The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America

05/01/2020

Presidential Accommodations: A Virtual Tour of Five National Trust Historic Sites | National Trust for Historic Preservation

Sending you into the weekend with an opportunity to peek inside five impressive examples of Presidential Accommodations in and around Washington, DC.

Featuring our neighbors:
James Madison's Montpelier
Decatur House on Lafayette Square
President Lincoln's Cottage
Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey Housen
Woodrow Wilson House

Our 27 historic sites are currently closed to the public, but we invite you to tour them on your phone, tablet, or computer. In this segment, take a journey to five sites with a connection to the American presidency.

04/30/2020

Front Porch

It's Thursday and that means we're highlighting the digital experiences of one NSCDA-affiliated historic site...today we travel to Austin, Texas and the Neill-Cochran House Museum!

This historic house was built in 1855 by Abner Cook, the Master Builder who also designed the Texas Governor’s Mansion. The house has survived, largely unchanged, not only as a residence, but also, at times, as a school, a hospital, and now, a museum and event rental facility. The NCHM is one of the few antebellum historic residences open to the public.

Their innovative and collaborative exhibition "If These Walls Could Talk" has been adapted into a virtual tour:
https://seekbeak.com/v/QXw1LKQvqL8

As well as a 30-minute audio tour narrated by artist Ginger Geyer herself:
http://www.nchmuseum.org/itwct-audio-tour/

Virtual Wall of Words: NCHM is posting short videos on Facebook every Thursday and suggesting people respond by manipulating the random group of 10 phrases that appear beneath the video, to create poetry. They will turn some of that poetry into physical pieces within the wall of words when they reopen.

04/29/2020

This week is Preservation Week with the American Library Association! If you're finding yourself with extra time on your hands, learn how to be a preservationist at home and Save Your Stuff!

http://www.ala.org/alcts/preservationweek/howto

04/28/2020

A heartfelt thank you to Gunston Hall for creating and organizing today's virtual shout-out to museums around the country (& the world) who are working so hard to provide resources and positivity to their communities. HUZZAH!

Sending a #TuesdayToast to all of our 90+ historic sites and museums around the country (and Sulgrave Manor, ancestral home to George Washington, of course!) for their continued efforts to serve the public.

https://nscda.org/digitalmuseums/

04/27/2020

Closed Art Institutions Brighten Up the Day With #MuseumSunshine Images

Learn all about last week's joyful #MuseumSunshine social media campaign in the article below.

Huge thanks to New-York Historical Society and Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden for organizing this uplifting digital event!

Originated by the New-York Historical Society and the Hirshhorn Museum, the hashtag saw institutions across the country sharing images of sunrises, starbursts and anything bright and yellow.

04/23/2020

It's Thursday again, and that means we're highlighting the digital offerings of an NSCDA-affiliated historic site...today we venture to Philadelphia and Stenton!

This home descended through six generations of the Logan family, one of the most important in Philadelphia. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the Logans were prominent Quakers and were actively involved in politics in the Colony and later, the United States. The history of Stenton is rich with stories about early America, told through the experiences of one family but also reflecting wider issues that were central to the development of the United States.

Enjoy a fun panorama of Stenton’s beautiful entry hall. http://www.willbrownphoto.com/Panoramas/Stenton/StentonEntry.html

Get “out of the house” and into our history through History Hunters! https://www.historyhunters.org/

Dive into History Hunters Workbook and Curriculum with your kids. https://www.historyhunters.org/curriculum

Explore our vocabulary quizzes, Power Points that coincides with workbook chapters with classroom resources.https://www.historyhunters.org/resources

04/22/2020

Virginia Museum of History & Culture

Ellen Glasgow, an acclaimed author who explored social change following the Civil War and was a member of our Virginia Society, is featured in this fascinating online exhibition from the Virginia Museum of History & Culture!

On this day, April 22, in 1873: Ellen Glasgow, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, is born in Richmond. A prominent member of the Equal Suffrage League of Virginia in 1909, she worked in lobbying for women's right to vote in Virginia.

Learn more about pioneers like her and take a virtual tour of our exhibition, "Agents of Change: Female Activism in Virginia from Women’s Suffrage to Today."

04/21/2020

Today we join 200+ cultural organizations in bringing a little #MuseumSunshine to the digital world!

These are just a few of the things at Dumbarton House, NSCDA Museum & Headquarters that brighten our day...

04/20/2020

11 Great Podcasts for Historic Preservation Fans | National Trust for Historic Preservation

Our colleagues at the National Trust for Historic Preservation have compiled a great round-up of podcasts to meet the interests of historic preservation enthusiasts of all sorts.

And the list features a number of podcasts produced by museums including:
President Lincoln's Cottage
Tenement Museum
James Madison's Montpelier
Getty
Smithsonian

Which would you listen to first?

Looking for a new preservation-themed podcast? Here's a collection of 11 worth giving a listen.

04/17/2020

Famous Museums and Attractions Like the Louvre Are Offering Free Virtual Tours

Let the weekend take you to cultural institutions around the world....

via: Country Living Magazine

There's only so much Netflix you can watch — why not see the world?

04/16/2020

Every Thursday we're highlighting the digital offerings of one of our NSCDA-affiliated museums and today we're traveling to Wilmington, NC to the Burgwin-Wright House & Gardens!

This stunning example of Georgian architecture is one of only three surviving colonial-era homes in Wilmington's National Register Historic District and is the only one that is open to the public.

On Facebook and Instagram the museum is offering robust daily content:

- "Explore the Burgwin-Wright House" short video episodes on Mondays.
- "Artifact of the Day" highlighting pieces of the collection from the video episodes, Tuesday-Friday.
- Daily Drams of history on Mondays and Fridays.
- Garden highlights on Tuesdays.
- Storytime for children at 10:30am every Wednesday on Facebook Live.
- Historical music videos on Thursdays.

Additionally, on their website you can:
- Take a free virtual tour at your own pace, and zoom in on collections objects https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/virtual-tours

- Download a map of the property that details the landscaping as well as the history of the historic jail and urban townhouse https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/garden-history

04/15/2020

Thanks Delaware Public Archives for sharing this great image of the Old First Presbyterian Church in Wilmington!

The church was preserved by and has been under the dedicated care of NSCDA Delaware for over 100 years!

DELAWARE SNAPSHOT
History Preserved
The Old First Presbyterian Church of Wilmington, dating from 1740, is shown on Market Street between Ninth and 10th streets, where it was used as a prison/hospital by the British occupying the city after the Battle of Brandywine in 1777. Bought by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Delaware, it was moved in 1916 to West Street on Brandywine Park Drive and listed April 13, 1972, on the National Register of Historic Places.
– Compiled by robin brown
Photo: Undated
Delaware Public Archives
General Collection
Churches

04/14/2020

Did you know that you can sustain the mission of the NSCDA while you shop online?

When you shop with Amazon Smile, every time you check out, 0.5% of the price of your purchase will support the NSCDA at no cost to you. It takes just a minute to set up and then every time you shop, you'll be generating donations to the NSCDA without even thinking about it.

Visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/53-0224364 and select “The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America” from the list of charities. We thank you for your support!

04/13/2020

Dumbarton House, NSCDA Museum & Headquarters

"Art museums, history museums, zoos, aquariums, and science centers are some of the most trusted organizations in the U.S., with surveys showing that people have more faith in them than in newspapers, nonprofits, or state and federal governments. When disaster strikes...people need the help of institutions they can trust."

An insightful look at past, current, and future ways that cultural institutions can help their communities in times of crisis - with a lovely shout out to our National Headquarters!

via Grist.org

We are so inspired to see how our fellow museums have been responding to the current COVID-19 crisis and are happy to have played a small part in helping our essential healthcare workers, to whom we are so grateful. Thank you for including us Grist.org!

04/10/2020

Historic Jamestowne staffer creates mini-documentaries from home for people around the world

Our friends and colleagues down at Historic Jamestowne are producing a fascinating video series exploring the ties between Jamestown, Virginia and Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Kudos on the wonderful content & great coverage in the Daily Press!

[The NSCDA has a long history with Jamestown, having provided funds in 1906 to re-erect a Memorial Church on the island.]

With Historic Jamestowne shut down by the coronavirus pandemic, Mark Summers is creating mini-documentaries based on his tours, which he posts on his YouTube channel JR Education.

04/09/2020

With over 90 NSCDA-affiliated historic properties, museums, and sites in our portfolio, we are so inspired by how each is adapting to our current reality.

There has been an outpouring of creativity in continuing to present museum collections and activities to the public through digital platforms.

So each Thursday going forward, we'll highlight the digital offerings of one NSCDA-affiliated property!

Today we head to Portage, Wisconsin and the Historic Indian Agency House at Fort Winnebago:

5 Ways to Make your Social Distancing Time “Historical”:

#1: Peruse a different artifact each day from our Artifact Ambassador series. Follow the story of early America one fascinating piece at a time! https://www.agencyhouse.org/artifact-ambassadors-2019-1

#2: Visit our past special exhibits which we have digitized. There are several unique historical topics from which to choose! https://www.agencyhouse.org/themed-archives

#3: Libraries are closed, but you can check out an online book for free! Read the intriguing firsthand account of Juliette Kinzie who described life at the Indian Agency House almost 200 years ago. https://archive.org/details/waubunearlydayin00kinz/

#4: Have educational fun with your kids using our kids’ activity packets. There’s lots to do! https://www.agencyhouse.org/educational-resources. Our archaeology page also has some very cool online resources for families! https://www.agencyhouse.org/archaeology-2020

#5: Keep up with our monthly Vintage Viewpoints audio series. https://www.agencyhouse.org/vintage-viewpoints-2020

04/08/2020

Do you know what today is??

If you said April 8th or Wednesday, you're right, but it's also our 129th Birthday!

To commemorate the past 129 years, we've put together a trivia game about our history. It just skims the surface, but we hope you'll find it inspiring.

Click the link to give it a try - good luck!
https://tinyurl.com/tpv56xu

04/07/2020

On Sunday, FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency confirmed that the Parade Ground of Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, NY would be the site of a roughly 200-bed field hospital.

The news immediately struck a chord with Vivian Davis, who has extensively studied the 20th century military history of the site and is a former Weekend Manager at Van Cortlandt House Museum.

This new field hospital is not the first in the park's history...

Read more here:
http://www.vchm.org/voices-from-van-cortlandt---directors-blog

[Van Corlandt House was the very first preservation effort of the NSCDA and was the first historic house museum to open in New York City all the way back in 1897!]

04/06/2020

Museums Thank Healthcare Workers by Sharing Medical-themed Art

Museums of all kinds came together last week to pay homage to those on the front lines of this pandemic with #MuseumsThankHealthHeros:

Using the hashtag #MuseumsThankHealthHeroes, institutions are sharing artworks related to medical workers.

04/03/2020

For the first time in the 87 year history of our Dumbarton House Board, we are meeting virtually instead of in person. Even though we are all at a distance, we still wanted to provide a way for our members to come together and feel connected.

So we teamed up with one of our favorite local Georgetown businesses, the veteran-owned and operated Dog Tag Bakery, to create custom cookies to send to all of our Board members. During our meeting today we’ll take a collective “cookie break” to enjoy these delicious confections together!

A key element of the mission of Dumbarton House, NSCDA Museum & Headquarters is to serve as a steward of our local community and a pillar of the national NSCDA mission is patriotic service – Dog Tag Bakery could not be a better compliment to both.

Dog Tag Bakery provides, “a transformative opportunity for veterans with service-connected disabilities, military spouses, and caregivers through a five-month fellowship, offering an education at Georgetown University and real life work experience in [a] small business.”

Especially now, we’re honored to support local businesses who do so much for our communities.

04/02/2020

This week is our Dumbarton House Board Meeting!

Typically during this week, all of our Board Members from across the country convene in Washington, DC for meetings and special events and programming.

This time around however, we sent materials to members in advance and are embracing digital meeting options to ensure everyone stays home and stays safe.

04/01/2020

#GetUsPPE - Getting Protective Equipment to our Healthcare Heroes

Do you have Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to spare during this global crisis? If so, click the link below to learn more about how to get your PPE into the hand of those who need it most!

Get Us PPE
#MuseumsThankHealthHeros

Please join us today in helping to find, make, and bring Personal Protective Equipemnt (PPE) to our healthcare heroes during this critical shortage.

03/31/2020

Thanks to the generosity of the local museums and colleagues below, our National Headquarters was able to collect and donate over 2,500+ pairs of nitrile gloves to the medical staff of Unity Health Care - Upper Cardozo.

Every little bit helps!

Dumbarton House, NSCDA Museum & Headquarters
Larz Anderson House
Tudor Place Historic House & Garden
Woodrow Wilson House
Heurich House Museum
Rebecca Kennedy of Curae Collections Care, LLC

Feel free to leave a comment and share ways that you're helping to support your community or medical providers.

Last week, we reached out to our museum neighbors for donations of personal protective equipment (PPE) items that could be of use for health care providers in this time of need. We are thrilled that Larz Anderson House, Heurich House Museum, Tudor Place Historic House & Garden, Woodrow Wilson House and Rebecca Kennedy of Curae Collections Care, LLC all stepped up in a big way!

Over the weekend, we were able to present a collective donation of over 2,500 pairs for nitrile gloves plus homemade masks (thanks Tudor Place!), ponchos, and Lysol to the staff of Unity Health Care – Upper Cardozo. While this donation in no way fills the needs of our medical providers, we hope it helps in a small way.

We cannot thank those working tirelessly on the front lines of this pandemic enough!

03/30/2020

WATCH LIVE: Navy hospital ship 'Comfort' arrives in New York City

This morning, Naval Hospital Ship USNS Comfort arrived in New York City. The ship will treat non-COVID-19 patients in an effort to alleviate some of the pressure on local hospitals and allow them to focus on the virus.

The USNS Comfort is the third generation in the Comfort lineage - the original USS Comfort was converted into a hospital ship during WWI and the NSCDA was honored to help outfit it with medical supplies and equipment.

Hospital ship, the USNS Comfort arrived in New York City to help take the pressure off civilian hospitals helping patients with COVID-19. Read more: https://...