The founders of Roots and Recall, Wade B. Fairey, Senior and James I. “Rusty” Robinson III, are historic preservationists who each view the preservation of architecture and local history as vital to their lives. They both grew up in York County, South Carolina, in a culture in which family stories and traditions are valued. Both Rusty and Wade were taken by their families to visit the local historic village of Brattonsville as children in the early 60’s.
Wade at one of his favorite places, Edisto Island, SC.
These visits were the beginning of a lifelong love of historical architecture for both. It was not until 1981 that the two men met for the first time at none other than the Homestead House, which had become part of the regional restoration of Historic Brattonsville.
Rusty hewing a replacement log at Brattonsville in the mid 1980’s.
Wade had just begun serving as the Executive Director of the museum, and Rusty came along with his young daughter to volunteer. Subsequently, the two became fast friends who looked at restoration with an avid interest in understanding the form and function of architecture. Over the years they created Architectural Forensics, LLC as a means of exploring historic buildings and picking them apart one board at a time. This collaboration resulted in the creation of a massive database on artisans from South Carolina prior to 1870, a treasure of photographs and information related to historic structures.
Wade in downtown Prosperity, S.C. in 2014 working on R&R’s Newberry site.
Both Rusty and Wade understand the importance of historic preservation. They are passionate about their work and have assisted private and publicly held historic sites and museums for over thirty-five years. It has been said of the two friends that “they argue like two old men”, but in reality they are usually teasing out minute construction details which have gone unnoticed by others for decades. The piecing together of the history of a structure through technological changes forged a deep appreciation for the artisans and the challenges they faced. After having examined hundreds of 18th and 19th century structures, the two came to realize that buildings reveal stories about those who were the architects, builders, and owners. Years of work have also shown the significance of what Rusty and Wade have termed the “Home-place Theory”’ which states that houses are more than buildings; they are the locations of our memories.
Inspecting the mid 19th century construction details and timbers of a dwelling are inspirational to both Wade & Rusty.
Preservationists Michael Bedenbaugh and author, Jim Kibler, on a visit with Rusty to Rock Hill, S.C. at the Historic White Home.
A home’s image is of paramount value in our ability to recall these memories and leads us to a better understanding of our heritage. A sense of place and the stories emanating from it are fundamental to all of us. This is why we cherish the images from our past. It is our hope that a visit to your family’s homeplace on Roots and Recall will be a keenly moving experience as it has for thousands of monthly visitors.
Joanna Angle and Rusty are pictured at the Caldwell Home in Newberry County, S.C., 2014. R&R is blessed with many advisors and contributors but Joanna Angle continues to advance the website’s interests and foster opportunities.
Users of Roots and Recall will discover far more about who their ancestors were by linking documents related to specific addresses and structures than can be gained by simply reviewing a genealogical chart. Linking data with an address gives us a comprehensive image of our roots. Architectural Forensics, LLC has established the validity of this concept by filing a U.S. Patent, and also acknowledges the role a photographic image plays in stimulating recall of family and place. It is for this reason the website created by two friends is called “roots and recall”, a realization of their dream to preserve and share local history one town at a time.
As of 201214, both Rusty and Wade remain active in helping preserve local historic sites such as the Historic White Home in Rock Hill and other cultural institutions, including the Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Cultural and Heritage Museums of York County, South Carolina.
Please enjoy the website and enjoy the Endorsements and Remarks page as well as sampling two of R&R’s videos – Preservation from the Heart #1 and #2.
