Check out our online calendar of upcoming preservation events and activities!

Join us for an enlightening webinar on Asian American History Across Arizona. Speakers are Cherstin Lyon, Sandy Chan, and Robin Blackwood. Topics include the Gordon Hirabayashi campground, Arizona Chinese Railroad, and the history of Chinese merchants in Tucson. Stay tuned for further detail.

Photo: Gordon Hirabayashi Campground, Coronado National Forest

In this webinar, join the subject matter experts on three interesting and informative archaeology initiatives in Arizona: Government and Commerce in the Original Phoenix Townsite, the Munguía Homestead, and Archaeology at Apex.

This presentation focuses on the development of the metal can. Cans have been an important part of the American lifestyle for more than 180 years. Join presenter Thomas Jones on August 25, 2022 from 7 pm to 8 pm (MST/Arizona Time).

Part 3 of "The Greenest Building" webinar series discusses the environmental benefits of preservation through sustainable design projects across Arizona. We can learn from past generations’ designs to learn how buildings can be best designed for their climate and landscape. This can be through designing new buildings based off that knowledge and incorporate them into rehabilitation projects.

This presentation provides a summary of tools, hardware, tack, and personal items. New technologies in the twentieth century influenced the production of new tools and hardware that are still common today. Join presenter Thomas Jones on March 24, 2022 from 7 pm to 8 pm (MST/Arizona Time). Register here.

Are you a professional archaeologist, current student, historian, or individual just interested in learning more about historical archaeology and how to recognize and interpret historical materials? The Historical Archaeology Advisory Committee (HAAC), Arizona State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and Arizona Preservation Foundation (APF) are presenting a free webinar series with the focus of the first webinar on Thursday, January 20, 2022, on ceramics. Register here.

This Arizona Preservation in Place webinar confronts the issues of bias, cultural justice, objectivity, race, and racism in Arizona archaeology today. The session will feature an introduction by William White on archaeology’s whiteness problem followed by a question-focused discussion with a diverse sample of Arizona’s professional Native, Black, Hispanic, and White archaeologists.

Join us for an enlightening webinar as we delve into the fascinating history and significance of the Butterfield Trail, a newly designated National Historic Trail. Signed into law by President Biden on January 5, 2023, this trail served as a crucial link between the eastern and western United States during a pivotal era in American history.

In 2022 chance visitors to Camp Naco saw a chain link fence surrounding a group of adobe buildings in varying states of decay. Site signage identified this ensemble as a post served by the Buffalo Soldiers, or segregated Black military, during the second decade of the twentieth century. Realizing that its important history should be shared, a team of faculty, students, volunteers, and professionals – funded by Arizona Humanities and the Arizona Preservation Foundation – created a story map to make the camp’s heritage universally accessible. In the process, Camp Naco became recognized for its national importance. This webinar presents the contributions of the collaborators to this award-winning story map. For more information, visit here. 

This presentation provides a summary of development of glass bottles and other containers in the late historical period (ca. 1865–1972). Glass bottles and metal cans are arguably the most common artifact types identified on archaeological sites in Arizona. Formerly known as the “Baby State,” Arizona’s rural and urban landscapes took shape following the American Civil War. A number of communities in Arizona produced glass containers for distribution across the territory. With the completion of transcontinental railroads and connecting branch lines after 1880, bottles and glass containers were shipped from hundreds of factories across the country. This webinar will focus on providing information for dating “utilitarian” bottles and other containers through the recognition of specific bottle attributes and locating manufacturer marks and other diagnostic marks.

Part 2 of "The Greenest Building" webinar series discusses how we can be mindful of the environment when a building is set for demolition through salvaging and deconstruction projects. There are many pieces of a building that can be reused, from the wood and bricks to the interior fixtures. After the presentations of our subject matter experts, we'll hold a Q&A session and link to available resources.

In the long run, educating young people about historic preservation, heritage, and civic memory is the key to a robust historic preservation culture in the future. Every community has the issue of strengthening citizen involvement. Even those that get involved, there's a struggle with making sure the involvement is positive and produces results. This session tells the story of one citizen's journey along the path of impacting the historic preservation culture of one community in a positive way by focusing on education and involvement.

A panel of historians and preservation advocates who have been working with LGBTQ2S+ communities in several states will provide user-friendly documents and tools that they used to record the histories of these communities. Q&A to follow to discuss how these lessons can be applied to telling the stories important to LGBTQ2S+ communities across the state. Attendees will help us build a list of places significant for their association with LGBTQ2S+ history that will be publicly available. Register here.

Communities across the state have spent much of their pandemic downtime reimagining their events and most currently planning for upcoming holiday activities. During this webinar, representatives from four rural communities will share how they have pivoted over the last few months in response to the pandemic, talk about their efforts and programs they have implemented to support their local businesses during these challenging times, and highlight some of the events and promotions they have planned for this year’s winter season and into 2021.

Webinar speakers Robert Graham and Simon Herbert will discuss making historic buildings more sustainable and maintaining historic buildings in a sustainable way. Specific topics include: design, solar, windows, heating, cooling, and more. As the saying goes, “the greenest building is the one that already exists.”

This webinar explores Flagstaff’s diverse heritage, which includes archaeological and historical habitation of native peoples, a military road with camels, in use and abandoned railroads, remains relating the history of African Americans in the lumber industry, properties associated with plans for the first the moon landing, and of course Route 66. The webinar will review preservation of landscape-level Traditional Cultural Properties and intangible heritage as well as design and installation of placed-based public art. For more information, click here. 

Webinar speakers will discuss the topic of universal design/accessible design in historic buildings. We will cover example projects in which historic buildings have been rehabilitated or retrofitted to be accessible for their occupants. Accessible includes wheelchairs as well as other disabilities. More specific subtopics include: how to keep as much original exterior/interior as possible, what tools/features need to be added, how to create spaces for light, sound, and tactile sensitivity, and how to ensure those visiting feel just as welcome.

Part 1 of "The Greenest Building" webinar series highlights the environmental benefits of preservation through adaptive reuse projects across Arizona. There are many ways to make use of vacant buildings to best serve the community, incorporate sustainable design, and reduce waste. We welcome three subject matter experts in their fields: Jeremy Haines and the U.S. Forest Service's Rooms with a View program, restaurateur Craig DeMarco on his company's unique and popular dining establishments, and architect Corky Poster on his firm's work on numerous southern Arizona landmarks. There will also be a Q&A session and resource guide.

This presentation provides a summary of development of glass and ceramic insulators, as well as ammunition in the late historical period (ca. 1865–1972). These artifact types are quite common on archaeological sites and other historical resources in Arizona (i.e., buildings, structures, and objects). Join presenter Thomas Jones on February 17, 2022 from 7 pm to 8 pm (Arizona Time). Register here.

A diverse panel of interesting subject matter experts will provide user-friendly information and tools to residents and neighbors to record the histories of their communities of color as well as listing properties that are important to them.

By preserving and restoring diverse places of meaning and robust spaces of cultural activity, the preservation and development sector can live up to being more than keeping buildings standing. Activating and sustaining cultural heritage space and expanding opportunity in Tucson's black communities will require an evaluation of systems and Tucson's ability to adapt.