PROPOSAL TYPE
Roundtable
SEEKING
- Seeking General Feedback and Interest
- Seeking Additional Presenters
RELATED TOPICS
- Material Culture
- Place
- Preservation
ABSTRACT
I would like to present on issues of ownership, stewardship, use, and interpretation that surfaced surrounding the San Carlos of Key West between the years 1960-1996. Constructed in 1924 with historically significant materials from Cuba, the baroque building was a gift from Cuba to the Key West Colony for their dedication to the cause of national independence. After the Cuban Revolution in 1959, the San Carlos Institute severed ties with Cuba. The building was the subject of several court battles as Florida’s Cuban communities in Miami and Key West navigated the implications of court rulings against the government of Cuba, shifts in Key West’s tourist economy, and public disagreements over stewardship.
DESCRIPTION
My goal in submitting the proposal early is to get feedback on the panel topic and assistance in finding other panelists for the roundtable. I would like to find others researching or working on topics of transnational public history or issues of conflict and contested memory that may occur in the aftermath of historical events.
If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to pass along someone’s contact information confidentially, please get in contact directly:
Cyrana Dowell, Middle Tennessee State University, [email protected]
All feedback and offers of assistance should be sent by November 15, 2025. If you have general ideas or feedback to share, please feel free to use the comments feature below.