Join us for an inspiring evening with author and woodworker Lee McColgan as he discusses his acclaimed memoir A House Restored. Blending the reflective craftsmanship of Shop Class as Soulcraft with the intimate homebuilding narrative of A Place of My Own, McColgan offers a lyrical meditation on restoring a historic New England colonial and, in the process, restoring himself. When McColgan trades the corporate ladder for a stepladder, he commits to saving the ramshackle Loring House, built in 1702. Determined to use period materials and methods, he sets an ambitious deadline: complete the restoration before family and friends arrive for the holidays. But what begins as a simple kitchen repair quickly reveals a house on the brink of collapse. Beneath the plaster and paneling lie rotten beams, spreading mold, deteriorating bricks, frozen pipes, shattered windows, a punctured foundation, and even a runaway chimney cap. Along the way, McColgan learns from a colorful community of preservationists, a master mason known as Irons, a stone whisperer, and the so-called Window Witch, who teach him that old houses share their secrets only if they survive. More than a renovation story, A House Restored is a moving exploration of our relationship to history through the homes we inhabit. McColgan’s journey speaks to anyone who has felt the pull of old buildings, the weight of responsibility to the past, and the search for purpose in meaningful work. Books will be available for purchase and signing following the program. Sponsored by the Historic Beverly Historic Preservation Committee
