Richard Grubb & Associates : Cultural Resource Consultants

Laura DiPasquale is an architectural historian who joined the RGA staff in March 2013. Laura received her Master’s Degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania in May of 2012. A native of Dover, Delaware, Laura received an Honor’s B.A. in Art Conservation from the University of Delaware in 2008. Before joining RGA, Laura worked as an Associate with Heritage Consulting, Inc., a Philadelphia-based preservation consulting firm which focuses primarily on downtown and commercial district revitalization and non-profit organizational development. From 2012-2013, Laura also served as a Historic Preservation Assistant with the New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office in the Above Ground Reviews division, where she gained formal experience with Section 106 regulations and other municipal and state cultural resource regulations. A self-described generalist in preservation, Laura has also interned with two architectural conservation firms, the Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust and Milner + Carr Conservation, as well as Downtown Visions, Wilmington, Delaware's business improvement district and Main Street program. Internationally, Laura has conducted research and performed studio work in Kotor, Montenegro and Shanghai, China.

Tabitha Hilliard began working with RGA as an intern in September of 2012. She joined RGA staff in January 2013 as an archaeologist and GIS specialist. Tabitha is a Master's of Anthropology candidate, presently attending Monmouth University, expected to graduate in May of 2013. Her studies focus on Contact Period Archaeology, artifact analysis and horse furniture. She is presently developing an artifact seriation and typology of bridle bits for her Master's thesis. She graduated from the University of Virginia in 2009 with a Bachelor's degree and majored in both Anthropology and Archaeology. Tabitha has previously worked as an Archaeology Lab Technician for Ferry Farm, George Washington's Boyhood Home. In addition to working for Ferry Farm, Tabitha has also completed a GIS-based internship with Mount Vernon's Archaeology Department as well as an internship with the National Museum of American History's Repatriation Department. Tabitha is looking forward to developing her skill set in GIS and archaeology field methods at RGA.

Lynn Alpert is an architectural historian who joined the RGA staff in September 2012. Lynn received her Master’s Degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania in May of 2012 and focused her studies on architecture in Philadelphia. Her Master’s thesis examined the history, use, and preservation of corner stores in Philadelphia’s historic row house neighborhoods. As a preservationist at Partners for Sacred Places in Philadelphia, Lynn worked directly with religious organizations to help support and preserve historic religious buildings. In addition to her Philadelphia experience, Lynn has worked briefly in Greenwich, New Jersey, as well as Kotor, Montenegro and Shanghai, China. Lynn is excited for the opportunity to expand her skills and experience at RGA.

Brittany Lavelle is an architectural historian who joined the RGA staff in August 2012. Brittany received her Master’s Degree in Historic Preservation from the College of Charleston and Clemson University joint program in Charleston, South Carolina in May of 2012. In Charleston, Brittany focused her studies on southern architecture and landscape as it relates to women’s history, and also started her own freelance research business which specialized in house histories and historic title research. Brittany has worked as an architectural historian and researcher for major preservation foundations in South Carolina, as well as briefly in New Orleans, Louisiana and Genoa, Italy, and is looking forward to expanding her preservation knowledge with RGA.

Spatial Analyst Extension to GIS: The spatial analyst extension of ArcMAP in ArcGIS (Global Information Systems) enables qualitative and quantitative data collected during historical, historic architectural and archaeological surveys to be efficiently and cost effectively queried and extracted from compiled databases, and graphically projected in a synthesized, easily interpreted format. This extension projects the horizontal spatial distribution of multiple levels of queried data to permit well-formulated interpretations, comparative analyses, focused research methodologies, and identification of areas of interest (e.g., archaeological site boundaries or historic district boundaries). The data can be projected in GIS shape file format, enabling both project sponsors and clients to effectively incorporate pertinent data into project plans and designs.

Mapping capabilities: To improve client services and efficiency, RGA purchased seven Garmin handheld 400T Global Positioning Systems (GPS) units in 2009. The Global Information Systems (GIS) Coordinator inputs locations into the GPS units before sending personnel with the GPS units into the field. The field personnel are able to accurately find the sensitive areas to test, decreasing time in the field, and reducing costs. This technology adds to the other data collection field equipment already in use at RGA: a Nikon Total Station DTM-332 and professional-grade Trimble GPS. The total station provides precision accuracy to facilitate mapping of archaeological data for export to AutoCAD, GIS, or simply as raw spreadsheet data. The Trimble GPS and hardware consist of a Pathfinder ProXH Receiver and Recon Datalogger equipment, Pathfinder Office 3.10, and TerraSync 3.0 software. This sub-foot accuracy GPS system supports digital and manual surveying techniques for precision drafting with AutoCAD Map3D 2011 and ArcView 10 GIS. To keep fully up-to-date, RGA annually renews the maintenance plans for each of these software packages: AutoCAD Map 3D, ArcGIS, Pathfinder Office, and TerraSync.

Awards: April 28, 2007: Richard Grubb & Associates (RGA) was part of the project team that won the 17th Annual New Jersey Historic Preservation Award for the Rehabilitation of County Bridge No. E0801. Fast forward to May 17, 2008: For the second year running the firm’s hard work has not gone unnoticed. RGA was part of the project team that won the 18th Annual New Jersey Historic Preservation Award for the Rehabilitation of County Bridge No. C0601. See PDF copies below.

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