A professional archivist has invested in a career in which every single day is its own beautiful, challenging adventure. Maybe it is working through important documents that bring to life the story of your institution, or fighting the good fight against pests, time, and inherent vice. Personally, I get a lot of joy out of seeing my student workers master a skill they will draw on time and time again in their own cultural resource careers. Today is a joy a little different.
Since April, David Newberry (Assistant Vice President for University Advancement) and I have been working quietly and urgently to secure a nomination for the Old Main Administration Building on the National Register of Historic Places. This program, overseen by the National Park Service, is pretty straightforward: The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources. At the meeting of the Board of Trustees’ Building and Grounds Committee this week, the decision to move forward with this application was approved.
As a seventh-generation Chester Countian and an alumnus and employee of FHU, I am so eager to share the history of this incredible building with the nation! In doing so, we honor the vision and design of Hubert McGee, architect. The care of Jess O’Dair, chief carpenter. The skillful masonry of Walter Thorogood and Will Roberts. The heavy labor of many unnamed local laborers. The building is also a quieter history: the bricks kilned on site and the lumber milled in the neighborhood speak to the natural bounty that made A.G. Freed and N.B. Hardeman think that this community was an ideal location for a school.
Here’s what is going to happen: The Tennessee Historical Commission is the first step. The THC functions as the State Historic Preservation Officer for Tennessee. We must present an application, complete with contemporary and historic photo documentation of the building. Once the THC has examined the application and supporting materials, they will hold a public meeting here in Chester County to solicit the opinions and voice of the community. Once the concerns of the community have been addressed, they will make a recommendation to the Department of the Interior for or against nomination. Upon the THC’s recommendation, we will then prepare and submit and application to the Department of the Interior through the National Park Service, who oversees the list and sets forth all criteria and requirements.
Over the next few weeks, the blog will discuss various issues that arise while preparing the application. Hopefully something we learn in the process can be of benefit to you in your own community. Kristi Montague has been invaluable in this early stage, taking all the necessary photographs. The faculty and staff of the School of Arts & Humanities and Jeff Barkman and the Sodexo Facilities crew also deserve thanks for making it possible for us to access every nook and cranny of Old Main for documentation.
What are your thoughts? Go with us on this journey! Help us demonstrate that this place matters!