Help Us Celebrate 60 Years
of Preservation Utah
In 2026, Preservation Utah turns 60. For six decades, we have worked across this state to protect the places that connect us to who we are and where we come from, and this anniversary year, we want to celebrate that legacy with you.
One of the best ways to get involved is to help us gather and preserve the stories behind the work, from oral histories to archival documents, so the people and moments that shaped sixty years of preservation are not lost.
Another is to host a small gathering in your community, bringing new voices into the conversation and helping us grow the circle of people who care about Utah's historic places.
Both take something only you can offer: your connections, your curiosity, and your belief that this work matters. We are glad you are here for it.
Host a Gathering in Your Community
Some of the best preservation work happens around a dinner table.
This year, we are asking friends of Preservation Utah to open their homes, their offices, or their favorite spots and invite a few people in. These gatherings are not fundraisers with a program and a hard ask. They are conversations, a chance to introduce the people you know to work you believe in. Maybe it is a dinner party. Maybe it is a backyard get-together or a walking tour of your neighborhood. The format is yours to shape.
Here is how it works: you pick the place, the time, and the guest list. We bring the story. Preservation Utah provides the program content, the materials, and all the logistical support so you can focus on being a good host. We will work with you to find a format that fits your crowd, whether that means ten close colleagues or thirty neighbors who have never heard of us.
Your role is to make the introduction. Ours is to make it worth their time.
If you have ever wanted to bring more people into this work, this is your moment. We are celebrating sixty years, and the best way to do that is by growing the community that makes the next sixty possible. Reach out to us to learn more about hosting a gathering this year.
If you're interested in getting involved, please reach out to Brandy Strand, director@preservationutah.org.
Help Us Document History
Sixty years of preservation history does not document itself.
Behind every saved building and hard-won advocacy campaign are the people who showed up, spoke out, and gave their time to this work. Many of them have stories we have never fully captured. This year, we want to change that, and we need your help to do it.
As a history volunteer, you will help us track down the people, photos, documents, and moments that fill in the gaps of our shared story. That might mean sitting down with a longtime board member for a recorded conversation, digging through online archives for a press clipping from 1987, or uploading a folder of photos that have been sitting in someone's attic for decades. No two contributions will look exactly alike, and that is the point. Every piece helps us build a record that is honest, complete, and worth keeping.
To get you started, we are partnering with the Utah Historical Society for an Introduction to Oral History training on April 29, 2026, from 5 to 7 pm on Zoom. You do not need any prior experience. We will provide topics, questions, templates, and guidance every step of the way.
If you would like to help collect oral histories, register for the April 29 training and help us make sure the people and moments behind sixty years of preservation are not just remembered but kept.
If you would like to help with online research, please reach out to Liz Joerger, liz@preservationutah.org