Episodes
-
Harriet Tubman's story is often told through her extraordinary courage, but her deep connection to Maryland's landscapes is just as essential to understanding her legacy. In this episode, Angie Crenshaw, Director of the Maryland Park Service, explores how Tubman's early life on Maryland's Eastern Shore shaped the skills, resilience, and determination that enabled her to escape slavery and repeatedly return to lead others to freedom.
Together, we discuss why place matters in preserving history, how Tubman's faith and unwavering sense of purpose guided her life's work, and how her legacy has evolved over generations. The conversation also highlights Maryland's ongoing efforts to preserve and interpret African American history through parks, historic sites, and new public resources, ensuring that Tubman's story—and the broader story of freedom, resilience, and self-determination—continues to inspire future generations.
-
How do historic buildings become thriving breweries, restaurants, and gathering places? On this episode, we sit down with architect David Lopez, Principal at Twopoint Studio, to explore the intersection of historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and Maryland's brewing heritage. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience designing and rehabilitating historic buildings, David shares how old industrial spaces can be thoughtfully transformed while preserving the stories embedded in their walls. From iconic brewery projects like Guilford Hall, Diamondback, and Checkerspot to the broader role preservation plays in community revitalization, this conversation uncorks the fascinating relationship between architecture, history, and the places where we raise a glass. As part of Preservation Maryland's Spirited History series, it's a look at where preservation and alcohol truly converge.
-
Missing episodes?
-
Today we're joined by Holley Snaith, fellow podcaster (Say it with History), historian and writer to discuss the digital preservation of history and a historical restoration project at Val-Kill, Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site.
Eleanor's Pictures - National Park Service
My Website - www.holleysnaith.com
Author Profile - American Masters
Say It With History - Apple Podcasts or Spotify
-
Join us as we sit down with Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks to explore the connection between Maryland’s agricultural heritage and its thriving craft beverage industry. From the state’s early history of grain production and distilling to today’s farm breweries, wineries, distilleries, and cideries, we discuss how agriculture continues to shape Maryland’s economy, rural communities, and cultural identity. As the nation prepare to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence, we also look at how these traditions connect the past to the future and what lies ahead for agriculture and craft beverage production.
This episode is part of our "Spirted History" project supported by the Maryland Department of Commerce’s Maryland Alcohol Manufacturing Promotion Fund. Spirited History reflects our ongoing commitment to preserving not only historic places, but also the living traditions that define them.
-
May's Revolution@250 episode is here, focusing on the free press – and how ideas around free expression and freedom of speech impacted generations of Marylanders. We’ll explore how this core value of the revolutionary generation was embraced by Black Marylanders and the legacy of the Baltimore Afro-American, the longest-running African-American family-owned newspaper in the United States, established in 1892.
Joining us today is Savannah Wood, an artist with deep roots in Baltimore and Los Angeles. As the Executive Director of Afro Charities, Wood is leading the charge to increase access to the 130+-year-old AFRO American Newspapers’ extensive archives. In this role, she has shepherded the organization through a period of historic growth, initiated new programming, and attracted support from national funders including the Mellon Foundation, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and The Ruth Foundation.
In this conversation, we’ll explore how the landscape of a free press in Maryland evolved, the challenges faced by the founders of the Baltimore Afro-American, and how the revolutionary concept of free speech was utilized by Black Americans to advocate, develop community, and document their experience in newspapers in Baltimore and beyond.
-
Jennifer Sieck (she/her) has been sharing stories of metropolitan Washington, D.C., through the Anacostia Community Museum’s collection and archives since 2018. In addition to curating We Make History, her recent projects include DC Women Speak and spotlights on D.C. artists and
musicians. She holds an interdisciplinary PhD from George Washington University, specializing in African American literature and history.We Make History opens on May 30, 2026, the 185th anniversary of the day Adam Francis Plummer began his diary, one of the centerpieces of the show. It closes in January 2028. More info at https://anacostia.si.edu/wemakehistory
-
Join us as we explore the history of women's roles in America's early air defense system during World War II with public historian and museum professional Anne Dobberteen. Today's episode focuses on the hidden figures behind the aircraft warning service in Washington, D.C.
-
Today's guest is Dr. Cheryl Fogle-Hatch, founder of MuseumSenses LLC, a consulting firm that helps museums develop multi-sensory exhibits for everyone, regardless of their visual acuity. Creating exhibit content with tactile and audio components engages blind people with history, the arts, and sciences. Exposing sighted people to tactile and audio content creates an integrated experience for all visitors.
-
Anjela Barnes (Piscataway) serves as the Executive Director of the Accokeek Foundation, located at Piscataway Park, where she proudly stewards and preserves the traditional homelands of the Piscataway people. She joins Revolution@250 to discuss the history and ongoing impact of this remarkable place—from the activism of the 1960s and 70s to the legacy of leaders like Turkey Tayac—and explore how the ideas born here continue to shape the park and our understanding of Indigenous presence today.
-
Athina Ramphal is a psychology student at Johns Hopkins University, founder and CEO of The Genealogy Club, and Miss Diwali 2026, a preliminary titleholder for Miss Maryland (June). Through her nonprofit work, she has launched initiatives including Seedlings of the Caribbean, a grant-funded international program empowering youth across the Caribbean to explore identity through genealogy, and Project I.D.E.A. (Identity, Diversity, Exploration, All-Inclusive): Who Am I?, which encourages young people to begin exploring questions of identity early by seeing themselves reflected in history and the world around them.
She also serves as an ambassador for Finding Your Roots: The Seedlings, a three-time Emmy Award-winning, WPSU-produced web series and educational program inspired by Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s PBS series Finding Your Roots. Athina is deeply committed to helping young people connect with their heritage, understand their stories, and build a stronger sense of identity and belonging.
-
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.
- Show more
