ABOUT
Worth Preserving is a mission-driven company working to preserve and reuse old buildings—“properties of character”—in the historic Hudson Valley region and beyond.
Worth Preserving partners with owners, architects, trades and others to rescue, rehabilitate and reimagine properties with an authentic sense of place. We specialize in whole-house rehabilitation projects and work with teams to achieve and sustain clarity on historic preservation goals throughout the design and construction process. We provide essential expertise on character-defining features - what’s “worth preserving” - and how to incorporate them appropriately into revitalized homes for this and future generations.
founder
Kate Wood is an award-winning preservationist, real estate broker and principal of the full-service historic rehabilitation firm, Worth Preserving.
Kate grew up criss-crossing the country with her educator parents and two brothers (now an architect and a National Park ranger) in the family’s Volkswagen Bus, visiting house museums, battlefields, Main Streets, and wildlife sanctuaries. Today, whether Kate’s house hunting or rehabbing, she partners with clients to unlock the potential of old buildings, applying decades of hands-on experience and her extensive network of trusted resources.
Preservation is Kate’s passion, rooted in her childhood spent exploring historic sites, her education in archaeology and anthropology, and over 15 years’ experience as the CEO of a major organization advocating for New York City landmarks. She taught preservation planning, advocacy and law at Columbia University and co-authored the book, Interior Landmarks: Treasures of New York, published in two editions by Monacelli Press.
Kate believes in the essential value of old-building stewardship to sustain community character. For her, each property is a cause and each client a fellow advocate. She specializes in matching people with properties, skilled contractors, historic tax credits and other benefits to support top-tier rehabilitation projects.
In 2017, Kate joined the team of respected pros at Hudson Valley real estate firm Patricia A. Hinkein Realty. With her expertise in properties eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, she brings hands-on preservation experience to every buyer search and seller listing.
Kate and her husband, New York School of Interior Design President David Sprouls, began rescuing, rehabilitating and reimagining Hudson Valley heritage properties for use as distinctive luxury escapes in 2007, ahead of the “AirBnB” curve. When not sourcing vintage fixtures or swooning over original windows, Kate relishes travel, reading, period dramas, cooking, growing vegetables, and being Patrick’s mom. She studied archaeology and anthropology at Washington & Lee University and Oxford University and holds two M.S. degrees in Historic Preservation and Urban Planning from Columbia University.
our team
Spencer Potoczak, social media coordinator - Spencer is an actor, singer, dancer and founder of her own social media platform supporting fellow performers. Her fearless embrace of challenges big and small make her an indispensable member of the team and definitely worth preserving.
In addition, we rely on a core team of contractors and all-around wonderful people whose carpentry, plumbing, electrical, masonry, roofing, finishing, and other skills bring joy to our work and, with each project, fresh life to our community.
Memberships & Engagement
- CIRCA Old Houses guest blogger
- Columbia Land Conservancy
- Friends of Clermont (Board Member 2018-2021)
- Friends of Historic Germantown (Board Member 2023-Present)
- Friends of Mills at Staatsburgh
- National Association of REALTORS®
- New York State Association of REALTORS®
- National Trust for Historic Preservation
- The Olana Partnership
- Preservation League of New York State
