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Revolutionary Spaces

**Revolutionary Spaces ** connects people to the history and continuing practice of democracy through the intertwined stories of two of the nation’s most iconic sites—Boston’s Old South Meeting House and Old State House. We foster a free and open exchange of ideas, explore history, create gathering places, and preserve and steward historic buildings.

https://www.bostonhistory.org

100 Years Before Revolution: 17th-Century Resistance in MA Bay

Wed, Jun 20, 2018

In 1662 the newly restored king of England, Charles II, demanded that the Massachusetts Bay colony alter their laws to align with imperial priorities. Two years later, four royal commissioners arrived to enforce these demands. What followed was a season of extraordinary political activism, as colonial men and women mobilized to protect their liberties and local institutions. These Puritan activists believed that liberties were gifts from God, and relinquishing these freedoms amounted to shunning His gifts. Drawing from petitions, sermons, and letters of the day, historian Adrian Chastain Weimer will share the largely untold story of 17th-century New Englanders who fasted, prayed, and spoke out against the threat of arbitrary rule.

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Activating Historic Sites in Dorchester

Thu, May 31, 2018

Historic Boston Inc.'s Kathy Kottaridis talks about the ongoing efforts to green and revitalize Columbia Road in Dorchester, and the city as a whole. Then entrepreneur and local history activist Noah Hicks—a Dorchester native—shares his story of bringing new life to the 1912 Upham’s Corner Comfort Station, transforming it into the [Sip & Spoke Bike Kitchen](http://sipandspoke.com/ ""). The stucco and tile “mission style” building, adjacent to the historic Dorchester North Burying Ground, was built over a century ago to support Boston’s expanding streetcar system, and has been unused since 1977. Today, HBI is repurposing the comfort station to help preserve and tell the story of Dorchester’s urbanization and transportation growth in the early 20th century. This building will soon house Sip & Spoke, a neighborhood business and gathering place featuring bicycle repair services and cappuccinos! Hear how the rehabilitation of this historic building promises to contribute to an ongoing urban renaissance. Photo: [The Boston Calendar](https://www.thebostoncalendar.com/events/activating-historic-sites-in-dorchester-sip-spoke-bike-kitchen-and-more "The Boston Calendar")

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Music At The Meeting House: In Mo Yang

Fri, Apr 6, 2018

New England Conservatory Artist Diploma student, In Mo Yang, talks about the theme of Occupation. Yang describes how the pieces he chose to perform connect to not only the immigrant experience but also to his own country's story of being occupied. This is one in a 4-part series at Old South Meeting Hous presented as part of New England Conservatory's Community Performances & Partnerships Program, featuring performers from the school's prestigious Artist Diploma and Graduate Ensemble Training programs. This concert is part of the theme exploring historic and contemporary ideas of "Occupation" as Old South Meeting House marks the 250th anniversary of Boston's military occupation of 1768 Image: [Pexel]( https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-violin-697672/ "Pexel")

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Spoken Word with Zena Agha

Fri, Apr 6, 2018

Zena Agha is a Palestinian-Iraqi writer, poet, artist and activist from London. She performs her poetry that explores identity, immigration, space and life in the diaspora. Image: [Pexel](https://www.pexels.com/photo/abstract-black-and-white-blur-book-261763/ "Pexel")

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City Life/Vida Urbana: Helping Boston Residents Keep Their Homes

Fri, Mar 9, 2018

Founded in 1973 as the Jamaica Plain Tenants Action Group, for over 40 years City Life/Vida Urbana has responded to the needs of Boston’s poor and working people. In recent years, the advocacy group has focused on halting housing displacement through eviction defense. Learn from a representative of this local group about the organization’s history and current strategies to ensure housing for Bostonians of all income levels.

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From Firehouse to Art Center

Fri, May 5, 2017

The Engine Company 40 Firehouse in East Boston's Jeffries Point neighborhood operated from 1924-1977, after which it stood vacant for almost 30 years. In 2005, the local youth organization ZUMIX was chosen to redevelop the building. Today the historic Firehouse contains an inspiring cultural and performance space for participants in ZUMIX programs and the East Boston community at large. Hear from Executive Director Madeleine Steczynski how the nonprofit transformed a long-abandoned firehouse into a Gold LEED certified youth development center with award-winning programs, featuring a state-of-the-art recording studio, radio station and gorgeous performance hall. (Image: Zumix)

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The Legacy of Publishers Ticknor and Fields

Fri, Oct 20, 2017

Publishing company Ticknor and Fields reinvented American publishing. Housed across the street from Old South Meeting House at the Old Corner Bookstore from 1832 to 1865, Ticknor and Fields helped establish the careers of some of the nation’s literary greats, including Longfellow, Hawthorne, and Thoreau. In this lively talk, literary historian Rob Velella highlights Ticknor and Fields’s evolution, its role in making Boston the center of 19th-century American literary culture, and how the Old Corner Bookstore headquarters was nicknamed “the hub of the Hub.” Part of the Series “Boston is Thoreau Country: A Multimedia Series Celebrating Thoreau’s Legacy in the Hub,” Co-Presented by Old South Meeting House, The Thoreau Society, and the Boston Literary District. Co-Sponsored by the Walden Woods Project. (Image: Public Domain)

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Thoreau’s “Plea for John Brown”

Fri, Nov 3, 2017

On November 1, 1859, Henry Thoreau delivered a speech in Boston that sparked the abolitionist newspaper _The Liberator_ to comment that John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia “seems to have awakened the hermit of Concord.” Delivered at Tremont Temple, Thoreau's speech praised Brown’s character in the aftermath of his attempt to incite an armed slave revolt in Harpers Ferry. Thoreau described Brown as “an old-fashioned man in respect for the Constitution,” “a man of great common sense,” even “an angel of light.” Thoreau is portrayed by historian Richard Smith. Photo: [Public Domain](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=260944 "")

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Why Thoreau Still Matters

Wed, Sep 27, 2017

Two hundred years after Henry David Thoreau’s birth in Concord, MA a distinguished panel considers Thoreau’s lessons for today’s world. How have Thoreau’s writings and ideas informed environmental policy, civil disobedience and contemporary writings on the human relationships with the natural world? Part of the Series “Boston is Thoreau Country: A Multimedia Series Celebrating Thoreau’s Legacy in the Hub,” Co-Presented by Old South Meeting House, The Thoreau Society, and the Boston Literary District This program is made possible with funding from the Lowell Institute.

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Historic Preservation For A Better Boston

Thu, May 25, 2017

The Community Preservation Act (CPA) passed in November 2016 by a wide margin of Boston voters. Now those in the know must focus on turning the concept into a reality. The panelists tackle how to prioritize historic building sites and distribution of resources to Boston neighborhoods. Photo Credit: James L Woodward/[Commons Wikimedia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Youth%27s_Companion_Building_Boston_MA_01.jpg "Youth's Companion Building Boston MA")

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