First Advisor

Katrine Barber

Term of Graduation

Summer 2021

Date of Publication

9-20-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.) in History

Department

History

Language

English

Subjects

Cultural property -- Management, Historic house museums -- Interpretive programs -- Oregon, Historic preservation -- United States, Public history -- Oregon

DOI

10.15760/etd.7680

Physical Description

1 online resource (vi, 137 pages)

Abstract

This thesis discusses current preservation and public history in the field of historic house museums in Oregon, looking at two case studies that are undergoing processes of reinterpretation. The first chapter provides a brief history of heritage preservation in the United States, describes the spectrum of historic homes, and presents a key framework of four factors that need to be addressed when evaluating sites today. Current methodology refers to reinterpretation of sites to be more diverse, working with collections, doing research and restaging, along with innovating new programs. Public access and engagement pertain to finding a unique niche in the community that fosters participation and support and creating an inviting educational space. Board capacity and funding are also keys to responsible legal and financial stewardship. Under a 2018 grant, staff at Stevens-Crawford Heritage House in Oregon City cleaned out collections and restaged the property and are now working on creating new digital assets and public programming. Since 2019, a similar project has been in process at the Hollinshead-Matson Historic House and Tack Shed in Bend, Oregon. Both sites have become models for reinterpretation of other museums in this state. While work is ongoing, their success inspires other organizations to push for reinterpretation, updates to policy and practice, and creation of new collaborative partnerships. Most importantly, historic house museums are inviting volunteers, interns, and stakeholders to participate at every step of the way.

Rights

© 2021 Liza Julene Schade

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/36598

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