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DHR Register Program Updates
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*Results, June DHR quarterly board meeting *Registers-Listed Places in the News *History News from Around Virginia & Elsewhere *Grant & Training Opportunities
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We hope you are well. We are a little behind in distributing the June update but here it is. Have a Happy Fourth of July.
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--Lena McDonald, Historian, DHR Register Program.
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*Consultants, CLG staff, university faculty, students, and anyone interested in Virginia's landmark register programs and history. (Please share this newsletter with others!)
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COVID-19 UPDATE: DHR is in Phase III of operations, as per Governor Northam’s guidance, under the Covid-19 pandemic. A major change to note is that our Archives will allow walk-ins only if there is an open appointment available. Meanwhile, guidance is literally changing daily, at times hourly, so DHR thanks the public (and our staff) for your patience as we continue our operations during this unprecedented time. Please see our current Phase III Guidelines for staff and visitors. Many staff will work remotely during our hours of operation. Staff can be reached by email using this format: first name.last name[at]dhr.virginia.gov. You can also check the staff directory for a phone number to leave a message. DHR also requires visitors conducting business at DHR to answer questions on this Covid Prevention Questionnaire. Its purpose is to protect visitors, our staff, and to prevent the further
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(Photo: Vlad Tchomapator/Unspash)
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Recent Events and DHR Programs
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Since Memorial Day weekend, Virginia and the nation have been in the midst of a national reckoning concerning racial justice, police brutality, and white supremacy. As Virginia’s State Historic Preservation Office, DHR is involved in and impacted by this reckoning.
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DHR’s mission to enhance public awareness of our historic resources involves documenting and contextualizing places, buildings, structures, artifacts and belowground sites. That work encompasses and reflects historical inflection points or generational milestones, such as the one we are experiencing now.
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State policy forbids DHR staff to engage in lobbying or advocacy concerning historic preservation. As preservation professionals, DHR staff members know they conduct their work as part of a profoundly important social compact with Virginia residents. We are involved in the reckoning that is happening today, we are listening, and we will continue to serve the public to our highest ability through our various programs, which, as a reminder, include the following:
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- The Virginia Landmarks Register, which DHR staff manage on behalf of the Board of Historic Resources and the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia, which DHR manages on behalf of the National Park Service.
- The state historical highway marker program, also administered by DHR. It places markers at locations throughout the Commonwealth not to "honor" people, places, or events but to educate the public about those topics.
- DHR’s easement program, also managed on behalf of the Board of Historic Resources, is charged with perpetual oversight of historic properties placed under preservation easement.
- Environmental Review, a program in which DHR also plays an important role in reviewing infrastructure projects that may affect significant cultural resources.
- Stewardship of state-owned historic properties, a program in which DHR staff reports on the conditions of state-owned properties.
- Grant programs that are intended to preserve and protect Virginia’s cultural heritage, including the African American Cemetery and Graves Fund, the Confederate and Revolution War Graves and Cemeteries funds.
- Cost Share grants, which split costs of preservation projects with local governments.
- Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund, which annually conserves lands in perpetuity.
- Certified Local Governments federal grant program that splits costs with local governments that have established historic preservation programs.
- DHR's Collections and Conservation. Our conservation lab in special cases offers services pro bono to non-profit organizations like museums who need specialized assistance with conserving artifacts and just learning more about them. And DHR's archaeology Collections get used by researchers from all over Virginia and beyond.
- Federal disaster recovery assistance grants.
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Additionally, our staff of architectural historians and archaeologists at DHR regional offices in Richmond, Stephens City, and Salem respond to dozens of inquiries each week from the public, including students, teachers, property owners and others who are curious to learn more about historic places in their area.
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R. Lee Monument, Richmond.
(Photo: Adam Dawson)
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Residents of and visitors to Virginia generally know that Confederate monuments are a part of our cultural landscape. They are found on courthouse squares, in public parks, on state and national battlefields, and on private property. Virginia’s Confederate past also has been memorialized in names of streets and highways, schools, libraries, university academic buildings, parks, and other places. For more than a century, these monuments have projected a story about how many white Virginians wanted the Civil War to be remembered and to be used to shape history down to the present. This ideology is known as the “Lost Cause,” and Christopher A. Graham, Curator of Exhibitions at the
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American Civil War Museum in Richmond, has written an article that explains how the Lost Cause originated and evolved over decades. The ubiquity of these monuments is now being called into question as never before.
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Among first steps in responding to these events, Governor Ralph Northam ordered that the monumental statue of Robert E. Lee be removed from Richmond’s Monument Avenue. DHR has issued a statement that explains how and why the Governor has authority to remove this historic resource, although he does not do so in a vacuum. DHR notes:
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- As a state-owned historic property, state code pertaining to the treatment of such property requires that state agencies consult with DHR regarding any alterations to the Lee Monument. Therefore, DHR will be providing guidance on the proper removal and storage of the monument, as the Commonwealth awaits public input on its ultimate fate.
Concerning Confederate monuments, the National Trust for Historic Preservation issued a statement that reads, in part:
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- …We believe it is past time for us, as a nation, to acknowledge that these symbols do not reflect, and are in fact abhorrent to, our values and to our foundational obligation to continue building a more perfect union that embodies equality and justice for all...
The Richmond Region Tourism organization promotes the diverse array of sports venues, restaurants, attractions, historic places, and other draws that bring visitors to central Virginia. Concerning the Confederate monuments, RRT has stated:
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- Among the foremost attractions of the Richmond Region are our historic assets, and as history is ever evolving, so is our story, a story that has been marked by heroics and heartache alike. Richmond’s broad appeal to tourists and conventioneers cannot and should not be measured by a handful of anachronistic monuments, irrespective of how they are interpreted. We do not share the recent concerns expressed that the removal of these monuments will somehow suppress tourism.
- The Library of Virginia strives to collect and share the history of all Virginians, and this work is more important now than ever. We will continue to listen with humility and respect to the voices calling for systemic change and use what we hear to guide us in the days ahead. We hope our efforts will help move us toward a more fair and just society.
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Results of June 2020 Joint Quarterly Board Meeting
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In a first for DHR, the Virginia Board of Historic Resources and State Review Board public quarterly meeting on June 18, 2020 convened entirely online via Webex. The boards approved the nominations below. (The link for the individual site lands on a temporarily-posted nomination page. Go here for a brief summary of the all of the sites along with photos.):
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- Armistead House, City of Williamsburg, DHR No. 137-0142, Criterion C
- Walker-Wilkins-Bloxom Warehouse, City of Newport News, DHR No. 121-0076, Criteria A and C
- Diggs, J. Eugene, Residence, City of Norfolk, DHR No. 122-5971, Criteria A and B
- Jackson P. Burley High School, City of Charlottesville, DHR No. 104-5276-0064, Criteria A and C
- Hickory Hill Slave and African American Cemetery, Hanover County, DHR No. 042-5792, Criteria A and D and Criteria Consideration D
- Rose Hill, Culpeper County, DHR No. 023-0018, Criteria A and C
- J. Long Mill, Greene County, DHR No. 039-5005, Criteria A and C
- Almond, Page County, DHR No. 069-0050, Criterion C
- Coates Farm/Cebula Barn, Madison County, DHR No. 056-5050, Criterion C
- Deering Hall, Town of Broadway, Rockingham County, DHR No. 177-0016, Criterion A
- C. Walker School, Bath County, DHR No. 008-5076, Criterion A
- Brown-Swisher Barn, Rockbridge County, DHR No. 081-7171, Criterion C
- Carnegie Hall, University of Lynchburg, City of Lynchburg, DHR No. 118-5470-0002, Criteria A and C
- Salvation Army Citadel, City of Roanoke, DHR No. 128-5343, Criteria A and C and Criteria Consideration A
- Southside High School, Pittsylvania County, DHR No. 071-5820, Criteria A and C
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Preliminary Information Forms (PIFs):
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On June 18, 2020, the State Review Board approved the following PIFs. To see more information about individual PIFs, visit this DHR webpage:
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- Bedford Training School, Town of Bedford, Bedford County, DHR No. 141-5019, Criteria A and C
- Craghead, John, House, Franklin County, DHR No. 033-5449, Criterion C
- Dixon Cemetery, Campbell County, DHR No. 015, 5604, Criteria A and D and Criteria Consideration D
- Gish Mill, Town of Vinton, Roanoke County, DHR No. 149-5007, Criteria A and C
- Susie G. Gibson High School, Town of Bedford, Bedford County, DHR No. 141-5018, Criteria A and C
- Annaburg Manor, City of Manassas, DHR No. 155-0021, Criterion C
- Bois Dore, Fairfax County, DHR No. 029-6641, Criterion C
- Bowman, Daniel, House, Shenandoah County, DHR No. 085-0282, Criterion C
- Browntown Historic District, Warren County, DHR No. 093-5032, Criteria A and C
- Hough, Bernard, House, Loudoun County, DHR No. 053-0676, Criterion C
- Mount Pleasant Baptist Church and Cemetery, Prince William County, DHR No. 076-6009, Criterion A and Criteria Considerations A and D
- Brookbury Farm, City of Richmond, DHR No. 127-0301, Criteria A and C
- Fairfield-Sandston Historic District, Henrico County, DHR No. 043-6271, Criteria A and C
- Jefferson Manor Motel Apartments, City of Virginia Beach, DHR No. 134-5383, Criteria A and C
- Resort Hotels/ Motels in Virginia Beach Built in the 1950s and 1960s Multiple Property Documentation Form, City of Virginia Beach, DHR No. 134-5721
- Richmond Foundry and Manufacturing Complex, City of Richmond, DHR No. 127-6847, Criteria A and C
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Register-Listed Places in the News
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Pine Grove Elementary School, Cumberland Co. (DHR)
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Pine Grove Elementary School, Cumberland County
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The AMMD Association, owners of this Rosenwald school, have produced an educational video about the history of the school. This school and its community were recently placed on Preservation Virginia's Most Endangered Historic Places list. The Pine Grove Elementary School was listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register on December 12, 2019, and in the National Register of Historic Places on February 25, 2020. The AMMD Association now is conducting research about the rural historic community that was served by this school.
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Fredericksburg's Slave Auction Block. (Photo: Sarah Stierch/Wikipedia)
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Fredericksburg’s Slave Auction Block Removed from Historic District
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A block that stood at the corner of William and Charles streets for generations has been removed. It now is in the midst of conservation and being readied for placement in the Fredericksburg Area Museum. This turn of events concludes a lengthy community engagement process that the City of Fredericksburg conducted in consultation with the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, which could be a model for other localities that are looking at removal of various kinds of monuments and relics. For more information, see this Washington Post article.
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Pope-Leighey House.
(Photo Lincoln Barbour/NTHP)
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Pope-Leighey House, Alexandria
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The National Trust for Historic Preservation selected the Pope-Leighey House, designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, for inclusion in an online tour of Modern architecture. Philip Johnson’s Glass House in Connecticut and Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House in Illinois also are featured.
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The house was listed on the VLR and NRHP in 1970.
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Shockoe Valley and Tobacco Row Historic District (DHR), Richmond.
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Commemoration of Shockoe Bottom as a Hub of the Slave Trade
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In May 2020, four candidates to be mayor of Richmond — in response to queries from the Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project of the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality — declared their support for a 9-acre memorial park for a district that was second only to New Orleans as a hub of the U.S. domestic slave trade. The park is proposed to include the 3.1-acre African Burial Ground, the 1.7-acre site of Lumpkin’s slave jail, and the two blocks east of the CSX railroad tracks between East Broad, East Grace and 17th streets. All of these are located within the Shockoe Valley and Tobacco Row Historic District; however, the nomination, which dates to the early 1980s, is silent on the district’s association with slavery.
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Robert Russa Moton Museum Featured in New Education Projects
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New American History is an organization led by Dr. Edward Ayers, president emeritus of the University of Richmond. New American History explores America’s past, harnessing the power of digital media, curiosity and inquiry.
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Projects from New American History include the PBS show Future of America's Past, which recently featured the Moton Museum and the Prince Edward Story, in the lead episode for season 2. New American History staff member Annie Evans, Director of Education & Outreach collaborated with the Moton Education team to put together some curriculum pieces that accompany the Future of America's Past episode School Interrupted.
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The Moton Mailbag is a weekly question show in which listeners submit questions for museum staff members Cainan Townsend and Leah Brown to answer. Questions are focused on African American history, museum education, cultural topics, and more. The show is released every Monday wherever podcasts are found (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play store, Anchor.fm). The entire first season of Moton Mailbag is available.
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The Prince Edward County NAACP and the Moton Museum Community Commemoration have released online videos from a May 2019 symposium commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, the 60th anniversary of the Prince Edward County public school closings, and the 55th anniversary of the Griffin v. Prince Edward County Supreme Court decision.
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The Moton Museum’s permanent exhibition, Moton School Story: Children of Courage, and the Moton Bookstore reopened to the public on June 30, in accordance with state and federal guidelines for public safety.
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Historical Highway Markers about African American History
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On June 19 in recognition of the Juneteenth holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S., Governor Northam announced 20 newly approved state historical highway markers that address topics of national, state, and regional significance in Virginia’s African American history. The Virginia Board of Historic Resources approved the markers at its public quarterly meeting on June 18. Five of the 20 new markers were suggested by students across the Commonwealth in the Governor’s inaugural Black History Month Historical Marker Contest.
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Virginia’s Historic Sites and Museums Begin Reopening
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Virginia’s many historic sites, museums, cultural centers, and educational spaces are in the midst of reopening as Virginia approaches Phase III of reopening since the covid-19 pandemic began. Below is a short list of the major venues that are reopening in the Richmond area. Check the Virginia Association of Museums website for more information about the reopening process and to look for places available again in your area.
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Grant Opportunities
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DHR’s Upcoming Grant Opportunities
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DHR has created a new webpage devoted exclusively to the various grant opportunities that are available through our office. The following grant programs are described on our website:
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- African American Cemetery and Graves Fund (state funding);
- Confederate Graves and Cemeteries Fund (state funding);
- Revolutionary War Graves and Cemeteries Fund (state funding);
- Certified Local Governments Grants (federal funding);
- Cost Share Grants (state funding);
- ESHPF Disaster Relief Assistance Grant Program (federal funding);
- Threatened Sites Fund (state funding);
- Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund (state funding).
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DHR staff contact information for each grant program is included on the website. Please note that DHR does not have grants available for property owners of historic houses or buildings.
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Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Offers Online Training Opportunities
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The ACHP has announced digital classroom offerings for Section 106 training courses, which focus on the principles and processes of the National Historic Preservation Act. The two most often-requested courses, Section 106 Essentials and Section 106 Agreements, are among the online offerings. The interactive classroom experience will be replicated using Zoomgov.com, poll questions, and small group exercises.
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The Section 106 Essentials course will be in two four-sessions on the following consecutive days: August 18-19, September 15-16, October 13-14, November 10-11, and December 8-9, 2020. Sessions will occur from 12:30-4:30 Eastern time both days. The registration fee for the course is $350.
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The Section 106 Agreements seminar will be a single four-hour session offered on August 20, September 17, October 14, November 12, and December 10, 2020, between 12:30-4:30 Eastern time and the registration fee is $300.
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To learn more and register, go here. Each class is limited to 30 participants. Questions can be emailed to training@achp.gov.
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Educational Resources about Systemic Racism
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Smithsonian magazine has compiled a list of 158 resources for understanding systemic racism in the United States. The articles, videos, podcasts, and websites are divided into six sections: historical context, systemic inequality, anti-Black violence, protest, intersectionality, and allyship and education.
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The American Civil War Museum has created a new webpage with links to resources designed to aid with historical understanding or racial violence and to trace contemporary issues that had particular resonance in the American Civil War era. This collection also highlights change over time as diagnosis of contemporary issues cannot be done simply by looking at 1861, or 1865. While many issues from that time are distressingly similar tocurrent challenges, developments between then and now, such as transformations in the economy, politics, technology, culture, and even in democracy itself, are taken into account. The ACWM location at Appomattox Court House reopened to the public on June 12 and the ACWM location at Historic Tredegar in Richmond reopened on June 18, allowing visitors to see for themselves exhibits, artifacts, and historic documents that shed light on the past as well as current events.
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Self-Preservation: A Juneteenth Conversation About Black Historic Preservation
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On June 19, 2020, the Virginia African American Cultural Resources Task Force, of Virginia Humanities, hosted an online conversation about Black history and representation of African Americans in historic preservation programs. Panelists were Virginia Delegate Delores McQuinn, Dr. Colita Nichols Fairfax, chair of the Virginia Board of Historic Resources, and Niyah Bates, board member of the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center. The recorded webinar is available here.
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Past Forward 2020 Conference Going Virtual
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The National Trust for Historic Preservation will be holding its Past Forward Conference in an online-only format this year. The conference theme is “Resilience and Relevance.” Conference planning is still very much in progress. To sign up for email updates, go here.
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Preservation Virginia’s Online Videos and Webinars
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Preservation Virginia has made a collection of brief educational videos available online. Topics discussed include a virtual tour of Bacon’s Castle, a site visit to the Flippen Cemetery in Danville, the process for conserving a letter from George Washington to John Marshall, and many others. All are available at no charge to the viewer.
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Federal Preservation Laws Compendium Available Online
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The Federal Historic Preservation Laws publication is an anthology of Federal laws and portions of laws related to the preservation of U.S. cultural heritage. The fifth edition is now available online as a PDF and is the definitive collection of cultural resource management and historic preservation laws in the U.S.
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American Association for State and Local History Annual Conference
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AASLH has decided to hold an online Annual Meeting this year instead of gathering in person as originally planned. The conference will address questions that are emerging from the covid-19 pandemic, such as defining what history institutions will look like and how they will operate in and after the recovery. Other topics will include the unique roles that history museums, historic sites, historical societies, and other history organizations, including AASLH, play in combating racism, among the nation’s most deep-seated societal challenges. To that end, this year’s conference theme is “What Kind of Ancestor Will You Be?” Additional information here, including details for registration and the conference schedule.
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Virginia Forum Postponed Until 2021
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The Virginia Forum has been rescheduled to take place March 25-27, 2021, at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond. Information about the call for papers and details as to how the accepted proposals from 2020 will be handled will come from the Virginia Forum Board of Directors – updates will be posted on the Virginia Forum website and the VA War Memorial website. Updated registration information will be made available in late 2020 or early 2021.
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Reopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums
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As libraries and museums around the country begin to resume operations and reopen to the public, the need for clear information to support the handling of core museum, library, and archival materials has become increasingly urgent. The Reopening Archives, Libraries and Museums (REALM) Information Hub is a project to provide evidence-based guidance for cultural institutions in the era of COVID-19. To achieve these goals, the partnership is initiating work on several fronts:
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- Collect, review, and summarize authoritative research that applies to materials commonly found in the collections and facilities of archives, libraries, and museums
- Ongoing consultation and engagement with a project steering committee, working groups, and other subject matter experts from archives, libraries, and museums
- Laboratory testing of how COVID-19 interacts with a selection of materials commonly found in archives, libraries, and museums; and identifying methods of handling and remediation
- Synthesize the above inputs into toolkit resources that support reopening and operational considerations
- Share project information and toolkit resources through the project website and amplified by member associations and support organizations that serve archives, libraries, and/or museums.
Meanwhile, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) has released an extensive list of suggested guidelines for re-opening museums, including guidance on public access, reception and security, and cleaning
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The American Association of State and Local History is collecting and sharing case studies of institutions' plans to reopen. Some states are closer than others to restarting businesses and allowing the public back into museums and cultural sites. Examples of plans to reopen will be posted on AASLH’s website.
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