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In a joint program with the , the Society of Architectural Historians is pleased to offer an annual fellowship that will support the participation of a graduate student in the research and writing of content for , the Society’s online architectural resource. This is a unique publication opportunity for graduate students. Proposed content must be related to some aspect of American architecture and/or urbanism prior to 1860, which may include Indigenous, Spanish Colonial, and/or African American topics. This fellowship was established in 2008 in honor of Charles E. Peterson, FAIA, founder of the Historic American Buildings Survey. The prize will be presented at the Society's annual conference in April and will be announced in the av福利社 Newsletter following the conference

To Apply:

The committee will award the fellowship by February 28, 2025. The fellowship grant of $2,500 will be contingent upon the recipient's completion of the project, which is expected to require approximately 150 hours of work. A portion of the award ($500) will be paid in early June to cover the recipient's immediate expenses. The balance of the award ($2,000) will be payable upon completion of the project. The completed project must be submitted to av福利社 by August 31, 2025. 

The fellowship is intended for students currently enrolled in graduate programs in art or architectural history, architectural design, urban planning, historic preservation, landscape architecture, American studies, or related disciplines. Preference will be given to av福利社 members. The successful applicant does not need to reside in Philadelphia, although the Athenaeum will be glad to have the fellowship recipient use its collections. Applications will be reviewed by a committee composed of BUS/av福利社 Archipedia editors and authors. You do not have to be a member of av福利社 to apply for this fellowship, but membership is encouraged. 

Applicants must submit the following through the online portal:

Cover letter discussing their research interests and professional goals
  • CV or resumé
  • Proposed content (1 page). This must be related to some aspect of American architecture and/or urbanism prior to 1860, although you should bring the building/site history up to the present. Please be sure to consult av福利社 Archipedia to ensure the proposed content is not already published. Proposals may include one or more of the following: 
  • Updating and/or expanding existing building entries. For example, expanding plantation entries to include analysis of slave quarters and the plantation landscape. 
  • New building entries (approximately 250-750 words), with a brief statement about the significance of each. 
  • A thematic essay (1,000-2,000 words) that contextualizes a set of existing and/or new entries.
  • Brief writing sample (5–10 pages)
  • Recommendation from an advisor or principal professor submitted using the online recommendation form

For examples of work by past Peterson fellows, please see the following: Buildings of Connecticut; Gulf Coast Tribes; Schools for the Deaf, 1817–1865.

Applications for the 2026 award will open. October 2025. If you have any questions, please contact Ann Gilkerson, Managing Editor of av福利社 Archipedia at AGilkerson@sah.org.

2025 Fellow

Ryan Mitchell

Mitchell's research explores the development of Orientalist architectural styles in the United States, specifically those that claim affinity with vernacular of Islamic architectural history from the early half of the nineteenth century. While applications of Orientalism in France and Britain are more frequently analyzed, "American Orientalism" as a unique phenomenon remains understudied, especially before 1860, he wrote in his fellowship application.

He will study the works of several notable American architects, including Samuel Sloan (1815-1884), Alexander J. Davis (1803-1892), and Leopold Eidlitz (1823-1908), among others. He writes:

"While relatively few buildings rendered in an Orientalist style from before 1860 remain standing, several unrealized designs, visual documentation primarily in printed media (engravings, lithographs, design treatises, newspapers) will guide my investigation... Several extant buildings from this period will be analyzed, for which I will draft or supplement Archipedia entries. Target sites include the Farmers and Exchange Bank in Charleston, South Carolina, and Longwood in Natchez, Mississippi, left unfinished in spring 1861."

Read the full news release

Past Recipients

Fellowship reports, when available, are linked below recipients' names.

2025: Ryan Mitchell
Announcement

2024: Hannah Truman
Fellowship report

2023: NO AWARD / FELLOWSHIP GIVEN

2022: Charlette M. Caldwell
Fellowship report

2021: Miguel Jimenez
Fellowship report

2020: Allen Miller
Fellowship report

2019: Mary Begley
Fellowship report

2018: Kelly J. Daviduke
Fellowship report

2017: Williamena Granger
Fellowship report

2016: Hallie Borstel

2015: Tonia S. Chi
Fellowship report

2014: Kayla Halberg

2013 Klinton Burgio-Ericson

2012 Bradley G. Allen

2011 William N. Marzella

2010 Jennifer L. Betsworth

2009 Kate M. Kocyba

Background

The Society of Architectural Historians recognizes the work it must undertake to make reparations for past harms and redress foundational structural inequities and has charged the av福利社 IDEAS Committee with acting to care for its diverse community by reckoning with past injustices and accounting for future sustainability.

As a small but concrete step forward, the av福利社 IDEAS Research Fellowships were established in 2022 to support a cohort of emerging scholars who self-identify as members of groups historically marginalized by av福利社 and the academy at large. These fellowships are intended to nurture research that challenges existing paradigms, as defined by applicants, and represents previously under-recognized and/or unsupported directions for architectural history as researched, thought, or applied. In addition to providing research support, the fellowships are intended to create mentored cohorts to support the work of emerging scholars.

 

Header image: The W. E. Warren House, 196 Montgomery Street, Newburgh, New York. Researched by Peterson Fellowship awardee Tonia Sing Chi.