The Society of Architectural Historians (SAH)

WHAT WE DO

To carry out our educational mission, we publish print and digital resources including JSAH, SAH Archipedia, Buildings of the United States, and SAHARA. We organize annual conferences, virtual programs, study tours, and graduate student programs to promote scholarship and public engagement with the history of the built environment. We award fellowships and grants to support academic research and present awards that recognize excellence in scholarship and professional service. We also advocate on issues related to preservation, higher education, and the humanities.

OUR MEMBERSHIP

SAH serves approximately 2,300 individual members and 600 institutional members in 54 countries. Our members include architectural historians, art historians, landscape historians, architects, preservationists, urban planners, teachers, graduate students, museum professionals, and individuals from other professions who share a passion for the built environment.

AT HOME IN CHICAGO

SAH is headquartered in the National Historic Landmark Charnley-Persky House in Chicago, Illinois, pictured above. The 1891-92 home is a pivotal work in the history of modernism in architecture. It is one of few major residential commissions — and the only one open to the public — realized by Louis Sullivan, one of the most important architects to have practiced in the United States. The house is also a benchmark in the early development of Frank Lloyd Wright, who as a draftsman in Sullivan's office during the time of its creation, contributed significantly to the design.

The building was given to the Society by member Seymour H. Persky in 1995 on the condition that SAH move its home office from Philadelphia to Chicago. For 30 years, the Society has served as steward of the iconic property and offered guided tours to the public.