STUDENTS BRING HYATTSVILLES HISTORY TO LIFE THROUGH STORIES OF BRICKS AND MORTAR
Tales of a duckpin bowling resurgence and rabid cows were just some of the amazing stories told when 13 graduate students from UMD’s Historic Preservation Program revealed the storied histories of some of Hyattsville’s oldest properties at a special December event for area residents. Sponsored by UMD’s Historic Preservation Program and the Hyattsville Preservation Association, “How to Conduct Historic Research on Your Home” provided helpful tips for residents interested in researching their own property histories as well as an inside look into the fascinating student research conducted as part of HISP 611: Historical Research Methods. The monthly community newspaper, Hyattsville Life and Times, covered the well-attended event for their January issue.
“We had a very fruitful collaboration this past fall with local residents and the Hyattsville Preservation Association, and the students of HISP 611 involved themselves very wholeheartedly in conducting their research over the course of the semester,” said Kirsten Crase, Adjunct Professor of Historic Preservation. “It was exciting to see their work on display for this final presentation program, and received by such a large and enthusiastic audience.”
HISP 611 provides an opportunity for students to refine their research skills through the in-depth study of a historic property in a nearby community. This year’s site was the historic town of Hyattsville, Md. Under the direction of Crase, each student spent the fall semester combing through the historic deeds, census records, maps and photographs of their assigned property, piecing together the unique story of the building, the people who lived and worked there and its place in Hyattsville’s history.
In addition to the January feature, Hyattsville Life and Times hopes to turn the students’ projects into a regular series for the paper, highlighting the stories behind these amazing historic properties, as told by the students who researched them.
“We had a very fruitful collaboration this past fall with local residents and the Hyattsville Preservation Association, and the students of HISP 611 involved themselves very wholeheartedly in conducting their research over the course of the semester,” said Kirsten Crase, Adjunct Professor of Historic Preservation. “It was exciting to see their work on display for this final presentation program, and received by such a large and enthusiastic audience.”
HISP 611 provides an opportunity for students to refine their research skills through the in-depth study of a historic property in a nearby community. This year’s site was the historic town of Hyattsville, Md. Under the direction of Crase, each student spent the fall semester combing through the historic deeds, census records, maps and photographs of their assigned property, piecing together the unique story of the building, the people who lived and worked there and its place in Hyattsville’s history.
In addition to the January feature, Hyattsville Life and Times hopes to turn the students’ projects into a regular series for the paper, highlighting the stories behind these amazing historic properties, as told by the students who researched them.