Employee News: Leading Infrastructure Walk

Our Founder and Principal Jacqueline Drayer recently served as a leader of the Museum District Association’s infrastructure walk. Dozens of volunteers came together to walk Richmond, VA’s Museum District neighborhood and flag necessary public infrastructure improvements through the RVA 311 mobile app.

True to its name, Museum District is host to some of the city’s most-visited museums and cultural sites, including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and Virginia Museum of History and Culture. Requesting fixes to uneven sidewalks and unmarked curb cuts are just two ways participants helped ensure resident and visiting cyclists, pedestrians, and those using walking aids or wheelchairs can all traverse a safer landscape.

Cincinnati Jewish Cemetery Exhibit Opens

We were honored to write the interpretive signage for the Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati’s permanent outdoor exhibition at Loveland Cemetery. The exhibit, primarily featuring building fragments, honors the history and culture of the city’s Jewish community.

The exhibit is part of a contemplative pine pathway that provides a space for visitors to learn and reflect while at the cemetery. It was dedicated last year and is accessible year-round.

Conservation Easement Processing Services Update

Mulberry History Advisors monitors industry changes that may affect conservation easement donations. We recently adjusted our service schedule to ensure our clients have the smoothest possible path to easement donation.

If you are a homeowner located in Washington, DC who wishes to donate a conservation easement to the L’Enfant Trust, we welcome your inquiry.

Proud Section 106 Partner of McDoux Preservation LLC

Thanks to our friends at McDoux Preservation LLC for championing our Section 106 consultation advising services.

As 2023 comes to a close, we want to thank all of our clients and partners for another successful year. Our office will be closed from December 22-January 1. Happy holidays!

Regal Theatre Added to National Register of Historic Places

Cincinnati’s Regal Theatre is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places! We are proud to have contributed to the nomination of this gem for our client Urbanist Media.

Regal Theatre tells the story of Cincinnati’s West End. The nomination focuses on the theatre as a historic cultural hub in the surrounding Black community, as well as the history and effects of urban renewal in the neighborhood. The building is planned for adaptive reuse as an arts center using historic tax credits. Designation was the first step in allowing this historic site to realize its potential as a community hub and neighborhood anchor.

Developing Local Landmark Program for Bozeman, MT

Mulberry History Advisors is thrilled to be part of the team revising Bozeman, Montana’s preservation policy and developing a local landmark program. We are working with Community Planning Collaborative and Sarah Marsom on this effort. Bozeman has a rich and diverse history it is eager to celebrate with the help of innovative preservation policy.

Stay tuned for project updates!

Mulberry History Advisors Certified as a Woman-Owned Small and Micro Business 

We are certified by both the Small Business Administration and the Commonwealth of Virginia. These designations are a milestone, as they provide us with new opportunities to collaborate with large firms on federal and state contracts. This allows us to further our work in Section 106 consultation advising in particular.

The use of SBA’s logo below complies with the agency’s logo use guidelines and does not imply endorsement or preferential treatment.

Mulberry History Advisors in Central Texas

Mulberry History Advisors traveled to Austin, Blanco, and Johnson City this month to conduct research and provide photo documentation services for a client. We visited three libraries, explored two archives, and photographed stone buildings in Blanco. This work is in support of phase two of an ongoing project for a property owner in the area.

Sponsoring the Hopewell Downtown Partnership

Mulberry History Advisors is a proud Community Sponsor of the Hopewell Downtown Partnership. This central Virginia Main Street America community is on a mission is to build a healthy, vibrant, and more prosperous central downtown district.

We believe in the power of Main Streets to revitalize communities by supporting small businesses and reawakened historic commercial corridors. Learn more about downtown Hopewell's renaissance on HDP's website.

Section 106 Course for the National Preservation Institute Now Available

Our Founder and Principal Jacqueline Drayer is the instructor for NPI’s newest course, “Section 106: Effective Participation and Response Strategies.” In this 75-minute training, participants will examine the Section 106 process, benefits of participation, review case studies, identify response strategies, and consider when and how to hire a consultant.

Section 106 training and advising is a core service for us. We offer custom guidance for specific undertakings, which we have recently completed for clients in Chicago, Atlanta, and Richmond. We believe that appropriately engaged consulting parties are critical for positive community outcomes. Schedule a free Section 106 exploratory call with us here.

Celebrating Two Years with New and Returning Clients

Mulberry History Advisors turned two last month! We happily spent our birthday completing projects for new clients, including The Cultural Landscape Foundation, Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati, and a Washington, DC property owner. We began new work for a returning client - a Texas property owner - and continued work with several longtime clients, including the National Preservation Institute and US Architects Declare.

We are booking summer travel for some of this work in central Texas and central Virginia. Get in touch if you are based nearby and want to discuss work or say hello in person.

Section 106 Advising in Atlanta

We had a great time at the National Council on Public History’s 2023 conference in Atlanta. Jacqueline met with clients, project partners, and folks whose work inspires us every day. From facilitating a Section 106 workshop to breakfasting with local clients, we enjoyed exchanging knowledge and smiles with historians from around the country. At the conference, Jacqueline also co-facilitated NCPH’s Consultants Committee workshop and met with emerging professionals to discuss their career paths.

Affordability and Preservation Talk for Historic Richmond

Jacqueline spoke at Historic Richmond’s Affordability and Preservation event last week. She, Kim Chen (City of Richmond), and Mitch Danese (Maggie Walker Community Land Trust) shared their perspectives on how to increase the supply of Richmond’s affordable housing in tandem with preserving historic buildings. Read about one of those ideas in Jacqueline’s article for Hidden City Philadelphia here.

Sponsoring PreserveCast Podcast

We are excited to share our first podcast sponsorship! Mulberry History Advisors has an ad in this week’s episode of PreserveCast, which is produced by Preservation Maryland. It’s a fun episode, featuring Rosie Grant, who has a popular TikTok channel where she recreates recipes found on gravestones. Listen here or on your preferred mobile podcast app.

Employee News: Volunteer Leadership

Jacqueline recently joined the National Council on Public History’s Consultants Committee. The committee, “Promotes the interests of NCPH members who provide historical services as consultants…organizes special sessions, workshops, and a reception during the annual conference and in other ways fosters discussion among individuals interested in consulting.” Jacqueline looks forward to deepening her connection with the committee at NCPH’s Atlanta conference this April.

Regal Theatre Recommended for Inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places

On Friday, December 9th, the advisory board to Ohio History Connection recommended that Cincinnati’s Regal Theatre be added to the National Register of Historic Places. The nomination will be sent by the State Historic Preservation Office to the National Park Service for final approval. We are proud to have contributed to the nomination of this historic gem.

Regal Theatre tells the story of Cincinnati’s West End. The nomination focuses on the theatre as a historic cultural hub in the surrounding Black community, as well as the history and effects of urban renewal in the neighborhood. The building is planned for adaptive reuse as an arts center. Congratulations to our client Urbanist Media for achieving this milestone!

Architecture’s Future is Intertwined with Preservation

We now serve US Architects Declare, a network of architects organizing for radical change in the building sector around climate, social justice, and biodiversity. Making existing buildings suitable for new use, transitioning to circular economies, and whole-life carbon modeling all have preservation solutions. These include adaptive reuse, deconstruction ordinances, and calculating the embodied energy of existing buildings.

We are proud to call this forward thinking group our newest client. Learn more about their work and sign the declaration.

Workshop at the National Council on Public History’s 2023 Conference

Jacqueline is leading a Section 106 workshop for public historians at NCPH’s 2023 Conference. This collaborative session will allow attendees to share their own projects and receive feedback and advice from Jacqueline and fellow workshop participants. We can’t wait to meet attendees in Atlanta!

Conservation Easement Processing

We now provide easement processing services to those donating a conservation easement to The L'Enfant Trust. Conservation easements can provide building owners tax benefits in exchange for protecting the property against demolition, neglect, and insensitive alterations. Learn more about donating an easement on the L’Enfant Trust’s website.

Qualifying properties are located in Washington, DC. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places or are located in a historic district and at least 50 years old. We prepare the paperwork for donors who are disinclined to complete the ten-step process themselves. This includes researching and writing down the property's history, arranging an appraisal, and obtaining a lien subordination from the mortgage holder.

Section 106 Course in Development for the National Preservation Institute

We are delighted to announce development of an on-demand Section 106 course for the National Preservation Institute. There are many excellent Section 106 training options. However, few - if any - focus on the consulting party perspective. Our training course will be geared towards the consulting party perspective, opportunities, and challenges.

Section 106 Presentation at FORUM Conference

Jacqueline spoke about Section 106 consultation for local stakeholders during a session at the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions’ FORUM conference last week in Cincinnati, OH.

Dozens of conferences attendees participated in the session, held in the Hilton Netherland Plaza’s grand Continental Room. Jacqueline spoke alongside Rebecca Goodwin, county Preservation Officer/Section 106 Administrator, about strategies for local participants to effectively engage in the Section 106 consultation process. 

Employee News: Architectural Photography Exhibit

A photo taken by Jacqueline is included in Accidentally Wes Anderson’s "Thank You For Exploring x Heartland" exhibit. It will be displayed at Rosin Preservation's headquarters in Kansas City. Jacqueline’s photo is accompanied by a history she wrote about the fascinating subject building, Milwaukee City Hall.

Mulberry History Advisors Offers Cultural Resources Career Advising

This month we participated in Dismantle Preservation’s Cultural Resources Resume Review workshop. It was a pleasure to advise professionals about achieving their career goals using their resumes and through consulting and business strategies.

This workshop filled quickly. Please contact us if you are interested in cultural resources career or business advising services.

Employee News: Volunteer Leadership in Virginia

Jacqueline was invited to join the first Advisory Board of the Hopewell Downtown Partnership. HDP is an urban Main Street Program for the city of Hopewell, located southeast of Richmond, Virginia. The organization is highly active and has successfully attracted new local businesses to Hopewell’s historic downtown.

The Main Street Program is a preservation-based economic and community development program that was developed to revitalize downtowns through small business promotion. The Main Street Approach has been studied and found highly effective at creating local jobs, fostering economic development, engaging communities, and reusing historic buildings.

Sponsoring Modern Richmond Week

We are pleased to join other Richmond area businesses and firms in sponsoring Modern Richmond Week. From April 18th-April 21st, 2022, Modern Richmond is hosting events in Richmond, VA that highlight modernist architecture and design. Learn more about Modern Richmond and buy events tickets on their website.

Celebrating One Year of Mulberry History Advisors

Thank you to our clients for a wonderful first year of consulting. We are thrilled we helped nonprofits, an architecture firm, city government, media company, historians, and property owners achieve their preservation goals. Their good work inspires us as we enter year two.

Contributing to U.S. News & World Report Travel Guides

We are now contributing to U.S. News & World Report's travel guides. It is a pleasure to use our expertise working with the built environment and diverse populations to help advance culture writing. Keep an eye out for publications about Flagstaff, AZ; Stowe, VT; and several international destinations.

Presentation at National Alliance of Preservation Commissions’ FORUM Conference

Jacqueline will discuss Section 106 consultation for stakeholders during a session at this July’s FORUM conference in Cincinnati, OH.

Local governments, tribes, and nonprofits are increasingly asked to comment on federal activities under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The complexity of the projects and process makes effective response challenging. Preservation commissions and elected officials do not always see the benefits of participation, yet their input is critical to positive historic preservation outcomes. Jacqueline will speak alongside Rebecca Goodwin, the Preservation Officer/Section 106 Administrator for Otero County, Colorado. 

Employee News: Volunteer Leadership in Richmond

This month Jacqueline became treasurer of Historic Richmond’s Junior Board. She joined the Junior Board in 2021, shortly after moving to Richmond. Using her background in nonprofit management, Jacqueline is excited to help lead the Junior Board and enhance its advocacy work.

Historic Richmond shapes the future of Richmond by preserving the city’s distinctive historic character, sparking revitalization and championing our important architectural legacy. The Junior Board is a group of leaders under 40 years of age who support Historic Richmond through its projects and programs.

Mulberry History Advisors Sponsors Scholarship

We are proud sponsors of the Dismantle Preservation and Old Salem Museum & Gardens Learning Lab Scholarship. The partnership’s April 2022 Learning Lab will offer immersive educational opportunities in Winston-Salem, North Carolina for preservation professionals. We are pleased to help make this event accessible to all preservationists.

Apply for a Learning Lab Scholarship here.

Featured Guest on Preservation Maryland Podcast

Jacqueline is this week’s guest on PreserveCast, the historic preservation podcast powered by Preservation Maryland.

She spoke with host Nicholas Redding about Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, why local stakeholders should care, and how they can make their voices heard in the process. The episode ends with a fun PreserveCast first. We won’t spoil it here, but it involves decorative manhole covers.

You can listen to the episode here or download it using your favorite podcast app.

Section 106 Webinar for the National Preservation Partners Network

On Wednesday we had the opportunity to work with the National Preservation Partners Network to offer their members Section 106 training. Attendees from organizations across the country attended. Mulberry History Advisors provided an in-depth explanation of the consultation process, answered questions, and facilitated conversation among participants.

The bipartisan infrastructure bill means there will soon be even more federal activities that will impact historic properties. Nonprofits are critical in ensuring appropriate historic preservation outcomes for these undertakings. We appreciate preservation organizations and professionals taking the time to learn with us and discuss strategies for ensuring impactful consultation.

Presentation at the Beyond Integrity in (X) Conference

This week Jacqueline presented recommendations for successfully designating culturally significant sites at the inaugural Beyond Integrity in (X) Conference. The virtual format allowed dozens of attendees from across the country to attend, including Sara Bronin, who was recently nominated for Chair of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

Jacqueline’s insights represent the culmination of years of preparing National Register nominations and determinations of eligibility, leading local register designation efforts, and supporting community-led preservation initiatives.

Article for Hidden City Philadelphia

Under Section 106, the public is entitled to comment on federal activities that may impact historic properties. It’s easy to explain why locals should care: their input can help protect beloved historic sites. How to go about the process is more complex.

Hiring a professional is a good solution, but it isn’t always feasible. Jacqueline wrote about how the public can make an impact for Hidden City Philadelphia. Read the article here.