The American preservation movement first began to enjoy widespread public support in the early 1970s—thanks in part to the approaching bicentennial, which had begun to focus the nation’s attention on issues of heritage, and also in response to an architectural tragedy, the 1963 demolition of McKim, Mead and White’s monumental Pennsylvania Station in New York. Contemporary theories of urban renewal, which had so drastically altered America’s cities after World War II, were increasingly viewed as agents of destruction, forces that were seeking to replace traditional environments with alien ones. The public had had enough.

“There was a real malaise and dissatisfaction with what had been going on, and this helped to prompt a rediscovery of the historic environment,” says Matero. “Today the public is more and more concerned with issues related to preservation. Just turn on the television or the radio—lots of money is being spent on these kinds of projects. There’s also no question that they have been a major boon for economic development.”

Inevitably, this preservation groundswell created an enormous demand for expertise, and it was in that context that Penn launched the ACL in 1990. Matero, then teaching historic preservation at Columbia, joined the Penn faculty and took charge of the new venture.

“I brought my background in archaeology, art history, and architecture, and my interest in the technical aspects of how buildings as form and fabric are preserved and interpreted,” he recalls. “I knew from my experiences at Columbia that in order for the program to grow and to really move into first place, we would have to have a practice-based approach that not only provided research—which is greatly needed in the field—but also could give the students on-site training. The idea from the beginning was to get them out into the field with mentors—or, better yet, practicing professionals.”

The Graduate Program in Historic Preservation offers a two-year degree and admits 25 applicants per class. Students spend half their time taking core courses and half studying one of five concentrations—site management, preservation planning, landscape preservation, preservation design, and building conservation. It’s generally students in that last group who spend the most time doing research at the ACL. Many, in fact, compete to stay on for a third-year residency, which presents an opportunity to conduct an independent research project.

“They have to design the scope of work, make the budget, set a schedule, and work with other professionals,” explains Matero. “We, or whoever their mentor is, are the safety net, but they’re responsible for delivering. It can be full-blown research involving a lot of laboratory work, but it usually involves spending time in the field.”  Students can focus on anything that qualifies as built heritage, including buildings, works of engineering, archaeological sites, gardens, landscapes, historic districts—even entire regions.  

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FEATURE:
The Future of Our Past By David Perrelli

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