2025 Statewide Historic Preservation Conference

Tours and Workshops

Join us for an exciting line up of tours on Wednesday, November 5. Tours this year include:

• Linnentown History Tour
• The Hill
• The Morton Theatre
• Athens' famed Music History and its venues
• Oconee Hill Cemetery
• University of Georgia Historic North Campus
• Brooklyn Cemetery
• Pulaski Heights Neighborhood with Mayor Kelly Girtz
• Beech Haven estate property

Please note that many of these are walking tours outside. 

We are also excited to bring back workshops led by HPD staff designed for advanced practitioners on the National Register program, Environmental Review process, and Tax Incentives. We will also be hosting an introduction to the National Register program on Wednesday afternoon. 

Sign up for these optional tours and workshops when you register. Capacity is limited. 

Announcing the Keynote Speakers

We are excited to welcome Lane Burritt and Alfonso Navarez of Aeon Preservation as the keynote speakers for the 2025 Statewide Historic Preservation Conference. 

Lane Burritt

Ms. Burritt is a founding principal at Aeon Preservation Services. She is an architectural conservator with over twenty years’ experience in historic preservation. Her practice involves historic and material research; condition surveys; draft contract documents; construction administration of restoration projects; create and implement cyclical maintenance programs; and directing quality assurance and quality control on major projects. Comprehensive sills include in-depth moisture investigation, cost estimation, scheduling, and hands-on conservation implementation. Proficient in research, object verification, materials analysis, paint analysis, and other testing services. Technical conservation experience includes wood and metal materials though specializes in masonry. Current research and interests are in salt damage to masonry surfaces and the use of technology in non-destructive testing. Before starting Aeon, Lane worked for ten years as a Senior Conservator with John Sampling mortar at the Lincoln Memorial Washington, DC Milner Associates in the Preservation Technology Group.  She is a Professional Associate member of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) that governs architectural conservators.

Alfonso Navarez

Mr. Narvaez is a founding principal at Aeon Preservation Services. A senior architectural conservator with nearly thirty years’ experience in the technical preservation of historic buildings and monuments nationwide, Alfonso worked for John Milner Associates, Inc., a national consulting firm specializing in architecture, conservation, landscape architecture, archeology, and planning for historic properties and sites for over twenty years, before leaving to establish an independent practice. Prior to JMA, he worked as an Historic Architect for the National Park Service, North Atlantic Historic Preservation Center. Alfonso teaches four seminars for the National Preservation Institute on holistic stewardship of museums, historic structure reports, historic building materials, and preservation maintenance at locations throughout the U.S. He is a Professional Associate member of the American Institute for the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) that governs both objects and architectural conservators. Jahn & Rotec certified. 

Alfonso teaches four seminars for the National Preservation Institute on holistic stewardship of museums, historic structure reports, historic building materials, and preservation maintenance at locations throughout the U.S. He is a Professional Associate member of the American Institute for the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) that governs both objects and architectural conservators. Jahn & Rotec certified. 

Hotel Blocks

Room blocks have been arranged at the local hotels through Visit Athens. Please use the booking information at this link to secure your room for the conference. Availability is limited. If you run into difficulties with booking the rooms, please email Visit Athens Housing Services at [email protected].

Conference events will be held in several locations. Most speaker sessions will be held at The Classic Center, 300 N Thomas St, Athens, GA 30601.

Schedule at a Glance

To assist in planning your trip to Athens, please utilize this preliminary schedule at a glance . Note that times are subject to change. An official program agenda will be released in the fall.

Poster Session

The Georgia Statewide Historic Preservation Conference will host a poster session at the 2025 annual conference to showcase recently completed research and works-in-progress. We have updated the criteria this year and the subject of the proposal is no longer expected to be geographically based in Georgia. Topics must still have a historic preservation, public history, or related fields focus. The call is open to students and recent graduates (no more than 5 years out).

Proposals should include a title, abstract (no more than 300 words), and a one-page resume or CV. If you have any questions about the poster session, please contact committee chair Chad Keller [email protected].

Poster presenters will need to register for the conference, but admission will be complimentary. The Georgia Statewide Historic Preservation Conference is scheduled to be held November 5-7, 2025, in Athens, GA. The conference brings together preservationists, non-profits, planners, architects, historians, architectural historians, archaeologists, city and county administrators, historic preservation commission members and students from across Georgia.

The deadline to submit a proposal is August 1.

For information on abstract and evaluation criteria, please see the call for proposals.

Conference Sponsorships

We are opening sponsorship opportunities! Various levels of sponsorship are available to organizations, companies, and individuals looking to support the 2025 Statewide Historic Preservation Conference. 

2025 Statewide Historic Preservation Conference Sponsorship Levels and Information

To inquire about sponsorships, contact Brynn Chanudet, Senior Director of Development with the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, [email protected].

Meet the 2025 Partners!

Local Planning Partners

• Historic Athens
• Athens-Clarke County Planning Department
• Masters of Historic Preservation Program, College of Environment + Design, University of Georgia

Organizational Partners

• Georgia African American Historic Preservation Network
• Georgia Alliance of Preservation Commissions

Thank You to Our Sponsors!