Thanks to our readers, who have been generous in their support over the blog, Twitter, and Facebook!

As we walk through this process, David and I find our expectations about the hows and whats of the NRHP listing process challenged. Common misconceptions arise, naturally, as people receive mixed information through the media, through neighbors, and through the uninformed. Because some of these misconceptions have come from supporters of FHU, this is a great time to set the facts of National Register listing straight!

First let me point you to the source: the National Register of Historic Places

1.What will putting Old Main on the list do for FHU? At heart, putting Old Main on the NRHP is a sort of moral victory. We announce to the community and to our supporters that we value FHU's long heritage and the work of those before us who established a solid foundation on which to build the school. Practically, the NRHP can be a boost to FHU's fundraising efforts as it sends the message to funders, donors, and other supporters that we believe in this building and are committed to keeping the legacy of the school (in this case, in tangible form) alive and active in the community. Placing the building on the list also allows the school to take full advantage of established infrastructure. A building already on the grid, plumbed, electrified, connected to city water and sewage services represents the investment of funds, labor, and other resources. To tear down this building is to deny that investment.

2. Will FHU be required to follow someone else's set of rules about how the building is used, treated, or repaired? Because FHU is a private institution, it has the sovereignty to conduct its own affairs as determined by the Administration and the Board of Trustees. Placement on the NRHP does not bind the University to any restrictions as to use, management, or upkeep of the building. Restrictions set in when funding or support is solicited and accepted. As part of the planned renovation of the building, the Office of University Advancement will pursue grant funding as well as other streams of support. As with any gift, the donor or funder may decide it is in his or her best interest to place restrictions on the money. For example, if we were to receive a gift from a private donor and one condition of the gift was that we never paint the bell tower, columns, porch railings, or window frames any color but white, the University would be bound to those terms if it accepted the donation. The same holds true for grant funders or federal assistance programs. The acceptance of money from grant institutions or the federal government comes with restrictions. If the University accepts such funding, it is then under obligation to meet and comply with all restrictions imposed in the initial contract. Any restriction the University cannot comply with, for any reason, should prohibit the University from accepting the funding. The acceptance of federal student loans, federal work study, or GI benefits does not commit the University to any actions related to its status on the NRHP.

3. Is there any protection against demolition? No. The Union Avenue South Methodist Episcopal Church used to stand at the corner of Union Avenue and S. Cooper Street in Memphis. Placed on the NRHP in 1987, the building was recently purchased by CVS Pharmacy. They demolished the building in order to build a pharmacy at that intersection. Hubert T. McGee, architect of the building, is also the architect of Old Main and several other businesses and residences in Memphis, Dyersburg, Savannah, Jackson, and Henderson. He has additional buildings around St. Louis, MO and in upstate New York. The building was not abandoned, falling apart, or otherwise presenting a significant danger or risk to the community. It was simply not needed in its previous capactiy, and was sold to an owner who did not desire to maintain it.

Keep those questions and ideas coming!

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!

Contributed by Shelby Womack, Communications Assistant

If you've ever been anywhere near Freed-Hardeman during the spring semester, you know what Makin' Music is. It's a pretty big deal on campus, and has been since 1977. We recently ran into some slides back in Archives from Makin' Music and thought we'd share with you. Do you know anyone in the pictures? Do you know which show the mystery ones are from? Are there any specific Makin' Music shows you'd like to see pictures from? There are tons more MM photos, we might be able to help you out. All the pictures are up on our facebook page at Freed Hardeman Archives & Special Collections!

Contributed by Shelby Womack, Communications Assistant

Some of the most interesting things here in Archives I find on accident. I’m fairly new to the Archives & Special Collections and let me tell you, there are a lot of boxes back here. I have a very basic knowledge of where everything is, which means that when I write a blog article like the last one, I have to dig through half the boxes to find scrapbooks or flyers or whatever it is I’m looking for. I find all kinds of cool things this way, and consequently become very distracted. This last time, I was looking for mementos from student trips and events. The box said something about the Theatre Department and scrapbooks, so I figured there would be pictures of some field trip they took or programs from some plays. It turns out it was full of newspaper clippings and photos dating back to the early 1900’s. I found out later they were papers found in the attic of the Joyce Simon McDaniel building that belonged to Floyd Decker and E. Couch, the husband and brother of Barbara Decker, a former dorm supervisor in Brigance Hall.

It was incredible. The headlines said things like “Treaty Signed in Versailles Today,” or “America and Russia Now Believed Nearly Equal in Lunar Race.” There were articles and pictures documenting the World Wars, the Great Depression, the Cold War, and the Civil Rights Movement. The coolest part was that in the midst of all these important historical records were report cards and letters and postcards and all kinds of personal records. There were also clippings from Christian publications, articles discussing different controversial issues in the Church, and correspondence between churches. It was the history of the past 100 years from all different angles. It goes back to something I’ve talked about in quite a few of the blog posts; history is just as much the personal lives of everyday people as it is the wars and political workings. We are so blessed to have a record of all those major events from the perspectives of people in the Church who were just living their lives as best they could in the midst of all the turmoil going on around them. Lesson learned from all of this: keep records! Save newspapers and report cards and all those little and big things that shape your life. Save them so that someday people can look back and understand the history of our nation, the Church, and your own life just a little better.

Contributed by Shelby Womack, Communications Assistant

A few weeks ago, Erin and I got to go on the annual trip to Staunton, Virginia, to visit the American Shakespeare Center. Two 11-hour car rides, three plays, some gelato, and a lot of junk food later, we were back on campus with lots of pictures and stories to tell. It got me thinking, what does Archives do with these kinds of trips? An English-major trip to Staunton may not be Homecoming or Makin’ Music, but it still seems like it’s an important part of student life. I talked to Erin and we agreed that these little field trips were probably as important, from a historical archiving standpoint, as those bigger campus events. If you remember to back when we did the StoryCorps chapel presentation, we said that the mission of StoryCorps was to record the lives of everyday Americans. They make the claim that the history of America isn’t just wars and presidents, but the stories and struggles of the citizens. This, although on a much smaller scale, is what we concluded about smaller student events at Freed. Yes, the over-all history is incredibly important, but so are the stories and mementos that show what life was really like for a student at Freed-Hardeman.

That being said, we do have records of student events and field trips in Archives. I dug through some of the boxes in the back room and found all sorts of things. Chorale especially had quite a few scrapbooks documenting their travels including photos, travel itineraries, quotes from the trip, funny drawings and poems from the bus ride, and thank-you letters from the congregations they visited. We had also scrapbooks from SNEA, a group for future teachers, and of course some from the social clubs. Some of the scrapbooks had little mementos like part of a donut box from a bake sale they had or posters they made to advertise a meeting. It all just gives you another perspective of Freed-Hardeman's history.

As far as the Staunton trip, we have some tickets, programs, and pictures, so maybe our little trip will be recorded in Archives too. For all our current and former students, have you recorded the trips, club meetings, and all those little events that made your Freed experience what it was? Tell us about it!