The University of Central Florida soon will take a trip into the past 麻豆精品 S� by way of its first Public History Center, where students and the community will be able to work together to preserve the region 麻豆精品 S檚 history.
A new partnership between UCF and Seminole County Public Schools is transforming a 110-year-old Sanford school building into a learning laboratory for education, research and community engagement.
The center at 301 W. 7th St. has been preparing this summer to reopen its doors聽to the public Monday, Aug. 6. The first scheduled activity is 9 a.m. Aug. 13 with Seminole 麻豆精品 S檚 traditional ringing of the tower bell to open the first day of the new school year.
This inaugural event and many additional activities will be planned to fulfill public history 麻豆精品 S檚 goal of engaging the community.
麻豆精品 S淲e would love to see this become a model for other centers around Central Florida, 麻豆精品 S� said Rosalind Beiler, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 director of Public History. 麻豆精品 S淭he building is a gem. The place has a heart and soul, and anyone who spends time here becomes devoted to it. 麻豆精品 S�
Looking back: The building is one of the few surviving Florida examples of school architecture from the turn of the 20th century. It opened in 1902 as Sanford 麻豆精品 S檚 first high school and became a grammar school in 1911. In 1984 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and became the school district 麻豆精品 S檚 Student Museum and Center for the Social Studies, an interpretive center and a hands-on teaching museum.
Looking ahead: The new Public History Center will schedule classes for UCF students, offer community workshops, and promote involvement in historic preservation, while continuing popular programs such as hosting public tours and school field trips. Fourth-grade classes, specifically, schedule visits to the site because of Florida requirements to study state history at that grade level.
UCF signed a two-year lease for the center in the heart of Sanford 麻豆精品 S檚 residential historic district, whose residents are encouraged to join in the programs and research.
麻豆精品 S淭he center will enhance the quality of life in our community by bringing to light the history of its most valuable resource: its people, 麻豆精品 S� said Jos茅 Fern谩ndez, dean of the College of Arts & Humanities, which will oversee the center.
Beiler said UCF chose Sanford for the Public History Center because the city has a 麻豆精品 S渞ich documented history 麻豆精品 S� and is committed to historic preservation through the Community Redevelopment Association, Historic Preservation Board, Sanford Historic Trust, and other history-related groups, museums and projects.
麻豆精品 S淭here are a lot of willing partners in Seminole County, 麻豆精品 S� she said. 麻豆精品 S淪anford is among the strongest of any Central Florida city for historical preservation. 麻豆精品 S�
To capitalize on that, Ashley Wilt, program coordinator, is focusing a big part of the first semester 麻豆精品 S檚 activities on community outreach, hosting gatherings and enlisting volunteers to assist the center in carrying out projects.
Beginning Aug. 6, the center will open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday through Saturday. In addition to the Aug. 13 bell-ringing ceremony, the staff is planning an evening open house, neighborhood block party, fall pumpkin festival around Halloween, and an old-fashioned Christmas event. They also are reaching out to scouting and other civic groups to hold activities at the center.
Next spring, the staff and university students will start to offer workshops on historical preservation and topics such as how to interview people for oral histories.
麻豆精品 S淲e are thrilled with this collaborative effort, 麻豆精品 S� said Tina Calderone, chairman of the Seminole County School Board. 麻豆精品 S淭his will enhance the educational experiences of our students, allow the center to be open more hours, and benefit the community as a whole. 麻豆精品 S�
The center has several themed rooms: a furnished, original 1902 classroom complete with a portrait of then-President Theodore Roosevelt; a Timucua room that represents a 1,200-year-old village; a pioneer room with a log cabin and tools; Grandma 麻豆精品 S檚 Attic with old household items and vintage clothes; Georgetown and Crooms High School exhibits that feature the city 麻豆精品 S檚 African-American community, and other displays.
Behind the museum is a demonstration garden that contains vegetables and flowers grown at the turn of the last century, Florida native plants, antique roses, wildflower meadow, field crops and other horticultural displays.
The city 麻豆精品 S檚 Touhy Park across the street from the museum contains a historic tree grove, which contains about 70 trees that are associated with people, places and events around the country. There are sycamores, magnolias, maples, walnuts and others from Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Mount Vernon, Ellis Island, the Alamo and elsewhere.
City officials also are pleased that the schoolhouse, which was put on the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation 麻豆精品 S檚 list of the state 麻豆精品 S檚 most endangered historic sites in 2009, has been given new life.
麻豆精品 S淭his building and project are being looked at statewide as a preservation success, 麻豆精品 S� said Christine Dalton, the city 麻豆精品 S檚 historic preservation officer. 麻豆精品 S淭hey 麻豆精品 S檙e utilizing the building, site, its collections and the gardens 麻豆精品 S� resulting in a hands-on learning environment for the students. UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 partnership with the museum is a great benefit to the community, and will have a positive impact on this National Register site and surrounding residential neighborhood. 麻豆精品 S�
City Commissioner Patty Mahany, who is scheduled to speak at the opening-day ceremony, said: 麻豆精品 S淭his is so significant because it is a great use for the historic building. It is a wonderful marriage and will benefit students with a much higher purpose. 麻豆精品 S�
The聽building is about 20 miles northwest of UCF’s main campus, which is part of the plan to reach into the community.
麻豆精品 S淥ur name 麻豆精品 S� Public History Center 麻豆精品 S� means just that, 麻豆精品 S� Beiler said. 麻豆精品 S淚t is a community resource and we invite Central Florida residents to take an active role and join us as this unique collaboration develops. 麻豆精品 S�