Outsider architecture is a type of architecture that features unique designs made by builders with no formal training. Outsider architecture also functions as the physical/architectural manifestation of the ideology of its builder, which is more often than not eccentric by conventional standards. What constitutes outsider architecture is of issue in this thesis, as is the history of outsider architecture and the historic preservation movement that accompanies it. This thesis also suggests ways to improve the outsider architecture preservation situation, and to use outsider architecture as a tool in improving both social welfare and the built environment.