Fall 2024 Courses
Scroll down to register for:
- Introduction to Historic Preservation (online – Thursdays beginning September 12).
- Building a Strong Foundation: Planning Documents for Historic Preservation (online, Tuesdays beginning October 1).
- Back to Basics: Training for Historic Preservation Commissions (online, Tuesdays beginning October 22).
Online offerings often fill within 24 hours. Subscribe for our newsletter here so you’re among the first to know when registration opens!
Payment for these courses will be accepted online via the registration links below. Due to staff vacancies, we are unable to accept payment by purchase order for these courses. (An exception will be made to accept purchase orders for the one-day historic preservation commission training workshop on October 14; for that workshop, checkout options at the registration link include “pay by invoice.”)
Introduction to Historic Preservation
Thursday, September 12, 2024 – Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 7 – 8:30 p.m.
10-week class | credit/no credit | 2 CEUs
Online via Zoom and Canvas (Rutgers course management system)
This course is an introduction to the preservation of the built environment, examining the history and philosophy of historic preservation as well as how the discipline is practiced today. It will provide the historic framework of how preservation has emerged as a field of specialization and will expose students to the terminology used by its practitioners. At the end of this course, you should understand:
- The key concepts that have informed and continue to guide modern preservation practice in the United States
- The core programs and terms used in preservation practice;
- That historic preservation is a multi-disciplinary field and the roles that various professions and perspectives play in achieving preservation outcomes;
- How preservation in the United States relates to preservation in other parts of the world.
Instructor: Jennifer L. Boggs
Schedule: Ten weeks starting Thursday, September 12, 2024 through Thursday, November 14, 2024. This class will meet synchronously online from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., with additional assignments outside of class time to fulfill course requirements.
Who should register?: This course will be useful for anyone looking to broaden their understanding of current issues in historic preservation. It is required for the Continuing Education Certificate in Historic Preservation.
Required book: Tyler, Norman. Historic Preservation: An Introduction to its History, Principles, and Practice. 3rd Edition. New York: WW Norton Company, 2018.
Required technology: Computer with webcam and microphone and a reliable internet connection.
Cost: $275 – We accept Purchase Order (PO) requests.
Course Number: HP-101-F24-Online
REGISTER (limit 20): Register here. If the class is full, you will be added to the waiting list. If a spot opens on the waiting list, we will let you know.
About the instructor:
Jennifer Boggs is a historic preservation specialist who has practiced primarily in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She holds an M.A. in the History of Art and Archaeology from the Institute of Fine Arts, NYU, and an M.S. in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania.
SOLD OUT: Building a Strong Foundation: Planning Documents for Historic Preservation
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 – Tuesday, October 29, 2024 at 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
5-week class | credit/no credit | 1 CEU
Online via Zoom and Canvas (Rutgers course management system)
This course is an introduction to planning documents that are most commonly used for the preservation of historic sites and landscapes. Students will learn how these documents and reports are created, what information they contain, why they are important to the preservation and interpretation of a site, and strategies to develop and utilize them effectively and efficiently. The course will cover foundational documents like the Historic Structure Report, specific studies like materials and building systems analyses, and reports to plan for maintenance of and disaster preparation for a historic site.
At the end of this course, you should be able to:
- Understand how the planning reports and documents are created
- Understand what each planning document and report is used for
- Identify which planning report and document to use at a given time
- Develop the planning documents that are needed to preserve and interpret a historic site efficiently and effectively
This course does not cover all planning documents and reports that may be used for the preservation of historic sites.
Week 1: General Reports
Preservation Plan
Historic Structure Report
Conditions Assessment
Week 2: Landscape and the Environment
Landscape Report
Archaeological Management Plan
Disaster Management Plan
Week 3: Specialty Studies
Materials Analysis
Building Systems Analysis
HABS/HAER/HAL Documentation
Week 4: Taking Care of a Historic Resource
Disaster Management Plan
Maintenance Plan
Week 5: Planning Documents for Municipalities
Historic Preservation Element of a Master Plan
Historic Resource Survey
Instructor: Shannon Bremer
Schedule: Five weeks, starting Tuesday, October 1, 2024 through Tuesday, October 29, 2024; live online from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Who should register?: This course will provide an introduction for those who are new to planning or who are curious about the intersection of planning and preservation, such as historic property board members, volunteers, or managers; local government elected officials or review board representatives; property owners on a historic site or in a historic district; and anyone who wants to learn more about preservation from a planning perspective. The course fulfills a requirement for the continuing education certificate in historic preservation.
Required technology: Computer with webcam and microphone and a reliable internet connection.
Cost: $150
Course Number: HP-132-F24-Online
REGISTER (limit 20): Register here. If the class is full, you will be added to the waiting list. If a spot opens on the waiting list, we will let you know.
About the instructor:
Shannon Bremer is a Historic Preservation Specialist for the New Jersey Historic Trust. She has overseen numerous grant-funded, preservation projects ranging from preservation plans and construction documents to ADA accessibility and capital improvement projects since she began working for the Trust in 2022. Ms. Bremer also provides technical assistance to grantees and the public at large as well as assists with the Trust’s Emergency Intervention Fund. Ms. Bremer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Mary Washington (Fredericksburg, VA) and a Master of Arts in American Studies from the College of William & Mary (Williamsburg, VA). She also holds a certificate in Material Culture and Public History from the National Institute of American History and Democracy at the College of William & Mary.
Back to Basics: Training for Historic Preservation Commissions
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 – Tuesday, November 19, 2024 at 7 – 9 p.m.
5-week class | credit/no credit | 1 CEU
Online via Zoom and Canvas (Rutgers course management system)
This 5-week online course is open to all preservationists, but it is specifically geared toward those serving on a New Jersey historic preservation commission (HPC). This program is designed to benefit both new and experienced commission members and will also be relevant for planning and zoning board members and elected officials. Focus will be on legal parameters for implementing a commission, conducting an effective public meeting, and understanding and implementing tools to foster good preservation at the local level.
Individuals participating in this workshop will learn:
- How historic preservation commissions (HPCs) are legally established
- How to conduct effective meetings and legal obligations
- How to use the ordinance and design guidelines in decision-making
- The relationship between the HPC and other regulatory boards
- About resources to assist in promoting good community preservation
Week One – Meeting Protocol
Assignment: Find the Historic Preservation element in your municipal master plan; as you review, think about your community and whether or not the hp element captures the vision. Write a very brief, short paragraph on your thoughts and findings. If your town does not yet have a preservation component, find another town and locate their element.
Week Two: Legal Aspects of Historic Preservation in New Jersey
Guest speaker: Janine Bauer, Esq.
Assignment: Retrieve a copy of the application your commission is using. Compare it to one or two other applications. Was it easy to find? Easy to understand? What was the process for submitting the application?
Week Three: Assignment Discussion
Guest Speaker: Steven Smolyn, Architectural Heritage Consults, LLC
Using case studies, and working in small groups, participants will review sample applications, discuss an evaluate the applicant’s proposal, and summarize findings.
Assignment: Prepare a written resolution to memorialize findings from the class case study. (can be done as a group or individually)
Week Four: Issues in Preservation
Assignment: Take a critical look at your community and write a short description of issues and challenges that may be hampering historic preservation, and identify what steps could be taken to address the challenges. Narrative should not be longer than one page.
Week Five: Incentives for Preservation
Instructor: Dorothy Guzzo
Schedule: Five weeks, starting Tuesday, October 22, 2024 through Tuesday, November 19, 2024; live online from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Who should register?: This course will provide an introduction for those who are new to planning or who are curious about the intersection of planning and preservation, such as historic property board members, volunteers, or managers; local government elected officials or review board representatives; property owners on a historic site or in a historic district; and anyone who wants to learn more about preservation from a planning perspective. The course fulfills a requirement for the continuing education certificate in historic preservation.
Required technology: Computer with webcam and microphone and a reliable internet connection.
Cost: $150
Course Number: HP-133-F24-Online
REGISTER (limit 20): Register here. If the class is full, you will be added to the waiting list. If a spot opens on the waiting list, we will let you know.
About the instructor:
Dorothy P. Guzzo served as executive director of the New Jersey Historic Trust from 2008-2024. From 1995 to 2008, as the deputy state historic preservation officer for New Jersey, she oversaw the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places, project certification to qualify for Investment Tax Credits, certifying local governments for implementing programs on the municipal level, historic and archaeological resource inventory and resource protection through state and federal regulations. She has held elected office and served on her municipal planning board and local historic preservation commission. Ms. Guzzo served on the New Jersey Heritage Tourism Task Force and was charged with creating a Heritage Tourism Master Plan for the state of New Jersey.
Cancellation policy:
- Courses (three or more class meetings): Students may cancel their registrations prior to the start of class for a full refund. For withdrawals within the first two weeks of class, cancellations will be refunded 50 percent. After the first two weeks, no refunds will be issued.
- Workshops (two days or less): Cancellations are fully refundable up to one week prior to the start of the workshop. No other refunds will be issued.
- In all cases, registrations are non-transferable to another person.
*Class and workshop details subject to change.