Bryce Waldrop: The Sentimental Architect

March 3, 2023

By Susan Gallagher, Staff Writer

Nestled in the historic town of York, an old house whispers its secrets to preservation architect Bryce Waldrop. It speaks to him with voices from the past, echoes of lives lived in this place before.

The 1921 Craftsman Bungalow, his home of the past 12 years, envelops Bryce with more than its physical structure. A portrait of the home’s previous inhabitants graces the dining room wall, imbuing the home with their presence. “Every house has a story to tell,” he says. “There is a lot of embodied energy there."

While he stops short of ascribing the energy to actual ghosts, he does believe there is a “spirit or a vibe in places.” Some would explain it as a haunting or a religious experience, but Waldrop refers to it a little differently. “There is a sixth sense of place that connects us to where we live and spend our lives,” he says. “There is a higher level of connection going on there.”

As a preservation architect and architectural historian, Wal- drop’s love of old houses lends an emotional attachment to his work. Seeing old buildings torn down evokes a sort of grief in him. “We are losing our history,” he says sadly. He goes on to say, “When we think of historic architecture, we tend to think of big landmarks, but there are some really rich stories in your everyday house that don’t often get fully told.”

Since July of 2020, Waldrop has found a comfortable niche as Executive Director of the Historical Society of Wells and Ogunquit. His background enables him to help the society through historical research as well as architectural preservation. “I feel really lucky being an architectural historian here,” he says with obvious enthusiasm. “We have a museum, a historical archive, and a research library, all housed in a National Register building: the historic First Church Meetinghouse.” His smile is beaming as he stands in the 1862 meetinghouse, surrounded by the exquisite Romanesque and Gothic architecture. He is in his element here.

Preserving our history is a foremost priority for Bryce. “I think it is important to reflect on stories from the past for a number of reasons,” he says in a serious tone. “It can be a comfort, it can be pure entertainment in looking back on interesting people.” He adds, “It also teaches us valuable lessons about the past and how that may apply to what’s happening today and in our own lives.”

He believes that history, for better or worse, repeats itself. He states emphatically, “We need to study history and re-study it. We must look at those same events again from different perspectives in every generation.” He pauses for a moment and adds, “I think it is really important.”

Somewhat of an “old soul,” Bryce has always felt connected to the past. “I embrace new technology,” he says, “but I love old things.” His love of old things is not limited to old buildings. He has long been an avid collector of old books, particularly those about architecture and old world’s fairs. His collection includes pictures featuring what he calls his “go-to” themes: history and architecture. He laughingly admits he is trying to cut back on the collecting. “My wife would probably tell you there was a time that I hoarded old things,” he says, a little embarrassed.

Even old souls take some time to find their direction in life. Growing up in Upstate New York, Bryce was a creative child, filled with a love of drawing, crafts and woodworking. A sixth-grade assignment on Ancient Egyptian artifacts filled the boy with dreams of becoming an Egyptologist, but like many childhood dreams, this one would fade. Then Bryce discovered that as an architect, he could bring his dual loves of art and building together, and so, his vocation was decided.

Halfway through architecture school at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a fateful trip to Washington D.C. with his father would prove to be a catalyst in his career. While touring historical sites in the area, the young Bryce found himself entranced with the old architecture, and his innate love of old things revealed itself. He realized that preservation architecture was his true calling.

While Waldrop views architecture as our “built environment,” he has a deep appreciation for the natural landscape as well. “I love nature,” he says, “I love the outdoors. Hiking in the mountains is my favorite outlet.” Comparing the built environment with the natural one, he concludes, “I think there are a lot of similarities. You are brought into a place where there is a lot of power and fragility at the same time. Whether you are looking at trees, birds, mountains, or buildings, both natural and human impact can alter these things drastically in a short period of time.”

The effects of climate change on both types of landscape deeply distress him. “Climate change,” he says, “affects not just nature, but buildings, communities and neighborhoods.” He is most concerned with our most vulnerable coastal areas, particularly on the East Coast, where our earliest architecture is found. “We are having stronger storms, more extreme weather conditions and sea level rise,” he says. “Our cities must keep studying this issue, and find solutions that will protect these precious buildings going into the future.”

Bryce may not have all the answers to these difficult problems, but he is no stranger to tough challenges. As an Engineer Officer of the U.S. Army Reserve, he served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, something he describes as “my toughest and most rewarding experience prior to raising my children.” He says, “My time in Iraq brought me face to face with difficult situations. It was very eye-opening.”

About Iraq itself, he says thoughtfully, “We have a lot of preconceived perceptions about countries like Iraq.” He says that while they don’t have the resources of wealthier countries like the United States, they are in many ways similar to us. “They have communities just like ours,” he says, “They have town government, city planners, architects, downtown development plans.” He adds simply, “They are trying to live a good life.”

Safely at home in York, living his own good life with his wife and 17-year-old twin daughters, Bryce is ever comforted by the presence of the past. “In an old house,” he says, I feel the continuity, the connection to the past and to previous generations.” He goes on to say, “I feel as if we are only temporary stewards of this home. It will be someone else’s home in the future.”

As for his legacy, he reflects for a moment and says, “I hope history will remember me as a husband, a good father, and as having helped people discover history in their own back yard.” In the meantime, there are a multitude of old houses out there, waiting eagerly to whisper their secrets into the welcoming ear of Bryce Waldrop.