James A. Turner
James Turner has been restoring historic buildings since 1988. A skilled craftsman and admired leader in the historic preservation movement, he is passionate about the key role that the traditional trades can play in revitalizing neighborhoods, creating connections, and strengthening a sense of community and belonging, especially in his beloved Detroit. “We can rebuild communities through rebuilding buildings,” he says of the critical need for preserving old properties and creating affordable housing through adaptive reuse.
Turner speaks with affection of growing up in a tight-knit African American community in Ecorse, Michigan, a Downriver suburb of Detroit. It instilled in him a love for the history, heritage, and culture of place. His family’s frequent outings past the grand old homes of Detroit on the way to Belle Isle Park sparked an early interest in preservation. “I grew up passing through these magnificent neighborhoods in the city, riding in the car and gazing up at these large houses that we never thought we could obtain while we drove to Belle Isle,” he says. “It set a dream that was ultimately fulfilled.”
After finishing high school, Turner began working for Chrysler and over time saved enough to buy an old home in Detroit’s Arden Park-East Boston Historic District. He first gained knowledge of the restoration crafts by working on his own house, teaching himself how to repair the old windows and other historic features. Eager to learn as much as he could about historic preservation, he volunteered for Preservation Wayne (now Preservation Detroit) and was soon serving on its board and as its president, spearheading efforts to preserve the cultural heritage of Detroit through its historic buildings and communities.
An opportunity to participate in a two-week intensive workshop on window restoration at the Pine Mountain Settlement School in Kentucky was the pivotal experience that set him on his path to a career in the preservation trades. “That’s what launched me,” Turner says. “It was an epiphany for me, because I was at a point in my life—you know, you’re thrashing, trying to keep your head above water, trying to find the place you should be…. I just saw this as the most incredible thing that I could ever have the opportunity to get into.”
In 2001, he founded Turner Restoration, a company specializing in wood and steel window restoration in the Detroit area. A man of great warmth and generosity, Turner is renowned not only for his expertise as a skilled craftsman but also for his eagerness to share his knowledge with others. He loves mentoring young people and has participated in numerous hands-on projects for the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s HOPE Crew initiative and the Preservation Trades Network, helping to train young people and guide them on their way to fulfilling careers. Along with teaching craft skills, he imparts advice and counsel born from years of personal experience.
“The thing that I always want to impart most is the fact that opportunities don’t always come on the path where you’re looking. What is most important is being open to everything that comes, to explore every opportunity that you can get to work with your hands and to learn something new.”
Through his tireless advocacy for community preservation, his dedication to education and training, and his commitment to quality craftsmanship, Turner is held in high regard by colleagues and clients across the country. In 2017, he was honored as the recipient of the Preservation Trades Network’s annual Askins Achievement Award, in recognition of his instrumental role in preserving both buildings and culture.
