Joseph E. Perry

Born in a house on Cross Street in Somerville, MA we moved to Bedford, MA in time for me to attend Bedford Jr. High; which had a total enrollment of one hundred plus a few students. While attending Bedford Jr. High I was introduced to a classmates parents, Charlie and Marion Englehardt.  It didn't take long to adopt them as my parents.  Charlie was an architect . . . I was designing houses by the age of twelve.  Our class of thirty seven and attended Concord High School which must have been the ideal school to attend if an interest in history or architecture or both existed. 
Culture Shock, Concord High School to the University of Colorado. I had lectures that were attended by more students than Concord had.  As was the a natural progression at the time I entered the service.  Much has changed since the Somerville days; as with all of us some changes were good and some better off forgotten.  We got a TV, an Emerson with flat top and bottom with semi-circular sides.  Air travel was in a DC3 or DC7 and you walked from the terminal to the plane, rain or shine.  Many people believed that technology was advancing too rapidly  I wonder what they think now?

"It is difficult to keep up with technology, as every day dozens of new materials or products or systems or applications are introduced.  A minimum of two or three should be remembered each day as most will take time to be considered durable. Little has changed in the homes we love.  The Colonial Style home was, and still is a technically advanced design.  They
were simple rectangular, two story homes (a shape that offers the best square of living space for the total exterior wall area. They were built facing south to allow as much light in as possible; it the winter it was a source of heat. The Entry and stairs had doors to all rooms to limit air flow when the front door was opened in the winter.  The mass of the fireplace block would hold heat, it is unfortunate that they didn't have insulation.  Rooms were multi-purpose.  They were constructed of materials found locally,  Quite different from the 'Grand Homes' which are a study of excess."

 

Current Projects:

Documentation of a 1768 Georgian in Nashua, NH
Documentation of the Job Lane House in Bedford, MA
Design of a 3 bdrm, 2 1/2 bath 1300 sq. ft. contemporary residence to LEED Gold

Break-time in Providence, RI.

My other interests are British Sports Cars and racing with a 79 year old friend still racing and winning.