Our History

As the Preservation Planner for the City of Saint Paul from 1982-1986, Mr. Zahn provided staffing services for the preservation program of over 50 locally designated historic sites and three historic districts comprised of more than 800 structures. His services included:
•  developing the local nomination form and design guidelines for the Lowertown Heritage Preservation District,
•  administering the certification of Saint Paul's Historic Hill Heritage Preservation District for preservation investment tax credit purposes,
•  supervising the publication of the Saint Paul and Ramsey County Historic Sites Survey,
•  conceiving and designing the Saint Paul Heritage Preservation Commission Report, and
•  Beginning the documentation of existing conditions (age of structure, address, preservation classification, and photographic documentation) of Summit Avenue in

   preparation for the creation of the West Summit Avenue Historic District.


In July of 1986 Mr. Zahn formed Thomas R. Zahn & Associates, an architectural and planning firm dedicated to addressing the design and planning needs of the preservation community. Since that time the TRZ&A has completed the full spectrum of preservation planning projects. Our full collection of preservation and historic resource management have included, but not limited to: over 35 National Register of Historic Places nominations, 7 city-wide historic context studies including the initial development of the City of Minneapolis' Preservation Plan; 18 preservation design guidelines for historic downtowns and residential neighborhoods throughout the state including the Upper Bluff of Historic Fort Snelling; 10 historic resource surveys; and over 30 Historic building or campus reuse studies. Over time TRZ&A has developed more richly-illustrated preservation design guidelines and managed more reuse studies of historic buildings than any other firm in the Upper Midwest. 



651.221.9765  •  Preservation@tzahn.com

Preservation Planning and Cultural Resource Management Services

Thomas R Zahn & Associates LLC