Washington Monument State Park [MD]

Description

The 108-acre Washington Monument State Park contains the first monument dedicated to the memory of George Washington. The stone tower's construction began July 4, 1827; and involved roughly 500 inhabitants of Boonsboro, Maryland. The visitor center presents information on the natural and human history of the area, and the park regularly sponsors Civil War living history events.

The park offers exhibits and special events.

Mansfield Historical Society [TX]

Description

The Mansfield Historical Society collects, preserves, and shares genealogical, biographical, and historical data about the Mansfield, Texas community and its residents. The society operates a museum, housed in a 1899 building previously used as a doctor's office and by the Knights of Pythias.

The society offers guided museum tours and online cemetery and Civil War veteran databases.

Pickett's Mill Battlefield Historic Site [GA]

Description

On May 27, 1864, the Federal Army, having been stopped in its advance on Atlanta two days earlier by the Battle of New Hope Church, attempted to outflank the Confederate position. Some 14,000 Federal troops were selected for the task, and General Howard was given command. After a five-hour march, Howard's force reached the vicinity of Pickett's Mill and prepared to attack. Waiting were 10,000 Confederate troops under the command of General Cleburne. The Federal assault began at 5 p.m. and continued into the night. Daybreak found the Confederates still in possession of the field. The Federals had lost 1,600 men compared to the Confederate loss of 500. The Confederate victory resulted in a one-week delay of the Federal advance on Atlanta. Pickett's Mill is one of the best preserved Civil War battlefields in the nation. Visitors can travel roads used by Federal and Confederate troops, see earthworks constructed by these men, and walk through the same ravine where hundreds died. An 1850's cabin is located on site, and a research library offers maps, books, microfilm, newspapers, and other materials.

The site offers an introductory film, exhibits, 4 miles of trails, a list of Georgia educational standards met by the topic of the site (available online), special event first person and narrative demonstrations performed as living history, a student quiz (available online), guided tours, educational activities, and a research library.

North Carolina Maritime Museum

Description

The North Carolina Maritime Museum documents, preserves, and researches the maritime history of coastal North Carolina. All of the museum's programs and exhibits, both general and specialized, interpret the state's cultural maritime history and offer a larger national perspective on coastal environment and barrier island ecology. The museum holdings include more than 15,000 cultural artifacts and natural history specimens, some 2,000 photographs and negatives, and 1,000 flat documents. The material culture collection of more than 2,000 artifacts includes uniforms of the U.S. Lifesaving Service and U.S. Coast Guard, lifesaving gear and ephemera, fishing gear, decoys, boat models and half-hulls, a Fresnel lens, 200 woodworking tools, nets, sea chests, and maritime paintings and prints. The small craft collection includes 37 historic indigenous boats (including a rare Civil War-era split-log canoe), over 100 models and half-models, 24 outboard engines, and 60 sextants, compasses, telescopes, and plotting instruments that document coastal navigation.

The museum offers teacher workshops, educational programs delivered in-classroom and in conjunction with curricula, a summer science program which includes maritime history, and exhibits.

Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest [VA]

Description

Poplar Forest is one of two structures which Thomas Jefferson personally designed to serve as his own residence. Unlike Monticello, this location was designed as a retreat for his later years, beginning in 1809 when he was 66 years of age; and, as such, was created exclusively to his personal tastes. The structure is based on the Roman villa with Renaissance Palladian, 18th-century French, and contemporary British and Virginian architectural influences. The floor-to-ceiling windows, alcove beds, skylight, and indoor privy were all based on French styles which Jefferson had witnessed abroad.

The site offers exhibits; a 15-minute video on the restoration and archaeological work being conducted; guided house tours; self-guided grounds tours; an annual opportunity for students to interview Thomas Jefferson and other historical figures; and a summer archaeology, history, and restoration camp. Group tours are available by appointment. The website offers lesson plans and suggested reading for students and for teachers.

Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site [TN]

Description

At the Tipton-Haynes historic site, 11 buildings tell a story of Tennessee's history from early settlement to the Civil War era. Contained within the large white house is the log cabin of Colonel John Tipton. In the 1850s, Haynes changed the front porch to what is seen today and constructed his law office next to the house. The outbuildings include a smokehouse, pigsty, loom house, still house, springhouse, and the large log barn and corncrib from the Tipton period. In addition, there is the home of George Haynes, a slave with the Haynes family. Colonel John Tipton is buried in the site's cemetery.

The site offers exhibits, educational programs, research library access, and occasional recreational and historical events.

Hagley Museum and Library [DE]

Description

Hagley Museum and Library collects, preserves, and interprets the unfolding history of American enterprise. Hagley is the site of the gunpowder works founded by E. I. du Pont in 1802. This example of early American industry includes restored mills, a workers' community, and the ancestral home and gardens of the du Pont family.

The museum offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, research library access, demonstrations, and recreational and educational events (including living history events).

Save Our Cemeteries [LA]

Description

Save Our Cemeteries presents information on and aims to protect New Orleans' 31 historic cemeteries. The organization is actively involved in cemetery preservation and tomb restoration. Tours are offered in two cemeteries: Lafayette and St. Louis. Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is located in the historic Garden District. Once part of the Livaudais Plantation, Lafayette No. 1 was designated a city burial site in 1833, and has since been in continuous use. Distinguished by its intersecting avenues, designed to accommodate funeral processions, it was the City's first planned cemetery. St. Louis No. 1 was founded in 1789; and is the burial ground of Etienne Boré, pioneer in sugar development; Daniel Clark, financial supporter of the American Revolution; and Paul Morphy, world famous chess champion. Notable structures include the oven wall vaults and the tombs of the French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish societies.

The organization offers lectures and cemetery tours, including tours for school groups. Save Our Cemeteries also hosts cemetery cleaning events for which it encourages school participation.

The Itawamba Historical Society [MS]

Description

The Itawamba Historical Society works to preserve the history of Itawamba County, Mississippi, located in the northeast corner of the state. The society operates the George Poteet History Center, the Gaither Spradling Library and Historic Bonds House Museum.

The society offers tours of the Bonds House Museum and presentations and lectures in the George Poteet History Center. The Bonds House and Gaither Spradling Library also house archives. The website offers archival access, visitor information, and online copies of the quarterly society newsletter.

Musuem of Florida History [FL]

Description

The Museum of Florida History is located in the Old Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida. The museum chronicles the history of the Florida peninsula from ancient times through the Spanish occupation up to the present day. The museum also is home to several collections of artifacts and documents pertaining to Florida history.

The museum offers workshops, tours, exhibits, traveling trunk exhibits, field trip programs, and outreach programs where museum employees give presentations at local schools. The website offers online exhibits, visitor information, access to museum collections, and online resources for teachers such as downloadable worksheets.