Fowle House Fans,
                           Our taping of Architectural Conservator Andy Ladygo went very well
                           Tuesday, February 21st.  Andy was already there when I arrived at 2:30, as
                           was Julia Donahue and Joyce Munger. A few minutes later we were joined by
                           Karl Neugebauer, Peter Benjamin and Bob Childs, then David Gordon, a
                           photographer, and Chris Loh, a reporter, both from the Watertown TAB.  Karl
                           brought a video camera he borrowed from our Cable Access station and Peter
                           brought his own video camera, as he is a videographer.
                           We began outside in front of the house where Peter and Karl filmed
                           the Historical Society members as well as the front of the house, zooming
                           in on the upper right front window, where the Executive Council met in
                           1775-1776. We then moved to the back yard where I gave an introduction
                           about the $500,000 appropriation and introduced the Councilors and Andy.
                           Andy began the "tour" by pointing out how the back window in 
                           the
                           original kitchen does not line up with the back window in the small storage
                           room (our collections room) because the upstairs window was moved when the
                           bathrooms were installed.
                           We moved inside where I asked Andy how he came to the conclusion that
                           the staircase from the first to the second floor on the #26 side was
                           original. He opened the door to the basement on the #26 side and showed us
                           the wide plank panelling on the walls in the stairwell and the hand-wrought
                           nails at the bottom of the planks. He also pointed out a right-angle
                           cut-out that has been filled in with plaster that appears to have been part
                           of the opening at the bottom of the stairs coming down from the second
                           floor.
                           We then moved into the dining room. Although the homosote ceiling of
                           this room has been removed since October, I had not had the findings of the
                           room explained to me. Andy pointed out the wood framing that goes up to the
                           plank ceiling from 2 of the doorways (to the original kitchen and to the
                           front room). Hand-wrought nails are in this framing. Some of this framing
                           is over the entrance to the bay window to the right of the opening,
                           indicating that there was a window in that spot before the bay was put in.
                           The incredibly wide planks of the ceiling were pointed out by our
                           dendrochronologists the other day.
                           Bob pointed out the gas pipe up against the ceiling showing that the
                           Fowle House went through many changes and updates through the years - from
                           gas lighting to electricity. We then moved upstairs.
                                 Andy pointed out the different finds in the front and back rooms on
                           the right of the house and the 2 bathrooms and why he came to the
                           conclusion that they were once one room, as I explained in the minutes from
                           the last BRC meeting. He talked about the window in the collections room
                           being moved to the left. It used to be right up against the beam in the
                           bathroom of #26. You can clearly see this as a portion of the wall has been
                           removed, exposing this framing. He also took us up to the attic and pointed
                           out the diagonal framing for the wall/egress from the Council Chamber at
                           the top of the stairs of #26. We then went into the second floor chamber in
                           the front left side of the house.
                                 This room has not had any selective demolition during this study.  I
                           asked again about whether there had been a fireplace in this room and if
                           they were going to do any investigative work in this room.  I pointed out
                           the thinner floor boards that are to the right in the back of the room.
                           This looks very much like the thinner floor boards in the original kitchen
                           where the hearth used to be. Andy said there could very well have been a
                           hearth here. Bob then noticed the outline on the wall of what looks like it
                           was a fireplace.  Andy is going to take up a few floor boards and see if he
                           can confirm that there was a fireplace here. We then headed back downstairs
                           of #26.
                                 Toward the bottom of the stairs on the right, Bob noticed what looks
                           like it could have been a cutout in the wall for entrance into the original
                           kitchen. This matches up with the one in the stairwell going to the
                           basement, where we started.
                                 Such an interesting day!!
                                 Karl gave Peter his video tape.  Peter will edit these tapes together
                           to make a nice documentary about the house. We may want to add a bit more
                           (such as video of the floor plans showing the L-shaped Council Chamber, and
                           perhaps some of the later changes done by Charles Brigham that we already
                           know about) so we will hold off on the editing process for a little while.
                           I plan on being there when Peter edits it.  I think Bob does, too.
                           Joyce