Isabel Thornton, 39 / Founder/Executive Director, Restoration Housing
Isabel Thornton
Roanoke native Isabel Thornton founded Restoration Housing in 2014 as a community-based, nonprofit developer focusing on the historic preservation of neglected architectural resources for the social benefit of low-income communities. What began as a start-up, solo operation developed into a full-time development and management company with four employees overseeing a complex business model that combines historic tax credits, in-house schematic drafting, tax credit syndication and construction and property management. Thornton also participated in The Power in Preservation exhibit at Dumbarton House in Washington, DC as one of ten innumerable, trailblazing women working in preservation today. “I hate to see the negative effects of neglect throughout our built environment no matter where I am, but especially so in the city where I grew up,” she says. “Restoration Housing’s mission is to help reverse the trajectory of a failing older home and turn it into something bright, welcoming and affordable. I hope that each home we’re able to rehab will positively impact not just the family living in it but also the broader community within Roanoke by reducing blight and bringing more beauty back to our city.”
- Earned BA in Architectural History, University of Virginia, 2005
- Earned a MHP and MPL in Historic Preservation and Urban Planning, University of Southern California, 2013
- To date, RH has completed five projects; represents approximately $2,361,692 (accumulated costs of each rehab) of investment and dollars spent locally; a sixth project is in the predevelopment phase with construction commencing in early 2022
- Awarded 2019 Gabriella Page Preservation Award for Outstanding Preservation Project and the Kegley Preservation Award for Historic Rehabilitation for work with Villa Heights
- Serves on the Housing Stability Committee for Family Promise of Greater Roanoke
- Services on the Blue Ridge Interagency Council on Homelessness
- Serves on the Board of Carilion Medical Center
- Services on the Board of Roanoke Women’s Foundation
- Regularly shares her experience developing quality, affordable housing through speaking engagements including the CityWorks Expo (2018), the Virginia Preservation Conference (2018), and the Blue Ridge Continuum of Care’s Annual Symposium (2019)
- Participated in The Power in Preservation exhibit at Dumbarton House in Washington, D.C. as one of ten innumerable, trailblazing women working in preservation today
- Previously worked in interior design in New York City, NY and with nonprofit housing developers, A Community of Friends (ACOF) in Los Angeles, CA and Community Housing Partners in Christiansburg, VA
From the Nomination: “Isabel Thornton is the founder and Executive Director of Restoration Housing, a nonprofit organization established in 2014 that develops quality, affordable, rental properties for the social benefit of low-income families and individuals through historic preservation. In its seven years, Thornton has grown Restoration Housing from a start-up, solo operation to a full-time development and management company with four employees overseeing a complex business model that combines historic tax credits, in-house schematic drafting, tax credit syndication, and construction and property management. … Each project that Thornton undertakes makes an incredible difference for the Roanoke community - a low-income family is restored to independence by having a secure, comfortable, and affordable space to call home; a neighborhood’s safety and value improves when the worst house on the block is thoughtfully restored and perpetually maintained; and our community is strengthened through the employment created with each new construction project and dollars spent within the local economy. … Thornton also stands apart in the development world as a female developer in a male dominated profession and it shows in every project Restoration Housing completes. Each new affordable housing unit is designed through the lens of a mom and the needs of modern-day families while remaining sensitive to the historic character of the property. Amenities such as updated kitchens and baths, in-unit laundry, and large closets are incorporated into every space. … Thornton sees her work as a way to invest in communities without gentrifying them. Through her nonprofit, she can choose to save properties that would be too expensive for a developer trying to meet market prices. This service is extremely rare for Roanoke. Thornton’s ability to talk with people and get them engaged is just amazing. She continually inspires others by her service to our community. Isabel lives on a farm in Botetourt County with her husband and two children. As an entrepreneur, she has managed to keep up with the increased demands of a growing business and a growing family. Juggling the needs of her two young children (plus twins due in December 2021) gives Thornton the momentum she needs to be productive at work. She knows what she wants to accomplish and the why and the how to do it.”
What do you love about Roanoke?
Thornton: “It’s easy to take Roanoke for granted if you grew up here (which I’m guilty of) but when I moved back here after graduate school, I finally was able to recognize how lucky I was to call this place home. I love the mountains, the fresh air, the lack of traffic, the beautiful older neighborhoods and the sense of community.”
How does your passion impact our community?
Thornton: “I hate to see the negative effects of neglect throughout our built environment no matter where I am but especially so in the city where I grew up. Restoration Housing’s mission is to help reverse the trajectory of a failing older home and turn it into something bright, welcoming, and affordable. I hope that each home we’re able to rehab will positively impact not just the family living in it but also the broader community within Roanoke by reducing blight and bringing more beauty back to our city.”