John V. Goff is a historian, architectural historian, restoration architect and preservation consultant who lives and works in Salem, Massachusetts. After studying history and American civilization at Brown University, concentrating in First Period New England studies, Goff worked as an architectural historian for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Boston Landmarks Commission, Providence Preservation Society and Maine Historic Preservation Commission. As a historian and author, Goff has written over fifty weekly "Preservation Perspective" columns for the Salem Gazette. In 1992, the Salem witch trials tercentenary year, Goff founded Historic Preservation & Design (HPD), a Salem-based preservation planning, restoration and consulting firm.
