Andrew Johnston

Andrew Johnston is an Associate Professor of Architectural History at the University of Virginia and Director of the Historic Preservation Certificate Program. A licensed architect and certified planner, he teaches courses in historic preservation and heritage studies, including ARH 3604/8604: Architectural Field Methods I. His research focuses on industrial and infrastructure heritage, cultural landscapes, and preservation practice, with an emphasis on field-based methods and community collaboration, including work with the Dunbar Rosenwald School in Palmyra, Virginia. In 2024, Johnston co-authored with Jessica Sewell the chapter “The Troubled History of Historic Preservation in the United States” in Conservation and Architectural Heritage: Voices from the World (Sapienza University Press), which critiques the field’s traditional focus on physical structures and calls for more inclusive, value-based approaches that address social history, race, and cultural meaning.