Director of Preservation Services
Dedicated to preserving our heritage
Elizabeth Holt is passionate about preservation and fostering community involvement. Since starting work at the Trust in June 2018, she has worked to to building strong partnerships with neighborhood and state preservation groups and to share her enthusiasm for historic architecture with others.
Originally from Nashville, TN, Elizabeth holds a master’s degree in Historic Preservation from the Pratt Institute. She works full-time, Monday–Friday, but is not always in the office. Please call for an appointment for technical assistance, consultation, and guidance on best preservation practices. Elizabeth can assist with architectural style identification, eligibility for list on the National and State Registers of Historic Places, appropriate paint colors and materials, how to apply for historic preservation tax credits, and how to find suitable local contractors.
Engagement takes
many shapes and paths
Today, 50 years after the James Dwight Dana House was saved, the New Haven Preservation Trust has not run out of work. New Haven is a living, changing city, but its distinction lies in its wealth of history. As the Trust enters its next 50 years, its members will continue to be an active force, defending and promoting the valuable architectural heritage that defines our community.
Education Efforts
Supporting education and innovation in preservation
Mid-Century Modernism: The Harvard Five
William Earls, author of The Harvard Five in New Canaan, will share the highlights, controversies, and lasting impact of the five architects — Marcel Breuer, Landis Gores, John Johansen, Philip Johnson, and Eliot Noyes — whose designs and philosophies profoundly influenced residential housing for generations.
Our Upcoming Events
New Haven Preservation Trust offers a wide range of tours, lectures, and workshops throughout the year, which all are welcome to attend.
Awards for Outstanding Preservation
Every year, New Haven Preservation Trust recognizes exemplary acts of leadership in historic preservation and celebrates the determination of those who preserve New Haven’s architecture and neighborhoods.
New Haven Modern Architecture
Our website celebrating modern architecture in New Haven — the mid-century architects’ playground, features an inventory of over 250 structures built in New Haven between 1931 and 1980.
Tax Credits for the Rehabilitation of Historic Homes
By assisting homeowners with property renovations and maintenance, the Connecticut Historic Homes Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program has helped stem the cycle of urban blight, abandonment, and disinvestment in the state’s urban residential neighborhoods.
Community Heritage Date Plaques
Celebrate the longevity of our community—over 350 years old—and build pride in New Haven’s architectural diversity. All buildings in New Haven are eligible to display a heritage date plaque. No particular historic significance is necessary, and no renovation or restoration is required.
The Herzan Lecture Fund
In his 15 years as NHPT’s Preservation Services Officer, John Herzan championed our city’s architectural and historic heritage. So many of us in the Trust and throughout the city of New Haven have benefited from his love for his subject, his deep knowledge, and his respect for everyone he encounters.
Upon John’s retirement, the Trust’s Board of Directors created a fund in John’s name to support lectures on topics of interest to the general public. The Herzan Lecture Fund will enable the Trust to offer presentations open to the community, carrying on John’s keen interest in the City of New Haven and its historic places and spaces.
