Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial [IN]

Description

The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial consists of a visitor's center; the Lincoln Living History Farm; and the burial site of Nancy Hanks Lincoln (1784-1818), President Abraham Lincoln's mother, killed by milk sickness. The farm depicts 1820s pioneer life via costumed interpreters, farm animals, crops, herb gardens, and a reconstruction cabin. The farm is not original, but is based on facts known about Lincoln's childhood home and about life typical of the period. Demonstrations include arts, crafts, animal husbandry, farming, and gardening. Lincoln (1809-1865) lived in Indiana between 1816 and 1830, prior to moving to Illinois.

The site offers a 15-minute introductory film, exhibits, living history interpreters, trails, a traveling trunk, and Junior Ranger activities. The website offers audio files about several of Lincoln's family members, a teacher's guide, a lesson plan.

Old Sacramento State Historic Park [CA]

Description

Old Sacramento State Historic Park is a cluster of noteworthy, early Gold Rush commercial structures. Historic buildings include the 1849 Eagle Theater; the 1853 B. F. Hastings Building, once home to the California Supreme Court; and the 1855 Big Four Building. Old Sacramento's historical significance comes from it being the western terminus of the Pony Express postal system, the first transcontinental railroad, and the transcontinental telegraph. With over 50 historic buildings, Old Sacramento has more buildings of historic value in its 28 acres than any area of similar size in the West.

A second website for the park can be found here.

The park offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, living history programs and events, and other educational and recreational events.

Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site [MA]

Description

The Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site commemorates the life of Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903), owner of the world's first full-scale landscape design office.

The site offers guided walking tours of Boston-area parks designed by Olmsted, outreach slide presentations, custom-designed educational programs in the "Emerald Necklace" parks, an educator's packet, and teachers' workshops.

The Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site is closed for construction. The site is expected to reopen in 2010.

Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site [PA]

Description

The Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site preserves one of author Edgar Allan Poe's homes. The site presents information on Poe and his historical context and the influence of Poe's writings on other authors, including today's masters of horror in film and literature. Poe (1809-1849) is credited with creating the detective fiction genre, as well as being an early writer of American short stories. He is classified as a Romantic author; and his poetry, short stories, and novels lean toward the macabre. Famous works include "The Raven," "The Black Cat," "The Masque of the Red Death," "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," "The Tell-Tale Heart," and "Annabel Lee."

The site offers an 8-minute biographical audio-visual presentation, exhibits, period rooms, self-guided tours, guided tours, audio samples of famous actors narrating Poe and Poe's work set to music, and Junior Ranger activities. Reservations are required for all school groups. The website offers a teacher's handbook and additional educator resources.

William H. Seward House [NY]

Description

The William H. Seward House preserves four generations (1816-1951) of artifacts of daily life; and presents the life of William H. Seward (1801-1872), Governor of New York, U.S. Senator, Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, abolitionist, and organizer of the Republican Party. Seward was involved in the writing process of, and signed, the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. The 1816 structure itself is Federal and Tuscan in style.

The house offers period rooms, tours, and brown bag lectures. Advance notification is required for groups of 10 or more.

Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site [TX]

Description

The 293-acre Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site is located on the site of the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence. The park is home to a reconstructed Independence Hall; the Star of the Republic Museum, which covers the history of the Republic of Texas (1836-1846); and Barrington Living History Farm, home of Dr. Anson Jones, the last President of the Republic of Texas. Numerous walking trails and a picnic area are also available in the park.

The visitor center offers interactive exhibits, snack food for purchase, and a gift shop. Daily guided tours of Independence Hall are offered as are scheduled group tours. Barrington Living History Farm offers tours of the Anson Jones home focusing on the politics, economics, and daily life of 1850s Texas. The Star of the Republic Museum offers exhibits, audiovisual presentations, educational programs, and houses an extensive research library. Age appropriate school tours are available at all three sites and align with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). An educator's packet for Barrington Living History Farm is available online as is www.txindependence.org , a new website created for 4th & 7th grade Texas history students.

Dumbarton House [DC]

Description

Dumbarton House reflects the emerging Adamesque style of architecture of the early Republic, and houses collections of Federal period (1790–1830) furniture and decorative arts. Federal period architecture emphasizes symmetry and balance while incorporating neoclassical elements. The majority of collection artifacts are from the Federal period, although Chippendale and Louis XVI styles are also present. Joseph Nourse (1754–1841), Register of the U.S. Treasury for the first six Presidents of the United States, was the house's first resident between 1804 and 1813. The year after Nourse left, Dolley Madison would stay at the residence as she left the White House to avoid the invading British.

The museum offers an introductory film, guided public and school tours, period rooms, exhibits, lectures, concerts, educational programming, week–long summer programs, and programs for home school students.

Charles Pinckney National Historic Site [SC]

Description

The 28-acre Charles Pinckney National Historic Site preserves a portion of Snee Farm, the plantation owned by Charles Pinckney (1757-1824), a man who was deeply involved in the writing of the U.S. Constitution, as well as a signer of the finished document. The site also addresses the life of African Americans in South Carolina's Lowcountry plantations. The visitor's center is housed in a circa 1838 residence. Note that it is not typical of architecture with which Pinckney would have been familiar.

The site offers a half-mile trail with wayside exhibits, a 20-minute orientation video, exhibits, educational programs, Junior Ranger activities, and a picnic site. Advance notice is required for educational programs. The website offers a teacher's guide, which includes content relevant to the Pinckney site, as well as Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie.

Martin Van Buren National Historic Site [NY]

Description

The Martin Van Buren National Historic Site contains of Lindenwald, the 220-acre farm where Martin Van Buren (1782-1862) spent the last 21 years of his life. Having served as Secretary of State, Vice President, and the eighth President of the United States, Van Buren conducted two additional (unsuccessful) presidential campaigns from this house before retiring as a gentleman farmer. His administration (1837-1841) is largely remembered for the Panic of 1837, which preceded a five-year economic depression. Conflict concerning the need to maintain national unity and Van Buren's disapproval of the institution of slavery in newly admitted states presaged the upcoming Civil War. The mansion itself contains 36 rooms.

The site offers mansion and grounds guided tours, period rooms, and educational programming. These programs consist of in-classroom activities, with one program also making use of web-based learning. The website offers an extensive virtual tour of the mansion.