If This Building Could Talk: Exploring the Rich Histories of Some of Boston’s Most Storied Buildings

This course will reveal the secrets of seven of Boston’s most fascinating buildings. Have you ever pondered the following questions? ● Why is there a 3,000 year-old mummy in the Ether Dome operating room at the Bulfinch building at Mass General Hospital? ● Is it true that the water table level under Trinity Church was checked at one time by a man in a small boat? ● What is the only surviving residence completely created by American artist and designer Louis Comfort Tiffany? ● Where is John Singer Sargent’s most controversial work of art? ● What building houses the Rebel Papers, the nation’s most important collection of Confederate records? ● Where did abolitionists William Lloyd Garrison, Maria Stewart, Wendell Phillips, Sarah Grimke, and Frederick Douglass all speak? ● What tragic world event took place on the first opening day at Fenway Park? If so, join us to hear the inside stories. Even if you already know the answers, there’s a lot more to learn!

  • Group Leader(s): LYNN SMILEDGE, Coordinator
  • Days: Wednesdays
  • Times: 10 a.m. - noon
  • Start Date: 10/2/2019
  • End Date: 11/20/2019
  • Sessions: 7
  • Exceptions: 10/9/2019
  • Venue: The Engineering Center
  • Teaching Style: Lecture with discussion
  • Weekly Preparation: None
  • Biography:

    Lynn Smiledge is a preservation consultant, house historian, and chair of the Boston Landmarks Commission. Each building’s story will be told by an expert who knows where all the skeletons are buried.

  • Address: 1 Walnut Street, Boston, MA 02108