Dr. Tom Sears is well known and regarded in the world of furniture makers and collectors. He and his wife Sara have been collectors since 1970, and their passion grew in 1976 when they salvaged elements of the General Frances K. Simpson House in Guilford County with its highly significant faux finish interiors.
Preservation Greensboro’s Executive Director will present an introduction to the terminology and concepts associated with historic preservation, including types of designations, using examples from around the world. This presentation is fun for both the seasoned professional as well as those new to the preservation movement.
When the New York architect Alexander Jackson Davis in 1844 designed what became one of the country’s earliest Tuscan villas, he and his client, the visionary Governor John Motley Morehead, collaborated on various interior details for the enlargement of Blandwood. This is a second part of a two-part series, but participants will enjoy the presentation as a stand-alone event.
Dr. Stine led an archaeological dig at Blandwood to build on early digs from the 1970s. During this exploration, many interesting finds were uncovered that broaden our understanding of life and material culture at Blandwood. Discoveries involve building materials, early earthenware, buttons and fasteners, and even trading beads.
Shawn Patch, New South Associates, will discuss archaeological insights on various historic cemeteries in North Carolina and beyond. This presentation includes examples using ground-penetrating radar to identify unmarked graves and better define cemetery boundaries, as well as data from various marker inventories.
William Garl Browne Jr. was a nineteenth century portrait artist who exhibited in the National Academy in 1840, and earned national fame through a collection of portraits of General Zachary Taylor in 1847. This presentation will focus on Browne, who painted hundreds of portraits including members of the Morehead family.
A fascinating look at the techniques of construction; use of materials such as timber, brick and plaster; and architectural terminology related to Blandwood Mansion. This tour explores the architecture of Blandwood, a National Historic Landmark with additions designed by preeminent New York City architect Alexander Jackson Davis, as an illustration of early Piedmont Carolina architectural…
As a museum, Blandwood chronicles an impressive collection of historical media that documents the evolution of portraiture from eighteenth century silhouettes to late nineteenth century photography. This special tour reviews the progression of portraiture from simple backwoods representations through posed oil portraits, calotype and daguerreotype prints, to modern photography. This tour explores Blandwood as a…
The decorative arts at Blandwood reveal an astonishing amount about changing tastes in America during the first half of the nineteenth century, as taste makers pivoted from Roman Classical to Greek Classical and French inspirations. Blandwood features a remarkable collection of pieces that are original to the house and family known as "The Morehead Collection.".…
Guilford County celebrates its 250th birthday in 2021! Established on April 1, 1771, Guilford was named for an English Earl with royal connections, but the county was formed to segregate early settlers who did not welcome royal rules. To celebrate Old Guilford’s semiquincentennial, Preservation Greensboro will hold a series of monthly lectures on Zoom to…
Greensboro’s Civil Rights history is unparalleled in North Carolina. With keystone institutions such as NCA&T, Bennett College, and Dudley High School, Greensboro has (at times) been a national leader in Civil Rights. According to historian William H. Chafe, “In some ways Greensboro simply exemplified national trends; in others, it helped to create them, particularly with…
Over the past five years, a new storyline has emerged in Greensboro that is associated with Black builders, artists, and architects. In spite of systemic disenfranchisement typical of the mid-twentieth century, Black residents of East Greensboro expressed optimism through progressive architectural styles for mid-century modern style buildings. These middle- and high-income Black families served as…