Clare McLellan

Office Manager

The preservation seed was planted when Clare fell in love with her grandfather’s 1890 cottage, tucked away on Locust Street just behind the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. As a child, Clare always felt cozy and right at home under the dark wood beamed ceilings, walking on creaky old floors and exploring all the original fixtures and details. From these experiences, her love of old places was born.

After obtaining a degree in journalism from KU, Clare moved to Chicago and then New York to work in magazine publishing. Clare’s love of old buildings took off after a trip to Hong Kong in 2012, which spurred her to study every building in her then-home of New York City. Making sure to always look up during her daily commutes and capturing all the varied beauty of NYC architecture on a (then) new app called Instagram, a casual interest quickly became a passion for preservation. Shifting professional gears into business operations following a move to Los Angeles in 2015, Clare absorbed the splendor of mid-twentieth century architecture that abounds in Southern California.

After relocating back to her hometown, Kansas City, Clare was thrilled to join the Rosin Preservation team as Office Manager, fulfilling a dream to do her small part to help save old buildings.

Favorite historic building

I truly love them all, but if I had to choose it’s a toss-up between the Bradbury Building in LA or the Beekman Hotel in New York. I guess I’m a sucker for a well-preserved atrium! And the Beekman’s journey back to its former glory is quite something.

I am a preservationist because…

They don’t make ‘em like they used to! The attention to detail and beauty in every design aspect of old buildings is something to be appreciated, cherished, and preserved for future generations to enjoy. These places have so many stories to tell.