Preserving Institutional Heritage at Lane College

The National Trust for Historic Preservation posted "Preserving Lane College: Q&A with Dr. Logan Hampton and Sherill B. Scott," by Tiffany Tolbert, associate director, African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund at the National Trust.

Last year, eight HBCUs were awarded funding to develop cultural heritage stewardship plans for their campuses and historic sites. "The sole goal of this initiative is to partner with HBCUs to empower and preserve the legacies of the campuses and ensure that the stories of their foundations are upheld to educate and inspire future generations of students to pay it forward." 

Dr. Logan Hampton and Sherill B. Scott provide a summary of efforts on the Lane College campus to preserve key aspects of institutional heritage.

It is noted that the "...history of Lane College first dates to 1878 when the Colored Methodist Episcopal (C.M.E) Church conceived of establishing a school in Tennessee. In 1882, Isaac Lane— who was formerly enslaved and now a bishop of the C.M.E. Church—purchased 4-acres of land in Jackson, Tennessee and established Lane College. Lane opened with the mission to educate formerly enslaved people and prepare new teachers and preachers."

Exhibit Features Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Historic District

 

WTWO-TV of Terre Haute, IN posted a short video segment, "Saint Mary-of-the-Woods exhibit now open through October at Swope Art Museum," featuring comments by Dr. Dottie King, president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) and the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (SPSMW) are partnering with the Swope Art Museum in Terre Haute to present “Stories from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Historic District.”

“Stories from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Historic District” can be viewed in the 2nd Floor Lobby and Education Galleries of the Swope Art Museum, from August 6th through October 4th, 2021. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. and there is no cost for admission. 

You can visit the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Historic District web pages for for more information on the architectural significance and educational or religious importance of the area to the history of the State of Indiana and the United States.

A couple of previous College History Garden posts may also be of interest, 

• October 4, 2017 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Campus added to National Register of Historic Places.
• November 2, 2015 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Celebrates 175th Anniversary.

You can also visit the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College web site to learn more about the institution's history or you can download maps of the campus and trails.

National Park Seminary: Videos Provide History and Document Efforts to Preserve the Site

National Park Seminary operated at Forest Glen, Maryland from 1894-1942 and a dedicated group of volunteers has successfully sustained interest in the history of the site by organizing tours, publishing books, and preserving memories.

The Save Our Seminary website offers a link to a 15-minute video, "Paths to the Present #81 - National Park Seminary in Forest Glen," completed by County Cable Montgomery highlighting local history.  Paths to the Present, revisited National Park Seminary in early 2014 and found the buildings and grounds of the former school revitalized as a residential community. 

You can also view an excellent slide show, "Photographic Tour of Save Our Seminary at Forest Glen," from 2010 that includes many images and corresponding historical narrative.

A 1998 video, "Saving the Ghosts of Forest Glen," provides many historic images of National Seminary and the details of Save Our Seminary attempts to preserve the site. The video was produced by Wayne Mara for Montgomery County Community Television.

You can learn more about National Park Seminary and find links to additional resources by visiting a couple of earlier College History Garden posts:

• Monday, June 18, 2012, National Park Seminary (MD)
• Tuesday, February 27, 2018, The History of National Park Seminary Featured in The Washington Post

Flagler College will host Open House as part of 50th Anniversary Celebration

On Saturday, November 3rd, Flagler College will open its doors to the public for a campus-wide open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The open house event will feature several key buildings: former Hotel Ponce de Leon, Solarium, Pollard Hall, Hanke Hall, Markland House, WFCF Radio Station, and Alumni House. The centerpiece of the campus is the former Hotel Ponce de Leon, a National Historic Landmark opened in 1888 by railroad pioneer and Standard Oil co-founder Henry M. Flagler.

The college was founded in 1968 and the open house is one of several events marking Flagler's 50th anniversary.

Previous College History Garden posts featuring Flagler College may also be of interest:

• Tuesday, July 3, 2018, "Flagler 50: Exhibition Marks 50th Anniversary of Flagler College."
• Thursday, May 26, 2016, "Flagler College Faculty Member Recognized for Work with Historic Preservation."
• Tuesday, February 17, 2015, "Massive Renovation Project at Flagler College."

Successful Administrator of Milton College Preservation Society Retires

Rebecca Kanable reports in the Milton (WI) Courier, "Milton College Preservation Society admin to retire," on the commitment of Judy Scheehle to the legacy of Milton College.

I've admired the work of Scheehle and other volunteers from afar for several years as the Milton College Preservation Society has worked successfully to both preserve the history of Milton College in Milton, WI and find alternative ways to use the former campus as a community resource.  Maintaining interest in the history of a closed college for several decades requires a lot of creative energy and Scheehle has built a good foundation for the future.

You can also read earlier College History Garden posts on Milton College:

• The former Milton College in Wisconsin is Featured from Februrary 19, 2017 
• Milton College (Wisconsin) from August 22, 2010

Flagler 50: Exhibition Marks 50th Anniversary of Flagler College

An exhibition "Flagler 50: Celebrating a College and a Preservation Legacy, 1968-2018” will open July 6, 2018 as part of the upcoming repertoire of 50th-anniversary celebrations at Flagler College.  The exhibit will be available through May 30, 2019,

The opening of the exhibition was purposefully scheduled to coincide with the 100th birthday of college founder, Lawrence Lewis, Jr., the grandnephew of Henry Flagler.  Lewis was instrumental in fostering the restoration of many buildings in St. Augustine, not just the Hotel Ponce de Leon, that is now used by Flagler College.

You can visit the Flagler College website for a list of anniversary events.

Previous College History Garden posts featuring Flagler College may also be of interest:

• Thursday, May 26, 2016, "Flagler College Faculty Member Recognized for Work with Historic Preservation."
• Tuesday, February 17, 2015, "Massive Renovation Project at Flagler College."

Reflections on the Significance of Campus Renovation

The High Plains Reader published an intriguing article, "Gateways to History are Best Kept Open," by Ken Smith.  Smith focuses on the armory, a building built in 1905 on the campus of the former Manual Training School in Ellendale, ND.  His article also includes an historical sketch of the institution that evolved to become a branch campus of the University of North Dakota before closing in the early 1970s.

Work on the armory is now finished and in September, 2018 the current occupant of the campus, Trinity Bible College, will host an open house and also open two other renovated campus buildings of similar vintage, a residence hall and the president's home.  

Smith comments that , "Saving and refurbishing these structures is an accomplishment that deserves notice around the state and region. It hasn't been cheap or easy, but this good work deserves recognition far and wide."  

He also draws an interesting contrast with a controversy involving the University of North Dakota's upcoming decision on possible destruction of buildings of Wesley College.  Smith also notes an irony where the "...state’s leading secular university is about to demolish a set of buildings that were once devoted to a religious purpose. (While) Here in Ellendale our religiously based college is about to finish restoring a pair of buildings that were once devoted to a secular purpose."

Campus History at Cornell College

Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa posted a press release highlighting a summer research project by two students.  The project involves research in the college archives to identify items related to ten historic buildings that can be used for an online tour of the campus.  The post includes a short video on the project that includes interviews with Brad Kane ’18, Hannah Robertson ’18 and their professor, Catherine Stewart.  The Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission and the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group are also partners on the project.

Flagler College Faculty Member Recognized for Work with Historic Preservation

Flagler College announced this week that Dr. Leslee Keys is a recipient of the William L. Proctor Award from the Historic St. Augustine Research Institute for her book "Hotel Ponce de Leon: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Flagler's Gilded Age Palace."  Keys' book covers the history of the building from construction in 1888 through the opening of Flagler College in 1966 and the major renovation work coinciding with the 400th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine.  

The release also notes that Keys was recently recognized with the Roy E. Graham Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation Education from the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.  Keys serves Flagler as assistant professor of history and director of historic preservation for the college.

A review of the book accompanied by a Q&A section with Keys was published by The St. Augustine Record in January 2016.