W. Valentine White is a historic preservationist and public historian specializing in Colonial America history and historic preservation along the Eastern United States.
He holds an M.A. in public history from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and an M.A. in historic preservation from the University of Maryland. Since graduating, he has worked in cultural resources as an architectural historian and archaeologist. His works include John Tyler’s Woodburn: A Preservation Plan (College Park, 2023) and Washington’s Tour of North Carolina’s Revolutionary History (Raleigh, 2025). Since 2021, he has been researching the history of the historic preservation movement and its connection to tourism along the Eastern United States.
Historic Preservation: “George Washington Slept Here”
Beginning in 1887, North Carolinians began seriously preserving the state’s historical buildings. One popular focus was buildings in which George Washington either “slept here” (to use a popular and overused cliché) or with which he had genuine connections. In 1791, George Washington, then president, took a tour of the southern states, and, as a result,...