"Lost Virginia: Vanished Landmarks of the Old Dominion" was an all-too-familiar subject for organizers of Saturday night’s lecture at Ware Episcopal Church.

But the members of the Rosewell Foundation learned that they were fortunate in at least having a set of preserved ruins, as architectural historian Calder Loth detailed just a portion of the countless historic Virginia homes and other structures where little remains other than the photographs he has collected in his 40+ years with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

Loth, co-author of "Lost Virginia," has worked for the Department of Historic Resources since its establishment in 1968. Although now "technically retired," he continues to play an active role in a number of organizations dedicated to preserving the state’s architectural heritage, according to Rosewell Foundation board president Jeff Klee, who introduced him at the talk. More than 100 people filled Ware Episcopa...