06/05/2026
Hello Everyone!!!!
Welcome to the first post of our new summer series: Intern Takeover. My name is Nathan Starnes, and I am an intern here at Heritage Alliance for the summer. I am very excited to be doing this series and be working for the Heritage Alliance. I'll be here working with our normal staff and volunteers all throughout June and July, especially during Heritage Fair/Jonesborough Days (which all of you should definitely attend, it's going to be so much fun!) So if you recognize me from my posts, please say hello. I'd love to meet you!
Before I get into what all of my pictures are about, I'd like to introduce myself to you all! I am a rising Sophomore at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky, and am working with Heritage Alliance through their Off-Campus Work-Learning Service Program. I am a history major (undeclared minor), and my favorite class I took last year was called Medieval Animals. Even though I go to college in Kentucky, I am from Johnson City, so I'm pretty local to Jonesborough. This series is to show you all what I am working on throughout the weeks. Expect some goofy additions here and there, as I am very serious about being silly because it makes life fun.
Anywho, I am going to go through the pictures I've added and add a bit of description to each of them below this. If you all have any questions or comments about me, my work, or anything, please comment! I'd love to hear from you all!
Photo 1: Cover photo I made for the Intern Takeover series
Photo 2: Me (on the left, slightly taller than the children, in Heritage Alliance shirt) giving a textiles tour to kids during our weaving event. P.S. This happened on my second day of work.
Photo 3: At my desk (it has the best view in Duncan House, don't let anyone else tell you any different), working on some signage for Jonesborough Days (please come, I promise it'll be fun)
Photo 4: A video taken before the Statehood Day celebration as people began gathering as music played
Photo 5: Picture of the courthouse as Statehood Day services began
Photo 6: The Jonesborough Washington County Visitor's Center Museum as we are currently working to put up the new exhibit (Grand opening July 3rd, during Jonesborough Days, museum currently closed to the public)
Photo 7: Our current desk set up as we research for the new exhibit and look through relevant materials we have in our collection.
Photo 8: An empty display case that will eventually hold some of our exhibit items
Photo 9: The backroom of our archives where we keep the documents like newspapers and photos
Photo 10: A shelf in our objects archive room, there are plenty more shelves besides this one too
Photo 11: Jonesborough Washington County Visitor's Center Museum catalogue of all the objects and documents in our possession; I spent most of this week in the areas of photos 9, 10, and 11, finding and pulling relevant items for our new exhibit.
Photo 12: The old Andrew Jackson tavern sign in our warehouse, which town celebrity, Gordon (everyone knows that man), took me to look around in
Photo 13: My wonderful boss posing with her favorite item from the textiles exhibit we took town this week. (P.S. I'm not just saying she's wonderful because she approves my timesheets, I couldn't ask for a better boss!)
If you're still here after reading all of that, I hope you enjoyed and I'll talk to you all next week for Week 3!
