What Folks Are Saying About Us

"I have worked with Dr. Plaag on several National Register nomination projects (including my own home, the John Lawton House), two historical marker projects, and several other preservation-related research initiatives in Hampton, Jasper, and Beaufort Counties. Dr. Plaag consistently demonstrates that he is a dependable man of integrity, a gentleman in both senses of the word, and a 'doer' who is as comfortable rambling through underbrush seeking a clue for a long-lost gravestone--whether it be a crisp fall day or the steamy heat of Lowcountry summer--as he is giving a formal presentation in a board room. We have thought about, sought, and found many a missing piece of the puzzle. His enthusiasm is as expansive as his abilities and qualifications. I already have three sons, but if Eric is ever up for adoption, I'll be the first in line to bring him home!"

--Lawton Clarke O'Cain, Estill, SC

"I am happy to recommend the fine work of Dr. Eric W. Plaag as a historic preservationist, historian, and public historian. Energetic and personable, he is a consummate professional who is always flexible to the needs of constituents with many different agendas.

The National Register of Historic Places, a program of the National Park Service, is the federal government’s official list of historic and cultural resources considered worthy of preservation and interpretation. The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History runs the National Register program in South Carolina. I was a historian at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History from 1986 through 2013, and was for many years co-coordinator of the National Register of Historic Places program in the state. National Register nomination documents require extensive research in published and unpublished resources, site visits and interviews, and architectural and historical analysis in order to make a case for listing a particular property in the National Register.

Dr. Plaag prepared eleven National Register nominations while I worked with the program, for resources ranging from historic districts to individual houses, from churches to schools, and from theaters to jails. His nominations, always solidly grounded in impressive and imaginative research, and always featuring clear architectural descriptions and historical narratives, made convincing cases and were approved at the state and national levels. His public presentations at the South Carolina State Board of Review, the body that reviews and approves nominations at the state level, also featured that same combination of scholarship and accessibility, his ability to convey what truly mattered about each historic resource, and a deeply-felt understanding of the benefits of historic preservation for property owners and the common good alike.

His attention to detail—always critical in the lengthy and sometimes difficult process of nominating properties to the National Register—and his willingness to work with our office to answer any questions or make any suggested revisions made his nominations among the very best submitted to our office in my many years working with the National Register program."

--J. Tracy Power, Ph.D., Assistant Professor History and Director, College Archives, Newberry College*

*Former Staff Historian and Co-Coordinator, National Register of Historic Places/Coordinator, South Carolina Historical Marker Program, South Carolina Department of Archives and History, 1986-2013

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Plaag at Carolina Historical Consulting for the professional manner in which he handled the two National Historic Register applications we commissioned. Dr. Plaag was a joy to work with, always helpful, always personable, and above all a knowledgeable and professional historian. Both projects, Dantzler Plantation and Providence UMC, were nominated on the first iteration, with clear and concise applications. There really was never any doubt of the approval. We also were amazed at the new knowledge we gained from Dr. Plaag's insights into the history of the buildings, how they fit into the local community, and the personalities that had lived in or used the buildings. We were delighted with his work, and he and his wife have become our good friends."

--Mike and Deedee Kullenberg (Dantzler Plantation)

"I met Dr. Eric Plaag through our mutual friend, Mrs. Lawton O'Cain.  He was the first one to tell me that he thought my old family home, the J. C. Richardson House, in Robertville, SC, would qualify to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  It was fascinating to watch him work through the process, and even more fascinating to be in attendance when he made the presentation before the South Carolina Board of Review.  The house was officially listed on the National Register on September 22, 2014.
 
The historical Robertville Baptist Church, of which I am a member, has retained Dr. Plaag to write a book-length history of the church, which is also  listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
 
I have learned so much from working with Eric.  His knowledge and experience have led me on a wonderful journey into the history that surrounds us in this part of the South Carolina Lowcountry."
 
--Gloria Langford Tuten, Historian, Robertville Baptist Church, Estill, SC

"I have had Eric Plaag and Carolina Historical Consulting document the history of people and places. I have found their services to be thorough, done in a timely manner and reasonably priced."

--Marie S. Ellis, Curator Emeritus, Hampton Museum & Visitors' Center
 

Praise for On the Waters of the Wissahickon: A History of Erdenheim Farm:

"Eric Plaag's exploration of the historically significant Erdenheim Farm is a triumph in research and storytelling. Sustaining a property of this size in the midst of a densely developed metropolis is a tribute to the good fortune of responsible, visionary and committed ownership and is a case study in best preservation practices, regrettably rarely replicated."

--Sam Katz, Executive Producer, History Making Productions, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania