Meet Patricia Ploehn | Historic Preservation Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Patricia Ploehn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Patricia, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I believe that engaging with people and communities is the most important factor in my work as a historic preservationist. It is important to not only know and understand the history of the cultural heritage (buildings, landscapes, objects, etc.) that I’m working with, but also to listen to, and empathize with, the people whose heritage I am preserving. The heritage that we value lies in the communities that surround us; if we allow these communities to slowly disappear, we lose that intangible tie to our own history, and then we lose the tangible elements that connect us to that history. Listening to others is a key element to understanding who they are, where they come from, and what sorts of things are significant to them!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a historic preservationist in the Lowcountry, I am proud of the strong foundation of professionals in the field who call this place home, and care for it as deeply as I do. I have a great network of friends who work in the cultural heritage field as preservationists, archaeologists, conservators, archivists, etc. We all care about the cultural heritage of the Lowcountry, and of South Carolina (and the South) as a whole, and it’s exciting to be able to follow along with the new things they’re constantly learning or finding every week. I moved to Charleston from my hometown of Columbia, SC in 2015, and did not even know historic preservation was a field I could pursue. I was blessed with opportunities to pursue a major in the field, work with professionals on projects as an undergraduate, and dip my toes into what it looked like to “do” preservation in a practical sense. Because of this foundation, I continued on that path of pursuing the preservation of Lowcountry cultural heritage, and I’ve never looked back.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are so many incredible things to do here in the Lowcountry, it’s hard to name them all! I would encourage my friends, family, and other visitors to explore the wide variety of sites and cultural heritage institutions that are focused on the history of this area. I would direct folks to the International African American Museum, the Avery Research Center, the Caw Caw Interpretive Center, Drayton Hall, and Middleton Place. The South Carolina Historical Society Museum downtown gives an incredible overview of the history of the state, all located in a building designed by a South Carolina architect! I’d also encourage visitors to take a tour of the Warren Lasch Conservation Center, where they can explore the history of the Hunley submarine and get a glimpse into the other amazing projects we’re working on. Food is a hard one, because there are so many great places. Lenoir, Kudu Coffee, the Obstinate Daughter, Fabio’s Italian Restaurant, Revival, and Slightly North of Broad are some of my favorites! Most importantly, I’d encourage people to just walk around downtown; it’s the best way to get a deeper sense of what Charleston is and how it has grown over the centuries.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to shoutout my graduate program cohort. I attended the Clemson University Master of Science in Historic Preservation program here in Charleston, from 2020 to 2022. My cohort, along with a handful of friends from the cohort above, became and have remained a close-knit group of friends that I can rely on for support and care, both professionally and personally. We celebrate each other’s successes and uplift each other during times of hardship or stress. I would not be the person I am today without their presence in my life!

Instagram: @patty_a_stone

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pploehn/

Image Credits
Jesse Volk, Clemson University, Patricia Ploehn