The public television’s show “This Old House” turned 40 this year. The first house featured in the program’s pilot — a beautiful, stately home at the corner of Bowdoin and Percival Streets near St. Peter’s Church— was vacant at the time. The home was beautifully restored and it remains a jewel in the neighborhood under the care of its current owners.
But, there’s much more to the story of how it became vacant in the first place. Before it was acquired by WGBH-TV, it was the home of Earl Perkins, a Korean War veteran who led the Meeting House Hill Civic Association that met monthly nearby at the First Parish Church. Like civic leaders across the city, Earl devoted his time to lead these groups, get residents together, react to problems they see, and try to get city agencies and elected officials to respond.
