May is Historic Preservation Month, and on Tuesday, May 20, the Battery Gadsden Cultural Center will present its second annual Roy Williams Memorial Lecture on Historic Preservation. This year’s speaker will be Brittany Lavelle Tulla (pictured), proprietor and lead architectural historian at BVL Historic Preservation Research LLC, a Charleston-based architectural history firm that provides research and consulting services.
With a commitment to unearthing the soul, identity and history of old buildings, places and communities, Tulla is driven by her passion to “humanize” historic America. Established in 2012, BVL HPR has served a diverse array of clients, including municipalities and individual communities, in their efforts to better understand and honor the places they revere. The firm has conducted more than 100 house histories for historic homeowners nationwide and has assisted dozens of communities — from historically Black farming settlements in rural South Carolina to dense Main Streets in thriving downtowns — in protecting and preserving the historic character and culture of America’s built environment.
Tulla has received national and local recognition for the firm’s research and dedication to preserving America’s story, including being named to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 40 Under 40: People Saving Places list. She has served as a keynote speaker for Fortune 500 companies, national interest groups, municipalities, schools and preservation programs across the country on the value and power of historic preservation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Elon University and a Master of Science in historic preservation from Clemson University.
Williams
Tulla will build on last year’s inaugural Williams Lecture, presented by Kristopher King, which focused on the historic character and architectural typologies of Sullivan’s Island. Her lecture, titled “Every Building Has a Story: The Powerful Role Historic Research Plays in the Field of Historic Preservation,” will explore how understanding a building historically is integral to understanding it architecturally.
“I plan to provide case studies in which we let the building’s story and historic fabric ‘take the lead’ during a restoration/rehabilitation, as well as unexpected, powerful histories we have had the honor of uncovering during preservation projects,” Tulla said. “I conclude the talk by honoring the generation of historic researchers who came before us, including Roy Williams. Their work in the mid- to late 20th century has truly set the foundation for the current generation of historic preservation professionals in advocating for the character and historic integrity of our Lowcountry communities.”
The Second Annual Williams Lecture will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, at Sunrise Presbyterian Church, 3222 Middle St., Sullivan’s Island. A reception will follow in the church’s Fellowship Hall, offering a chance to meet the speaker and discuss her presentation. Battery Gadsden’s speaker events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Battery Gadsden Cultural Center at batterygadsden@gmail.com.