The last quarter of the twentieth century has seen a dramatic growth of interest in the preservation of historic structures. With this has developed the need to bring back many trades that had declined after World War II. Within the past twenty to thirty years these traditional building trades, which are so vitally needed to accurately restore, recreate, preserve, and adaptively reuse these structures, have become a valuable component of the preservation infrastructure. I have elected to study the careers and historically significant work of tradespersons in two selected regions of the United States, in order to illustrate the resurgence of the traditional building trades on a national level. The focus of this work centers on the careers of a group of craftsmen, from their early beginnings in the trades, to their current status as having earned an identity as a professional in their field. Themes appear from the various stages of their careers. These themes are evaluated through different literature published on this subject and through the formation of trade schools and organizations. / Department of Architecture