Final Thoughts from Our Summer Intern Abby

Abby Milonas, our summer intern for 2024, has finished her 4-week stint at the Preservation Alliance and is now off spend another 4 weeks at Preservation Timber Framing. From in office work to on-site field service visits, and to helping with barn assessments, state register nominations, and even our spring donation campaign, Abby was an asset across the organization. We’re sorry to see her go but also excited to see what the future holds for her. Before she left, we asked Abby to answer some questions about her time here.

What did an average day for you look like at the N.H. Preservation Alliance?

Most days I went to the office in Concord where I worked on a wide variety of projects, from researching best practices to remove biogrowth from roofs to assisting with state register nominations. I also got to visit historic sites across the state to learn about easement monitoring and preservation consulting. No day was exactly like another, but I always felt that what I did was positively contributing to the preservation of New Hampshire’s historic resources.

What were some of the highlights from your month working for the N.H. Preservation Alliance?

Abby (left) visits the Plumber Ridge School in Milton on a site visit with Andrew Cushing (not pictured), Community Preservation Services Manager for the Preservation Alliance.

I shadowed Beverly Thomas for several easement monitoring visits, and it was an immense pleasure to meet homeowners who were excited and passionate about their property. I don’t often find others with whom I can geek out over newel posts and plaster cornices, so I felt like I was truly among my people. I am also grateful for the amazing Preservation Alliance team, not just the folks in the office but the larger network of preservation enthusiasts I got to meet through my work. Our state may be small, but the preservation community is overflowing with motivated professionals dedicated to preserving its treasures.

What are your biggest takeaways from this experience?

Preserving a historic site means nothing if it does not positively contribute to the community in some way. Every building has significance to someone, and with the right team and resources, it can be transformed into something that continues to educate and enlighten the people who visit it for many more generations.

What advice would you give someone who is considering volunteering on a preservation project or working in the field?

Try everything. When I was completing my Historic Preservation degree, I experienced a little bit of each facet of the preservation prism, but it was always as a student. This internship experience has given me a glimpse into the professional world of preservation and shown me career paths I had not considered. It is a truly rewarding industry full of people who are just as passionate as me about saving old buildings.