William Sumner Appleton

William Sumner Appleton, Jr. (1874-1947) was Founder of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA) in 1910. He was the chief force behind much of the preservation of historic homes in the New England area. Appleton, who had a degree from Harvard and was economically comfortable, worked tirelessly to promote preservation of buildings from the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries. He focused on buildings that were aesthetically pleasing, had historic significance, and could be independently supported. His method of preservation focused on cautious, deliberate restoration only when experts were involved and restorations were reversible. When he died in 1947, the SPNEA had grown tremendously and remains a strong and active organization today. Renamed Historic New England, the organization owns thirty-six historic properties.

References

* [http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=R4dIz_bTNrAC&dq=William+Sumner+Appleton&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=mrbM2RIReQ&sig=4Sf80rbyml8iS0rnNbetpgwGTTM William Sumner Appleton, Sr. Family biographical info 1904 book on Google Booksearch]
* [http://www.historicnewengland.org/NEHM/NEWWSpringPage02.htm "Three old houses cast their spell on America's first preservationist, William Sumner Appleton" Historic New England Magazine - Spring 2001 ]