2026 Statewide Historic Preservation Conference

Name: 2026 Statewide Historic Preservation Conference
SKU: 2026-statewide-historic-preservation-conference
Availability: InStock

Decatur, GA | November 4-6, 2026
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Registration

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Early Bird :: $175.00
Includes all events, Wednesday to Friday, with the exception of some workshops that have an additional fee.

Student :: $75.00
Must register with a student email address or provide a student ID at check in. Includes all events, Wednesday to Friday, with the exception of some workshops that have an additional fee.

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Workshops & Tours

Tours and workshops take place on Wednesday, November 4. They are optional but they require advance registration. Spots are available on a first come-first served basis and can fill up quickly. Most tours are included in the price of your registration, however some workshops do include an additional fee. Please note that many of the tours are walking tours outside. Transportation is not provided and attendees will be responsible for getting to the starting locations. Educational speaker sessions take place on Thursday, November 5 and Friday, November 6 and are included in your registration.

Morning Workshops & Tours (Wed, Nov 4)

Choose one

Workshop - “How much is Enough?”: National Register 101 and Focus on Significance :: 9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m. :: $15.00
Location: DeKalb Courthouse, 101 East Court Square, Decatur, Georgia 30030.
Hosted by members of the Georgia Historic Preservation Division’s National Register team, this is designed for anyone seeking to learn more about how this cornerstone preservation program works! Let’s explore the National Register of Historic Places nomination process! We’ll discuss the basics: what the National Register of Historic Places is, does, and doesn’t do; eligibility 101; how to start a nomination; and tips for the most successful nomination experience. New this year, special takeaways will include a deeper dive into “significance” and how to interpret and successfully apply it to National Register eligibility analysis, as well as nomination projects. Participants are responsible for transportation to and from the workshop location.
(34 available)

Workshop - Cemetery Preservation :: 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. :: $0.00
Location: Decatur City Cemetery, 229 Bell St, Decatur, GA 30030.
If you’ve ever wondered, “how do I care for a historic cemetery?” this workshop is for you! In this hands-on workshop at the Decatur City Cemetery lead by Level Spirit Preservation, participants will learn about appropriate methods for evaluating and cleaning different material grave markers, techniques for surveying and assessing a family plot, and how to safely level and re-set small tombstones. This workshop will be broken into two segments: 1. Survey: participants will learn how to utilize a standard cemetery survey, draw a plot map, describe the materials and their conditions, and begin making decisions about how to tackle restoration efforts. 2. Monument Care: Participants will be taught how to examine and assess the condition of individual monuments, decide on appropriate cleaning methods, and clean a headstone themselves. We will also go over the basic steps for resetting two common styles of grave marker- flat markers and upright tombstones. This workshop is outdoors and will be held rain or shine. Dress for the weather, wear close-toed shoes, long pants, a hat, gloves, and bring water. Bring a clipboard and pencils if you have them! Participants are responible for transporation to and from the tour location.
(22 available)

Workshop - Historic Rehabilitation Tax Incentives: An Advanced Look :: 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. :: $15.00
Location: DeKalb Courthouse, 101 East Court Square, Decatur, Georgia 30030.
This session is intended for experienced users of the tax incentives programs, property owners, developers, architects, and consultants, as it will cover high-level topics. Tax Incentives are one of the most powerful tools preservationists have to preserve, rehabilitate, and return historic buildings to productive use. This half-day workshop will explore the economics of syndicating tax credits and using these credits as a development tool, as well as look at specific case studies to see how The Standards were successfully applied. This session is presented in collaboration with Brent Watts, president of Cabretta Capital, and staff from the Historic Preservation Division. Participants are responsible for transportation to and from the workshop location.
(33 available)

The Chapel on Sycamore, Sycamore Building, and High House Tour:: 10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. :: $0.00
Location: 318 Sycamore St, Decatur, GA 30030.
Join us for a guided tour of three historic Decatur properties: The Chapel on Sycamore, the Sycamore Building, and the High House. Together, these buildings tell a cohesive story of preservation, adaptive reuse, and continued community purpose. Built in 1899, The Chapel on Sycamore began as a neighborhood church and has been thoughtfully restored as a flexible event venue, retaining its original architectural character and enduring sense of gathering. Adjacent to the Chapel, the Sycamore Building once served as a church school building and has since been adapted into professional office space. Today, it is home to Williams Teusink and a mix of other tenants, blending historic roots with a dynamic workplace environment. Just steps away, The High House, dating to the 1820s, is one of Decatur’s earliest surviving homes. Originally a two-story residence associated with early civic life, it later served travelers along stagecoach routes. It was carefully restored in the 1980s and again in 2013 and now functions as individual office spaces, following its long tenure as the home of Williams Teusink. Together, these three properties offer a close-up look at how historic buildings can be preserved with intention and adapted for modern use, ensuring they remain active, relevant, and deeply connected to the community. Some portions of this tour will be outside. Participants are responible for transporation to and from the tour location.
(24 available)

Decatur in Detail: An Architectural Walking Tour :: 10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. :: $0.00
Location: 215 Church St, Decatur 30030.
This character-driven walking tour, led by historic preservationists at Gene Kansas | Commercial Real Estate, begins at Decatur's Blair Building — a bold pink 1939 Streamline Moderne property recognized by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation for its award-winning rehabilitation and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A fun and detailed behind-the-scenes look at the Blair's recent restoration sets the stage before we continue to the architecturally cohesive campus of Agnes Scott College, just a few blocks away, where Buttrick Hall stands as a striking example of the Collegiate Gothic ensemble that defines this renowned all-women's liberal arts institution. From there, we follow the Decatur PATH trail to the circa-1891 train depot — carefully rehabilitated and now home to award-winning Kimball House restaurant — before concluding along Decatur's historic commercial row. We'll pop across the street to refuel at OPO Coffee, where you can enjoy a cup of coffee or tea on your tour host. This walking tour will take place outside. Participants are responible for transporation to and from the tour location.
(16 available)

Fem History of Decatur Tour :: 10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. :: $0.00
Location: DeKalb Courthouse, in front of the John Lewis Statue, 101 East Court Square, Decatur, Georgia 30030.
From its earliest days, the nurturing ethos of the feminine spirit has influenced the development of Decatur, leading to a city that emphasizes connectivity, nature, and public wellness. As it has grown and evolved, Decatur’s policies have continued to prioritize community building and families of all kinds. This tour explores the women and women’s spaces that have made the city what it is; how vulnerable populations experience the built environment; and how Decatur’s nurturing ethos emphasizes inclusive places. This 1 mile walking tour will take place outside. Participants are responible for transporation to and from the tour location.
(20 available)

Midday Workshops & Tours (Wed, Nov 4)

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Workshop - From Archives to Answers: Researching Historic Properties using Resources at HPD :: 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. :: $15.00
Location: DeKalb Courthouse, 101 East Court Square, Decatur, Georgia 30030.
Join members of HPD’s National Register and Survey team to learn more about using resources available at HPD to document historic properties in Georgia. Whether you’re pursuing National Register listing, applying for historic tax incentives, submitting a project for environmental review, or just want to know more about a particular historic property – this workshop is designed for you! HPD staff will provide tips on conducting research digitally through NR-TIGERS, HPD’s online application portal; exploring the historic resources module in GNAHRGIS, Georgia’s interactive web-based geographic information system; and effectively using the wide range of historic contexts available on HPD’s website. This workshop will also present HPD’s guidance documents, such as Documenting a Property in Georgia, and reference over 50 years’ worth of physical files, which include a library with numerous county histories, architect and builder biographies and portfolios, and files on more than 100 topics ranging from railroad depots and Coca-Cola bottling plants to synagogues and covered bridges. The workshop will wrap up with a Q&A, so bring your toughest research questions and let HPD staff point you to tools that can help advance your historic preservation efforts in Georgia! Participants are responsible for transportation to and from the workshop location.
(32 available)

Waffle House Museum Tour :: 1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m. :: $0.00
Location: 2719 E College Ave, Decatur, GA 30030.
The very first Waffle House opened its doors for the first time Labor Day weekend 1955 in Avondale Estates, Georgia. Now the site of the Waffle House Museum, the interior has been lovingly recreated to capture the look and feel of the original restaurant. Rooted in southern hospitality, we have always focused on making people feel at home, and now with nearly 2,000 restaurants spanning twenty-five states, Waffle House has become a southern staple, and a familiar landmark for thousands. Please join us as we journey back in time and explore the history of Waffle House #1 and the stories of our founders Joe and Tom. After exploring the restaurant, the journey continues as we move onto the exhibit floor and learn about the Waffle House brand today in commemoration of its 70th Anniversary. Participants are responsible for transportation to and from the tour location.
(19 available)

Sycamore Street Tour :: 1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m. :: $0.00
Location: Sycamore Park, 729 Sycamore St, Decatur, GA 30030.
DeKalb History Center’s brand-new walking tour is focused on the history and homes of Sycamore Street. This significant Decatur street features many beautiful and unique houses that showcase a variety of architectural styles from the 19th and 20th centuries. Learn about the history of the homes and some of the residents on this tour. This 1 mile walking tour will take place outside. Participants are responsible for transportation to and from the tour location.
(18 available)

Olmsted’s Druid Hills: Landscape, Legacy, and Stewardship Tour :: 1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m. :: $0.00
Location: TBA.
Join the Olmsted Network (ON) and Olmsted Linear Park Alliance (OLPA) for a tour of the parks along Ponce de Leon Avenue in Druid Hills, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and John Charles Olmsted as a model residential suburb. Led by local landscape architect Spencer Tunnell, the tour will explore the history and ongoing stewardship of the parks, as well as the successful community-led effort to stop a proposed interstate from cutting through the system and surrounding neighborhoods. Spencer Tunnell is a principal of Tunnell & Tunnell Landscape Architecture and has worked on the implementation of the Olmsted Linear Park Master Plan since 1998, receiving the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s Marguerite Williams Award. He is a past chair of the Atlanta Urban Design Commission, has taught at the University of Georgia and Georgia State University, and has served on the boards of both ON and OLPA. This walking tour will take place outside. Participants are responsible for transportation to and from the tour location.
(21 available)

Late Afternoon Workshops & Tours (Wed, Nov 4)

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Workshop - Can’t Escape the Landscape: The Effect of Geography on Archaeology in the Section 106 Process :: 3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. :: $15.00
Location: DeKalb Courthouse, 101 East Court Square, Decatur, Georgia 30030.
In the Section 106 process, whether you are working above or below ground, terms like “previously disturbed,” “flooding,” and “landforms” are thrown around a lot. But what do these terms mean within the Section 106 process? This workshop will focus on defining these and other archaeology-related terms in the context of a Section 106 review. We’ll discuss how various terms are typically used and interpreted in Section 106 and what “shades of grey” Section 106 practitioners may encounter when assessing an undertaking's area of potential effect from an archaeological perspective. This session will also discuss recommended approaches to documenting and recording archaeological sites in the field, and how to discuss findings in a report format. Participants are responsible for transportation to and from the workshop location.
(33 available)

Decatur Cemetery Tour :: 3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. :: $0.00
Location: Decatur Cemetery Office, 229 Bell St, Decatur, GA 30030.
Join Friends of Decatur Cemetery for a Literary Walking Tour. This guided tour journeys through Decatur’s largest downtown greenspace – a quiet park that covers 58 acres. Containing over 200 years of history, the lives represented at the Decatur Cemetery are worth remembering. On this tour, we will visit the gravesites of notable literary figures and share the stories behind them. This walking tour will take place outside. Bring your water bottle and wear comfortable shoes. We will be walking on some uneven surfaces. Participants are responsible for transportation to and from the tour location.
(24 available)

Brutalism in Decatur Tour :: 3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. :: $0.00
Location: DeKalb Courthouse, 101 East Court Square Decatur, Georgia 30030.
Love it or Hate it? Come on this tour to learn more about it and possibly fall in love with it! During this tour, we will learn what is Brutalism, what are the characteristics found in DeKalb County, and some examples in Decatur. This 1 mile walking tour will take place outside. Participants are responsible for transportation to and from the tour location.
(16 available)

Receptions

Please indicate which receptions you plan to attend to help us plan for headcount.

Wednesday November 4, 5:00 p.m.

Thursday, November 5, 5:30 p.m.

Total

2026 Statewide Historic Preservation Conference quantity

SKU: 2026-statewide-historic-preservation-conference Category: Conference

2026 Statewide Historic Preservation Conference

Registration

Participant's Information

Workshops & Tours

Reuse. Reinvest. Revitalize.

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