The life of Elric Johnston Endersby, a titan of Mid-Atlantic architectural preservation and oral history, will be memorialized through a new permanent endowment designed to inspire the next generation of historians.
The Endersby and Gwazda families officially established the Elric Johnston Endersby Internship in Public History Endowment at the Princeton Area Community Foundation (PACF) during a signing ceremony at Updike Farm on April 9. The fund will support a paid summer internship at the Historical Society of Princeton (HSP) in perpetuity.
Elric Endersby, who passed away in October at age 79, was a Princeton native whose career bridged the gap between academic history and hands-on craftsmanship. In 1975, he founded The Princeton Recollector, an oral history journal that remains a cornerstone of the region’s digitized archives.
Later, as co-founder of the New Jersey Barn Company, Endersby became one of the nation’s foremost experts on timber-frame structures. His work, which included the restoration of the 18th-century Edmund Burroughs House, was so influential it was featured as a cover story for Architectural Digest.
“Elric understood that the next generation needs to be aware of the value of preservation,” said his sister, Deborah Endersby Gwazda. “He encouraged students to appreciate the old ways and appearances.”
The new internship offers students and recent graduates a “hands-on introduction” to the field. Unlike traditional academic roles, the program will allow interns to work directly with HSP staff on diverse projects, including:
- Archival Management: Working with historical collections and Endersby’s own meticulously measured drawings of over 700 structures.
- Oral History: Supporting initiatives to preserve the voices of the community.
- Public Programming: Developing educational content and research interpretation.
Elizabeth Monroe, executive director of HSP, noted that the internship aims to show students how a passion for history can translate into a tangible, varied career path.
The endowment was launched with a groundswell of community support. Following Endersby’s death, more than 90 memorial gifts totaling nearly $24,000 were donated by preservationists, colleagues, and friends. These initial funds will kickstart the program before the PACF endowment takes over to sustain it long-term.
“The outpouring of memorial tributes reflects the wide range of people that he touched personally,” Edward Gwazda, Endersby’s brother-in-law, said.
