Upcoming Events
Living the Old House Dream:
A series in partnership with the Rotch-Jones-Duff House Museum & Gardens
January 28, February 25 and March 28, 2025
Our winter speaker series in collaboration with our partners at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House Museum and Gardens returns for a second year. We have three more amazing speakers lined up, from an author recounting his preservation journey, to making an energy upgrades to an iconic mansion to a local “Whalehouse”‘s road to restoration.
All programs are held at the RJD, 396 County Street, New Bedford MA and start at 5:30. Tickets: $10 RJD or WHALE Members / $13 Public. Series: $25 Members / $35 Public. To purchase tickets, visit the RJD’s website.
January 28 – Lee McColgan, author of “A House Restored”.
Historic homes can be unique, charming, beautiful, and intimidating maintenance and restoration projects. In this series, hear from experts about best practices, processes, and resources and gain insight into preserving an older home. Trading the corporate ladder for a stepladder, Lee McColgan committed to preserving the ramshackle Loring House, built in 1702, using period materials and methods and on a holiday deadline. But his enchantment withered as he discovered the massive repairs it needed. Attend this talk to find out if he met his deadline before family and friends arrived. McColgan’s book about his process expertly examines our relationship to history through the homes we inhabit.
February 25 – Patricia Miller, Chief Conservator, Preservation Society of Newport County.
The gilded-age mansions of Newport are an important cultural asset in Rhode Island that attract visitors from around the world. The PSNC presents 10 gilded-age historic house museums, three of which have received Geothermal climate control systems within the last decade. The most recent installation at Chateau-sur-Mer, an Italianate villa built 1852 for William Shepherd Wetmore, presented many challenges. Miller will discuss the non-invasive and reversible strategies used to integrate the system and preserve the rich decorative interiors and historic landscape of this historic property.
March 25 – Laura Parrish-Lavin.
Laura purchased 100 Madison Street in 2015 and over the next several years, restored the house to its original splendor. The doors, windows, mantels, floors and radiators are all original to the house, which was originally built in the whaling days for Abby Taber Hunt, the daughter of whaling merchant Henry Taber. Later the property became the home of Catherine Melville Hoadley, the sister of Moby Dick author Herman Melville. Laura will share her experiences with not only the Whalehouse but additional projects, including the Crowell Farm, a 18th century property in Sagamore.
Past WHALE Events
Historic Homeowner Workshop Series: Workshop #1
Thursday, November 7 at 5:30 PM
NPS Visitor Center Auditorium, Enter through the Gallery at 26 William Street, New Bedford
Did you know that around 80% of New Bedford’s housing stock is considered historic? WHALE and our partners from the City Planning Office and the NB Whaling National Historical Park met on November 7 for our first Historic Homeowner Workshop! Attendees heard from the owners of two historic properties (148 Hawthorn Street and 149 Allen Street) as they shared their stories and experiences, learned about some best practices and get a chance to ask questions. We featured a feedback portion so we can design more educational opportunities or resources that are helpful to owners of older and historic homes.
Future workshops will be planned for 2025! Stay tuned.
2024 Annual Meeting & Preservation Awards: June 26 at Steeple Playhouse. View the award video here.
Ask the Experts: For Lovers and Owners of Historic Houses: January – March, 2024
in partnership with the Rotch-Jones-Duff House Museum and Gardens
To download a copy of the Historic Homeowner Resources, click here.
To view WHALE’s Local Contractor List, click here.
To view a PDF of our February presentation, click here. credit: Jeff Gonyeau
“Hometown” Author’s Talk & Book Signing with John K. Bullard
Co-Sponsored by WHALE and the Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum in September, 2023
- 2023 Annual Meeting, June 28th, Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum
- All Lit Up – Celebration of The Steeple Playhouse Restoration, December 2022
- 2022 Annual Meeting, June 16 at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House Museum & Gardens
- Community Conversation – WHALE hosted a community conversation via Zoom on our Neighborhood Revitalization Program for community stakeholders to gain a deeper understanding of our organization and have a voice in future WHALE projects. This specific program restores vacant and deteriorated historic properties to preserve the character of New Bedford’s historic neighborhoods and create affordable housing and homeownership opportunities. At this meeting, WHALE board and staff shared the history of WHALE, our current projects, and information on the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Abandoned Housing Initiative.
Hillman Firehouse Community Meeting – A meeting was held via Zoom to discuss WHALE’s plans for the Hillman Firehouse located at 109 Hillman Street.
Community Conversation – Location: Seamen’s Bethel 1st Floor, 15 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA. Come meet WHALE’s new Outreach Coordinator, Eldric Abreu, and learn about WHALE’s current projects. Exchange information and give input on community preservation work in New Bedford’s historic neighborhoods. Join in collaborating with fellow residents in our city for future WHALE projects. Refreshments served!
Virtual Historic Hooplah with WHALE – Cultivating Colors – WHALE’s first ever virtual event brought together an awesome group of speakers, including WHALE staff, Sherwin-Williams, and Anne Louro the Preservation Planner for the City of New Bedford, to share their expertise on historic colors, important tips, and services available.
Masquerade Beaux Arts Ball- Celebrating the successful restoration of the beautiful and historic 148 Hawthorn Street with a festive and fun masquerade ball.
Legacy Dinner- Elegant sit-down cocktail hour and dinner to honor WHALE’s contributors over the years and raise funds for its future.
Annual Meeting- A night where guests can learn about WHALE’s previous and current projects as well as distinguished, nominated individuals and organizations who are awarded our preservation awards.
Nostalgia Nights – View WHALE’s photo collection and listen to historic era music.
Architectural Bingo – Win prizes, learn and test your architectural lingo.
“Historic Paints and Finishes” – Lectures in honor of Historic Preservation Month.
Kid’s Rule Scavenger Hunt Search for historic architectural details on downtown New Bedford’s historic buildings. Discover which historic buildings WHALE has saved over the last 50 years. Win a prize!
Build a historic house from the WHALE’s “Towers, Turrets, & Tenements” book- Receive one of these great books illustrated by Arthur Moniz. Children get to choose and put together a particular architectural style seen in and around New Bedford and decorate Christmas style while learning about their city’s cultural heritage.
Site Visits of Current Projects- On select nights WHALE has opened up a restoration in progress for a “peak in” of its plans and development timeline. Current sites include the Co-Creative Center and First Baptist Church.
Open House- On select nights, prior to the open of the lottery process, WHALE has invited community members to view the completed, renovated homes that are part of our first-time homebuyer program
