[5] An undergraduate at Yale, Phillips went on to become one of the first graduates from Columbia University's pioneering MA program in Historic Preservation, founded in 1964 by James Marston Fitch.
In February 1977, however, the SPNEA became concerned with the liability of providing professional services as a non-profit, and Maximilian Ferro (under whose name and license all construction contracts were signed), was spun off to form The Preservation Partnership, a private multi-disciplinary firm.
Dr. Selwyn followed later, forming her own consultancy in Preservation Science, while Sarah Chase, Rick Detwiller, David M. Hart, and Norman Weiss all pursued successful private practices.
While the Center continued to be profitable, it never regained the prominence it had when administering architectural projects, and never again enjoyed the full support of the SPNEA, After protracted bureaucratic battles, it eventually closed in the early 1990s.
Phillips went into private practice in Canajoharie, New York, but during a trip to examine Mayan ruins in Guatemala, he developed a ringing in his ears that exacerbated his long-standing struggle with manic depression.