Our History

We’ve been making history since 1990.

With particular expertise in architectural history, social and intellectual history, and the history of technology, we have completed a broad variety of projects for public and private clients around the United States.

Charlene Roise served as president since 1997 when the company’s co-founder, Jeff Hess, retired. Elizabeth Gales and Rachel Peterson purchased the company in 2020, and are the current principals. Hess Roise qualifies as a woman-owned business and is certified by a number of government agencies.

Our base of operation is the Foster House, a renovated 1880s building just a block from the Mississippi River in Minneapolis’s historic North Loop warehouse district. We have an extensive in-house reference library and are in close proximity to academic, public, and private libraries and archives. These resources allow us to conduct research efficiently and effectively.