Entries by Danae Peckler

Preserving FXBG’s Most Affordable Housing

July 13, 2025 in /by

Written by Danae Peckler, HFFI Preservationist (A shorter version of this article was published in the June 2025 issue of The Front Porch Magazine, page 19)   It is common sense to most people: the lowest priced homes in the market are smaller, older, and not made for HGTV. We’re talking about that tiny apartment, […]

VA250 Preservation: The Lewis Store Restoration Project

July 13, 2025 in /by

One of the oldest commercial store buildings in America, Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc. (HFFI) restored this rare surviving example of American commercial retail architecture with the help and support of our community between 1997 and 2007. And we’re doing it again in 2025-2026! A generous grant from the state’s VA250 Preservation Fund is offsetting the […]

HFFI’s 2025 Preservation Advocacy Report

June 10, 2025 in /by

At the last regular meeting of Fredericksburg City Council, HFFI presented a summary of important Historic Preservation goals and called upon the City’s leaders to make progress on the “big 3” most impactful and achievable initiatives. These goals and priority tasks were created by professionally trained City staff, based on residents’ input and insights from […]

Architect Philip Stern’s Life and Architectural Legacy in Fredericksburg

March 29, 2025 in /by

by Inga Gudmundsson McGuire A shorter version of this article was published in the April 2025 issue of Front Porch Magazine.   In and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, architect Philip Nathaniel Stern’s legacy sits in plain sight. On streets like Caroline (previously Main), Washington Avenue, and William (Commerce), his oeuvre includes numerous public buildings that anchor downtown […]

HFFI comments to Planning Commission on Railroad Station Overlay (RSO)

December 10, 2024 in /by

6 December 2024 Dear Planning Commissioners and City staff: Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc. (HFFI) respectfully asks that the Planning Commission defer action on removing the Railroad Station Overlay District (RSO). The recent staff presentation did not provide much context for the establishment of the RSO, the factual basis on which it was created, nor why […]

Infill & Teardown Statistics in FXBG

September 27, 2024 in /by

City of Fredericksburg Planning staff made a  presentation at the August 28, 2024 meeting of the Planning Commission on the amount of infill development and teardowns in town over the past few years (a copy of staff’s memo and presentation is available at the end of this post). HFFI was pleased to see that City […]

Cecil L. Reid: Engineer of Hydro-Electric Plants, Pragmatic Houses, & City Council

August 30, 2024 in /by

by Professor Michael Spencer, Department of Historic Preservation, University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, like many communities in the early to mid-20th century, saw a significant number of concrete houses constructed. Cecil Latta Reid, although not the most prolific builder in the community, was responsible for the design and construction of at least 11 of these, […]

“The Most Historic Park in America’s Most Historic City”

July 10, 2024 in /by

by Danae Peckler, HFFI Preservationist On the first page of his 1991 book, Robert A. Hodge called Alum Spring Park, “the most historic park in America’s most historic city.” These days, people might view that ambitious moniker with suspicion. However, the more one learns about Fredericksburg’s past, the more remarkable it becomes. The park encompasses […]