History Episodes

In this week's episode, Stacy kicks off Historic Preservation Month by revisiting the State of Restoration voicemail project, sharing updates from Utah and the Pacific Northwest. Then, she chats with Emma Shay about her 1924 Craftsman bungalow. They get into how Emma's first house, what she calls an “old house on easy mode," sparked a love and respect for old houses. That experience now shapes the thoughtful decisions she’s making to preserve charm and character without overcomplicating the p...

This week’s field trip episode started with a question Stacy couldn’t shake: Why is there a beautiful historic hotel in the middle of nowhere, Idaho? The Sun Valley Lodge isn't just any hotel. It's a grand, carefully designed resort surrounded by mountains and ranchland. When Stacy realized Gilbert Stanley Underwood, the architect behind many of the lodges in the National Parks, was involved, it explained the design—but not the decision to build it there. So Stacy sat down in person with h...

In this episode, Stacy explores the deal-breakers that shape how people approach buying an old house and how those decisions shift depending on life stage. She also chats with Michelle Bowers of Old House Life, who has watched that play out in real time.

In this minisode, Stacy and guest co-host Steve Jordan follow a road-trip-inspired rabbit hole that starts with the Grange and leads to dancing—and the ingenious floors, dating back to the 18th century, that made it possible. They talk about how rural communities actually spent time together, Grange halls, gatherings, and yes, dancing, which leads straight into Steve’s niche obsession: sprung dance floors. Steve literally wrote the book on them, and they were once fairly commonplace in gra...

In this episode, Stacy looks at why some of the most iconic Gilded Age mansions in Newport were nearly lost, and how that story connects to what’s happening right now with lead safety laws and historic windows in Rhode Island. If you think that is just a local issue, think again. Stacy takes listeners to Newport, Rhode Island, where some of the most over-the-top Gilded Age mansions in the country were almost lost when the world around them changed. For a time, there was no clear path forward,...

In this episode of True Tales from Old Houses, Contractor and preservationist Brent Hull joins hosts Stacy Grinsfelder and Daniel Kanter to talk craftsmanship, good design, and why historic homes deserve better. Plus, learn how psychic realtor...

In this special October episode of True Tales From Old Houses, Stacy and Daniel return with Part II of their spooky stories compilation. Following the eerie encounters shared in Part I, this episode brings even more spine-tingling yet light-hearted...

In today's episode, during listener Q&A, Stacy and Daniel discuss which inspection professionals to call during the old home buying process. And later, Georgia-based preservationist Caitlin Mee kicks off National Historic Preservation Month on...

In today's episode, during listener Q&A, Stacy and Daniel discuss ways to determine the original floor plan of an old house.  And later, they chat with Gina Bellous. Gina's dream of owning a Victorian Bed and Breakfast is coming true in her...

In today's episode, Laine Berry from Our Restoration Nation shares apocryphal stories. Apocryphal stories have a dubious origin, but they have been told so often that they are accepted as fact. Many of these tales are rooted in religion and...

In today’s episode, Stacy is back in the Hudson Valley for the first of two shows recorded in front of a live audience. Stacy talks to Reggie Young from Hudson Valley House Parts. Reggie explains the logistics of the architectural salvage business...

On today's show, recorded in front of a live audience in Hudson Valley, New York, Stacy chats with Susan and William Brinson from House of Brinson. Eight years ago, Susan and Will left New York City and bought Stony Ford, a large country estate with a...

In this episode, Stacy wonders, If you inherit a ghost, do you have to keep it? Guests Denise, Molly, and Brianna, share three different paranormal experiences that pique Stacy's curiosity about that moral conundrum. October is ghost story month, so...

In this episode, Stacy welcomes Architect Keith Stachowiak from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Three years ago, Keith and his wife Elisa bought a former funeral home to convert into their primary residence. Keith's story is the first of two spooky, fun October...

In today’s episode, Stacy is thrilled to welcome back Elizabeth Finkelstein from the wildly popular Instagram Account and recent HGTV and Discovery+ TV Series, Cheap Old Houses. Also, during listener Q&A, Stacy welcomes back John Rodgers. Stacy...

On today's episode, Stacy enjoys a conversation with Greg, a fun-loving Brit best known as Man with a Hammer, on Instagram.  Also, during listener Q&A, Stacy welcomes back John Rodgers. Stacy and John discuss ways to find a good contractor.

For today's special field trip episode, Stacy travels to historic St. Joseph, Missouri, to visit John Rodgers of Phoenix Preservation. Stacy and John chat about his path to the trades, what he wishes old house owners would stop doing, and the special...

In this episode, Stacy learns about Elfreth's Alley. Located in Philadelphia, Elfreth's Alley is the nation's oldest residential street. Stacy chats with Ted Maust, director of the Elfreth's Alley Museum, and long-time residents of the alley, Rob and Sue...

In this, the 50th episode, Stacy is on location visiting Robert Goller, historian for the town of Aurora and village of East Aurora, New York. Stacy and Robert discuss methods for researching the history of an old house and how local lore often...

In this episode, Stacy and Bill from Enon Hall discuss momentum and maintaining enthusiasm for long-term projects. Later, Stacy is on location at The Tool Library in Buffalo, New York. The city of Buffalo is comprised of around 90% old house...

In this episode, Stacy and Ashley from The Gold Hive discuss oddball additions to historic structures.  Later, Stacy welcomes Lindsay Jones from Blind Eye Restoration, a woman-owned architectural conservation company in Columbus, Ohio. Lindsay...

Stacy and Devyn welcome Richard Cann from the UK. Richard offers a fascinating look into the process of making art glass as well as the modern beliefs that lead people to replace British history with "plastic toy windows."

Stacy finally shares the experience that converted her from a total skeptic to “maybe sort of a believer, but let’s not talk about it too much.” Also, Devyn and Stacy welcome Chelsey and Susan to tell their own stories of the unexplainable.

John Harrington kicks off the October ghost story series. His story is a tale of items lost and then found in the most serendipitous ways.