"It's a bit difficult to explain what I do," says Rose-Marie, who lives in Bristol. "I do in-depth documentation of structures for museums and other institutions, including consulting building archives." Her aim, to get as much background information on the building in question.

Her first project, fresh out of Columbia, was to lead a team to study the condition of the contagious disease wards on Ellis Island, first used to screen immigrants, later as a military hospital during World War II. "They still haven't figured out what to do with the compound," she notes. She went on to work for the prestigious Beyer Blinder Belle architectural firm in New York City.

While living in Connecticut, she participated in the restoration work of the Oliver Ellsworth House in Windsor. Mr. Ellsworth was the third U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice. Her last project in Connecticut was preparing an historic structure building assessment for the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, "a really big deal," she remembers, working with not only architects but several engineers of various specializations.

In Bristol she has been working with local architect Ken Coombs and volunteers on an in-depth study of that town's historic structures.

For Edgecomb, she has done a ``Reconnaissance Survey" of buildings older than 50 years (that is, 1955), structure exteriors only, as visible from roads or public rights of way, sometimes seeking out owners on private roads and drives for their permission to take pictures. Although the survey is not quite complete, Ms. Ballard Boak will discuss what she has discovered about Edgecomb's dwellings, outbuildings, public structures, the occasional cemetery.

We look forward to a lively Q and A session, and trading of information by those who know to those who do not know! The public is welcome to this meeting!