A thesis is a requirement for graduation in the Historic Preservation Program. It is original and independent work, designed to showcase a capacity to research, analyze, and present material on a topic relevant to the discipline.
Theses produced in recent years by graduates of the Historic Preservation Program are listed below. Theses produced prior to 2012 include the title and abstract for each thesis; these titles are housed in Special Collections, Avery Library, and may be requested through Avery Library. Theses produced since 2012 are available digitally through Columbia University Academic Commons, the University’s digital research repository. Graduating students have the option of deferring the publication of their thesis on Academic Commons for up to two years and therefore not all theses from the past two years may be available.
Alumni who are interested in posting their thesis to the online repository, Academic Commons, should submit a completed Author Rights Agreement form, and a digital version of their thesis following the Digital Thesis Guidelines to the Historic Preservation Office at hp@arch.columbia.edu.
Modern Technology and James Marston Fitch’s Turn to Preservation
And There Was Light: the Use of Projection Mapping for Historic Preservation
Leaf-Induced Damage to Finishes for Outdoor Bronze Sculpture
Preserving Places of Hip-Hop in the Bronx, 1973 to 1983
Solid Brick Homes: The Continuing Row House Tradition of Postwar Brooklyn and Queens
The Small House Movement of the 1920s: Preserving Small “Better” Houses
Effects of Fire-Related Heat Damage on Interior Architectural Paint Finishes
East Meets West in Cheeloo University: A Hybrid Architecture in China and its Preservation
Redlining History: The Geographies of Historic Preservation in Urban America
Beyond Memorialization: Washington Heights as Case Study for Commemorating Holocaust Refugees
Life Among the Dead: Case Studies of Public Outreach at Green-Wood and Laurel Hill Cemeteries
The Preservation of Early Reinforced Concrete Arch Bridges in the United States
Testing Protective Coatings and their Removal for Outdoor Bronze Statuary
Recovering the Ideals of a Former Paradise: Preservation Approaches for Modern Acapulco
William L. Pereira’s Modern Architecture in Los Angeles: History and Preservation Challenges
Branding the Power Center: Toponymy as a Tool for Assertion of Political Prowess
Decorative Monel: Historical Intent, Weathering and Analysis
Beyond Aesthetics: Evaluating Social Outcomes of Adaptive Reuse
Spatializing the Influence of Free Women of Color in the Vieux Carré
Consideration of Sound in Historic Sites and the Emergence of Binaural Technology as an Experimental Interpretation Strategy
Red Listing’ Heritage: Endangerment as Policy and Collective Action
Preservation Through The Self-Help Housing Movement
From Brand Village to Living Heritage: Tong-il-chon in the Area of Korean Demilitarized Zone
Documentation of Built Heritage and Disaster Preparedness Plans
[De]constructing Guastavino Vaulting
Comparative Laboratory Evaluation of Natural Hydraulic Lime Mortars for Conservation
The influence of local film on the preservation of Hong Kong Tong lau from 1950 to the present
Industrial Decay: Environmental Value of Industrial Heritage Sites
Art and Literature of Johannesburg: The Telling of Tailings
Neighborhood Rezoning and Historic Preservation in New York City
U.S. Route 1: Catalyst of Maine Corridor Community Planning & Preservation
Mortar Analysis for Archaeological Stratigraphy: The Stadt Huys Block and Seven Hanover Square Sites
Living With Water: Adaptation Processes, Heritage Conservation, and Conflicting Values
Analyzing Digital Photogrammetry for Heritage Preservation
“Riot” Heritage of the Civil Rights Era
Move it or Lose it? Heritage and Community Relocation in an Era of Coastal Sea Level Rise
A Spatial History of Lesbian Bars in New York City
On Neighborhood Banks and Their Continued Relevance in the Urban Landscape, Brooklyn 1900-1935
A Room of Her Own: Housing for New York’s Working Women, 1875-1930
A Preservation Revolution: Resurrecting Franklin Court for the Bicentennial
Preservation in the Dark: Current Trends and Future Prospects for Son et Lumiere in China
Locating Heritage Value in the Reciprocal Relationship Between Preservation and Waste Management
Putting Smell in Its Place: The Categorization of Odor Preservation Projects
The Further Potential of the Federal Historic Tax Credit and Critical Analysis of its Roadblocks
Concrete Heritage Conservation and the Viability of Migrating Corrosion Inhibitors
Documentary Films for Preservation: Representation Techniques for the Field
Cultural Heritage Sites and Urban growth: The case of Neakutoleab, Lalibela
Preserving A Fragile Cultural Heritage Destination: Decoding and Encoding the MoGao Caves
Off the Map: Spatializing Access to Memory in Beitunia, Palestine
US Embassies of the Cold War: Emerging Private Market Preservation Alternatives
Mixed Reality for Historic Preservation
New Materials for the Coating of Outdoor Bronze
(Re)Interpreting the Confederacy: Interpretive Options for Preservation
Enhancing the Interpretation of Sites on the Silk Roads: A Study of Shaanxi Province
The Evolution of American “Historic Color Palettes"
The Influence Of Glass Transition Temperature On The Performance Of Acrylic Thermoplastic Adhesives
English Antecedents of the Queen Anne in America: A Study of Anglo-American Domestic Architecture
Beirut’s Civil War Hotel District: Preserving the World’s First High-Rise Urban Battlefield
The Draft Riots Reconsidered: Interpreting New York’s Sites of Racial Conflict
Digital Photogrammetry for Long-Term Monitoring
Evaluating the Success of UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Bertrand Goldberg: Preserving a Vision of Concrete
Inherently Flawed: Carbonation-Induced Cracking in Reinforced Concrete Structures
The Progression of Historic Preservation in Miami Beach and the Challenges of Sea Level Rise
URBAN PRESERVATION IN CHINA: The Survival of an Idea Despite Political Repression, 1950–1982
Shrinkage in Lime Stucco: Does “Banking” Mortar Help Mitigate Shrinkage?
Community Participation in Heritage Management: A Case in Macao
Installation Method: A Tool for Community Engagement in Historic Preservation
Anagrapheia and the Architecture of the New Grave
Architectural Palimpsest: A New Design for St. Martin’s Episcopal Church
Heritage in the Myanmar Frontier: Shan State, Haws, and Conditions for Public Participation
Preserving Jamestown, Rhode Island
Museums of Buildings: Historic Preservation and the American Open-Air Museum
Socialist in Form, National in Content: preserving late Soviet culture at Tbilisi Palace of Rituals
Cladding the Mid-Century Modern: Thin Stone Veneer-Faced Precast Concrete
A Contradiction in Terms: New York City’s No-Style Buildings
Derivative Design: A New Approach for an Organic Growth of Historic Usonian Houses
A Bitter Truth: Astringent Persimmon as a Bio‐alternative to Standard Wood Preservation Treatments
History and Materiality of Rustic Ferrocement Sculptures
Is There a Role for Preservation Planning in a Favela?
Contextual Zoning as a Preservation Planning Tool in New York City
Contemporary Reconstruction: Celebrating Destruction in the Basilica of El Salvador
Pigment Identification of Early Commercial Architectural Paint in Trade Catalogues, 1870 To 1914
Measuring the Social Impacts of Preservation on Disadvantaged Communities
Preservation Without Policy: Maintaining Manhattan’s Community Murals
What Lies Beneath: “Windows to the Past” in Preservation Design
Documentation and Testing 19th Century Limewash Recipes in the United States
Supporting Players: External Support Repairs for Cemetery Markers
Sound Advice: The Development and Use of Early 20th Century Acoustical Wall and Ceiling Materials
Cities on the Edge: Significance and Preservation of Hillside Squatter Settlements in Korea
In-Kind Terra Cotta Replacement in the 21st Century
Discarded Treasures of an Infelicitous Past
In God We Trust? Preserving Historic Church Interiors
Measuring the Impact of Historic District Designation on Real Estate in New York City
A Seismic Retrofit To Rehabilitate The Long Beach Civic Center
Preserving Vernacular: Toronto’s Bay and Gable Houses
Fire-Damaged Stone: The Effects of Heat, Flame and Quenching
Sheet Scaling: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors Present in Mogegan Granite
The California Coastal Act and Historic Preservation
Extracting the Exhibited Interior: Historic Preservation and the American Period Room
A Critical Assessment of the Preservation of Charleston Cottages in Charleston, South Carolina
Manhattan Parking Garages 1897 - 1930: Significance and Preservation
Wire Glass: History of Technology and Development
Mission 66: Where Are We Now? The Preservation and Re-Use of Mission 66 Visitor Centers
Reassessing the Public Spaces of Isamu Noguchi
A Steel Mill Reforged: A Design Proposal for a New Technology Center in Harrison, NJ
Interpreting Disability Through Architecture at FDR’s Hyde Park Estate
Measuring the Full Economic Impacts of Historic District Designation
Reusing Brick: Properties of Brick to Mortar Bond Strength
Threatened By History: The Problems in Preserving the Postbellum Commemorative Landscape
Threatened on Earth: Preserving America’s Historic Launch Vehicles on Outdoor Display
Polychlorinated Biphenyls: A New Hazard for Historic Buildings
Beyond the Ephemeral: Preserving the Existing Built Environment with Temporary Urban Interventions
Demolition by Neglect of New York City Individual and Historic District Landmarks
Tapestry Brick Dwellings: The Emergence Of A Residential Type In Brooklyn
Deformation and Disintegration of North American Marbles as a result of Thermal Stressing
Indicators of Success for Contentious Preservation Campaigns
Memories in Transition: Churches, War and Reconstruction
Does Size Matter? Comparing the Alpha-P and the Hyperion for FTIR Paint Analysis
Neo-traditional, volcanic pozzolan-lime mortars for the repair of historic structures
Preserving North Carolina’s Last Textile Landscape: The Case for Henry River Mill Village
The Evolution of the Weep-Hole
Dolomitic Lime Mortars: Carbonation Complications and Susceptibility to Acidic Sulfates
In Situ Deacidification of Vernacular Wallpaper
American Decorative Stenciling: 1840 to 1940
A City, Asleep: Revisiting and Reevaluation History and Interpretation at Mesa Verde National Park
The Old World, the New World, and the World to Come: Interpreting Bayside Cemetery
Form / Counter(re)Form : Additions to Mid-Century Modern Buildings in New York
Sister City as a Preservation Strategy
Locked In: the Silent Siege of Dubrovnik by the Tourism Industry
The Evolution of Modern Thin Stone Veneer Systems: 1950-1980
Early Twentieth Century “Face Brick” as a National Industry
Preserving Postmodern Architecture and The Legacy of Charles W. Moore
Rebuilding the Network: Interpretation of World War II Prisoner-Of-War Camps in the United States
Wireless Corrosion Monitoring for Reinforced Concrete Structures and Concrete Repair
The Commuter’s Cathedral: An Examination of the George Washington Bridge Bus Station
Concealed Certainty and Undeniable Conjecture: Interpreting Marginalized Heritage
Picturesque Transformations: A.J. Davis in the Hudson Valley and Beyond
Architecture of Compromise: A History and Evaluation of Facadism in Washington, DC
The Work of a New York City Vernacular Architect: Horace Ginsbern’s Apartment Houses in the West Bronx and Upper Manhattan, 1930-1940
Roadside Architecture as Innovation in Concrete Technology
Remembering the Newark Riot: Preserving the Sites of an Urban Rebellion
Non-Destructive Investigation Of Concealed Gilding In Architecture
Historic Preservation in Shrinking Cities: Neighborhood Strategies for Buffalo and Cleveland
The Manhattan Taxpayer Building: Symbol of Decline and Catalyst for Change
Determining the Suitability of a Replacement Savannah Grey Brick
Community Engagement as Preservation Strategy: Establishing a Future for the Stewart Park Carousel in Ithaca, New York
When Tomorrow Becomes Yesterday: Redesigning for Epcot’s ‘Living blueprint for the Future’
Magical Mosaics: Preserving Isaiah Zagar’s Philadelphia Art Environment
You Can’t Fight City Hall: Recontexualizing and Reinterpreting Boston’s Modern Concrete Heritage
Roman Catholic Architecture in Queens, NY.
Houses Like Fords: Preserving Metal Fabricated Mass-Produced Houses
Interpreting America’s First Residential Garages: A Case Study of Frank Lloyd Wright House Museums
Marcel Breuer’s “Patina”: the Aging-Value of Anticipated Soiling on Brutalist Concrete
The Toxicology of Copper and Its Implications for Preservation
What Lies Beneath?: Non-Destructive Investigation of Hidden Finishes Using Infrared Technologies
Cleaning Biological Growth On Stone: A Study Of Current Cleaners
Smith College, Preservation and Interpretation of Gendered Space
Whitney Warren, Preservationist at War: How the Great War Shaped the Origins of Private International Preservation
Enforcement and the New York City Landmarks Law: Past, Present, and Future
Preserving Early 20th Century Lakefront Communities: Impetus and Strategy
Pittsburgh’s East Liberty Project: Preserving the Artifacts of the Urban Renewal Era
Modernism for the Middle Class: The Significance of the Manhattan White Brick Apartment Buildings: 1950 to 1966
The Preservation of Trinity Churchyard
Fatigue Behavior of Adhesives for the Repair of Marble
In Pursuit of the Monumental: An Adaptive Reuse Proposal for Michigan Central Station
Learning from Sedgwick Houses: The Significance of the Unremembered Postwar Public Housing Project in New York City
A Strategy to Preserve the S.S. United States
Cultural Landscape in Hawai'i
Lasers and Conservation In The United States: An Exploration of The Limited Use Of Laser Technology For Cleaning Stone
The Preservation of a Turn-of-the-Century Waterfront Enclave: Byram Shore, Connecticut
Original Wooden Double-Hung Sash Windows On Historic New York City Residential Buildings
Architecture and Urban Education Reform: The Significance of Harlem Public Schools, 1954-1970
Glazed And Confused: Exposing The Mysteries Of Glazed Architectural Terra Cotta
The Bush Terminal Model Lofts And Early Reinforced Concrete Buildings On Brooklyn’s Waterfront: Their Significance As Industrial Heritage
A Future For Shotor Galoo: Conservation Planning For Historic Royal Gardens, Parks And Pavilions In Iran
Modernism In New Orleans: The Architecture Of Albert Ledner
Public Parks, Private Power: A Critical Analysis Of Public-Private Partnerships In New York City
From Bridge To Building: Development Of Steel Cable Roof Structures
Finding A Needle In A Very Large Park: Reconsidering The Significance Of The New York Obelisk
Archaeological Site Management In Peru: The Case Of Choquequirao
Evaluation Of The Physical And Chemical Properties Of Dolomitic Lime Mortar
Preserving The First New Town-In Town: A Case For Ralph Rapson’s Cedar-Riverside
Preserving Early Chicago Public Housing: Julia C. Lathrop Homes And Leclaire Courts
Adhesives For Marble And Their Creep Behavior
Dalle De Verre / Faceted Glass: New Approaches To A Modern Material
America’s Aging Shopping Centers As Potential Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Projects: An Evaluation Of And Financial Project Feasibility
A History And Analysis Of Ralph Adams Cram’s Seminal Spanish Gothic Masterwork
Federal Policies Toward Reconstructions Of Vanished Properties
Preservation Easements: A Legal Mechanism For Protecting Modern Residential Interior Architecture
Preserving The North Light: Boston’s Early Artist Studio Buildings
Cleaning Historic Building Interiors: The Question Of Residue Using Arte Mundit Cleaning Paste And The Historic Precedent For Adaptive Use
Evaluation Of Pinning Materials For Marble Repair
Timeless Preservation: Incorporating The Recent Past Into The Future Of Historic Preservation
From The Ground Up: Oral History And The Interpretation Of Le Havre, France
Watering The Thirsty: Preserving The Sabils Of Historic Cairo
Dormant Smokestacks And Silent Turbines: The Adaptive Reuse Of Early To Mid-Twentieth Century Power Stations
Farm To Table: Developing A New Historic Preservation Paradigm For Working Farmsteads
The Framing Of Patronage In Mexico City’s Historic Center: Project For The Centro Historico Foundation In The Ex-Royal Convent Of Jesus Maria
Underground Stations Od The New York City Subway System: Recommendations For Preservation And Maintenance
The Historic Access Corridors Of Virginia: Assessing A Hybrid Tool And Its Relationship With Preservation
The Architecture Of Interpretation: Louise Kahn’s Trenton Bathhouse
Dust To Dust: A Comparative Look At The Methods Used To Preserve Then Earthen Sites In The United States And Mexico
Preservation On Island: How Historic Preservation Can Promote The Vitality Of Maine’s Island Communities
Reviving Historic Architecture Through Redevelopment: An Adaptive Reuse Proposal For The Former Childs Restaurant Building On Coney Island, New York
Like Blood To The Veins: Escalators, Their History, And The Making Of The Modern World
Preserving Public Housing In Post-Katrina New Orleans
The Catalyst For Revitalization: A Study Of The Adaptive Reuse Of Railroad Depots In Iowa
An Evaluation Of Adhesives Used For Marble Repair
Protecting The “Enemy’s” Heritage: How Can The Bayarat Houses Of Jaffa Be Preserved?
Putting Colleges And Universities To The Test: Preserving Postwar Dormitories In Contemporary Context
Re-Powering The Working Waterfront: A Design Strategy For Hastings-On-Hudson, New York
Connecting The Edge: A Study Of Tribeca’s Upland Patterns As Preservation In Waterfront Development
In The Name Of Wilderness: The Preservation Polemic In Federally Designated Wilderness Areas
Ethyl Silicate As An Alternative Binder For Grout And Mortar For Use With American Sandstones
What We Do And Who We Are: Impacts Of The Tribal Historic Preservation Program
Preservation On 125Th Street: Culture, Economics, And Politics
Whose Park Is It Anyway? The Evolution Of Preservation Advocacy . Case Study: Washington Square Park
The Case For Coalwood, WV: Historic Preservation And Economic Development In Appalachian Coal Mining Towns
Ruin Revival In Antigua, Guatemala: The Interpretation, Integration And Adaptive Reuse Of A Fallen Eighteenth Century Masterpiece
Preserving The Beachside Bungalows In Far Rockaway
Modern Appropriation Of An Historic Material: How Decorative Plaster Did And Did Not Change, 1870-1930
Preserving The ‘Diocese Of Immigrants’: Strategies for the Continued Use of Brooklyn’s Historic Catholic Churches
Low Memorial Library: An Argument For The Restitution Of Lived Experience
Preservation Of The Inner City Waterfront: The Future Of The Gowanus Canal
Assessing The Viability Of A Salvage Program For New Orleans In The Wake Of Hurricane Katrina
Physical And Intangible Palimpsest: Making A Case For Graffiti Preservation
The Kirkbride Plan For Mental Health Care And Architecture: Historical Review With Case Studies Of Adaptive Reuse
Lincrusta-Walton: History Of A Versatile Embossed Wallcovering
Traditional Building Crafts Education: A Plan In Progress
Frank Lloyd Wright And The Cantilever: Preserving Significance Of An Architect, His Innovation, And Achieving The Organic
Bottom Of The Ninth For Yankee Stadium: How Historic Preservation Failed To Fight For Baseball’s Most Hallowed Ground
Can Asmara Be Preserved? Questions And Challenges Facing The Future Of Modern Italian Colonial Architecture In The Capital Of Eritrea
Historic Preservation In Urban Ethnic Enclaves: Four Chinatown Case Studies
Creating Form From Structure In The Adaptive Reuse And Addition To Paul Rudolph’s Orange County Government Center
Last One In: Community, Conflict And The Preservation Of Mccarren Park Pool
Historic Preservation And The Changing Face Of Large-Scale Redevelopment Projects In New York City: An Analysis Of The Brooklyn Atlantic Yards Project
Sustainable Preservation: Leading Beyond Leedtm
Calcium Bicarbonate As A Consolidation Material For Calcareous Stone
Evolution Of Cultural Heritage Conservation In The United States And The Conservation Of Traditional Cultural Significance At An Ethnic Living Heritage Site In Northern New Mexico: El Santuario De Chimay
Brazilian Modernism, National Identity, And The Santos Dumont Airport: Preserving And Early Aviation Gem
Interpreting The Production Facilities Of The Manhattan Project
A Home Away From Home: Telling The Story Of The Trucking Industry Through The Preservation Of 1960S Truck Stops
Authenticity And Adaptation Of Historic Movable Bridges For Contemporary Use
The Development Of Solid Steel Windows In The United States
Design Proposal For The Estate Of Anna’s Hope In St. Croix, Usvi
Proprietary Alkoxysilane Systems And Their Efficacy On Fine Grained Marble
Bombay’s “Lesser” Architecture: Making A Case For Preservation
The Electrical Resistance Moisture Meter And Infrared Thermography: Assessing The Effectiveness Of Two Non-Destructive Techniques For Moisture Diagnosis In Structures Contaminated By Hygroscopic
Adaptive Use Of The Joseph Lemaire Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Tombeek, Belgium As A Wellness Center
Homogenization Versus Innovation: A Critical Analysis Of The National Main Street Program At Twenty-Five Years Through Two Case Studies
Preservation At The Edge: An Adaptive Reuse Project For The New York Central And Hudson River Railroad Kingsbridge Substation
Preliminary Investigation Into Interpretation, Display And Conservation Possibilities For The World Trade Center Artifacts Housed At Jfk International Airport
The Interpretations Of Sites Of Shameful History Through A Focus On Individual Stories: A Case Study Of The Interpretations At The Japanese American Relocation Camps
An Assessment Of Graffiti Removal Methods For Artifically Patinated Weathering Steel
Natural Extractives As Wood Preservatives: The Potential Of Phytochemicals In Preservation
Barnscapes: Mapping Rural Cultural Landscapes
Painting By Numbers: Depression Era Interior Paint Finishes And An Evaluation Of Manufacturers’ Catalogs As Primary Sources
An Argument For Reconstruction In Oceania’s Indigenous Cultures: The Case Of Moku'ula
Neighborhood Conservation Policies: Protecting Communities From Teardowns And Other Threats To Neighborhood Conservation
The Kansas City Park And Boulevard Plan: Design: Proposals For Additions To A Historic Network
Post-War Housing In Warsaw: Integral Part Of The City’s Future?
Evaluating The National Trust Main Street Model: A Matched Pairs Comparison
Modeling Mostar: Evaluating The Mostar 2004 Program In The Context Of Present And Future Trends In Historic Preservation Education
The Impact Of Security From Terrorism Of Postwar Modernist Architecture
Sleeping With The Enemy: Planning A New Cooper Union Dormitory: A Preservation Approach For Multi-Lot Development
The Domino Effect: An Adaptive Re-Use Proposal For The Havemeyer And Elder/Domino Sugar Refinery
Unfinished Architecture
Historic Preservation And Community Development Corporations In Los Angeles: Current Connections For Future Partnership
Let Them Grow: Climbing Vines Do Not Have To Be Removed From Buildings
Borates As A Wood Preservative
Los Caminos Del Rio: An Assessment Of A Preservation Program Along The Texas-Mexico Borderlands.
Asbury Park Rising: Overcoming The Limitations Of Public Policy To Protect Historic Resources At The Local Level
The Havana Coppelia Ice Cream Pavilion And Park: The Cuban Revolution Frozen In Time
The Architecture Of Nazi Political Centers Preservation Issues In Berlin, Munich And Nuremberg
Saving Corporate Modernism From The Inside Out: Interior Design As A Strategy For Adapting The Mid-Century International Style Headquarters
The Development Of Lock-Strip Neoprene Gaskets At The General Motors Technical Center
Philip Johnson’s Glass House: Framing Interpretation
Historic Preservation In A Changing Landscape: The Outer Banks Of North Carolina
Architectural Fragments: The Lacunae Of Historic Preservation, A Case Study Of The Chicago Stock Exchange
Under Fire: A Reexamination Of The Fireproof Building Under Modern Stresses
Integration Of Modern Ruins Into Contemporary Urban Development: Memory, Imagination, Sense Of Place, And Process In The Preservation And Reanimation Of Asbury Park’s Casino Complex Ruin
Pigmented Structural Glass: Conserving Original Material Through Repair
Machine Aesthetics In Architecture: Adaptive Reuse Of Buffalo’s Grain Elevators
American’s Rural Cemeteries: Keeping An Institution Alive
Preserving Vernacular Buildings In West Chelsea: Balance Between Preservation And Development
Lime Mortar Models, Curing and Conservation: Fort Laramie National Historic Site, Wyoming
Preserving Interpretation: Habitat Dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History
Cross-Bronx: Preserving a Significant Urban Expressway and Its Megastructure
Thinktanker: A Concept for the Second Generation Use of the VLCC
Redefining the Original Intention of Modern Architecture: Densifying the Sectors of Chandigarh
Waterfront Revival in Williamsburg