Ever wonder why Baltimore has so many beautiful buildings and architecturally diverse neighborhoods? In part, it is due to 60 years of the efforts of the Baltimore City Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP), in designating sites, buildings, landscapes, and neighborhoods as historic landmarks and districts.

Eric Holcomb, Executive Director of the Baltimore City Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation and author, will give a talk, A Conversation with the Past: Historic Preservation in Baltimore, about the history and role of local historic preservation in the city. This talk will take place at Mount Clare Historic House Museum and will be followed by a garden party. Register to attend this event.

Eric obtained a Liberal Arts degree from St. Mary’s College of Maryland (1988) and a master’s degree in Preservation Studies at Boston University (1992). Between 1986 and 1994, he worked for several restoration companies including Gibbons of Baltimore Church Restoration Company and Tidewater Restoration, Inc. In 1994 he joined the staff of the Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP). In 2004 CHAP staff merged with the Department of Planning, and in 2014 he became the Executive Director of CHAP where he has worked to further integrate and coordinate historic preservation into Planning activities. He is the author of City As Suburb: A History of Northeast Baltimore Since 1660. In 2016 he was awarded the Mayor’s Medallion for Meritorious Service and in 2018 the Honorable mention for the 14th annual Richard A. Lidinsky, Sr. award for Excellence in Public Service.

This talk is approved for AIA CES (continuing education) 1.0 LU