The Place To Be For Preservationists is The Real Places Conference This Wednesday

If you are interested in historic preservation in our city and state, you don’t want to miss the Real Places Conference hosted by The Texas Historical Commission (THC) and presented by Phoenix 1 Restoration and Construction. This is the most important statewide preservation conference in Texas and it’s taking place this week.

“Historic Preservation provides communities, and individuals connections with their past boosts economic impacts, and improves the quality of life for residents and visitors alike,” Brad Patterson, Community Heritage Development Director and Lead for Real Places Conference, said. “The Real Places Conference is virtually bringing together more than 700 preservation leaders, professionals, and heritage volunteers to learn from each other and from fifty speakers.” 

“We reach out to preservation professionals, and people in the field, in both the public and private sectors,” Anjali Kaul Zutshi, Chief Development Officer for THC, said. “Anyone working in or interested in preservation is our target audience, and that includes archaeologists, historians, architects, students, and people from the nonprofit world. They all come together to exchange best practices, get information and ideas from each other about what works and what does not work, as well as gain information on  the latest technologies in preservation.”

Whether you are deeply involved in historic preservation or simply a homeowner looking for resources and education to bring your abode back to its former glory, this is a conference you want to attend.

“The Real Places Conference is the largest gathering of historically-minded people in the state of Texas every year,” Dan Sellers, owner of Phoenix 1 Restoration and Construction, said. Sellers company has been responsible for some of the most successful restorations in Texas. The Hall of State at Fair Park was his companies most recent success story and one of the most significant projects completed in the state. “This conference is informative, educational, motivational, and entertaining,” Sellers said. “The industry as a whole benefits from it.”

Among the nationally and internationally renowned speakers is Wednesday’s opening keynote speaker Linda Norris, Senior Specialist, Methodology and Practice with the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. Her presentation is “More than Words–Rethinking our Work and our World in Times of Change.”

A sneak peek virtual tour of one of the newest state historical sites, the recently completed French Legation in Austin, winds down Wednesday.  

Robert Stanton, the former head of the National Park Service and the first African American director of the park service, is the Thursday keynote speaker on  “Rethinking Preservation for the 21st Century.” “He’s a leading authority of preservation of national sites of historical significance and how to involve youth in preservation,” Zutshi said.

Ron Anthony is Friday’s keynote speaker. As the President and Wood Scientist and Anthony & Associates Inc., he will be speaking on “Preserving Historic Wood Structures.”

Among the incredible presentations, this week will be the THC’s award-winning Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program’s annual Texas Courthouse Stewardship Workshop for county officials and facilities managers, as well as special technical preservation sessions on maintaining historic buildings. Continuing education credits will be offered for architects and planners.

This is the first virtual conference, and numbers are already exceeding those of last year’s event. There’s nothing like the Real Places Conference to gain an incredible depth of knowledge, meet an impressive group of preservationists, and hear wonderful stories. You can register here right up until the event begins!