A Place for Heritage Craft, Visual Arts, and Community Stewardship

Preservation Labs is an educational environment dedicated to teaching traditional building crafts and visual arts in a way that strengthens community relationships with historic places.

Our work centers on hands-on learning, creative interpretation, and meaningful engagement with historic structures. We believe every building carries a story, and that learning the craft and artistry behind that story fosters deeper appreciation and more thoughtful stewardship.

We exist to ensure that these endangered artisan practices remain accessible, understood, and alive in contemporary culture. Through workshops, demonstrations, and community engagement, the Labs supports creative learning for adults of all backgrounds—especially women over 50 who are seeking new pathways for artistic expression, personal reinvention, and meaningful hands-on exploration.

Our Mission

Our mission is to preserve cultural heritage through hands-on craft education and arts programming.

We teach traditional trades such as window restoration, millwork, masonry, and lime, while also offering photography and digital heritage workshops that encourage creative interpretation and visual storytelling.

By combining heritage craft and the visual arts, Preservation Labs creates a living classroom where historic understanding, material awareness, and artistic practice support and enrich one another.

The Founder

Preservation Labs was founded by Caitlin J. Zettl, a preservation-focused builder and researcher with decades of experience in historic craft environments. Her work blends technical understanding with a commitment to cultural continuity, creative exploration, and the artistry embedded in historic buildings.

Caitlin’s approach highlights the value of seeing, documenting, and working with historic materials in their authentic state—whether through traditional craft or through visual interpretation behind the lens.