Tag Archive

historic preservation

Building a national park through advocacy: the Blackwell School National Historic Site

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The National Park Service’s ability to interpret the breadth of American history that is reflected in its more than four hundred sites is fragile.  The fate of one of these, the Blackwell School National Historic Site, serves as an example of how quickly gains made in this effort can be undone. Read More

Editor’s Corner: new media and stone walls

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Editors’ Note: We publish the editor’s introduction to the February 2025 issue of The Public Historian here. The entire issue is available online to National Council on Public History members and others with subscription access.

This issue presents four articles that demonstrate the diversity of public history scholarship today. Read More

Saving sacred spaces: History@Work to preserve African American churches in the South

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Despite their profound cultural and historical importance, civic leaders often neglect the preservation of African American churches in the South in favor of saving buildings that promise economic benefits or contribute to the development of private or public communities. Yet, these churches have always been central to African American communities, serving as places of worship, centers of civil rights activism, and sacred spaces for social and moral support. Read More

Preserving Las Vegas: The Role of Community Engagement and Adaptive Reuse in Las Vegas Home + History

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The tourist perception of Las Vegas is often limited to its iconic neon lights, or recently, the Knights hockey team winning the Stanley Cup championship. While The Strip has played a significant role in shaping the city, it tends to overshadow Las Vegas’ rich history and community. Read More

Looking for Lucille’s story in the 1950 census

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On the morning of April 1, 2022, I was among throngs of remote researchers who visited the National Archives and Records Administration website to access data from the newly released 1950 Census. I had waited thirteen years to answer one research question: Who was the Black woman working in a family home that I had first researched in 2009? Read More