Classical American Homes Preservation Trust

Discoveries

Established by Richard Hampton Jenrette in 1993, Classical American Homes Preservation Trust maintains four early-nineteenth-century sites and their remarkable collections of historic fine and decorative arts. The Trust is devoted to advancing American architecture, decorative arts, landscapes, and historic preservation. To enact this mission, we use cutting-edge research, collaborate with academic partners, and develop digital resources to educate emerging professionals, craftspeople, students, and lifelong learners.

Architecture

Houses are at the center of our organization. Mr. Jenrette’s affection for his houses is evident in his writings, his care in furnishing and decorating them, and his decision to endow them in perpetuity. They are beautiful objects deserving of sustained study and admiration.

Historic Preservation

Our buildings deserve the highest standard of care. Our preservation efforts include extensive research with a commitment to engaging the finest professionals and tradespeople, and a determination to leave our buildings in the best possible condition for the next generation.

Historic Landscapes

Care for our sites extends to their settings. Our living landscapes provide both the backdrop for our buildings as well as important information about their histories. Their care begins with research into historic documents, maps, and the archaeological remains on all properties.

Collections

Our collection speaks to Mr. Jenrette's abiding passion to collect antiques and fine art. His efforts to acquire original objects that belonged in the houses provides a rare opportunity to study a collection in the very context for which it was commissioned and used.

Education

Each site and object in CAHPT's portfolio is an invaluable teaching vehicle for American history. Through preservation advocacy, academic partnerships, digital education, and public programs, CAHPT purposefully shares our work in “doing history” to educate the public and the next generation of preservation professionals and craftspeople.

Featured Articles

Recent Articles

January 19th, 2022

“Beyond any other family in the place”: The Donaldsons in Fayetteville, North Carolina

Authors: Grant Quertermous, Curator and Director of Collections, and Robert Leath, President Friends of Classical American Homes and its sites will recognize the name Robert…

November 15th, 2021

A Chronology of Richard H. Jenrette’s Historic Properties, Part I: The Houses

Author: Grant Quertermous, Curator and Director of Collections “There’s no place like home,” Richard H. Jenrette wrote in his book, Adventures With Old Houses, “the…

November 13th, 2021

Gore Vidal at Edgewater

Author: Grant Quertermous, CAHPT Curator & Director of Collections  “I have a recurring dream about Edgewater,” author Gore Vidal wrote in his autobiography, Palimpsest, “and…

October 25th, 2021

The Great Trading Path

Author: Dr. Kevin Cherry, Director of Education & Outreach In the strip of woods facing the front of Ayr Mount is a depressed spot covered…

August 16th, 2021

Preserving Millford’s Stable Roof

Authors: Will Hamilton, CAHPT Director of Historic Preservation & Dr. Jeff Klee, CAHPT Vice President & Senior Director of Architecture In 1839 John Laurence Manning…

July 30th, 2021

Bringing Objects Home

 Grant Quertermous, CAHPT Curator & Director of Collections In the nearly fifty years that Richard H. Jenrette collected American decorative arts, he and his partner,…

July 30th, 2021

The Ground on Which We Stand

Author: Jeff Klee, Ph.D., CAHPT Vice President & Senior Director of Architecture At all Classical American Homes properties, the setting is as important as the…

June 22nd, 2021

Preservation Begins with Research

Author: Jeff Klee, Ph.D., CAHPT Vice President & Senior Director of Architecture The serious study of architecture is at the heart of the Classical American…