AASLH sessions on House Museums

There were at least five sessions about house museums this year at the annual American Association for State and Local History meeting in Rochester. Unlike the past four meetings where I have presented, I thought these sessions were more helpful, by giving people real ideas and solutions. Perhaps there just was less whining?

I organized a panel called "Innovations in Governmental Owners of Historic House Museums." This was a panel of three experts: Mary Kopco, the executive director of the Historic Adams House in Deadwood South Dakota; Lucy Strackhouse, executive director of the Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust in Philadelphia Pennsylvania and Theresa Stuhlman, park preservation director with the Fairmount Park Commission also in Philadelphia.

Mary and Lucy spoke about projects that were highlighted as case studies in New Solutions for House Museums. Theresa spoke about Loudon and the deaccessioning project funded by the Living Legacy Project of the Heritage Philadelphia Project, on which I consulted. Each of their stories were inspiring, because every one overcame serious obstacles to create a better future for their historic houses. I was so pleased to have them all on a panel together.

I attended another session at the conference about "Creating Your Own Path," meant to showcase how three New England historic houses decided to not take the house museum path, and create community driven organizations that use the historic site differently. Ken Turino, community engagement and exhibitions director at Historic New England was the moderator and chair of this session. He was kind enough to acknowledge and show a slide of my book during his remarks.

There were other sessions about house museums on Friday which I could not attend, as I was in Calgary by then.

I met many people whom I have only corresponded with, or met at other conferences including Laura Roberts, Rhonda Newton, Candace Matalic, Anne Ackerson, Jay Vogt, Jim Vaughan, Max van Balgooy, Linda Norris, Wendy Frankin, Charlie Lyle, Mary Alexander, Tama Harnick, John and Anita Durel, Cindy Boyer, Ken Shefsiek, Bethany Hawkins, Bob Beatty, David Donath, Viki Sand, Donna Neary, Renee Epps, Jeanne Watson and Ken Turino among others. AltaMira Press was there, selling books--hopefully some of mine!