Helping to document and analyze the built environment
Specializations
National Practice
– National Register and National Historic Landmark documentation
– African American resource surveys and designation studies
– New Deal–era public works and state park studies
– Historic highway research, including Route 66
Local and Community Work
– Neighborhood and district-level histories
– Research on public buildings and monuments
– Student-led research initiatives
– Public lectures and walking tours
Services
Research and Documentation
– Surveys
– Evaluations
– Context studies
– Community histories
Designation and Compliance
– National and State Register nominations
– Inventory forms (HCPI, MIHP, DPR)
– HABS/HAER documentation
– Planning and application documents
Specialized Practice Areas
– Historic highways research
– Santa Fe Historic District review
– Real estate due diligence
– Advisory services
Qualifications
Owner and Principal Architectural Historian John Murphey has:
More than 30 years of professional experience in the fields of architectural history, historic preservation, and public history
Extensive experience with the National Register of Historic Places, architectural survey, and property research
Expertise in program management, Section 106 compliance, HABS/HAER documentation, determinations of eligibility, design review, code enforcement, grant writing, public relations, and article development
Experience with all levels of government as well as private sector architecture, design, and building professions
Advanced skills in research and the documentation of commercial, residential, and institutional properties as well as highway and public infrastructure to his projects. This work has been conducted in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Michigan, Texas, Oklahoma, and Maryland
Murphey meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Professional Qualifications in the areas of Architectural History and History and is listed in the New Mexico SHPO Directory as a certified Architectural Historian and Historian and in the California Historical Resources Information System under the discipline of Architectural History.
Murphey is the recipient of the 2021 Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Heritage Preservation from the Historic Santa Fe Foundation and the 2025 Heritage Preservation Award from the City of Santa Fe.