Community Corner
Three Minutes on a Park Bench with Historic Preservation expert Ward Hamilton
Hamilton shares some tips with Patch on the business and on the home preservation in New England.
Ward Hamilton of Olde Mohawk Historic Preservation tells Patch what sparked his interest in historic preservation and offers other business owners some key advice on how to overcome everyday challenges.
Q. Your name, title and name of your business.
A. Ward Hamilton, owner/operator, Olde Mohawk Historic Preservation
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Q. How did you come up with the name of your business?
A. We started the business in Upstate NY, in the Hudson and Mohawk River Valleys. ‘Olde Mohawk’ is a
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regional allusion.
Q. What’s the best part about doing business in your town?
A. The metro Boston area is full of older, wonderful building stock and we are fortunate to work here.
Q. What attracted to you to this business, and how did you start?
A. A love of history and old buildings are the active ingredients in the formula that created a career in
historic preservation.
Q. If you were to get an indulgent snack in your town, where would you go and what would you get?
A. Without a doubt, a cheeseburger at Eagles Deli on Beacon Street.
Q. What’s the biggest challenge you face in your job?
A. Helping prospective clients understand what’s needed and compare proposals from other
contractors. Making sure that they compare apples to apples is critical. Too often the other guy wants to
cut corners and, while that affects the bottom line of price, it also impacts the quality of the final
product.
Q. What advice would you give to a person just starting in your business?
A. Under promise and over deliver.
Q. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
A. Never stop learning. Five years ago I went back to school and earned a master’s degree in historic
preservation. As a preservation consultant and contractor we offer clients an added dimension that our
competitors can’t.
Q. If you were going to have a secret rendezvous in town, where would it be?
A. If I could steal my wife away for a few hours we’d meet at Barcelona Brookline. Maybe next year,
when our youngest of five starts kindergarten, we’ll make it happen.
Q. You’re not the only person in this business. How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?
A. We do what we say we’re going to do, when we say we’re going to do it, for the price we quote and
never ask for more. How many contractors can say that?
Q. Your name as you’d like it appear, your email and phone number, in case we have follow ups.
A. Ward Hamilton, by email at ward@wardhamilton.com or by phone at 781.686.6999
