Salon: Lee McColgan—A House Restored

Old houses share their secrets only if they survive. Trading the corporate ladder for a stepladder, Lee McColgan commits to preserving the ramshackle Loring House, built in 1702, using period materials and methods and on a holiday deadline. But his enchantment withers as he discovers the massive repairs it needs. McColgan’s journey expertly examines our relationship to history through the homes we inhabit and the philosophy of preserving the past to find purpose for the future. Come hear his story in the Athenaeum Garden!

Lee McColgan has worked on Boston’s Old North Church, Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, and other buildings. His work has appeared in Architectural Digest, Boston Globe, and Wall Street Journal. He lives with his wife in the Loring House in Pembroke, Massachusetts.

Please enter by the Athenaeum garden the gate on Botts Ct.
(The front door will be locked at 6:00 pm.)
Please bring a folding lawn chair if you have one.