Jeff Darbee is co-author of the forthcoming book (October 5, 2021), “Amtrak, America’s Railroad: Transportation’s Orphan and Its Struggle for Survival (Railroad Past and Present)”. Mr. Darbee began his historic preservation career when he joined the staff of the Ohio Historic Preservation Office, Ohio Historical Society, in early 1974. In his positions as Historian and Grants Manager he worked in all phases of preservation, including research and writing of history; survey and inventory of historic properties; nominations to the National Register of Historic Places; review of federal projects under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act; public information and education; administration of over 100 federal preservation grants; and technical training in historic preservation.

In 1980 Jeff and his wife, Nancy Recchie, began Benjamin D. Rickey & Co., a consulting firm specializing in historic preservation. Jeff has had primary responsibility for nearly all of the 100+ Historic Preservation Tax Credit projects on which Benjamin D. Rickey & Co. has been historical consultant. He has also served as preservation consultant on major public building projects such as the Ohio Statehouse, Ohio Stadium at the Ohio State University, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, and the Ohio Judicial Center.

Jeff has worked also in many of the firm’s survey and planning projects and has developed several training workshops offered by Benjamin D. Rickey & Co. for real estate professionals, preservation organizations, local governments and historic preservation commissions. He was author of a preservation policy document for the New Jersey legislature in 1981 and was co-author in 1976 of Architecture: Columbus. Other published efforts include multiple design guidelines, a historic building maintenance manual for the State of South Carolina, a history of Columbus Union Station, and German Columbus, AIA Guide to Columbus, Little Cities of Black Diamonds and Cincinnati Parks and Parkways..

Jeff has served as a member of the boards of Preservation Action, the Columbus Landmarks Foundation, the Columbus Architecture Foundation, the Ohio Historical Society, the Ohio Preservation Alliance, and Downtown Ohio, Inc. He has served on the Advisory Board for the historic preservation program of Belmont Technical College and currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Midwest Railroad Research Center at the Indiana Historical Society.