In Episode 396, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the history of historic preservation.
Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:
- Historic preservation is almost as old as U.S. history. Natalia drew on this Discourse magazine article, and Niki discussed this New Yorker essay. Neil referenced this New York Times opinion essay.
In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:
- Natalia discussed Matthew Schmitz’ Compact article, “Millennial Socialists Embrace Atrocities.”
- Neil shared Paige Williams’ New Yorker essay, “Among the Cabin Fanatics of Mississippi’s Giant Houseparty.”
- Niki recommended Matthew Dallek’s new book, Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right.



![A lantern slideshows four overlapping illustrations of the Earth depicting its tilt at different time periods in the past, present and future. Dates represented are 13000 BC, 5544 BC, 1921 AD, 2296AD. Handwritten in blue ink at bottom left corner of plate is the text 'G53 CLW [illegible] Aug '22'.](https://i0.wp.com/publicseminar.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Wragge_Earth.jpg?fit=768%2C749&ssl=1)









