HISP 205: American Idols

Often we are familiar with the stories behind superstars of historic preservation, like Colonial Williamsburg or Mount Vernon, but what about all sorts of other old buildings and neighborhoods that are considered historic? How have they survived the test of time? And who were the people who used the building in the past as well as the people who saved it for use in the present? What stories can these buildings share? This interactive course will use audio, video, and text documents as the basis for lively discussion to ask questions about what, why and for whom we preserve our environments. The course will cover the origins of historic preservation and the curatorial approach to buildings as well as the multiple ways that the field is expanding to include a more broad definition of the past and more inclusive layers of narrative. Projects for the class will involve visiting a historic site, museum, or landscape to understand the history that is presented at the site. Then research will be done to explore what other narratives could be shared about this site. And finally, students will propose new or additional interpretations for their selected public site that might better reflect a plural society. This course will be offered Spring 2015.

Lecture: Tuesdays 2:00-3:15pm
Discussion Section: 
Mondays or Wednesdays 10:00-10:50pm,
Mondays or Wednesdays 12:00-12:50pm.
Gen Ed Humanities (DSHU)