Find a Preservation Trades Program for Any Skill Level
Whether you are a student, a historic homeowner, a retiree, or anyone in between, there is a program out there for you to learn building preservation trades. Having the skills to approach projects on historic buildings is important to maintaining the building's integrity and honoring the original builders. Not to mention, for those who love working with your hands, find inspiration from rebuilding something that needs some attention, or even working with a team to save a place that is filled with history and meaning—it can also be fun!
Are you interested in gaining in-depth preservation trades training in a beautiful setting?
The HPTC Traditional Trades Advancement Program is a 26-week immersive experience where participants train and work alongside experienced National Park Service employees to preserve cultural resources and crucial infrastructure at National Parks. Participants learn the fundamentals of historic preservation and receive on-the-job training in a traditional trade, such as masonry, carpentry, monuments, and wood crafting, gaining the foundation for a career in historic preservation.
Are you looking to gain a certificate or degree in historic building preservation?
Students seeking to continue their education and preservation enthusiasts who want a formal education in the field are encouraged to review the list on PreserveNet, examine the suggested program’s websites, and contact representatives for more information and application materials.
Are you between the ages of 18-25 and interested in spending your summer receiving training while earning a living stipend and assistance with your student loan payments?
Northern Bedrock integrates historic preservation with the corps model, allowing Corpsmembers to explore diverse preservation career paths through experiential learning and training on an aging stock of historic structures and landscapes in need of maintenance across the state of Minnesota.
Are you mid-career or a retiree looking for a way to directly get involved with saving historic places?
HistoriCorps is a nonprofit that provides hands-on learning, preserving historic structures on public lands across America. Volunteers of all skill levels and ages work with HistoriCorps field managers to learn preservation skills and put those skills to work saving historic places that have fallen into disrepair.
Do you have a public historic building or site that needs maintenance and are willing to have the work serve as a training ground for a preservation trades experience?
In 2014 the National Trust for Historic Preservation launched a program to train a younger, more diverse, audience in building preservation trades while helping to protect historic/cultural sites and public lands. Named “HOPE Crew” for “Hands-On Preservation Experience,” the program links public preservation projects with local youth serving organizations and preservation trades experts, to teach preservation trades to participants.
photo by: John Boal
HOPE Crew at Woodlawn Plantation, a National Trust Historic Site in Alexandria, Virginia.
photo by: National Trust for Historic Preservation
HOPE Crew at Odd Fellows Hall in Astoria, Oregon.
Are you a historic building homeowner looking for guidance on home projects?
Preservation Briefs provide information on preserving, rehabilitating, and restoring historic buildings. These free digital publications help historic building owners recognize and resolve common problems prior to work. The briefs are especially useful to Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program applicants because they recommend methods and approaches for rehabilitating historic buildings that are consistent with their historic character.
Donate Today to Help Save the Places Where Our History Happened.
Donate to the National Trust for Historic Preservation today and you'll help preserve places that tell our stories, reflect our culture, and shape our shared American experience.
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