THE SAME PLACE.
TODAY MANY OF THOSE MEETINGHOUSES REMAIN, CATCHING THE EYE OF A DEDICATED PHOTOGRAPHER.
SHAYNA: TO TAKE A SNAPSHOT OF EARLY CHRISTIAN LIFE IN THE COLONIES, ONE MUST VIEW IT THROUGH THE LENS OF THE WRITTEN SETTLERS.
>> THEY WERE TRYING TO CREATE A COMMUNITY THAT WAS GODLY.
THE PROBLEM WITH THE PURITANS, THEY WERE NOT PARTICULARLY TOLERANT PEOPLE.
SHAYNA: THEY WERE GOD-FEARING AND HARD-WORKING, SO THEY SET OUT TO CONSTRUCT PLACES OF WORSHIP.
>> THERE WERE NO ARCHITECTURAL PLANS FOR MEETING HOUSES.
THE BASIC STRUCTURE IS NOT SO DIFFERENT FROM THE STRUCTURE OF A BARN.
SHAYNA: FEW PEOPLE KNOW MORE ABOUT NEW ENGLAND’S SURVIVING MEETINGHOUSES THEN PAUL WAINWRIGHT.
THE RETIRED SCIENTIST SPENT THREE YEARS IN MEETINGHOUSES ACROSS THE REGION, MAKING THE BEAUTIFUL IMAGES THAT FILL HIS BOOK.
>> IN THE MID-1990’S, I MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION, LIFESTYLE DECISION, TO RUN LIKE MAD THE OTHER WAY.
I BOUGHT A WOODEN CAMERA THAT WOULD HAVE EXISTED IN 1880, 1890, BECAUSE IT IS A DIFFERENT PROCESS FOR MAKING THE PHOTOGRAPH.
SHAYNA: THAT PROCESS REQUIRES TIME.
>> THIS IS THE OLDEST SURVIVING MEETINGHOUSE IN NEW ENGLAND.
THE EXPOSURE FOR THAT PHOTOGRAPH TOOK 35 MINUTES.
I STARTED PHOTOGRAPHING MEETINGHOUSES BECAUSE THEY ARE DROPDEAD GORGEOUS.
I’M TRYING TO SHOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THEM.
I FEEL A SENSE OF PRESENCE OF THE PEOPLE WHO BUILT AND USED THESE PLACES.
SHAYNA: WHEN I TRIED TO AVOID SHOWING MODERN -- WAINWRIGHT TRIED TO AVOID SHOWING MINOR CHANGES.
BUT HE MADE A SINGLE EXCEPTION.
>> THE INSIDE OF THE BUILDING HAS MANY DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURAL STYLES BECAUSE OF ITS MANY USES OVER THE LAST 300 YEARS.
THE STAPLE OF THE BUILDING IS THE ORIGINAL STEEPLE.
SHAYNA: THIS WAS ONCE THE HIGHEST POINT IN BOSTON BEFORE PROGRESS RESHAPE THE SKYLINE.
HOWEVER, FOR O MOMENT, PAST AND PRESENT STATE IN HARMONY.
HARMONY IS NOT WHAT THIS MAN FOUND IN ONE HISTORIC FLYER HE UNCOVERED.
>> IT’S A HISTORIC DOCUMENT, A FIGHT BROKE OUT.
BRCA 2 WASHINGTON --- BOOKER T.
WASHINGTON’S SISTER STARTED STABBING PEOPLE.
SHAYNA: LEGENDARY EDUCATOR BOOKER T. WASHINGTON CAME FOR A TALK TURNED RIOT, ONE OF THE COLORFUL STORIES HE UNEARTHED WHILE COLLECTING ARTIFACTS THE LAST 19 YEARS.
>> THE PROJECT CAME ABOUT WHEN MY FATHER PASSED AWAY IN 2000.
WE WERE CLEANING OUT HIS CLOSET AND CAME ACROSS PHOTOGRAPHS AND SCRAPBOOKS.
IT IS NOW TAKEN ME ON THIS JOURNEY OF FINDING WONDERFUL STORIES.
SHAYNA: THAT JOURNEY INEVITABLY LEAD TO THE BLACK CHURCHES THAT SHAPE THE COMMUNITY.
LOCAL CHURCHES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AN INTEREST OF MINE BECAUSE WE GREW UP IN A CHURCH.
SHAYNA: SPECIFICALLY THIS CHURCH, PEOPLE’S BAPTIST, A PLACE WHERE THE PASTOR IS PART OF AN EXCLUSIVE CLUB.
>> SINCE 1980, AND THE THIRD PAST-- SINCE 1918, ON THE THIRD PASTOR.
SHAYNA: ANOTHER CLAIM TO FAME, A FORMER VEER BELL.
--PAUL REVERE BELL.
>> I GREW UP HERE.
MY FATHER WAS A CUSTODIAN COULD WHEN I WENT TO COLLEGE, I RECEIVED THAT BELL.
SHAYNA: THE PROJECT BRINGS BACK THE PAST FOR HIM AND OTHERS.
>> I FOUND A PHOTOGRAPH AND I COULDN’T IDENTIFY ANYONE IN THE PHOTOGRAPH.
IT WAS A GROUP OF CHILDREN ALL DRESSED IN UNIFORMS.
I WAS AT A WEDDING RECEPTION AND SOMEONE ASKED ME ABOUT MY WORK.
THIS MAN MUST HAVE BEEN ABOUT 70 OR SO.
STARTED TO CRY.
"I’M IN THAT PICTURE." SHAYNA: A COPY OF THE PHOTO, EACH BOY IDENTIFIED BY NAME, LIVES IN A CHURCH BUILT BY BLACKBAUD STARTEDS AFTER -- BLACK BOSTONIANS AFTER GETTING
THE COLD SHOULDER FROM WHITE CONURBATIONS.
THE PHOTO IS A GR TO WAY TO A LARGER STORY.
>> THERE ARE 12 STAINED-GLASS WINDOWS, REPRESENTING AFRICAN-AMERICAN PEOPLE -- SOJOURNER TRUTH, MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., HARRIET TUBMAN.
I DON’T KNOW OF ANY PLACE IN BOSTON THAT HAS SUCH A COLLECTION.
IT INSERTS NOT ONLY THE ETHNICITY OF THE PLACE, THE CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE.
SHAYNA THE TERM "CHURCH" ONCE REFERRED TO A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO WORSHIPED TOGETHER.
ASHER BENJAMIN CHANGED THAT.
HE WROTE BOOKS FOR BUILDERS.
AND IN THE BOOKS, HE LABELED HIS WORSHIP MEETING HOUSE DESIGN AS THE "CHURCH" DESIGN.
SOON AFTER, EVERY TOWN WANTED TO WORSHIP IN A BENJAMIN CHURCH.
THAT IS WHY THAT DESIGN CAN BE FOUND THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
-- THE UNITED