museum with the help of Curator of History, Chad Stewart. The Manigault House is an Adam-style residence constructed in 1803 by architect Gabriel Manigault, for his brother Joseph. The house was purchased by the Charleston Museum in 1933 and has since operated as a historic house museum. Furnishing plans are important tools in the interpretation of house museum spaces, used to determine a period of significance and interpretation, period-appropriate furnishings and decor, and to specify the arrangement of objects in the spaces. The furnishing plan suggested a period of significance of 1800-1820 since the Manigaults moved into the home in 1803 and would have purchased new furniture for their newly constructed home. The majority of furnishing choices were based on an estate inventory after the death of Joseph Manigault in 1844. This inventory noted many types of furniture, textiles, and objects listed by room, many of which could be dated to the first quarter of the 19th century. The plan utilized the already existing furnishings from the Charleston Museum collection, and suggested new acquisitions from other collections as well as from auctioneers. The students hand-measured the rooms in the house and created floor plans and elevations in AutoCAD and SketchUp to demonstrate the placement of the suggested furnishings.
Historic American Interiors students exploring the Nathaniel Russell House, photos by Claire Cox.
Second year student Claire Cox using a rare earth magnet to search for historic nails, photo by Gabby Rowsam.
NRHP Nomination Process
by Claire Jackson
Charleston ,SC
Fall 2023
Students in Jon Marcoux’s History and Theory of Historic Preservation class learned about the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and the process in which properties can be nominated to 'the register.' The first step in the process is completing a Preliminary Information Form (PIF). First-year students Claire Jackson, Nolly Swan, and Ryan Holcomb collaborated with community representative and historian Mr. William “Cubby” Wilder from the Sol Legare community near James Island, South Carolina to gather the necessary information to create the PIF for the Sol Legare Community Center. The students completed archival research and field visits to assess the historic significance and integrity of the Community Center.
The Sol Legare Community Center was built in 1942 and served as a school for Black children in the Sol Legare community during times of segregation. Although the school was replaced as an elementary school by the construction of W. Gresham Meggett High and Elementary School in the 1950s, the building continued to serve the community as a vocational school until 1969. The period of significance for the property begins with the school’s construction circa 1942 and ends with desegregation in 1969. The students determined that under Criterion A of the NRHP, Sol Legare Elementary School is significant for its associations with the local education of Black students during segregation. Although the building is altered, students deemed that it retains historic integrity and is still able to represent its history as a mid-century African American school.
After submission of the PIF to the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) determined that the property is eligible for listing in the NRHP at the local level of significance under Criterion A: Education and Ethnic Heritage: Black. This determination does not guarantee successful listing, but it offers a positive indication that the nomination may result in listing. Students Claire Jackson and Nolly Swan are continuing their work with the Sol Legare community and the to complete the official nomination for listing on the NRHP.
Street view of Sol Legare Community Center, photo from Google Earth.
1956 Photograph of Sol Legare Elementary School, photo from Charleston County School District Archive.
Discovering the LGBTQ Landscape of Charleston
Charleston, SC
Fall 2023
by Shawnya Peterson
First-year students in Professor Katherine Pemberton’s Historical Research Methods class were each assigned a property to research, all associated with the LGBTQ+ nightlife scene in Charleston at one point in their history. Properties ranged from 42 Ann Street, the home of Dudley’s, currently Charleston’s only active gay bar, to 135 Calhoun Street, currently Frontier Lounge, which was listed in 1977 in a gay travel guide as a lesbian bar with female servers and “go-go girls.”
Students learned how to navigate chain-of-title research at the deed’s office in downtown Charleston, using microfiche and historic records books to ascertain the current owner and move backwards, tracing the path of how their properties changed hands over the years. Historic plats helped illustrate the property boundaries and gave further context to the site’s evolution. Students supplemented their chain-of-titles with research to learn more about the lives of the people that were part of their property’s history–not only owners, but family members, building inhabitants, former businesses and business owners, and unique characters associated with the site’s story. Newspapers, special collections, city tax records, building permits, BAR records, genealogical research, and online and inperson archives helped flesh out the property’s history and give life to the people that were associated with LGBTQ+ history in Charleston.
In their research, students learned about the development history of the peninsula, and also delved into Queer history in the Lowcountry, aided by the work of historian Harlan Greene. Greene’s book, "The Real Rainbow Row" provided valuable historical insight into the underrepresented but vibrant LGBTQ+ landscape of Charleston. Students’ hard work and exhaustive research culminated in written reports that were submitted to the South Carolina Room of the Charleston County Public Library, where they are publicly available as a resource, contributing to the body of research about LGBTQ+ history of the Lowcountry. Students also presented the results of their work to friends, family, professors, and members of the public at the Cigar Factory, sharing the stories of the people and events that help give their property meaning. Examining the nuanced and under-recorded stories of Queer sites, communities, and individuals encourages students to embrace the ephemeral nature of marginalized histories and think outside the box when conducting research. Professor Katherine Pemberton’s class is valuable instruction in the intricacies of archival property research, encouraging students to ask questions and providing the resources and skills to dig until they find answers.
Historic Research Methods students looking at historic deeds stored on Microfilm, photo by Hannah St. Onge.
Paper Conservation in the ACE Basin
ACE Basin,SC
by Deryn Candelaria
Fall 2023
In the Fall 2023 Semester, the Advanced Conservation class led by Professor Frances Ford had a special opportunity to study a slave dwelling at a former plantation. Second year students Megan Adornetto, Deryn Candelaria, Lyrik Castro-Bailey and Chris Cone completed a semester-long project, investigating the interior finishes and documentation of Luke’s House. While there were several dwellings on the property, Luke’s House was chosen specifically because it had some of the most intact layers of interior finish material. Additionally, some of the other dwellings on the property had some previous documentation where Luke’s House did not. The class documented the building through photography, creation of a point cloud and finally microscopy of paint and paper finishes that remained on the interior of the structure.
The first part of the project was to document the building through means of photography and measurements. This also allowed the students to become familiar and to determine the best locations to later take samples of the interior finishes.
After documentation of the building, wallpaper as well as paint samples were collected from different areas of the dwelling. Conservation efforts of the paper samples were determined by the students after receiving guidance from professional conservators James Davis from the Charleston Library Society and Johanna Rivera-Diaz from the Warren Lasch Conservation Center. Several of the paper samples consisted of multiple layers and generations of paper materials. The students used several methods such as a humidity chamber and water pens in order to separate as many layers as possible. Separation of layers aided in analysis and allowed the students to date some of the paper materials found. Some of the oldest paper material identified was from the May, 1936 issue of the magazine Good Housekeeping. Using the bits and pieces of the magazine that were separated from the sample, digital images of the full pages from the magazine were found using a Cornell University Database. Microscopy of paint samples taken from both the interior and exterior of the building did not show much variation. There were not very many layers and the predominant color, particularly for the exterior, was white. Some samples on the interior from the stucco on the fireplace mantel had the most layers with color variations of white, orange and red.
The documentation and preservation of this site and the remaining structures is crucial for gaining a deeper understanding and providing much needed context about the people who built and lived in them. This property is an undeniably unique site with many of its structures still intact.
Measurement of a wallpaper sample that was removed from Luke's Cabin, photo by Megan Adornetto.
Full digital print of a page from Good Housekeeping Magazine from May 1936 that matched some of the samples found at Luke's House, from Cornell University.
Reinterpreting Historic Dorches t er
Dorchester County, SC
Spring 2024 by
This spring semester, Clemson University offered a new elective to the second year MSHP students: Site Management and Interpretation. Taught by Dr. Laurel Bartlett, the class focused on how historic sites of all kinds – museums, house museums, parks, and others – managed visitor engagement and impact, preserving the integrity of the site while maximizing a visitor’s experience. Students explored these concepts through a combination of lectures and site visits. Site visits included a mixture of visits as historic preservation students meeting with museum professionals, and visits as typical tourists.
At the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, students met with the Director, Tony Youmans, and received a personal tour exploring how the Old Exchange balanced fundraising, expenses, and providing the best possible exhibits. At Fort Moultrie, students explored how historic parks with a larger area can utilize minimal signage to maximize visitors’ enjoyment and freedom to explore while still preserving the historic fabric and communicating the important historical background. Students had a day trip to Savannah, Georgia, and toured the Owens-Thomas House, the Mercer Williams House, and the various squares throughout Savannah, learning how differences in interpretation occur depending on the mission of the site itself and its target audience. The students also learned how different types of media can help interpretation and visitor engagement.
The class concluded with a collaborative final project creating a virtual walking component for the South Carolina State Parks to use in conjunction with the physical walking tour and signage already posted for the Colonial Dorchester Historic Site in Summerville, South Carolina. The virtual walking tour will be an ArcGIS StoryMap accessible through QR codes added to the existing signage which expands upon the information already available to visitors while adding additional historic photos and context.
Rachel Fore
Site Management and Interpretation students checking out an interactive display, photo from Rachel Fore
Site Management and Interpretation students with professor Dr. Laurel Bartlett, photo from Rachel Fore.
by Jocelyn Patterson
Hutchinson House Edisto Island,SC Spring 2024
In the Spring of 2024 as part of the Cultural and Historic Landscape Preservation course led by Dr. Luke Pecoraro, first year students conducted a cultural landscape report at the Hutchinson House on Edisto Island, South Carolina. The Hutchinson House, one of the oldest surviving examples of African American freedmen’s homes on Edisto Island, provided a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of history, landscape, and preservation. Through this immersive experience, we gained practical skills in site analysis, historical research, and cultural interpretation.
The visit began with a site walk to observe the physical layout of the house and surrounding grounds. We examined how the house’s orientation and landscape features reflected traditional practices of the Gullah community, descendants of enslaved Africans who lived on the island. Our goal was to assess how these features-natural and built contributed to the site’s cultural significance. This hands-on project allowed us to connect concepts from class, such as cultural heritage and landscape theory, to real-world examples.
As we delved into archival research, oral histories, and landscape features, we began to uncover the historical layers of the site. The Hutchinson House was not just a physical structure but also a narrative space, symbolizing the resilience of freed African Americans after the Civil War. Learning about the house’s original owner, Henry Hutchinson, and his role in building a thriving African American community highlighted the importance of preserving not only buildings but also the cultural stories they hold.
Some of our recommendations included utilizing Ground Penetrating Radar results to identify where additional structures were located and create interpretive panels, reconstruction and/ or signage and further archaeology on the wider expanse of the property to gain insight into the lands past as a plantation and a pre-colonial indigenous inhabitation on Edisto Island. This process gave us a deeper understanding of the challenges that come with preserving cultural landscapesparticularly those connected to underrepresented histories.
We left the site with a deeper appreciation for the importance of integrating environmental, historical, and social perspectives in cultural heritage work. This project not only enhanced our understanding of Edisto Island’s history but also emphasized the significance of preserving spaces that tell the stories of marginalized communities.
The Hutchinson House during restoration efforts.
Photo taken by students on-site.
A circa 1900 photograph provided by Myrtle Hutchinson Estevez Singleton is the oldest known image of the Hutchinson House. Photo from Christina Butler's "The Developmental History of the Henry Hutchinson House", 2022, for Edisto Island Open Land Trust.
Documenting 12-Mile School
Colleton County, SC
by Hannah Truman
Spring 2024
In the Spring 2024 Semester, first-year students had the opportunity to document an early-20th century school house in Pickens South Carolina. The project was a part of a Preservation Studio course taught by the program director, Amalia Leifeste.
Pickens County is located in the northwest region of South Carolina, known as the Upstate. This region is largely rural and agricultural with smaller industries consisting mainly of sawmills. The last graduating class of Twelve Mile School was in 1959. The building then became a community center for a number of years and eventually closed in 1977, and after several years of being unoccupied, the Pickens County School District sold the property. The class worked in collaboration with the current owners of the property Celia and Harry Stockton. The class first began researching the school using maps, articles, and oral histories that previously existed to gain as much insight as possible.
The class completed two overnight trips to Pickens where historic building documentation, stabilization recommendations, and interpretation plans occurred. The students completed measured drawings and used a laser scanner to create a 3D model of the structure that reflects the current state of the building. During the documentation process, students measured the building to produce field notes and hand drawings which were used to create measured drawings in AutoCAD. The drawings included a floor plan, roof plan, east elevation, north elevation, and south elevation. Conditions of the building were documented and recommendations were made in order to ensure the structure remains stable. The class concluded that the structure was in poor condition. During the second phase of construction the floor and a portion of the wall was removed in order to accommodate a horse barn. The class proposed solutions
The former 12-Mile School building in Colleton County, SC, photo by Amalia Leifeste.
to what the building could be used for. Moving forward, a mitigation route was proposed where the building would be actively maintained in its condition and alternative routes could be implemented such as a museum and plaques. Other proposals include a single family home, multi-family unit, plant store, and community center.
On the final day at Twelve Mile, the students conducted oral histories with former students of the school. The class heard stories that helped create a picture of how the building once operated and the impact it made on the community. The project encapsulated rural life and how a building can play a pivotal role within a community, catering to various needs of the residents.
1 / / Students measuring an exterior elevation of the 12-Mile School building.
2 / / Former students of the 12-Mile School. Photo provided by former 12 Mile student.
3 / / First year student Claire Jackson drawing field notes inside the school building.
4 / / The MSHP Class of 2025 posing at the front of the building.
5 / / First year student Shawnya Peterson sketching inside the school building.
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5 4
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Photos by Amalia Leifeste
Uncovering Tradd Street's Commercial Past
Charleston, SC
by Chloe Martin
Spring 2024
In the Fall 2024 Semester, several second-year students took the Historic Structures Report course taught by Kristopher King. This course focused on the structure at 12 Tradd Street in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, and required the students to assess the structure’s history, building chronology, significance, integrity, conditions, and more, providing recommendations for future treatments and real estate potential.
12 Tradd Street is a residential structure with a unique architectural history. This structure is significant for its association with William J. Parker. Parker worked as a tinsmith at 12 Tradd while enslaved, then later purchased the property post-emancipation. He continued to run a tin shop on this property until his death in 1907. This tin shop was representative of the early commercial character of Tradd Street and it even featured a central storefront entrance, as opposed to the side courtyard entrance that exists on the structure today.
After its commercial heyday, Tradd Street’s economic success began to deteriorate. Amidst early preservation efforts in Charleston, Susan Pringle Frost, founder of the Preservation Society of Charleston, bought several of the former multi-use structures on Tradd Street, including 12 Tradd. For many of these structures, Frost focused on restoring or renovating the structures and then selling them as singlefamily dwellings, earning the nickname “Angel of Tradd” and adding an additional layer of significance to this property.
The students in this course utilized the skills that they learned over their two years in the program, including archival research, laser scanning, HABS standard field notes, AutoCAD, materials analysis, and more, to assess the structure. During
Students investigatng the primary facade of 12 Tradd with professor Kris King, photos by Claire Cox.
their investigations, the students also explored the cellar under 12 Tradd Street, where they found numerous artifacts, including glass bottles, tin teapots, and even a flint-lock gun. The students gathered this information and worked together to write a comprehensive Historic Structures Report to be given to the property’s current owners.
1 / / Artifacts found in the cellar, photo by Jack
2 / / The gun found in the cellar, photo by Jack Sutton.
3 / / Historic Structures Report students Jack Sutton and Jacob Hockenberry investigating the cellar, photo by Chloe Martin.
4 / / Historic Structures Report student JacobHockenberry examining original floor joists in the cellar, photo by Jack Sutton.
5 / / Historic Structures Report students Paige Regna, Claire Cox, and Caroline Byrne, photo by Jack Sutton. 1 3 2 4 5
Sutton.
Peterson Prize 2023
Philadelphia, PA
Fall 2023 by Hannah St. Onge
In the Fall of 2022, students in the Investigation, Documentation, and Conservation class completed the documentation of the St. James Protestant Episcopal Church in Goose Creek, South Carolina. They produced field notes, photographic documentation, and AutoCAD drawings of the structure. In the Spring of 2023, students Jacob Hockenberry, Chloe Martin, and Hannah St. Onge further refined the existing drawing set and field notes, and added new components such as a section cut, an axonometric drawing, and additional detail drawings. This polished set was submitted to the 2023 Charles E. Peterson Prize, presented jointly by the National Park Service’s Heritage Documentation Programs (Historic American Buildings Survey/ Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey), the Athenaeum of Philadelphia, the American Institute of Architects, and the Association for Preservation Technology.
Clemson’s drawing set tied for third place, beating out stiff competition as the 40th anniversary of the prize drew many submissions. Hockenberry, Martin, and St. Onge traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with professor Amalia Leifeste in November of 2023 to accept the prize at the Documentation by Design symposium held at the Athenaeum of Philadelphia. The symposium also provided opportunities to learn how the field of preservation has evolved since the founding of the Historic American Buildings Survey and to hear from prominent preservationists such as John G. Waite, Willie Graham, and C. Ford Peatross.
Two of the layouts submitted to the Peterson Prize contest, layouts by the MSHP Class of 2024.
Professor Amalia Leifeste with students Jacob Hockenberry, Hannah St. Onge, and Chloe Martin accepting the third place Peterson Prize, photo by Vito Scocozzo.
Uniting Architecture and Preservation HP Certificate Students
by Chloe Martin
Fall 2023
In the Fall of 2023, enrolled four Clemson Master of Architecture students to complete a Certificate in Historic Preservation alongside first-year students. Throughout the semester, the certificate students lived in Charleston and took the first semester classes that immersed them in both the history and theory of historic preservation, as well as the history of Charleston. By having students from an architectural background in their classes, the MSHP students were also able to gain valuable insight into what it takes to be an architect and have productive conversations about the built environment, both old and new.
Reflections on the Experience:
“This was an ~invaluable~ experience for me. I learned so many new techniques and professional practices of historic preservation in an extremely hands-on environment. And what a wonderful place to do it all, in the beautiful Charleston, SC! I am confident going forward into boutique residential architecture that these experiences will enhance my practice of design for years to come. Thank you MSHP Program!”
-Alexandra V. Masters
"I really enjoyed my time doing the certificate program in Charleston. The work that we got to take part in was educational as well as so meaningful. This program has impacted the way that I look at old buildings and consider the way they were built to last!"
-Kathleen Feuerborn
Certificate student Catrina Ottman working in the microscopy lab, photo by Claire Cox.
Certificate students Ashley Meade, Alexandra Masters, and Kathleen Feuerborn, photo by Claire Cox.
The certificate students and MSHP Class of 2025 at Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site, photo by Laurel Bartlett.
VAF Field School
Johns Island, SC
Summer 2024
by Claire Jackson
Clemson's MSHP program collaborated with The Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, Claflin University’s History Department, and Saving Slave Houses to launch the Johns Island Preservation Field School (JIPFS)in the Summer of 2023. A second season continued the work in the Summer of 2024. The summer field school program is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation through the University of Virginia and the Vernacular Architecture Forum. JIPFS is one of three field schools incubated through this grant that focuses on African American places and engages Black communities, scholars, and students in preservation work.
The three-week program introduced participants (a multi-generational group of learners each with a tie to Gullah Geechee history and culture) to multiple facets of the field of historic preservation. Participants of the field school focused on researching and documenting late 19th century and early 20th century public buildings and their role within the local African American community. Through hands-on learning, participants learned how to document the physical fabric and cultural narratives associated with the historic buildings and landscapes on Johns Island. Both seasons of field school examined broader historical context for the Reconstruction through Civil Rights eras, and the Summer 2024 field school examined the specific buildings of Moving Star Hall and The Progressive Club. This year's focus was on Hebron Zion Presbyterian Church, a Reconstruction era Black church built by formerly enslaved carpenters between 1868-1870, and Promise Land School, a circa 1910 building that operated during a time of segregation where Septima Poinsette Clark, an Avery Institute graduate and Civil Rights advocate, taught.
The grant enabled this to be a zero-cost experience for the cohort of 10 learners, and also supported community educators who have first-hand knowledge of these places and histories to be part of the teaching. Community educators met with us on site to share oral histories, and participated in themed panels and discussions, such as on ‘music, spirituality, and protest’ and ‘telling your own stories’. While a multi-institutional line-up of faculty and professional educators brought the introduction to preservation skills and the scholarly history context to the educational experience, the community educators brought a wealth of experiences, detailed knowledge, and sense of purpose to the work of preserving these places.
JIPSF participants at Hebron Church
The program also hosted public events to learn about what the participants learned and uncovered. If you are interested in learning more about these important places, please spend time on the website: JIFieldschool.org.
JIPFS participants in Beaufort, SC
MSHP Class of 2024 Thesis Topics
Megan Adornetto: Keeping Tradition Alive: Studying the Evolution of Sweetgrass Basket Stands on Highway 17 in the Charleston Lowcountry
Caroline Byrne: An Analysis of Communication Trends of East Coast Historic Preservation Nonprofit Organizations
Deryn Candelaria: Historically Char-ming
Lyrik Castro-Bailey: Choices Behind the Color: An Analysis of Paint Finish Variations in South Carolina Slave Dwellings
Chris Cone: Something Old, Something Blue: An Analysis of Identification Methods for Determining the Presence of Indigo Within Historic Textiles for The Charleston Museum
Claire Cox: An Analysis of the Demolition of Historic Structures After the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, California
Rachel Fore: Tracking the “Soiled Doves”: A Cultural Landscape of Prostitution in Charleston, South Carolina from 1880-1939
Sarah Gaston: A Building Worth Its Salt: Residual Chloride Exposure from Frequent Inundation in 19th-Century Masonry Construction on the Battery of Charleston, South Carolina
Jacob Hockenberry: The Machine in the Rice Field: A Spatial Analysis of Mechanized Rice Processing Infrastructure Along the Cooper River, 1780-1830
Chloe Martin: In Search of a Blind Tiger: A Cultural and Historic Landscape Analysis of Prohibition-era Charleston
Paige Regna: Ethnographic Interviews of Five Community Leaders Preserving African American Heritage in the Lowcountry
Gabriella Rowsam: Nowhere to Grow: Rationale Behind the Expansion of the College of Charleston Campus, 1960-2024
Brianna Schmidt: Navigating the Future: The Material Effect of Sea Level Rise on Lighthouses Along the East Coast of the United States
Hannah St. Onge: Ahead of the (Digital) Curve: Digitally Documenting and Interpreting the Historic Built Environment In Museums
Jack Sutton: The Catalyst for Preservation: Assessing the Impact of Historic Tax Credit Leverage on Surrounding Property Values in the State of South Carolina
All MSHP theses are available on Tiger Prints / / https://open.clemson.edu/theses_historic_pres/
MSHP Class of 2025 Internships
Claire Jackson: The Christman Company
Shawnya Peterson: NCPE, National Park Service
Nolly Swan: Building Conservation Associates
Jocelyn Patterson: Ryan LLC
Hannah Truman: Drayton Hall Preservation Trust
Jessica Ridder: Warren Lasch Conservation Center
MSHP Class of 2024 Graduation Ceremony
Congratulations, Graduates!
Alumni News
Kymberly Mattern (2017) recently accepted a position teaching middle school history at The Collegiate School, an all-boys private school on the Upper West Side in New York. Kymberly received a second National Endowment for the Humanities summer grant to explore the creation, enforcement, and legacy of the color line in Atlanta, Georgia. Kymberly met with the surviving organizers of various civil rights sit-ins and protests, visited Martin Luther King Jr.'s childhood and family houses, and explored how racial segregation exists in Atlanta's built environment (including Fox Theater and Oakland Cemetery).
Shea McEnerney (2022), the Director of the Restoration Training Collaborative just moved to Denver, Colorado area.
Karl Sondermann (2013) completed 1 year post graduate fellowship at MIT Security Studies Program, Cambridge, MA.
Melissa Roach (2014) was honored as the 2021 Blazing Trails in AEC-Arkansas Money and Politics. 2022 Kinco Constructor of the Year .
Rucha Kamath (2019) was promoted to Associate Architect: Conservation.
Will Hamilton (2008), Director of Historic Preservation at the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation, formerly Classical American Homes Preservation Trust, manages building and landscape preservation projects across four sites from New York to South Carolina, while assisting with organizational
initiatives with an emphasis on the education of future stewards of historic sites and training craftspeople in traditional architectural trades.
Patricia Ploehn Stone (2022) was invited to present at the SCEMD "SC Day of Recovery" 2024 on the importance of including cultural heritage in disaster recovery and emergency planning; celebrating 1 year married!
Caroline Darnell (2017) contributed to Georgia's Statewide Cemetery Context.
Chris Cone (2024) is learning under Frances Ford and working for KKBE with the intention to open my own restoration company specializing in historic grave markers.
Sarah Gaston (2024) accepted the APT Conference Student Scholarship and will be presenting my thesis at the APT International Conference in Montreal, Canada in November, 2024.
Katharine (Kate) Gallotta (2018) renovated a 200 year old house outside of Richmond, VA.
Chloe Martin (2024) is working as a project preservationist on the Mount Vernon Mansion Revitalization project.
Kendra Waters (2019) started a preservation consulting company with her business partner working on the South Downtown portfolio in Atlanta, GA, a collection of 50 buildings.
MSHP Marriages and Babies
Director Amalia Leifeste welcomed her second child, Neev Llano Samant, in July, 2024.
Katie Dykens Quinn (2015) welcomed a new baby, Zoey Margaret Quinn, in January, 2024.
Laura Burghardt Tenen (2009) welcomed a third child, Peter, in June, 2024.
Anna Gilligan Simpkins (2016) welcomed a baby girl in January, 2024
Dana Marks Halpert (2019) welcomed a baby boy, Rhys Emmett, making the Halperts a family of three!
Meghan Grigsby Olson (2017) welcomed a daughter, Madeline, in May 2024.
Lora Cunningham-Clark (2011) has two daughters- Erin, 3 years old, and Nora, 20 months old.
Kyunhea West (2019) welcomed a baby girl, Taelin Marie West, in January, 2024.
Natalie Ford Woodward (2008) married Paul Woodward (2007) in 2013. Together, they have 3 kids: Owen (9), Liza (6), and Georgia (4).
Rachel Wilson (2020) got married in October, 2024.
Erin Morton Pugh (2014) was happily married to her long time partner in May, 2023.
Kendra Waters (2019) got married in October of 2023.
Kelly Herrick (2014) was married last year in November, 2023 to Matt Thein - her new name is Kelly Thein.
Paige Regna (2024) got married in September, 2024.
Chloe Martin (2024) will be married to Eli Hanisian in fall 2025.
Photo of Neev Llano Samant
Photo of Rhys Emmett Halpert
Photo of Taelin Marie West
Historic Preservation Summer Minor in Charleston
In 2024, Clemson offered its first Historic Preservation Summer Minor in Charleston. Clemson undergraduate students came to Charleston for the summer and completed 15 credit hours with stellar lectureres from the MSHP program. Courses in the minor teach historic preservation through a hands-on cirriculum, building fundamental skills, including hand-measured drawing, architectural photography, landscape mapping and architectural conservation.
The summer minor students created measured drawings of rooms within the Edmund Allston house, met for site visits and field trips to learn from historic places, and completed deed research.
Student Experiences
“I’m planning on going to graduate school,” expressed Hamilton Sprawls, a fourth-year architecture student. “If you’re thinking about graduate school, this minor opens up a whole new field for you. Academically and career-wise, I think this minor is going to have a big impact on me.”
“My favorite part of this program so far has been the field trips. Getting out of the studio and being able to experience all of the things we are learning has made a huge difference,” explained Annie Cagle, a third-year undergraduate architecture student. “Going to places like the Nathaniel Russell House and the Old Exchange Building makes what you’re learning in the classroom come to life.”
For questions regarding the minor or for registration information, contact Director of the Historic Preservation Minor, Laurel Bartlett, at bartleb@g.clemson.edu.
“The classes in the minor cover each main sphere that you get in historic preservation,” shared Hannah Adams, a second-year architecture student. “We’ve been working in conservation, which is keeping things as they are in their historic state. The class has done documentation, which is going to old buildings, taking pictures and drawing them for records in case something happens. We’ve done legal work by going to the deed office and following a building history. We’ve done a little bit of everything!”
Summer minor students working on measured drawings at the Edmund Allston house.
Summer minor students practicing historic research methods with Professor Britany Lavelle Tulla.
Summer minor students on a site visit learning about historic structures.
http://www.clemson.edu/caac/academics/architecture/programs/historic-preservation/ Keep up with us throughout the year by following us on Facebook and Instagram!