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MWM Preservation

Historic Preservation and Public History Consulting

MWM Preservation offers a range of research, evaluation, and documentation services geared toward the preservation of historic resources.

Click the photos below for more information about our services.

Historic Preservation
Cocoa Junior High School National Register Nomination, 2019
Research
Public and Oral History
Andrew P. Stewart Center 100 year celebration, 2017.
Megan Warley McDonald, Photo Credit: Addison Hill Photo
Get In Touch

Megan.W.McDonald@gmail.com

Latest Instagram Posts @mwmpreservation

Where are my old postcard lovers? I love to collect postcards of buildings I have a connection to. (I imagine it’s a common hobby among preservationists.) This postcard depicts a building I wrote about in my master’s thesis. I haven’t actually had the opportunity to see it in person yet— one day! A while back I posted about some of the WWII temporary buildings here at FLW that have been preserved in their historic form, but there are a ton of other WWII buildings here that have been altered or updated and are in continued use. Here is an example of a WWII chapel that has been adapted for use as a Fellowship Hall for the neighboring Soldier Memorial Chapel. On the exterior, the most significant change is the installation of vinyl siding on top of the historic wood siding, as well as widening and replacement of the front doors to allow for modern security doors. Two of the biggest changes to the interior are that the pews have been removed and the balcony enclosed. In addition, previously unpainted wood paneling and rafters have been painted, new flooring installed, and historic light fixtures were replaced. The Georgetown Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places this past week! Located in Sanford, Florida, Georgetown is a historically African American neighborhood that was settled at least as early as the 1870s (though the oldest standing structures date to the early 1900s). The district is comprised of over 400 historic resources including residential and commercial buildings, churches, and community buildings. The history and built environment of the district convey the significant role that African Americans played in the physical and economic development of Sanford, as Georgetown was home to citizens who provided the bulk of the labor that built the city into a transportation hub and later into an agricultural center for the production of winter vegetables. Gotta love that vintage neon! Also...I was clearly very excited to see the Sinclair Service Station 🦕 featured in a magazine in the Wagon Wheel Motel gift shop! (Dino was my last NR nomination before leaving Florida). More pictures from the National Register listed Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri! I love that the motel (which has continuously operated since 1936) maintained its historic signage and gas pumps ⛽️, details that capture the spirit of the place during the heyday of automobile tourism. My parents came for a quick visit to Missouri and stayed at the National Register listed Wagon Wheel Motel, a 1930s tourist court. Built in 1936 along the newly paved Route 66, the Wagon Wheel motel was one of many ventures that sought to capitalize on the rise of automobile tourism along the route. The property is listed on the National Register as a district that includes three motel buildings, a cafe (now gift shop), two historic signs, a concrete gas pump island, and two mixed use buildings. (More photos in subsequent post!) Saw some more great CCC architecture while hiking at Meramec State Park today! Had one of the best cheeseburgers of my life today in this 1940s Quonset hut! (Casper’s in Springfield, MO.) Quonset huts are prefabricated, semi-circular structures that were mass produced for the military during WWII. After the war, surplus Quonset huts were sold off to the public and utilized for a myriad of purposes.