Preservation Panel at Old South, 29 May

This afternoon Revolutionary Spaces is hosting an online panel discussion about the making of one of its landmark buildings: “Boston Beyond: Old South Meeting House’s Global Construction.”

The event description says:

For nearly 300 years, Old South Meeting House has stood in Boston as a testament to its construction and preservation. While the building itself is at the epicenter of America’s founding stories, the history of its construction is far more global.

The enduring assumption for Old South Meeting South, and buildings like it, is a narrative locked into patriotism and hyper-locality. Beyond Boston: Old South Meeting House’s Global Construction will engage our panelists in discussions on the global materials economy in the 18th century, the role of slavery and servitude in the construction of New England’s most iconic buildings, and the emergence of a domestic, regional style born from international influence.

Our panelists are experts in 18th-century architecture with specialties ranging from forgotten New England Histories, Georgian English architecture, and transatlantic building materials.

Those panelists are:

• Eric Gradoia, Director of Preservation at Historic Deerfield, focusing on 17th-19th century New England vernacular architecture and building materials.
• Oliver Gerrish, a Cambridge University-trained architectural historian. Gerrish has led preservation initiatives with the Georgian Group, Derbyshire Historic Buildings, and Historic Decoration, a group he founded with Lady Caroline Percy.
• Dorothy Clark, moderator. Clark is a professor at Boston Architectural College, an editor for Historic New England’s magazine, and a member of the board of the Loring-Greenough House in Jamaica Plain.

This discussion will start at 2:00 P.M. today. To register, go to this webpage. The event is part of Preservation Month, and made possible by a grant from the Lowell Institute.