Firm Overview - HistoryTech, LLC

Founded in 2005 as The Antiquaries, HistoryTech is a limited liability company registered in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Emily Patton Smith and W. Scott Smith are the partners and owners. Services offered include National Register of Historic Places Nominations, Historic Structures Reports, Building and Land Research, Deed Mapping, Historic Resources Survey, and Genealogical Research.

HistoryTech typically works with private individuals, developers, architectural firms, stakeholder groups/grassroots organizations, local governments, and state agencies.

Our team members possess an impressive and eclectic array of experience and qualifications in the architectural history, history, and community planning fields. Project teams typically contain multiple individuals who meet or exceed the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Professional Qualifications.

Our office is located at 311 Rivermont Avenue, at the gateway of Lynchburg’s Rivermont Historic District. We are located just 1.7 miles away from Jones Memorial Library, the region’s premier historical archive. Lynchburg is centrally located within the Commonwealth, and our team members have ready access to many key research facilities, colleges, universities, and libraries.

HistoryTech has full Geographic Information System (GIS) capability  and uses Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to collect geospatial data in the field. Data collected during the field survey process can be overlaid on high resolution aerial photos, topographic maps, or other base layers to help communicate the goals of the project with clients and stakeholders.

Clients have optional access to an online project management system, which helps the client and project team share ideas, files, deadlines, tasks, and project milestones.

Documentation and Evaluation Experience

The team members have broad and complementary experience with the documentation and evaluation of historic resources. Each team member has successfully completed National Register of Historic Resources nominations, work that entails the documentation of the architectural and historical attributes of properties and an ability to identify and articulate their significance. The team has experience in the survey of historic resources in Virginia, including a county-wide survey in Amherst County, and large neighborhood/downtown surveys in support of historic district designations in Brookneal (Campbell County) and Clifford (Amherst County).

The HistoryTech team is also experienced with the types of resources that are likely to be encountered in the field. For example, noting only those resource types for which team members have prepared individual or historic district National Register nominations or preliminary information forms, a selection includes:

Houses

• Edgewood, Amherst Co.
• Brick House, Amherst Co.
• Fairview, Amherst Co.

Farms

• Forest Hill, Amherst Co.
• Edgehill, Amherst Co.
• Boulder Springs, Amherst Co.
• Speed the Plough, Amherst Co.
• Pharsalia, Nelson Co.
• Annefield, Charlotte Co.
• The Grove, Caroline Co.
• Locust Grove, Loudoun Co.
• Caryswood, Campbell Co.

Schools

• Schoolfield School Complex, Danville

Institutional Buildings

• Presbyterian Orphans Home, Lynchburg

Mills

• Galts Mill Complex, Amherst, Co.

Miscellaneous/Historic Districts

• Kemper Street Industrial Historic District, Lynchburg
• Brookneal Historic District, Campbell Co.
• Flat Creek Rural Historic District (PIF), Campbell Co.
• Clifford Historic District (PIF), Amherst Co.
• Pedlar Mills Rural Historic District (PIF), Amherst Co.
• Sandidges Rural Historic District (PIF), Amherst Co.

HistoryTech team members have encountered these and many additional resource types in other contexts, including surveys, the preparation of property and structural histories, historic structure reports, rehabilitation tax credit applications, and publications.