Expert on regional brick architecture

Little is known about the architect and brick mason who built the Andrew Johnston House in 1829, but that is not true of other homes and buildings in the Roanoke and New River Valleys.  On Thursday, August 2 at 7:00 pm at the Giles County Historical Society, Michael J. Pulice will talk about his ten-year study of the Deyerle family and their impact on 19^th century brick architecture in the region.

Pulice holds degrees from Radford University and Virginia Tech, and is an archaeologist and architectural historian. He currently works at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources Western Regional Office in Salem.  Pulice’s illustrated presentation will be followed by a book signing and is free and open to the public.

The Deyerles were a legendary family of builders and architects of the nineteenth century.  Their story begins with Benjamin Deyerle, an architect, brick mason, and builder of brick homes and other structures in the Roanoke Valley.  Other family members included his brother, David, half-brother, Joseph, and Joseph’s son, J.C.

David and J.C. expanded the family’s influence into Franklin County and the New River Valley.  Nearby landmarks built by the Deyerles can still be seen in Christiansburg, Blacksburg and elsewhere in Montgomery County, as well as Pulaski County.  Pulice’s book, Nineteenth-Century Brick Architecture in the Roanoke Valley and Beyond: Discovery the True Legacies of the Deyerle Builders, features many photographs of their work in our region.

The Giles County Historical Society works to preserve, interpret and exhibit Giles County’s rich historical and cultural heritage.  It provides a repository for Giles County family histories, documents and artifacts, assists genealogical researchers, and supports the preservation of endangered Giles County artifacts, sites and records.  The Giles County Historical Society, Museum and Gift Shop (921-1050) are open Wed-Fri from 12-5 PM and Sat-Sun from 2-5 PM.  Admission is free.  The Research Office is open on Thursday from 12–5 PM.  For more information, visit www.gilescountyhistorical.org.

 Expert on regional brick architecture. On August 2 at 7pm architectural historical Mike Pulice will give a talk at the Historical Society on 19th-century brick architecture in the Roanoke and New River Valleys.