Trade Stories

There is no preservation without folks who are skilled in traditional trades. The people who do the physical work of preserving and restoring historic buildings and structures are essential — and this skilled workforce is dwindling. In an effort to shine a light on what a career in the preservation trades looks like, we’ve launched a video series to highlight individual tradespeople who represent a small snapshot of the future of this workforce. Funded through a grant from the Historic Preservation Education Foundation with additional support from the Peggy N. & Roger G. Gerry Charitable Trust., Trade Stories features six individuals who have all traveled their own paths to a career in the trades.

There are so many career paths and points of entry into the preservation trades. If you’re curious to learn more, click here for a few resources we’ve gathered to point you in the right direction.

“The trades, skilled craftspeople — they are looking for the next generation, and we are here.”

Neela Wickremesinghe, Director of Restoration and Preservation at Green-Wood Cemetery, demonstrates how she and her team care for the built environment of Green-Wood using the reproduction of a missing funerary urn as an example. As she says about working in the trades in the video, “If you’re interested in it, there is absolutely a place for you.”

“I’m always looking forward to this work — I love this work.”

One thing that has stood out in conversations with folks who work in the preservation trades is the high level of job satisfaction so many of them share. In a recent survey the League spearheaded along with our New England preservation partners, 96% of tradespeople reported satisfaction in their careers. 96%! We think it’s important to highlight the potential opportunity the trades represent for many people dissatisfied with the job market as a whole. Careers in the trades are hands-on, interactive, creative, and the people who do this work are often able to choose their own adventure depending on what most appeals to them. In Aurelius’s case, it was wood finishing. In this video he shows off a few key steps in the process of bringing old wood back to life.

“Bringing any type of different perspective other than the general stereotype of who you would imagine doing a trade, is not only possible but it’s also an asset.”

What does a tradesperson look like? A new generation of folks is proving that a career in the trades isn’t just for a specific kind of person — it can be for anyone, and at any point in their life. For Brenna Chase, her path to the preservation trades came after she was established in an entirely different career. Her pivot led her to establish Willow Deep Studio where she specializes in stained glass and gold leaf in the Hudson Valley. The skills she uses are the same as the artisans who originally created some of the 100+ year-old windows Brenna now restores. “What I’m building will literally last 100 years and that makes me feel great.”

"If working with your hands doesn't appeal to you, then it doesn't. But if it does then, come play."

For folks who are looking for a career that's a bit outside the box, may we suggest something a bit more inside the frame? (Window frames, you get it) In our final Trade Stories spotlight, we get a glimpse inside the shop of Flow Historic Windows, where founder Leon Potik is training employees in the art of wood window restoration. Leon touches on a few points worth emphasizing in regards to the trades. 1. The importance of mentors and apprenticeships, which are integral to passing on the traditional skills this kind of work requires. 2. As Leon notes, Flow expanded in part to meet demand — something echoed by tradespeople across the Northeast when surveyed back in 2023. There aren't enough people doing this work, which allows for plenty of work for those already in the field — and a great opportunity for those looking to break in. And 3. The kind of hands-on work you can find as a preservation tradesperson can provide a rewarding alternate career path for those who "don't fit into the boxes of the school world or the working world."