‘Seeking Harlem’
Historian, Preservationist to Speak Feb. 27 at Ohio Wesleyan
DELAWARE, Ohio – Columbia University-trained historian and preservationist Michael Henry Adams will present “Seeking Harlem: Lost and Found” Feb. 27 at Ohio Wesleyan University.
Adams will speak at 6 p.m. in Room 312 of the R.W. Corns Building, 78 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. The event is free and open to the public.
A native of Akron, Ohio, Adams began his preservation career volunteering for Akron’s Stan-Hywet Hall and advocating against the demolition of several historically significant buildings. He moved to Harlem in the 1980s and is a co-founder and board member of Save Harlem Now!
A vocal advocate for preserving black history and culture, Adams also is the author “Harlem Lost and Found, an Architectural and Social History, 1765-1915” and “Style and Grace, African Americas at Home.”
He currently is working a book on lesbian and gay life in Harlem between 1915 and 1995. His field of special interest is revivalist residential architecture of the early twentieth century, exemplified by Gilded-Age country and town houses. Relating the involvement of women, gays, and people of color regarding such buildings is a particular pursuit and goal. Follow Adams on Twitter at @harlemhellion.
His presentation is sponsored by Ohio Wesleyan’s Fine Arts Department, Black World Studies Program, and Richard M. Ross Art Museum.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 90 undergraduate majors and competes in 25 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through Ohio Wesleyan’s signature OWU Connection program, students integrate knowledge across disciplines, build a diverse and global perspective, and apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives” and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.