Looking for Free Guidance on Historic Preservation Projects?

CPA communities across the Commonwealth have completed thousands of historic preservation projects using CPA funds. These projects range from restoring old barns and municipal buildings to preserving historic documents and relics - and no matter what your community is interested in, the Preservation Massachusetts Circuit Rider program is available to provide expertise and assistance.

Jeff Gonyeau is the Circuit Rider for Eastern Massachusetts and Stacia Caplanson assists communities in Western Massachusetts. Jeff and Stacia are both available to offer communities guidance on specific historic preservation projects and other issues related to historic preservation. They can also provide assistance on implementing the Secretary of The Interior's Standards, help communities research additional funding sources, and network with other historic preservation partners or institutions.

More information about Jeff:

Jeff has over a decade of experience working to keep historic buildings relevant. He enjoys finding ways to breathe new life into valuable old buildings that have either outlived their original purpose or have suffered from a lack of upkeep or investment. Along with his Circuit Rider work, Jeff is also an independent historic preservation consultant, focusing on preservation planning, fundraising, and project management for his private, non-profit, and municipal clients. From 2001 to 2013, Jeff worked at Historic Boston Incorporated (HBI), a non-profit, project-oriented preservation organization. Jeff served HBI in many capacities, first as the steward of HBI's historic properties in downtown Boston and in Roxbury. He managed several renovation projects on HBI's own properties as well as the rehabilitation of other historic structures in Boston. Jeff served as HBI's Acting Executive Director from September 2006 through May 2007.

A graduate of Hamilton College, Jeff also has master's degrees from Smith College and New York University, and has taken real estate development and finance classes at Harvard's Graduate School of Design, MIT's Center for Real Estate, and Boston University. In 2015 he completed Historic New England's Program in New England Studies (PINES). Jeff resides in Dorchester, where he is active in community development and preservation organizations and serves on the board of directors of the Dorchester Historical Society and St. Mark's Area Main Streets.

Jeff Gonyeau, Preservation Mass. Circuit Rider: (617) 320-2323 / jgonyeau@preservationmass.org

More information about Stacia:

Stacia's expertise in historic preservation stems from more than two decades of nonprofit and institutional work. She has a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT and an Master of Arts in American History from UMASS/Amherst. She has worked in the museum and nonprofit world for over 20 years, working in both large and small institutions. Her varied experience has run the gamut from coordinating conferences for the Northeast Organic Farming Association MA chapter, that brought together farmers and educators, to milking cows and supervising household exhibit staff at Old Sturbridge Village. She has also worked as the first museum executive director/curator for the Lebanon Historical Society Museum and Visitors Center, and with the historical society to develop and open their first long term exhibit, create a visitor center, and strengthen ties with partner historical organizations. Stacia served as one of the founders and co-coordinators of the Cedarbrook Learning Connections program that hires teachers to offer science, nature and arts enrichment programs for home school students at a local community center. She enjoys working with people and institutions to preserve their historical and cultural resources.

Stacia Caplanson, Preservation Mass. Circuit Rider: (617) 999-3256 / scaplanson@preservationmass.org

Further Resources

• Looking for a historic preservation professional near you? Check out Preservation Massachusett's Preservation Directory, which categorizes experts by subject and skill set. 

Sept. 2023