Preservation group helps out shortage by finding skilled workers to maintain historic buildings

BALTIMORE - As thousands of construction jobs go unfilled across the nation, the problem is magnified for the historic trades.

Workers skilled in the rehabilitation of older, historic buildings are in short supply across the nation, and new research from Preservation Maryland shows the number is only expected to grow.

"Historic Preservations is good for communities in so many different ways," said Nicholas Redding, CEO of Preservation Maryland. "It engages people in the history of their place. It gives them a sense of where they came from, but it also improves the way places look and it creates new economic activity.

Over the years, historic structures in Baltimore, in Maryland and across the country have begun to show their age.

And in order to preserve them, we need skilled craftspeople, such as woodworkers, metalsmiths and architects to take on the challenge.

"We're actually restoring places rather than just completely building new," Redding said. "So there's sort of a nuance skill associated with it."

Preservation Maryland recently released a labor study that found over the next decade 100,000 historic trades workers will be needed.

"One of the big challenges that cause this type of shortage is that we actually don't have registered apprenticeships for most of the historic trades," Redding said. "So we're working on registering apprenticeships with the U.S. Department of Labor so that there are pathways for young adults, mid-career professionals."

Thanks to Historic Preservation, and East Baltimore's Historic Hoen Lithograph Complex built in 1895 was repurposed into a mixed-use space in 2020.

"it's my love of history that I think really got me here and wanting to work hands-on," said Molly Pitcher, Director of Construction for Cross Street Partners.

Pitcher hopes to inspire others to join the workforce so we can continue preserving these special places for generations to come.

"There are a lot of vacant buildings, homes that don't need to be torn down, that can be restored, that add so much character to the city," Pitcher said.