Landmark Preservation Consulting

09/24/2026

We’re looking forward to the Arkansas Preservation Conference in Hot Springs this October.

Ellie Isaacs will be presenting Park Avenue Revival, a session exploring preservation and revitalization along one of Hot Springs’ historic corridors—including the work underway at Bellaire Court.

She’ll also lead the pre-conference Preservation in Progress Trolley Tour, visiting several properties that have appeared on Preserve Arkansas’s Most Endangered Places list.

The conference takes place October 21–23 in Hot Springs, bringing together preservationists, advocates, architects, historians and community partners from across Arkansas and beyond.

We’re especially glad to see Park Avenue—and the work of understanding, preserving and reinvesting in these places—part of the conversation.

Preserve Arkansas Bellaire Court

09/16/2026

Old buildings carry evidence of the hands that made them and the years that followed.

Layers of paint. Worn wood. Irregularities. Repairs made at different moments for different reasons.

These things do not necessarily detract from a building’s beauty. Often, they deepen it.

Preservation asks us to look closely enough to understand the difference between something that has failed and something that has simply lived.

At Masons’ Hall, the craft remains visible—and so does the passage of time.

Masons’ Hall Historic Richmond

09/12/2026

Construction is in full swing at First Bryan Baptist Church! Demolition is complete—look at how high the ceilings are! New walls have been framed, and systems are nearly fully roughed in and awaiting inspection. We’re excited to see the progress and the new spaces taking shape.

One unexpected discovery during construction: previously covered flooring was exposed, and materials testing was completed this week to determine whether it contains asbestos. If so, the material will be properly abated. This is why budget contingencies are so important when working with historic buildings—you don’t always know what you’ll find until the work begins.

This project was funded in part by the National Fund for Sacred Places, a program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This grant is providing critical accessibility enhancements to allow continued attendance for disabled and older members as long as they are able.

Partners for Sacred Places First Bryan Baptist Church The US National Trust Five Quarter Architecture Joe Marchese Construction Tharpe Engineering Group

08/27/2026

While preparing conditions assessments, we consider not only a site’s physical condition, but how its history can be interpreted. Interpretation often shapes the recommendations included in our reports, particularly where treatment decisions may reveal, preserve, or restore evidence of earlier construction and use.

Recommendations are guided by the site’s historical narrative, its established or potential period (s) of significance, the integrity of character-defining features, and findings from investigative removals. Selective removals can reveal long-hidden remnants of the past, such as original finishes or paint schemes, altered openings, or evidence of changing use, warranting conversation around proposed work and new interpretation opportunities that tangibly connect visitors to a site’s evolving history.

For house museums, this approach can support a broader, layered narrative rather than presenting a single period in time.

At Rose Hill (1852) at Lockerly Arboretum, for example, the retention or removal of the 1960s-era restrooms was considered throughout the project. Research indicates that restrooms were first installed during the Hatcher family’s ownership from 1928-1963 and were likely upgraded during the early years of Mr. Grassmann’s ownership, from 1963-1967.

Architect Sibley Jennings Jr. “restored” the home during this period, when Rose Hill served as a corporate retreat and guest house for visiting clients, scientists, technicians, and manufacturers.

What would you do?

Lockerly Arboretum

08/20/2026

Last month, our team completed the initial site visit for Masons’ Hall in Richmond, Virginia.

Built between 1785-1787, Masons’ Hall is an excellent example of 18th-century Federal architecture, with distinctive Masonic symbolism throughout. It is the oldest Masonic building in continuous use in the United States, representing an enduring testament to Freemasonry’s role in the civic and cultural life of Richmond.

Throughout its 239-year history, this notable building has always been more than a lodge. One of the first public buildings erected after Richmond became the state capital in 1780, Masons’ Hall has at times served as a courtroom, schoolhouse, and community center.

Follow along as we share findings from selective investigative removals and archival research, culminating in our team’s comprehensive conditions assessment to help guide the Masons’ Hall Preservation Foundation’s next steps.

Project Team:
GEL Engineering
Pace Collaborative
Dalgliesh Gilpin Paxton Architects

Masons’ Hall Historic Richmond Dalgliesh Gilpin Paxton

08/14/2026

Why Park Avenue Matters

Park Avenue tells the story of a neighborhood and city in motion-shaped by where people lived, how they traveled, and how the avenue evolved.

Once described as "the most exclusive new residential section of the city," Park Avenue developed away from the fire-prone valley along Hot Springs Creek-today's Central Avenue-and became a desirable area of Hot Springs.

When the automobile arrived, the avenue changed with it. By the mid-1930s, Park Avenue was the direct route trom Little Rock into Hot Springs. Cottage and motor courts appeared alongside earlier homes, welcoming a new generation of travelers arriving by car. Bellaire Court, constructed in 1936, belongs to this moment of change.

Victorian houses and motor courts share the avenue with commercial spaces, rehabilitated properties, and places awaiting renewed attention. At Red Light Roastery, adaptive reuse has created new life in a building once connected to Jack Tar Court, retaining pieces of its mid-century past.

Park Avenue isn't defined only by what has survived. David F. Watkins Memorial Park and its new splash pad provide contemporary public spaces, while the Park Avenue Community Association has fostered initiatives that bolster the community.

Historic buildings, public spaces, businesses, homes, and people coexist here. Together, they make Park Avenue a record of how Hot Springs has grown, traveled, adapted, and lived.

That is the value of a historic corridor: no single building or generation can tell the whole story.
Bellaire Court is one surviving piece of that story. Its rehabilitation will allow the property to thrive as the neighborhood evolves, while retaining the character that connects it to its past.

This October, Ellie Isaacs will present "Park Avenue Revival" at the Preserve Arkansas Preservation Conference in Hot Springs, exploring the avenue's history, recent revitalization efforts, and the opportunities that remain.

Historical reference: 1976 Passmore House National Register nomination; Mike Shinn, Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.

08/05/2026

Field Study: Investigative Removals

What stories remain hidden within layers of material? What stories have been lost?

Historic buildings rarely give up their secrets all at once. More often, they reveal themselves through the smallest details. A ghost line concealed behind modern wood paneling. The way a piece of wood was sawn. Remnants of an earlier painted finish—or the absence of one altogether. Even the shape of a nail head.

These seemingly tiny clues reveal critical information that may not be documented anywhere else. They help us understand how a building evolved, how it was constructed, and how people once lived and worked within it.

Before preservation can begin, we have to learn what the building itself has to say.

Preservation begins by listening.

Wormsloe State Historic Site
Landmark Preservation

07/31/2026

07/22/2026

Yamacraw Village was a multicultural community long before it became a segregated public housing project. This photograph is part of the Living in Savannah series, documenting daily life in the neighborhood before its demolition in 1939.

Taken by Armstrong Junior College students for a Contemporary Georgia course during 1939-40 and 1940-41, the two albums contain more than 430 images capturing the homes, streets, and communities of Savannah’s working-class residents on the eve of World War II.

Join us Thursday as Ellie Isaacs of Landmark Preservation Consulting participates in the panel discussion, “Yamacraw Village: “History, Community, and Continuity,” hosted by Historic Savannah Foundation at First Bryan Baptist Church. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and panel discussion begins at 6 p.m.

We hope to see you there.

📍 First Bryan Baptist Church
Savannah, Georgia

Image Courtesy:
Living in Savannah, Volume 2. Lane Library Special Collections, Georgia Southern University.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/special-collections-lane/

Historic Savannah Foundation
First Bryan Baptist Church
Georgia Southern University