Dorchester history preserved in the new Museum of Fine Arts wing

Roswell Gleason's (1799-1879) House: click on this link to see two lovely rooms originally from Dorchester that the Museum of Fine Arts has preserved and installed as part of its new wing. Roswell Gleason was a successful silversmith in the 19th century and his 1837 house, called "Lilacs", and adjacent factory complex were originally situated on Washington Street near Park Street. In the 1890s the 25-acre Gleason estate was subdivided for development and the house moved to face east on Claybourne Street. Preserved by the MFA in the 1970s at the request of a descendant of Gleason, the dining room and parlor have been reconstructed to give a sense of living in an architectural showplace.  The image above is a painting on brick of "Lilacs" in the Edward A. Huebener Brick Collection at the Dorchester Historical Society. The house was destroyed in 1982. For more information on Roswell Gleason, photographs of the house and his work, please see the Dorchester Atheneum website, and definitely visit the MFA to see this new exhibit!