Learn about a Unique Building Technique from the 18th Century
“In 2018, conservation work conducted in the front parlour at Mount Vernon led to an unexpected discovery - underneath the historic wooden paneling, they found remnants of earlier paneling made of plaster. Plaster raised paneling is a rare and unusual architectural detail, so this discovery raised many questions.
As research on the plasterwork has developed, the initial focused inquiry has turned into a human-centered story that reckons with transatlantic migration, politics, environmental stewardship, and colonialism in the 18th century.
Join us as Professor Tom Podhrazsky discusses his research on the development of this unusual building technique, and shares highlights from his recent field work in Maryland, Virginia, and Ireland. In anticipation of additional field work next spring, he will discuss how his research has informed his developing theories on the forces that shaped this plaster detail and its short-lived adoption in colonial America.”
About the Speaker
Tom Podhrazsky
Tom Podhrazsky is a professor of design at the American College of the Building Arts and the principal of Tom Henry Design Company. Recently, he was the Georgian Paper’s Program Fellow at Mount Vernon.
After growing up immersed in the arts, he graduated valedictorian from the American College of the Building Arts in 2013 where he earned his Bachelors of Applied Science. He subsequently worked under the designer Andrew Gould for ten years. During that time, Tom has been involved with various facets of the building process: From hands-on restoration and construction, to building documentation and design.
In 2023, Tom founded his own design studio, Tom Henry Design Company, an award-winning firm dedicated to the cultivation of beauty in architecture. In addition to his work as a designer and academic, Tom is a trained craftsman and artist.