28 February 2013

Historic preservation and access -- just as important to genealogists as document preservation and access

source: http://media.nj.com/the-times/photo/2012/06/11138396-standard.jpg


Joe Carney, a member of the Princeton Battlefield Society sent me a link to a Documentary Short Film created by a Princeton University student, Battle For the Field.

Though we often, in genealogy and family history circles, talk about document preservation and access, the preservation and access of the locations and structures where historical events occurred is equally important.

Talk to any genealogist or historian and there is such a visceral reaction to standing on the land where one’s ancestors may have trod or visiting a building they may have stepped foot in. I just had this conversation with a local historian last week.

In order to ensure that future generations get to have this same emotional experience, we need to ensure that the land and structures and landmarks as existed in the times of our ancestors are still around for future generations.

Check out this small subset of a very large collection of Vimeo videos on Historic Preservation...

Basically, just search on Vimeo (and YouTube or your video platform of choice) on historic preservation and see what efforts are currently underway to preserve historically significant structures, archeological sites, land and more).

Like the Princeton Battlefield, do you know of other “at risk” pieces of history?  If you do, please post a comment about these.  Let’s build awareness of these “at risk” pieces of history in the hopes that maybe we can ensure that they will be around for future generations just as we have worked to ensure that historically-relevant documents are preserved.


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4 comments:

  1. I could not agree more!http://www.facebook.com/#!/TheSlaveDwellingProject

    ReplyDelete
  2. Civil War Trust actively works to preserve Civil War battlefields.

    http://www.civilwar.org/index.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. Interested in Preservation in NC check out North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, http://www.hpo.ncdcr.gov/services.htm, and its associated FB page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Carolina-State-Historic-Preservation-Office/177577709000856?ref=stream

    ReplyDelete
  4. A recent article about the possible loss of Jamestown as ocean levels rise, http://www.npr.org/2013/05/14/178809495/with-rising-seas-americas-birthplace-could-disappear

    ReplyDelete