In 2004, the first class of students entered the accredited degree program of the American College of the Building Arts (ACBA), based in Charleston, South Carolina. The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 1968 Whitehill Report inspired the creation of this unique academic institution.
The report revealed that the plummeting numbers of those studying traditional craftsmanship would soon endanger America’s architectural heritage. ACBA’s training program expanded to include the design and construction of new works of architecture inspired by classical aesthetics. There were also programs to preserve historic architecture.
