23 Jun 2026 Partners in Preservation: Nat Sheidley, Revolutionary Spaces
As the nation looks to its 250th anniversary of independence in the coming weeks, it’s a timely moment for us to spotlight our latest Partners in Preservation, Revolutionary Spaces! Revolutionary Spaces is the nonprofit organization that stewards two of Boston’s most visited historic sites along The Freedom Trail: the Old State House and the Old South Meeting House. Here, the organization’s President & CEO Nat Sheidley shares what preservation means to them and why they’ve partnered with HBI to help preserve our city’s many historic spaces and places!
What does preservation mean to your organization and your commitment to Boston?
Preservation is about more than protecting historic buildings—it’s about ensuring that the stories, ideas, and civic conversations connected to those places remain accessible and relevant for future generations. As projects like Ruckus!—our new immersive experience at the Old South Meeting House—demonstrate, preservation and innovation are not opposing forces. Thoughtful interpretation can help new audiences connect with historic places while still respecting the integrity of the buildings. Preserving two of Boston’s most treasured spaces, the Old South Meeting House and the Old State House, helps maintain the city’s unique character while creating opportunities for learning, reflection, and community connection.
In the case of the Old State House, I often think about the fact that we read it as being in conversation with the tall buildings that surround it. But it was specifically built to be in conversation with the Old Brick Meeting House, which was lost in 1808 to redevelopment. Both buildings were built in 1713, following a huge fire in 1711. The meeting house was built by the clergy and it looked backward. It was the last church built in Boston on the old model of the Puritan meeting house before it became common for there to be a clock tower through which you would enter the church. The Old State House (or the Town House, as it was then known) was built right across the street and looked forward, expressing a whole new architectural style and confidence in Boston’s future in the Atlantic world. Because Old Brick is no longer there, we’ve lost the story that the Old State House was meant to tell. Instead, we’re left with a narrow slice of what life was really like in 18th-century Boston.
We can’t always anticipate the important cultural work the built environment that surrounds us today might be doing in the future. So we should be really cautious before we let go of a building that was important at one point in time because there’s no telling how it might serve us down the road. That’s what preservation is all about.
How does working with Historic Boston Inc. (HBI) further your own work?
Historic Boston Inc. shares our belief that historic places are valuable community assets that deserve both preservation and active use. HBI’s work demonstrates how thoughtful stewardship can keep historic buildings relevant and vibrant in the present day. Their efforts help create a future in which Boston’s historic character remains a meaningful part of the city’s growth and evolution.
Photo Credit: Justin Saglio