For almost 20 years I have visited historic homes across the United States.

And yet, despite the hundreds of photos I’ve taken, the countless pamphlets I’ve accumulated, and the innumerable souvenirs and keepsakes I’ve collected, I’ve never had one single place where I documented all of those memories–one single place I could refer back to when I wanted to recollect and revisit moments visiting such beautiful houses and learning the nation’s fascinating and complex history.

This blog is that place.

Beyond, though, a collection and catalog of memories, this blog is also about bringing awareness.

While there are houses like The Gamble House in Pasadena, California, The Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, New York and the number of other nationally recognized Landmarks and Historic Sites that benefit from familiar family names that bring strong funding and resources, there are many smaller less known houses. The Stone House in Belchertown, Massachusetts, The Conrad Mansion Museum in Kalispell, Montana, and The Tolleth House in Meridian, Idaho are just as awe-inspiring and bring a richness to their communities, but you have to work a little harder, dig a little deeper to find them.

In my quest to visit historic homes across the United States, I passionate about finding and supporting those hidden gems. I’ve spent hours combing Google Maps and talking with docents who lead me to other houses in their area. I’ve driven to houses that used to be historic museums only to be shuttered up due to lack of funding, and attempted to visit others that ended up being closed for the day because the one docent on staff wasn’t available.

Beyond being a singular spot for me to document my own journey, I want this blog to be a place where we can discover historic homes of all sizes together. A starting point for others to discover the vast array of homes available to the public so that they do might become inspired and possibly help save some of these locations from being taken away from us. I want you to discover not only the Moticello in Charlottesville, Virgina but also the Poulsen House in Portland, Oregon.

I want to share all of the great joy and responsibility that comes with visiting and protecting these landmarks of American History so that we may not only collect good memories of our own, but come to understand the collective history we all share.