Westcott lecture series kicks off


What: Westcott Lecture Series

Where: Fellowship Spring Hill Church, 714 N. Limestone St., Springfield

When: Wednesday, Nov. 19, Dec. 3 and Dec. 10, 6:30 p.m.

Admission: $5 non-members, no cost for Westcott House members

More info: 937-327-9291 or www.westcotthouse.org

The Westcott House Center for Architecture and Design will relaunch its architecture lecture series this Wednesday.

“The goal is to provide an outlet to learn about architecture, which is part of the Westcott House’s mission,” said Marta Wojcik, executive director and curator of the Westcott House Foundation. “We are bringing in local, regional and out of town speakers.”

The lectures will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, Wednesday, Dec. 3 and Wednesday, Nov. 10 at Fellowship Spring Hill Church, formerly Third Presbyterian Church, 714 North Limestone Street, Springfield.

Lecturer Scott W. Perkins will present, “Fallingwater: A House for an Art (and Design) Lover.” He’ll speak on another Frank Lloyd Wright-designed landmark home, Fallingwater, set over a waterfall in a scenic wooded area in southwest Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands.

The lecture will discuss Fallingwater’s artful interiors and ways the house and its collections are viewed. Perkins is member of an organization that helped save the Westcott House.

The series offers a local take on Dec. 3 with “Charles A. Cregar: Architectural Prodigy of Springfield’s Golden Age,” by Kevin Rose.

Cregar was a local architecture star in the late 19th century, designing some of Springfield’s most significant buildings, including the City Building and Market (now the Heritage Center), St. Raphael Catholic Church and St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, before his death in 1896.

“It was mind-blowing what he accomplished in such a short time,” said Wojcik. “With things like the ongoing restoration at St. Raphael’s there will be a lot to talk about.”

Rose is an architectural historian for Springfield’s Turner Foundation, specializing in the history of the local built environment and the interpretation of architecture to the public.

The series will conclude on Dec. 10 with Wojcik’s “This Old House: Rethinking Historic House Museums.”

The topic is based on one she presented at a Chicago symposium, discussing the movement to save historic homes in the past, and using her experience at the Westcott House to talk about how it has evolved over the years and can remain a relevant part of our changing social and cultural landscape.

“There is definitely an interest in learning more about architecture and we are committed to these opportunities,” said Wojcik. “And we’re glad to set it in a beautiful architectural space at Fellowship Spring Hill.”

Tickets are available at Westcotthouse.org or at the Westcott House Museum store, 85 S. Greenmount Ave.

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