Lowell Historical Society Annual Meeting - Come and explore the grand plans and out-sized personas whose schemes and dreams transformed “second-class” Belvidere into Lowell’s premier neighborhood for wealth and ostentation.

Presented by Joe Orfant - Joe Orfant is a Lowell (and Belvidere) native with a deep (obsessive) interest in the historic architecture of his home town. He studied architecture and planning at Yale University and is retired from a 40 year plus career in architecture, planning, park and open space planning, teaching, environmental review and historic preservation. One of his happiest accomplishments in his early years was writing the National Register nomination for the Locks & Canals Historic District. He later promoted the National Historic Landmark designation while working as the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer. In addition to Yale, he trained as an architectural conservator at ICCROM, the international conservation center in Rome, Italy and studied management at Harvard.