Firefly Preservation Consulting

05/06/2026

The Person County survey is finally coming to its conclusion! The report is under review at the NC SHPO, and we look forward to having this information to share with the residents of the county soon. We met so many friendly people during field work and enjoyed hearing their stories about life in the county. Here are a few of the most memorable stops!

05/06/2026

I really can't say enough about the work the Northfield Township Historical Society has done to identify, research, and protect its historic resources, or how proud I am to have been a part of it!

The Northfield Township project surveyed more than 1,300 properties and secured National Register of Historic Places designations for sites recognized for their contributions to local history, architecture.

05/06/2026

I'm so honored to have been included in this year's awards for the Northfield Township projects. I've been working with the Northfield Township Historical Society since 2019 to complete an architectural survey of some of the oldest properties in the township, then to shape the information from that survey into a National Register Multiple Property Documentation Form of historic and architectural resources in the township and to nominate five properties under that MPDF, including the Greek Revival-style Leland House, Queen Anne-style Bessert-Ryan House, and the German heritage-related German Park Recreation Club, St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, and Zeeb Farm. Since 2019, we've listed additional properties in the National Register independent of the new MPDF, including the Italianate-style Sutton House and the highly intact Groves Farm, which has also been protected with local designation. (Just a reminder - the National Register is honorary! You need local designation to protect historic properties!)

This truly is an example of preservation done well. Starting with survey and planning, moving to designation and protection, and now thinking about ways to share these projects with wider audiences. Congratulations to the historical society for their seemingly boundless energy and patience! This is no small feat!

I look forward to the next opportunities to work with this great community and share even more of its incredible history!

05/06/2026

Congratulations Northfield Township Historical Society and St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church! This is the fourth nomination to be listed under the Historic and Architectural Resources of Northfield Township Multiple Property Documentation Form accepted by the National Park Service last year. MPDFs are a great tool to streamline the nomination process, recognize groups of related properties, and make grassroot preservation more accessible!

This year, seven properties in Michigan have already been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

05/06/2026

Shoutout to Muskegon! I spent a LOT of time at the Hackley library and its neighbor, the local history collection library, during the Muskegon Civil Rights Survey. The librarians were incredibly helpful and they have an incredible collection of local history materials. Stop by if you get the chance!

08/07/2025

Happy National Lighthouse Day! So appreciate the shoutout from Michigan State Historic Preservation Office for the South Fox Island Light Station, which I nominated to the National Register a couple of years ago. Interesting history and beautiful place!

12/13/2024

Important news from my home state!

President Joe Biden today signed a presidential proclamation establishing the Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument in Carlisle, Pennsylvania as the 432nd site in national park system.

05/14/2024

Congratulations Ray!

03/25/2024

One of my favorite places! Congratulations again to the Groves Farm for its recent National Register listing!

The Groves Farm near Ann Arbor was established before Michigan became a state, and its barns are among the oldest in Washtenaw County.

02/12/2024

Congratulations to the Groves Farm, Eden Springs Park, and all the newly designated properties around the state!

Nineteen historic properties listed in 2023 help to tell a more complete history at the local, state, and national levels.

01/07/2024

I'll be starting off the new year with a new project here in Washtenaw County! Based on the Northfield Township Architectural Survey I completed in 2021, I'll be working with the Northfield Township Historical Society again to prepare the Historic and Architectural Resources of Northfield Township Multiple Property Documentation Form, along with four nominations to be listed under the MPDF. If you're in the area, stop by on Thursday and learn more about the project!