In 1965, he moved to Washington, D. C., and the following year married Lucinda Smith of Alexandria, Virginia.
He then became an independent scholar, publishing many books and essays, and frequently appearing on C-SPAN to discuss the history and preservation of significant American buildings.
[5] His restoration projects include the state capitols of Michigan,[6] Ohio, Kansas, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, and historical consultation on the capitols of Minnesota, Alaska, and New Jersey.
Historic houses include Dodona Manor, the Gen. George C. Marshall House, Leesburg, Virginia; Ten Chimneys, home of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne; Genesee Depot, Wisconsin;[7] George Eastman House, Rochester, New York;[8] Ximenez-Fatio House, St. Augustine, Florida; Old Governor's Mansion (Milledgeville, Georgia); and many others over a period of twenty-five years.
In 2013 he served as a consultant and panelist for the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN) production First Ladies: Influence and Image, which ran for two seasons.First Lady - Julia Grant | C-SPAN First Ladies: Influence & Image On November 21, 2019, he died at his home in Dallas, Texas, following a long illness.