Date:
I love the month of May. One reason is that it is a time of growth. We grow flowers for our annual Mother’s Day plant sale; we grow lovers of history through field trips and school programs; and the HA team grows through program development, speaking engagements, and partnership opportunities, especially this time of year. Excitement is growing around our upcoming Paca Girlfriends Party, the Juneteenth celebration, and our immersive living history programs. And, of course, in all that we do, we strive to grow community.
I also love May because it is National Preservation Month, a time we celebrate and recognize the nation’s heritage through historic places. A few years ago, the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions launched the “What’s Your Why?” challenge during Preservation Month to “highlight the passion and purpose that fuels the preservation community.” It reminds us of the deeper meaning behind the work we do.
So, what’s my why?
For me it started when I was fresh out of undergrad and landed a formative internship at the Grand Canyon National Park as a Student Conservation Association Intern. Upon arrival, my assignment was to learn as much as I could about the canyon, and in two weeks, craft an engaging talk about something that had meaning to me.
What spoke most directly to my 22-year-old self was not the natural landscape, but the cultural landscape. It was the stories of the Native Americans who built homes there long ago, and then early pioneers who lived there. Later a community was built along the south rim of the Grand Canyon that grew into what is now one of our most visited national parks. In particular, it was the story of Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, a trailblazing early 20th-century American female architect, whose designs for the park were deeply informed by southwestern imagery and tradition. These were the subjects of my talk.
It was through Colter’s work that I came to appreciate architecture as a powerful expression of culture, community, and regional identity. So, thirty years ago, the ‘why’ of my love for historic preservation began there – the idea of placing human narratives within a physical context to connect people with place. While I appreciate the stories of people, I really love the buildings, the places themselves—the grand, the simple, the ornate, the vernacular.
It is no accident that my journey eventually brought me to Annapolis, a place of great historic beauty and architecture. Every day I am reminded how special Annapolis is. I am also reminded how important our work is to preserve and protect these historic places, and to bring to life the inspiring stories of the people who shape Annapolis and why it matters today.
Another favorite part of the month of May is to see (and hear!) from my 312-year-old office the hundreds of school kids who visit our sites and learn from our staff and volunteers. I am optimistic that at Historic Annapolis, we are growing lifelong preservationists who are learning history where it happened through place-based experiential teaching. It’s a beautiful thing to see.
Come visit our properties. Come enjoy our programs. Come experience our history and share with us your why!
