Town Design in 18th and 19th Century New England

New England's town plans are among the most distinctive in the United States. During the Colonial period, settlers adapted English planning traditions to the demands of the local landscape; in the early years of the Republic, New Englanders went on to establish the nation's first industrial towns. Together, these developments produced the defining characteristics of New England town design — streets shaped by topography, orientation toward the water, and an absence of formal geometry and symmetry. Towns such as Exeter continue to be valued today for their livability and strong sense of place. In this talk, University of Mary Washington professor Andrea Smith will examine the common features of New England towns and the historical forces that produced them. This program will only be presented virtually, as the speaker is in Virginia.