Historical Link, LLC is a historic architectural consulting firm providing historic preservation and cultural resource services throughout Iowa and the Midwest, including National Register nominations, reconnaissance and intensive historic architectural surveys, historic tax credit support, Section 106 guidance, and mitigation documentation. The firm works with government agencies, private property owners, nonprofit organizations, and professional firms to deliver practical, timely solutions tailored to each project’s goals and regulatory context.

Founded by historian and architectural historian Libby Cavanaugh Wielenga, Historical Link, LLC draws on more than eighteen years of professional experience in cultural resource management and historic preservation. Libby established the firm to help clients navigate the often-complex processes required for project success—whether that involves completing a historic architectural survey for Section 106 compliance, preparing documentation to support federal or state historic tax credit applications, or pursuing listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Recognizing that no two projects are alike, Historical Link, LLC collaborates as needed with archaeological, engineering, and other professional partners to provide flexible, project-specific services.

Libby began her career at the Iowa Department of Transportation, where she conducted architectural reviews, managed projects, and ensured compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. She later served at the Iowa State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), providing consultation on state and federal projects affecting the built environment and contributing to statewide preservation initiatives, including development of the E-SHPO online portal and the Guidelines for Historic Architectural Survey in Iowa. As a private consultant, Libby continues this work through National Register nominations, historic architectural surveys, historic tax credit documentation and coordination, Section 106 guidance, and mitigation documentation across Iowa and the Midwest.

Based in central Iowa, Historical Link, LLC is committed to supporting client needs while advancing thoughtful stewardship of the region’s historic built environment.

Professional Standards

Libby Cavanaugh Wielenga, Principal of Historical Link, LLC, exceeds the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards for History and Architectural History (36 CFR 61). She holds a Master of Arts in American History from Iowa State University and a bachelor’s degree in History and Communications from Buena Vista University.