Architect H. H. Richardson designed thirteen projects (nine of which were built) for his leading client, the Ames family of North Easton, Massachusetts. This talk describes the industrial rise of the Ameses, their involvement in the most notorious political scandal of 19th century America, and how they turned to Richardson to help rebuild their reputation and their fortune. The lecture also examines the recent preservation of the Ames Shovel Works, a factory complex surrounded by five Richardson buildings, which was listed by the National Trust as one of the country's most endangered historic sites.
"The Architecture of Scandal and Redemption" is presented by Jay Wickersham. Jay is an architect and lawyer, and a partner in the Cambridge, MA law firm Noble, Wickersham & Heart. He has taught architectural history and ethics at the Harvard GSD, and is the president-elect of the Boston Society of Architects. He was the lawyer for the citizens group that helped save the Ames Shovel Works.
