Homewood Museum Architecture Lecture: The Material World of Eyre Hall

3400 N. Charles Street,Baltimore MD 21218

27 October, 2022

Description

Built in 1759 by Littleton Eyre, Eyre Hall on Virginia’s Eastern Shore is one of only a handful of houses in Virginia today that is owned by descendants of its original builders. In addition, it retains a rich collection of family objects, including furniture, silver, ceramics, glass, painting, prints, and books accumulated by several generations of Eyres. As a result, Eyre Hall is a microcosm of Virginia history, its plantation landscape and associated objects emblematic of a stratified society that was built on slavery and suffered the tribulations wrought by wars, emancipation, and several depressions. Drawing on anecdotes and information from his latest book, The Material World of Eyre Hall: Four Centuries of Chesapeake History, architecture scholar Carl Lounsbury will discuss the history of the property and consider its many relevant legacies. 5-6 p.m. Reception and book-signing with Carl Lounsbury, Homewood Museum6-8 p.m. Talk and Q&A with Carl Lounsbury, Merrick Barn About the Speaker Carl Lounsbury has been a member of the Architectural Research Department at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation since 1982. In addition to research, Dr. Lounsbury has taught at University of Mary Washington; Virginia Commonwealth University, and the University of Virginia. He is currently coordinator of the NIAHD program at Colonial Williamsburg and a lecturer in the History Department at The College of William and Mary. Publications include: An Illustrated Glossary of Early Southern Architecture and Landscape, The Courthouses of Early Virginia: An Architectural History, Essays in Early American Architectural History: A View from the Chesapeake, and The Material World of Eyre Hall: Four Centuries of Chesapeake History.