Presenters: Laura Thoms, Archivist and Collection Manager, Oak Hill Cemetery; John Matteo, Matteo Ferran Structural Engineers

Since its founding, Oak Hill has been the final resting place of historical personages from government, business, politics, the arts, law, and the military, and interments continue today. Located along Rock Creek in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC, the Cemetery was established in 1849 on land contributed by W.W. Corcoran, founder of the Riggs National Bank and the Corcoran Gallery of Art. The grounds were laid out by Captain George F. de la Roche in the style of a garden park cemetery, and James Renwick, Jr. designed the Cemetery’s stone gates and its historic Chapel. After a brief history of the cemetery, this talk will highlight the preservation challenges on this site. When Archivist Laura Thoms left working at the Library of Congress to start the Archives at Oak Hill in 2023, she thought that she would be solely managing the book and paper records of individuals interred at Oak Hill. After six months she realized that the “collection” was also all of the trees and landscape, all of the monuments and buildings, and all of their related documents. This talk will cover how her landscape, building and monument documentation projects to fill gaps in the Archive also supported the restoration of the 28th St Gate, the Linthicum Mausoleum, and a 2025 DOI Save America’s Treasures grant to restore the Renwick Chapel. Featured projects will also shed light on connections between Oak Hill and the art and architecture in the federal buildings of Washington, DC.

John Matteo of Matteo Ferran Structural Engineers will also be speaking about the restoration of the severely damaged Linthicum Mausoleum.

If the date permits, the talk will include Lisa Fager, Executive Director of the Black Georgetown Foundation, to discuss the shared research between Oak Hill Cemetery and the neighboring Mt Zion Female Union Band Society Cemeteries, and the preservation challenges faced by this important African American Cemetery.

One (1) AIA general CEU pending.

Historic buildings throughout the greater Washington region often incorporate structural framing systems and exterior wall assemblies that are unfamiliar to today’s building design and construction professionals. Such systems present unique challenges when considering proper building maintenance, proposed alterations, and system performance. This presentation will discuss several of the common archaic structural systems that are often encountered in the greater DC region. The speakers will discuss how the archaic system works, what typical problems are encountered, and how the system can be altered or repaired to accommodate renovations and improvements. Light refreshments will be provided. 

Please RSVP by Monday, 17 August 2026.

One (1) AIA HSW Credit is pending. 

APT DC is pleased to announce a call for submissions for an exhibition of works of art as part of our 2026 annual symposium. We invite submissions of original works of visual art that highlight the remarkable historic resources in our region.

While the theme of the symposium is Adaptive Reuse: Policy In Practice, the works of art are not required to conform to this theme, although this is encouraged.

At a minimum, they should represent a historic site in the APT DC region, which is defined by Washington, DC; all of Virginia; all of Maryland; all of West Virginia, and Sussex County, DE.

Suggestions for how to highlight the historic sites include:

• Materiality
• Historical Significance
• Hidden History
• Monumentality
• Regionality
• Conveys the aesthetic qualities of a place

Theme: Historic Sites of the APT DC Region

Submission Deadline: August 21, 2026

Show Date: September 11, 2026

Disciplines: All visual media. Audio media not allowed.

Eligibility: Open to all experience levels.

Physical size/format restrictions: Works of art must be limited to 24” x 24” x 12" maximum (including frame) and should be of a format to sit on a table or easel. If digital media is submitted, the artist is responsible for supplying their own device to show the media. The artist is responsible for providing their works as intended for display, including framing.

Submission Method: Submit digital images (max. 10 MB each) and a brief artist statement (200 words maximum) below.

Prizes: APT DC 2026 Symposium attendees will vote for their favorite works. Three winners will be selected to receive a free 1-year individual membership ($40 value) and the top vote getter will also receive a free registration to the 2025 annual holiday party (approx. $80 value).

Artwork Drop-off: September 11, 2026, 8:00am, at Alexandria History Museum.

Artwork Pick-up: September 11, 2026, 8:00pm, at King & Rye in Alexandria. Artists will not receive a free registration to the symposium. If you are not planning to attend the symposium happy hour, you must make other arrangements with APT DC.

SUBMIT HERE

Registration will open Summer 2026.

For more information about submitting an abstract, please visit https://aptdc.org/Symposium.