Buildings are more than just design and assembly. They are a snapshot of life. The parts are the technology, skill, and materials of a time, while the style is the culture. As buildings age, some get overlooked, fall apart or…
We live in a culture of impatience and instant gratification. But for the first European American settlers, nothing was instant. When the Pilgrims finally landed in Plymouth of December 1620, they were hungry, weary, and desperate. They arrived without a…
Monuments are left to recognize a person or event. We inscribe epitaphs defining their social relevancy to our cultural heritage, be it artistic, historical, political, technical or architectural importance. We have plaques on old houses identifying historical figures that had…
Every old building has a story. That story is told through what we see now, but sometimes there is a lot more to tell. We can certainly understand a building’s evolution by physical clues, but sometimes the clues are masked…
Your building is fighting the cold. But how prepared is it? Is it winning? Or is it losing at your expense? Can every building be treated the same? What is the best way to resist the cold with reasonable effort…
Once and awhile I get a frustrating call about someone hiring a contractor where the skills did not match the promise. Sometimes the work is poor, isn’t finished, or is in such a state that it needs to be redone. …
More historic buildings are here by chance than you think. Consider this. According to census data, there are over 330,000 Rhode Island buildings over 30 years old, with maybe 250,000 in the 50 years or older category of “historic”. There…
I have been in Rhode Island for almost 30 years. I love our community and the friends that are our family, the beauty and diversity of our landscapes and vistas, and without a doubt, I am crazy about the buildings.…
This 4th of July I am thinking of why we save old buildings. I am fortunate to live in Rhode Island, which is one of the most architecturally diverse states with buildings spanning from 1680 to the modern day. Many…
Doors are perhaps the most used, abused, and neglected parts of a house. We rely on doors to separate us from weather, people, and things. We slam them shut, whip them open, and use all parts of our body to…