Art of Historic Preservation Workshop

Next date: Friday, September 25, 2026 | 01:00 PM to 05:30 PM

Graphic drawing of historic homes in a row

The Town of Chapel Hill is partnering with the Orange Chatham Association of Realtors, and Preservation Chapel Hill to present the Art of Historic Preservation Workshop on September 25, from 1pm to 5:30pm at the Chapel Hill Public Library.

This is a great opportunity to hear from experts and learn about historic preservation efforts and processes. Workshop attendees will:

  • Learn from local and regional experts who will discuss community history, available resources, preservation practices, and how historic properties can evolve.

  • Network with peers who are passionate about historic preservation in Chapel Hill and throughout our region.

  • Connect with staff who can guide you through the approval processes for work in local historic districts.

  • Walk away with new ideas and a strong understanding of how policy, history, and development intersect in our historic districts.

The workshop will feature sessions on community history, heritage preservation, architectural styles, and construction in local historic districts. Session topics include:

  • Community history with Molly Luby (Community History Coordinator, Town of Chapel Hill)

  • Heritage communities with Karla Rosenberg (Principal Planner, City of Durham) and Heather Bratland and Stefan-leih Geary (Historic Preservation Planners, City of Greensboro)

  • Architectural styles in Chapel Hill with Brian Peterson (Urban Designer, Town of Chapel Hill)

  • State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) essentials with Kristi Brantley (CLG Coordinator, SHPO) and Brett Sturm (Restoration Services Branch Supervisor, SHPO)

Panel discussion with an attorney, architect, design/builder, and contractor about navigating change in historic districts.

Registration is open to anyone and is required due to limited space. Spots are available on a first come, first served basis.

Register Here

 

Workshop Agenda

Friday, September 25, 2026

1 pm

Welcome
Tom Grasty, Grasty Realty

1:05 - 1:35 pm

Neighborhoods as Living Heritage
Molly Luby, Community History Coordinator (Chapel Hill)

Neighborhoods are not just physical spaces but living narratives shaped by the people who inhabit them. This session will spotlight the ways in which our physical spaces hold our collective memories. We’ll look at how the local built environment carries stories, emotions, and experiences that shape our community’s identity.

1:35 - 2:15 pm

Heritage Community Case Studies: Greensboro and Durham
Heather Bratland and Stefan-leih Geary, Historic Preservation Planners (Greensboro), Karla Rosenberg, Principal Planner (Durham)

Greensboro launched its Heritage Community Program in 2015 to recognize historically significant neighborhoods that did not qualify for traditional local or federal designations. Inspired by Greensboro, Durham created its own Heritage Communities Program in 2024. This session will highlight successes and challenges of both programs and explain how to create your own heritage community program.

2:15 - 2:30 pm

Break

2:30 - 3 pm

A Development History of Chapel Hill: The Impact of Evolving Planning Trends
Brian Peterson, Urban Designer (Chapel Hill)

This session will explore the history of major development patterns in Chapel Hill and how they have reflected shifts in planning concepts over the years. Participants will learn how the original town plan has expanded and evolved, and how changes in transportation systems and architectural styles have influenced the character of town development.

3 - 3:45 pm 

SHPO Essentials: Tools, Guidance, and Incentives for Preservation
Kristi Brantley and Brett Sturm, State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)

The North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (HPO) assists citizens, institutions, local governments, and agencies of state and federal government in the survey, evaluation, protection, and enhancement of North Carolina's historic architectural resources. Its session, "SHPO Essentials: Tools, Guidance, and Incentives for Preservation," will provide a brief overview of HPO services and how they can be utilized to protect and preserve historic properties.

3:45 - 4pm

Break

4 - 5pm

Panel Discussion: Navigating Changes in Historic Districts
Panelists:
Ann Anderson, Morningstar Law Group
Jay Fulkerson, Jay Fulkerson Architect
Ben Johnson, Will Johnson Building Company
Gary Camillieri, Profile Budling Group

Moderator:
Anya Grahn-Federmack, Gannett Flemming

A panel of planning professionals, an attorney, and design experts will discuss how communities can navigate updates within locally designated historic districts. Together, they’ll explore regulatory considerations, design challenges, legal implications, and practical strategies for managing change while preserving neighborhood character.

5 - 5:30pm

Closing remarks and networking

Speaker Bios


Molly Luby

Molly Luby is the Community History Coordinator at Chapel Hill Public Library. She works with local people to document and share untold, erased, and historically excluded stories of our past.

Karla Rosenburg

Karla Rosenberg is a Principal Planner with Durham City-County Planning & Development. She has worked in long-range and land use planning and has been administering the department's preservation program since 2013. She entered the field as a hobbyist genealogist who became just as interested in structures as people. She earned a Master of City and Regional Planning and a Master of Social Work from UNC-Chapel Hill as well as a graduate certificate in history from UNC-Greensboro. At UNC, she coauthored UNC-CH’s City and Regional Planning departmental history with Professor Emeritus Ed Kaiser, gathering many of the skills now employed in Durham's Heritage Communities program.

Heather Bratland

Heather Bratland, AICP, joined the City of Greensboro as a historic preservation planner in 2024 after serving Winston-Salem/Forsyth County for six years in a similar capacity. Prior to relocating to North Carolina, Heather served as vice-chair of the Linn County, Iowa Historic Preservation Commission and as director of stewardship for an easement-holding organization in Washington, DC. She holds a master's degree in architectural history and a certificate in historic preservation from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Chicago.

Stefan-leih Geary

Stefan-leih (Stef) Geary has worked as an Historic Preservation Planner for the City of Greensboro since 1998. She attended the College of Charleston, S.C. where she graduated with a B.A. in History and Historic Preservation. She administers Greensboro’s Historic Preservation Program and serves on a variety of preservation projects including providing preservation guidance for the City's award winning 2040 Comprehensive Plan and as an original committee member for the creation of the Greensboro Heritage Community program.

Brian Peterson

Brian Peterson is a licensed architect, whose career has included roles as principle of a design and planning firm, project manager and design architect. He received a Master of Architecture degree at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Architecture and has taught as an adjunct professor of architecture and landscape architecture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He currently serves as the urban designer for the Town of Chapel Hill.

Kristi Brantley

Kristi Brantley has served as the Local Preservation Commission/Certified Local Government Coordinator for North Carolina's Historic Preservation Office (HPO) since February 2020. She graduated from Barton College with a Bachelor of Science in American Studies and from East Carolina University with a Master of Arts in History (with a concentration in Public History). She is a member of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Cultural Resources Emergency Response Team (CREST).

Brett Sturm

Brett Sturm has worked with the Restoration Services Branch of the NC HPO since 2017, serving as branch supervisor since 2025. Along with his administrative and staff development roles, Brett serves a sixteen-county assignment in the central Piedmont (including Orange) as Restoration Specialist, providing consultation on all matters of historic building conservation and adaptive reuse. He earned a degree in history from UNC-CH and a Master's of Science from the University of Pennsylvania. In 2024 he was a recipient of Preservation North Carolina's Gertrude S. Carraway Award of Merit for achievement in the field of historic preservation in North Carolina.

Anya Grahn-Federmack

Anya Grahn-Federmack is a planner and preservationist with more than 12 years of experience in municipal planning and historic preservation. Her public-sector roles include serving as Historic Preservation Planner for Park City, Utah, and Principal Planner for the Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She holds a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Ball State University and is currently a Senior Environmental Planner with GFT Infrastructure, Inc. in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Ann Anderson

Ann Anderson is a North Carolina attorney with extensive experience in zoning and land use, local government law, general civil law, and civil litigation. She has served as both a professor and practitioner, allowing her to provide clients with a unique perspective on complex legal matters.

Jay Faulkerson

Jay Fulkerson has over thirty years of experience in architectural design and has practiced in Chapel Hill, North Carolina since 1988. His projects vary in size and complexity from residential designs to commercial, institutional, and historic preservation or adaptive reuse.

Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson is a partner at Will Johnson Building Company, where he leads the firm’s planning and design division. A Chapel Hill native with deep family ties to local preservation, Ben has extensive experience navigating both major and minor projects through the HDC process and is passionate about preserving the character of Chapel Hill’s historic neighborhoods while thoughtfully accommodating necessary restoration, adaptation, and improvement.

Gary Camillieri

Gary is the owner and builder of Profile Building Group. Since 2021, he has guided clients through every phase of the construction process with a hands-on, collaborative approach. His team specializes in bringing visions to life—designing concepts, building each element, and delivering finished spaces to be enjoyed for years to come. Whether restoring what’s been lost, renovating an entire home, or creating a new addition from the ground up, Gary provides expert leadership and craftsmanship at every step.

When

  • Friday, September 25, 2026 | 01:00 PM - 05:30 PM

Location

Chapel Hill Public Library, 100 Library Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, View Map

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