Historic New England is pleased to share The New England Plan, our new strategic agenda, outlining organizational goals and core initiatives for 2021 through 2025. The New England Plan boldly identifies key ways in which Historic New England can enrich our communities, deepen and expand the stories we share, and lead with inclusion, sustainability, and […]
by Leigh Schoberth, senior preservation services manager Look up and you’ll notice many outdoor porch ceilings are painted a shade of light blue. Although today’s widespread use of the color may be thanks to its pleasant, sky-like aesthetic, the practice has a long history laden with cultural importance. Most historians attribute blue porch ceilings to […]
When a historic object is beyond repair, a museum may make a reproduction to take its place on display. To recreate a pair of deteriorated silk lampshades from the Chapel Chamber at Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House, in Gloucester, Massachusetts, Historic New England conservators started by dyeing a piece of silk to match the color of […]
by Ellie Paliga, Preservation Services Manager, Northern New England “It is better to preserve than to repair, better to repair than to restore, better to restore than to reconstruct.” – Adolphe Napoleon Didron (1839) May is #PreservationMonth, so we’re delving into four processes that fall under its umbrella—preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction. Today, the Secretary […]
Amanda Gorman, the nation’s youngest-ever inaugural poet, delivered these words on January 20 at the swearing in of the new president and vice president: “Being American is more than the pride we inherit. It’s the past we step into and how we repair it.” Heeding Gorman’s words, we must look to the past so that […]
Window preservation often focuses on the wooden elements of the sash, or the moveable part of the frame that holds the glass, rather than the glass itself. Although glass may not be the most visually compelling part of a window, its combination of durability and fragility makes it unique. Over time, the methods of transforming combinations of […]
UPDATE: At its December 29 meeting, the Brookline Preservation Commission voted unanimously to delay demolition of 25 Cottage Street, 39 Cottage Street, and 222 Warren Street for eighteen months. Read more. 25 Cottage Street in Brookline, Massachusetts, was home to one of the most influential and legendary architects in American history, Henry Hobson Richardson (1838-1886). […]
Right on time for all the snow, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite archival photographs of New England winters past. From snowball fights to buried cars, these images capture the beauty and unpredictability of the season in our region. “In search of snow,” Stowe, Vermont, 1964Verner Reed photographic collectionA young child, dressed warmly, pulls […]
October 7 is #AskAnArchivist Day, when archivists across the nation welcome questions from the public about their work. This year, our archivists joined in on answering some questions on Twitter. Read on for our archival experts’ answers to some common questions. Question: How many items are in the Library and Archives collections? What are the […]
A Time to Remember Thanks to contributions from the community, our ongoing project A Time to Remember records and documents how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people’s lives at home. As parents, teachers, and students are settling into the new school year, we are looking for new contributions that tell the story of how education […]
Historic New England stands in solidarity with voices around the country and its sister organizations in our region demanding justice for the murder of George Floyd. As a civic institution, we are firmly committed to equity, inclusiveness, and social justice — and condemn racism, which must end. As preservationists, we strive for truth and authenticity […]
All Historic New England sites are temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. During this time, we remain committed to saving and sharing New England’s past with the broadest possible audience. Read on for ways that you can experience history at home. This post was originally published on March 11, 2020, and previously updated on […]
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