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Grants support Historic New England’s two sites in Boston

Apr 4, 2018

Preserving Boston history

Historic New England recently received two grants totaling $290,000 to address preservation issues at the 1683 Pierce House in Dorchester and the 1796 Otis House in downtown Boston.

Preservation at work

The Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust provided a $250,000 grant and the George B. Henderson Foundation provided a $40,000 grant. The scope of work at Pierce House includes window conservation, wood repairs, and painting. At Otis House, the funding supports creating a more compelling street presence, plus roof replacement and insulation work to improve energy conservation, exterior painting, and window conservation.

The grants support Historic New England’s ongoing efforts to preserve these important properties. Pierce House is one of the last surviving examples of seventeenth-century architecture in Boston and was home to ten generations of the same family. Otis House, a National Historic Landmark, was designed by Charles Bulfinch and showcases the classical proportions of the Federal style. The long-term preservation of these properties ensures that Historic New England may continue to share them with the public, including the thousands of schoolchildren who visit annually for educational programs.