B Haley
@ghastlyfop.bsky.social
architectural historian, preservation planner, university lecturer
What Mount Holyoke College has started doing to its old buildings is depressing. They’ve begun heavy-handed renovations, chucking out perfectly good old materials. A college with so many old buildings should have someone knowledgeable about preservation on staff. Clearly they don’t.
November 21, 2025 at 2:20 PM
What Mount Holyoke College has started doing to its old buildings is depressing. They’ve begun heavy-handed renovations, chucking out perfectly good old materials. A college with so many old buildings should have someone knowledgeable about preservation on staff. Clearly they don’t.
250 years ago today, Henry Knox began the diary he’d keep for much of the Ticonderoga expedition. It begins with:
Worcester Nov 20 1775
paid Miller
of worcester to leave
with his wife two
seven dollar one six
dollar Continential Bills
The diary is held by @mhs1791.bsky.social
#rev250 #ma250
Worcester Nov 20 1775
paid Miller
of worcester to leave
with his wife two
seven dollar one six
dollar Continential Bills
The diary is held by @mhs1791.bsky.social
#rev250 #ma250
November 20, 2025 at 3:38 PM
250 years ago today, Henry Knox began the diary he’d keep for much of the Ticonderoga expedition. It begins with:
Worcester Nov 20 1775
paid Miller
of worcester to leave
with his wife two
seven dollar one six
dollar Continential Bills
The diary is held by @mhs1791.bsky.social
#rev250 #ma250
Worcester Nov 20 1775
paid Miller
of worcester to leave
with his wife two
seven dollar one six
dollar Continential Bills
The diary is held by @mhs1791.bsky.social
#rev250 #ma250
There’s so much nonsense out there about “ancient stone astronomical alignments” and “ceremonial stone landscapes” in the NE US. Like this talk, it’s all nonsense but is a growing movement. Glad I’m not going into archaeology now, nor can I imagine what the field will be like in 20 years.
November 18, 2025 at 8:43 PM
There’s so much nonsense out there about “ancient stone astronomical alignments” and “ceremonial stone landscapes” in the NE US. Like this talk, it’s all nonsense but is a growing movement. Glad I’m not going into archaeology now, nor can I imagine what the field will be like in 20 years.
Yesterday marked the 250th anniversary of the start of the Ticonderoga Expedition in which 25-year-old Henry Knox led the effort to haul 60 tons of artillery on sleds from Fort Ticonderoga south to Albany and east across Massachusetts to the Continental Army camps in Cambridge.
November 18, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Yesterday marked the 250th anniversary of the start of the Ticonderoga Expedition in which 25-year-old Henry Knox led the effort to haul 60 tons of artillery on sleds from Fort Ticonderoga south to Albany and east across Massachusetts to the Continental Army camps in Cambridge.
The Western Railroad btw Springfield and Worcester was surveyed and built FROM SCRATCH in under 3 years in the 1830s. Just making the existing rail line from Springfield to Albany faster (the “full build,” presuming Boston to Springfield will be done ~2030) will take until 2045.
November 18, 2025 at 2:29 AM
The Western Railroad btw Springfield and Worcester was surveyed and built FROM SCRATCH in under 3 years in the 1830s. Just making the existing rail line from Springfield to Albany faster (the “full build,” presuming Boston to Springfield will be done ~2030) will take until 2045.
Imagine owning this fabulous ca. 1790 house in Virginia and putting in those vinyl replacement windows 🙃
November 10, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Imagine owning this fabulous ca. 1790 house in Virginia and putting in those vinyl replacement windows 🙃
How can there be a person named Salem Derby. That there’s a horse race.
November 8, 2025 at 1:30 AM
How can there be a person named Salem Derby. That there’s a horse race.
The rise of Regency and Regency-style furniture continues apace
November 6, 2025 at 4:10 PM
The rise of Regency and Regency-style furniture continues apace
This cute 1930s former public school in Wilmington, MA is going to be razed because the town manager “wants 14 parking spaces” where it was. Ah, the suburban mentality.
It’s surrounded by acres of parking and other undeveloped land.
It was designed by an obscure architect named Halsey Horner.
It’s surrounded by acres of parking and other undeveloped land.
It was designed by an obscure architect named Halsey Horner.
November 5, 2025 at 9:44 PM
This cute 1930s former public school in Wilmington, MA is going to be razed because the town manager “wants 14 parking spaces” where it was. Ah, the suburban mentality.
It’s surrounded by acres of parking and other undeveloped land.
It was designed by an obscure architect named Halsey Horner.
It’s surrounded by acres of parking and other undeveloped land.
It was designed by an obscure architect named Halsey Horner.
Depressed to see this grand old house in Deerfield, MA in the midst of a gut reno. Historic Deerfield intervened to divert some stuff from the landfill to keep for their own projects, but everything else is toast. An expert on timber framing in the region has been inside and thinks it’s early 18th c
November 2, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Depressed to see this grand old house in Deerfield, MA in the midst of a gut reno. Historic Deerfield intervened to divert some stuff from the landfill to keep for their own projects, but everything else is toast. An expert on timber framing in the region has been inside and thinks it’s early 18th c
The White House and grounds (along with those of the Capitol and Supreme Court) are exempt from the provisions of the NHPA per Section 107.
October 21, 2025 at 2:15 AM
The White House and grounds (along with those of the Capitol and Supreme Court) are exempt from the provisions of the NHPA per Section 107.
The amount of flipped furniture on FB Marketplace is wild and it’s all mid century stuff restained or colonial revival stuff painted black or navy with bright hardware. Most of the flipped pieces are worthless, like these, but now and then you see a real treasure that fell into the wrong hands.
October 21, 2025 at 1:31 AM
The amount of flipped furniture on FB Marketplace is wild and it’s all mid century stuff restained or colonial revival stuff painted black or navy with bright hardware. Most of the flipped pieces are worthless, like these, but now and then you see a real treasure that fell into the wrong hands.
Fun fact: Section 107 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 explicitly exempts the White House, Capitol, and Supreme Court building from being subject to any provision of the act.
October 20, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Fun fact: Section 107 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 explicitly exempts the White House, Capitol, and Supreme Court building from being subject to any provision of the act.
Classic autumnal scene in New England
October 19, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Classic autumnal scene in New England
Look at this wonderful ca. 1800 Chinese export bowl with Masonic imagery. Sold today and not surprised someone was willing to pay 3x the high auction estimate.
October 16, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Look at this wonderful ca. 1800 Chinese export bowl with Masonic imagery. Sold today and not surprised someone was willing to pay 3x the high auction estimate.
Well yes, when prices in more affluent towns are through the roof, nice and well-built houses for $250-300k within 30 mins of Northampton, Amherst, Hartford etc. are going to create a “hot” market.
October 16, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Well yes, when prices in more affluent towns are through the roof, nice and well-built houses for $250-300k within 30 mins of Northampton, Amherst, Hartford etc. are going to create a “hot” market.
I never use Threads but have an account. 75% of posts now seem to have this Antifa “warning” 😂
September 25, 2025 at 7:48 PM
I never use Threads but have an account. 75% of posts now seem to have this Antifa “warning” 😂
This apartment building in downtown Lynn, MA was built in an area riddled with vacant lots. Was it built on a vacant lot? Nope. A nice 1930 bank in good shape was razed to make way for it 🤦♂️
Second photo is the bank in 2021. I don’t think the city’s historical commission even imposed demo delay.
Second photo is the bank in 2021. I don’t think the city’s historical commission even imposed demo delay.
September 25, 2025 at 3:37 PM
This apartment building in downtown Lynn, MA was built in an area riddled with vacant lots. Was it built on a vacant lot? Nope. A nice 1930 bank in good shape was razed to make way for it 🤦♂️
Second photo is the bank in 2021. I don’t think the city’s historical commission even imposed demo delay.
Second photo is the bank in 2021. I don’t think the city’s historical commission even imposed demo delay.
Vincent Scully’s 1950 modernist house in Woodbridge, CT listed in the National Register last week 👍👍👍
He designed it himself. portal.ct.gov/-/media/decd...
He designed it himself. portal.ct.gov/-/media/decd...
September 22, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Vincent Scully’s 1950 modernist house in Woodbridge, CT listed in the National Register last week 👍👍👍
He designed it himself. portal.ct.gov/-/media/decd...
He designed it himself. portal.ct.gov/-/media/decd...
In New England, many lilacs now bloom twice—in the spring and fall. Never noticed this before five or six years ago.
September 16, 2025 at 6:35 PM
In New England, many lilacs now bloom twice—in the spring and fall. Never noticed this before five or six years ago.
When there’s an open house at a building up the road documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey in the 1930s, one must go. (While a nice 1820 gable-front Federal, I can’t figure out why this of all houses was chosen by HABS. There are many better houses nearby.)
September 14, 2025 at 7:52 PM
When there’s an open house at a building up the road documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey in the 1930s, one must go. (While a nice 1820 gable-front Federal, I can’t figure out why this of all houses was chosen by HABS. There are many better houses nearby.)
Did Libeskind really try to pass off a slightly paraphrased but very famous Ruskin quote as his?
September 12, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Did Libeskind really try to pass off a slightly paraphrased but very famous Ruskin quote as his?
Heath insurance, home insurance, housing costs, household costs, income inequality etc. etc. etc. all rising precipitously. What will actually trigger people to rise up?
September 7, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Heath insurance, home insurance, housing costs, household costs, income inequality etc. etc. etc. all rising precipitously. What will actually trigger people to rise up?