Pavy Studio

210 Gordon Street
Built: c. 1950
Architectural Style: Vernacular Storefront

Pavy Studio was originally built as a residence and converted

to a retail shop sometime in the late 1940s. It is a good

example in terms of design, workmanship and materials, for

a neighborhood retail store in Freetown at the time it was

converted. The building retains its original wood storefront

windows, full-width porch, metal awning, and double door

entry. In addition to its architectural integrity, the property

includes historic significance from its association with local

artist, Francis X. Pavy. As a child, Francis studied art under the

direction of Elmore Morgan Jr., and in college he studied music,

ceramics, animation, painting, print-making and sculpture.

He graduated in 1976 with a Fine Arts degree in Sculpture. In

1977, Pavy started working in a glass shop making leaded and

beveled glass windows, and in 1982 he opened his own glass

studio. He adopted painting as his primary medium in 1985,

citing his glass work as a primary inspiration for his painting

work. Pavy's work has been well received regionally, nationally

and internationally with one-man exhibitions in New York, Los

Angeles, Houston, Aspen, New Orleans, as well as in France and

Switzerland.