Belle Meade Plantation [TN]

Description

The 30-acre Belle Meade Plantation holds the Federal-style 1853 Belle Meade mansion and seven other historic buildings, including a stable and carriage house. The plantation was founded by John Harding in 1807. Harding was a devoted thoroughbred breeder and racer, as were many gentlemen from the South during his time. Tenneessee thoroughbred breeding became less common after the Civil War, as the state saw extensive troop movement. The mansion facade includes Greek Revival elements added in 1853, and the interior is furnished with 19th-century pieces. The plantation owned more slaves than the majority of antebellum Nashville plantations. Some of these slaves served as horse grooms and jockeys.

The plantation offers period rooms, 45-minute guided mansion tours, five educational program options for students, summer camps, home school days, traveling trunks, toddler programs, a student book club with online interactive activities, a junior docent program, culinary guided tours, and a restaurant. Reservations are required for groups of 15 or more. The second floor is not wheelchair accessible.

Princeton Battlefield State Park and Clarke House [NJ]

Description

On January 3, 1777, the peaceful winter fields and woods of Princeton Battlefield were transformed into the site of what is considered to be the fiercest fight of its size during the American Revolution. During this desperate battle, American troops under General George Washington surprised and defeated a force of British Regulars. Coming at the end of "The Ten Crucial Days" which saw the well-known night crossing of the Delaware River and two battles in Trenton, the Battle of Princeton gave Washington his first victory against the British Regulars on the field. The battle extended over a mile away to the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). Also in the park stands the Clarke House. Built by Thomas Clarke in 1772, the house was the scene of heavy fighting during the Battle of Princeton. General Hugh Mercer was mortally wounded nearby and was carried to the Clarke House, where he died nine days after the battle.

A second website for the site, maintained by the Princeton Battlefield Area Preservation Society, can be found here.

The site offers tours, lectures, and occasional recreational and educational events (including living history events).

National Corvette Museum [KY]

Description

The National Corvette Museum preserves the history of the Corvette, a variety of sports car. The museum houses more than 50 Corvette models and one-of-a-kind concept cars spanning the history of Corvette. Also on hand are thousands of related photos, movies and videos, advertisements, scale models and rare memorabilia.

The museum offers exhibits and films. Across the street from the museum, the assembly plant offers tours.

French Legation Museum [TX]

Description

The French Legation Museum preserves the historic French Legation, originally built in 1840 to serve as the headquarters for the government of France in the Republic of Texas.

The Legation offers visitors a glimpse into Texas life and culture before it became a state. The Legation also offers guided tours year-round, as well as a variety of special events throughout the year, including lectures and performances. The website offers visitor information, a calendar of events, a brief history of the structure, and an education section which offers lesson plans and activities for students.

Galt Historical Society and McRae House Museum [CA]

Description

The Galt Historical Society was created in 1979 with the intent to help to preserve roughly 15 historic structures in Galt, CA. The society was able to accomplish these early goals, and since has worked with local preservationists to encourage preservation in the Galt area. Today, the society operates a historic house museum, the McRae House Museum, which also presents local history exhibits.

The site offer historical resources—including articles and biographies, historical and visitor information regarding the McRae House and McFarland Ranch, an events calendar, and link to other online resources.

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Description

"Founded in 1824 in Philadelphia, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is one of the oldest historical societies in the United States and holds many national treasures. The Society's building, designed by Addison Hutton and listed on the City of Philadelphia's Register of Historical Places, houses some 600,000 printed items and over 19 million manuscript and graphic items." The Society's library is one of the preeminent libraries in the nation, housing extensive manuscript collections from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Finally, the Historical Society has paired with Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania through a Strategic Alliance Agreement, and the Society has become "a chief center for the documentation and study of the ethnic communities and immigrant experiences."

The site offers an online catalog, 10 online manuscript collections, an online event calendar, exhibit information along with nine online exhibits, purchasing information for the society's publications, and educational resources, including lesson plans, readings, primary sources, online exhibits, and information on educational workshops.

Longue Vue House and Gardens [LA]

Description

Longue Vue features Classical Revival style buildings and landscaped gardens, a collection of European and American decorative and fine arts pieces, and museum exhibits. The estate itself was designed in 1939–1942 for philanthropists Edgar Bloom Stern, a New Orleans cotton broker, and his wife Edith Rosenwald Stern, an heiress to the Sears-Roebuck fortune.

The house offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, and educational and recreational events.

Preservation Trades Network

Description

"The Preservation Trades Network (PTN) is a non-profit membership organization founded as an education, networking, and outreach organization. PTN was established on the principle that conservation of the built environment is fundamentally dependent on the quality, availability, and viability of the skilled trades. We believe that opportunities for education, employment, and compensation of people in the trades are directly reflected in the quality of the built environment, and the effective stewardship of cultural heritage."

U.S. Brig Niagara and Erie Maritime Museum [PA]

Description

As homeport of U.S. Brig Niagara, the Erie Maritime Museum presents the story of Niagara as the reconstructed flagship of Pennsylvania and the warship that won the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812. Offering a wide range of multimedia and interactive exhibits and coupled with lively interpretive programs, Erie Maritime Museum vividly illustrates Niagara's history and the region's rich maritime heritage. As the premier exhibit at the Erie Maritime Museum in Erie, PA, the Niagara is docked for public viewing September through May and intermittently during the summer each year.

The museum offers exhibits, tours, and educational programs.