From Playhouses to Possibilities: Small Spaces, Big Ideas

Image from Pinterest Growing up on Asbury Ave in Evanston, Il. there was a girl down the street who had a playhouse in the backyard. It was love at first sight. Looking back it was the beginning of my love of architecture. Each spring I was invited to come and spring house clean. I viewed … Continue reading From Playhouses to Possibilities: Small Spaces, Big Ideas

Preservation vs. Progress: Be Careful What You Pray For

It started with a prayer, one of those earnest, hopeful moments shared among friends when life throws a curve: Years ago my husband and I belonged to a couples prayer group. One of the men lost his job and we all began to pray, for a NEW job. Turns out we prayed he and his … Continue reading Preservation vs. Progress: Be Careful What You Pray For

The Memories That Led to Stepheny, the Preservationist

1800 Asbury Ave - Evanston, IL. Before I ever knew the word โ€œpreservation,โ€I knew how it felt to love a house.To love a neighborhood.To love a way of life shaped by streets, seasons, and sidewalks. I grew up in Evanston, Illinois, where winter blanketed the world in white silence.Iโ€™d sit on the radiator cover in … Continue reading The Memories That Led to Stepheny, the Preservationist

Why Main Street Memories Deserve a Place in Preservation

Two small momentsโ€”one in a movie theater, one on a London street, remind me that what we preserve aren't just buildings, but stories that happened in just the right place, at just the right time, and they become a kind of personal landmark. Iโ€™ve always loved the movie 84 Charing Cross Road, the quiet affection … Continue reading Why Main Street Memories Deserve a Place in Preservation

The Doorknobs of Yesterday – Unlocking Our Rocky Mount, NC Future

These photographs are from my Pinterest Boards that I have collected over time Thereโ€™s something about an old doorknob that stops me in my tracks. The weight of it in my hand, the patina of age, the craftsmanshipโ€”these small details whisper of lives once lived, of voices, of hands turning the knob at the end … Continue reading The Doorknobs of Yesterday – Unlocking Our Rocky Mount, NC Future