Boston Flora

Tag: Historic New England

  • Thursday & Friday, November 2 & 3 – Historic New England Summit 2023, Live and Online – Save the Date

    New England’s largest conference about our collective roles in creating livable and resilient communities will take place November 2 and 3 at the VETS, Providence, Rhode Island, and livestream. The annual Historic New England Summit presents two days of exciting conversations that explore how 21st-century challenges and opportunities are transforming the fields of historic preservation, architecture, urban planning, conservation, arts and culture, museum studies, collections management, public history, and education. The program includes keynote presentations by regional and national leaders, panel discussions, provocations, networking opportunities, and more.

    The 2023 Historic New England Summit is your opportunity to gain inspiration from and connect with cutting-edge thought leaders in preservation, arts and culture, social history, education, advocacy, and municipal government. Join the continuing conversation on some of today’s most complex and pressing challenges in these fields and beyond. Share your ideas, collaborate on solutions, and discover new perspectives to strengthen the livability and vitality of our communities.

    One of this year’s themes is Sustainability and Climate Change. What is the role of cultural and preservation organizations in driving climate action? What strategies and commitments are essential to achieving net-zero and zero-waste sustainability targets? What innovative strategies are being deployed to protect collections from pervasive, destructive pests?

    On the National Register of Historic Places, The VETS is ideally located in downtown Providence on the revitalized Avenue of the Arts across from the Rhode Island State House. It is acclaimed for its unique combination of size and intimacy. The theater celebrates flawless acoustics, a breathtaking proscenium stage, and exquisite interior.

    Complete details and registration may be found at https://summit.historicnewengland.org/register/ Early bird pricing is available through July 16. Online 2-Day member price $55, nonmember $68. After July 17, $90 & $110.

  • Wednesday, May 24, 6:00 pm Eastern – Tenacious Women: A History of Preservation in New England, Online

    At the forefront of New England’s preservation movement were women bringing a passion for preservation to the communities where they lived. Yet, somehow, these tenacious women’s histories are often overlooked or lost from the record. Join preservation services manager for northern New England Elizabeth Paliga as she traces women’s participation in preservation through the late nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries and elevates their contributions in preserving New England’s history.    This Historic New England online talk will be held Wednesday, May 24 beginning at 6 pm Eastern

    Elizabeth Paliga joined Historic New England in 2021 as the Preservation Services Manager for Northern New England. She oversees fifty-one privately-owned easement properties, working with homeowners to answer questions about routine maintenance as well as review proposals for larger projects. She also engages with the cultural history of the region by researching the lives of the people who lived at these properties. Elizabeth previously worked with local governments in Scotland to protect vulnerable properties from insensitive alteration. She holds a MSc in Architectural Conservation from the University of Edinburgh and two BAs, in Archaeology and Architectural Studies, from Boston University.

    Tickets are free; donations are encouraged. Register HERE

  • Friday, May 5 – Sunday, May 7, and Saturday, May 13, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm – Lyman Estate Spring Herb Sale

    Celebrate the arrival of spring with a visit to the Lyman Estate annual herb sale featuring thousands of naturally grown culinary, medicinal, and ornamental herbs. Scented geraniums, herbal topiaries, pottery, and garden gifts are also available, and the staff is on hand to offer expert advice. The Lyman Estate Greenhouses are located at 185 Lyman Street in Waltham, and the sale will take place Friday, May 5 – Sunday, May 7, from 9:30 – 4, and will be repeated Saturday, May 13, also from 9:30 – 4. Free admission. For more information, call 617-994-5913, or log on to www.historicnewengland.org

  • Friday, April 14 – Sunday, April 16, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm – Spring Orchid Sale

    Celebrate orchid-blooming season. Hundreds of orchid plants are for sale, including many hard-to-find varieties. Visit the greenhouse and enjoy gorgeous floral colors, shapes, and scents. Varieties on display and for sale include Cattleyas, Laelias, Oncidiums, Paphiopedilums, Phalaenopsis, and many more. Their longlasting blooms are a dramatic addition to any indoor environment. This adaptable species can grow in a variety of home conditions. Staff are available to offer expert advice and contactless service.

    Historic New England members save 10% on purchases. The three day event takes place at the Lyman Estate Greenhouses, 85 Lyman Street, Waltham, Massachusetts. Free. Please call 617-994-5913 for more information or visit https://my.historicnewengland.org/17180/spring-orchid-sale

  • Wednesday, March 22, 7:00 pm Eastern – A Tale of Two Chauffeurs: True Crime in the Age of Early Motoring, Online

    While this particular talk sponsored by Historic New England on March 22 at 7 may not strictly fit within the horticultural category, the topic is likely to be popular with our readership.

    One morning in June 1914 the Codman family awoke at their country estate in rural Lincoln, Massachusetts, to discover their prized new Peerless motorcar — as well as their chauffeur — were missing. This mystery, full of colorful characters and misadventures at the edge of the law, winds its way from the Lincoln station to Rutland, Vermont, with detours across New England. Tickets are free; donations are encouraged. Please call 617-994-6690 for more information.

    The link for the webinar will be included in the order confirmation for this program.

    Advance tickets required. Sign up at https://my.historicnewengland.org/16414/two-chauffeurs

  • Wednesday, March 8, 6:30 pm Eastern – Trailblazers and Trendsetters: Beauport, Live and Online

    Morven Museum & Garden is pleased to present the 2023 Grand Homes & Gardens Speaker Series: Trailblazers and Trendsetters. Join us as we explore the people and spaces, past and present, who cultivated new opportunities and inspired breakthrough trends for future generations of landscape architects, designers, entrepreneurs, and horticulturalists. Today, these places continue the work of preserving historic and natural landscapes for public benefit and community engagement. The 2023 series will feature Manitoga, Villa Lewaro, Beauport – The Sleeper McCann House, and Bartram’s Garden. On March 8 at 6:30 pm, explore the unique and ornate designs in the summer home of one of America’s first professional interior designers, Henry Davis Sleeper.

    Henry Davis Sleeper set many trends as one of America’s first professional interior designers. Sleeper’s unique and ornate design concepts were showcased throughout his summer home, Beauport, in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Here he hosted a regular cohort of artists and intellectuals, navigating early twentieth century society as a gay man. Presented by Kristen Weiss, the Cape Ann site manager at Historic New England, this talk will examine Sleeper’s groundbreaking interior designs, still featured in the house today, as well as Beauport’s architecture and arts and crafts landscape design.

    Please note that our speaker will present this program virtually. The talk will be streamed live for an in-person and virtual audience alike. Speaker Kristen Weiss is the Cape Ann site manager at Historic New England; managing Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House in Gloucester, Mass. and Cogswell’s Grant in Essex, Mass. She previously worked in the American Decorative Arts department at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass. She has developed multiple tours and lectures on historic sites, landscapes, and collections with a focus on American folk art. With an undergraduate degree in History and graduate work in Museum Studies and in Preservation Studies, Kristen has been working with museum collections and historic houses for over twenty-five years. $10 – $30 – Register HERE.

  • Wednesday, September 14, 10:30 am – Garden Club of the Back Bay September Meeting: Beauport, Sleeper-McCann House

    The Garden Club of the Back Bay kicks off the 2022/2023 year with a field trip to Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House, operated by Historic New England. There will be a docent-led tour of the 25-room house and gardens in Gloucester, followed by an optional box lunch meal at a local yacht club just down the street from Beauport. Members will receive notification and sign up details.

    Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House, a National Historic Landmark, was the summer home of one of American’s first professional interior designers, Henry Davis Sleeper. Perched on a rock ledge overlooking Gloucester Harbor, Beauport was Sleeper’s retreat, backdrop for entertaining, and professional showcase, and an inspiration to all who visited.

    After Sleeper’s death, Beauport was purchased by the McCanns, who left it largely intact. Visit Beauport and see Sleeper’s lifetime collection of curiosities, colored glass, folk art, china, and silhouettes in every nook and alcove. Each of the forty rooms is distinguished by a historical or literary figure, theme, color, shape, or object. No two rooms are the same, and each is more visually dazzling than the last. Get to know Sleeper, a gay man living in the early twentieth century; his housekeeper, Mary Wonson; his fascinating neighbors; and the house’s many colorful guests.

  • Thursday, October 13 and Friday, October 14 – Historic New England Summit 2022

    Explore how 21st-century challenges and opportunities are transforming the fields of historic preservation, architecture, urban planning, conservation, arts and culture, museum studies, collections management, public history, and education. Over two days, October 13 & 14, at Mechanic’s Hall in Worcester, Historic New England has arranged for you will hear from more than sixty leading voices in the field, including

    • Dr. Luis Aguirre-Torres, Director of Sustainability, City of Ithaca, NY
    • Michelle Finamore, Ph.D., Fashion and Design Curator and Museum Consultant
    • Dr. Françoise N. Hamlin, Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies, Brown University
    • Kate Lear, Board Chair, Ballet Hispánico
    • Candelaria Silva-Collins, Arts Consultant
    • Dr. Carl Skelton, President, Gotham Innovation Greenhouse
    • Nader Tehrani, Founding Principal of NADAAA, and Dean of The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at The Cooper Union
    • Sarah Turner, President of North Bennet Street School

    Preferred rates are offered to Summit attendees at two hotel properties within walking distance of Mechanics Hall. Rooms are available on a first-come first-serve basis until September 12. To register, and for a complete schedule, click HERE.

  • Thursday, August 11, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Connecting Portsmouth Neighbors Walking Tour

    Join Historic New England on August 11 on a 90-minute walking tour exploring the architectural gems, historic events, and remarkable people of Portsmouth, New Hampshire from the eighteenth century to today. Starting at Historic New England’s Langdon House, 143 Pleasant Street, the guided outdoor tour connects the storied South End neighborhood to the bustling West End, revealing along the way the vibrant character of New Hampshire’s iconic seacoast city.

    The tour is one mile in length over brick and paved city streets. Rain or shine.

    Members $15; Nonmembers $25. Log in or join now to have your discount applied at checkout.

    Please call 617-994-5977 for more information. Purchase tickets at https://my.historicnewengland.org/13907/lan-walk-2

  • Saturday, August 6, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – The Gibsons and Nahant Walking Tour

    Join The Gibson House Museum for a two-hour historical walking tour of Nahant led by Chris Mathias (past president, Nahant Historical Society) and Ken Turino (Historic New England).

    The smallest town in Massachusetts, Nahant does not come up short in history. Located on two islands, it was originally part of Lynn (1629), separating in 1853.

    On this tour you will see significant and architecturally diverse Nahant historical sites, the summer homes of the Gibsons and their Hammond relatives, and the location of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s house. At frequent stops along the way, you’ll learn about Nahant’s rich history. Hear the stories of the workers, politicians, poets, scientists, artists, and Egg Rock lighthouse keepers who called Nahant home. See the sites of the grand hotels dating from when Nahant was “the” summer resort for the Boston elite, as well as an amusement park and military installations for coastal defense.

    The tour loops from one end of Big Nahant to the other, with spectacular views out to the open ocean one way and Boston on the other.

    Expect a leisurely stroll of 2.5 miles on paved roads, with the ups and downs of Nahant’s terrain. The tour will end with a glass of bubbly or lemonade, with time to reflect on what you have experienced on the terrace of the hosts’ home overlooking the ocean.

    We promise an enjoyable and enlightening experience! Come prepared with sturdy walking shoes and an inquisitive mind.

    Ken Turino and Chris Mathias are the authors of Nahant (1999); in December 2021 Chris Mathias authored Nahant Revisited.

    $25 Gibson House members; $30 non-members Space is limited!