Preservation Month 2026

Preservation Month 2026, History, Houses and Help, starts in just over a week! Our first event scheduled for Saturday May 9th. We have lots of great topics and speakers lined up for you: Expert insight from a timber framer, art conservation and restoration techniques, a round-table of old house experts, NBPT Powder House tours, Merrimac River history boat tour, keynote by the President and CEO of Historic New England, and of course the annual NPT Preservation awards. Become a NPT Member for free admission to all events.

Stewarding Your Timber Frame Home and Barn

Saturday May 2, 2026 9:30AM at the Swett Isley House, 4 High Road, Newbury, MA

Free for members. $20 for non-members

This session will help homeowners better understand their timber frame homes and structures. How do timber frames work? What are the principles behind timber frame construction? What advantages does it offer over other building methods? How do you know when repairs are needed, and how do you navigate contractors who may want to rip out all the old material? We will discuss these among other topics around understanding and maintaining timber frame homes and barns.

Art Conservation and Restoration

Saturday May 9th 1:00PM at the Central Congregational Church, 14 Titcomb Street, Newburyport Grimes Room.

Free for members. $20 for non-members

Painting Conservation: Tim Neill will discuss the conservation of paintings and frames. He will give an overview of some different conservation and restoration techniques and discuss materials used in the studio as well as ethics involved with working on historic works of art. Tim will also give some helpful pointers on how to keep your artwork at home in the best possible condition.

KEYNOTE – What’s Worth Saving: Historic Preservation Today

Friday 5/15/26 – 7:00PM at the First Religious Society Unitarian Universalist Church, 26 Pleasant Street, Newburyport.

Free to all

Drawing from a lifetime of leading some of the nation’s most esteemed preservation and cultural organizations, Vin Cipolla, President and CEO of Historic New England, explores the role of historic preservation today in the context of the pressures facing communities, the erosion of public infrastructure for arts and culture, and the pursuit of enhanced livability balancing the old and the new.

Ask An Old House Expert

Saturday May 16, 2026 1:00PM at the First Religious Society Unitarian Universalist Church, 26 Pleasant Street, Newburyport, Parish Hall

Free for members. $20 for non-members

Bring your questions and your photographs to get expert advice from a team of old house specialists. Worried about your foundation? Curious about renovations over the years? What about those old drafty windows? We’ve assembled a great team to get you real information, not sales pitches.

History Boat Tour

Friday May 29, 2026 – 6:15PM. Meet at the Yankee Clipper Harbor Tours dock at the Newburyport Harbor Walk, Merrimac Street, Newburyport

$35 for members. $50 for non-members

Please join Newburyport history fans for a boat tour up the Merrimac River on Friday, May 29th at 6:15 pm. The Harbor Tours boat leaves from the Newburyport boardwalk. The tour will be narrated by Ghlee Woodworth. Her vast knowledge of the area and the residents will be put to use as she unveils the history that the river area reaches. The tour lasts 1 1/2 hours and will have catered food on board and a cash bar.

Powder House Tours

Saturday May 30, 2026 – 1:00-3:00PM. 57 Low Street, Newburyport MA 01950

Free Admission to All

Registration not required

See the inside of Newburyport’s restored 1822 Powder House plus demonstrations from Acton Minutemen

Preservation Awards

Sunday May 31, 2026 – 4:00PM at the Custom House Maritime Museum, 25 Water Street, Newburyport

This event is open to NPT Members, award winners and their guests only. Join NPT from our website.

Newburyport Preservation Trust Members can join the NPT as we celebrate individuals and organizations for their contributions toward historic preservation in Newburyport. Our goal is to support, promote, celebrate, and showcase preservation and raise awareness of the value and unique historic character of our community.

Preservation Month 2026 is Sponsored by