Last April, many of you responded to our pleas for help when a burst water pipe in the Rosewell Visitor Center left our collections and our lab in a state of emergency. Since then, countless hours of labor have been volunteered and a variety of supplies donated, helping us inch closer to a complete recovery. Although a great deal of work remains in the coming months in order to return and organize all of our collections into the space at the Rosewell Visitor Center, there has also been a great deal of progress since April, and we thought it fitting to share our excitement about this reorganization process!
Our lab space in the Rosewell Visitor Center has never looked better – with new carpets and a fresh coat of paint, the room has a light, spacious feel to it (Until we get all of our stuff back in there, at least…)! We have made steady progress moving our collections out of temporary storage, and are trying to make the most of this labor-intensive opportunity by taking the chance to redesign our use of the lab space and organize materials and collections with a new vision. And at the back of our minds throughout this work are how we will manage space and curate collections in the near future at the Edge Hill Service Station! Archaeological collections from Rosewell will remain at the Visitor Center in the reorganized lab, while collections from Fairfield and other sites will move with us to continue serving as teaching and research tools at our regional preservation center.
In terms of organization and collections management, both in our current lab and in the future lab at the service station, we have an exciting prospect on the horizon. In October of 2012, we were approved for a grant supplied by the Circuit Rider program, through the Virginia Association of Museums. The Circuit Rider program sends a “team” comprised of one curator and one archivist to the chosen recipients in order to carry out an introductory assessment of the institution’s collections management needs. In May of 2013, the Circuit Rider team will visit our lab at Rosewell, and we will discuss with them the challenges we face with collections management. As most of you can guess, the collections that we curate are predominantly archaeological in nature (i.e., artifacts), but we also have a responsibility, need, and desire to curate 1) associated historical primary documents, and 2) associated modern documents, such as field notes, photographs, and other paperwork. The biggest collections challenges we face are two-fold: the proper care, storage, and maintenance of these diverse resources, and the presentation and display of the collections, in addition to its transfer to a new facility. The Circuit Rider program is geared toward helping small institutions with limited resources, and their visit will result in the identification of necessary collections improvements, as well as recommendations for low-cost steps and other resources to help us improve the management of our collections.
With help from the Circuit Rider team, as well as continued support from all of you, we will have our collections in top shape in no time, AND continue to shape our vision for collections management at the Edge Hill Service Station!
Our heartfelt thanks to the more than 100 individuals who have supported us during these efforts, both financially and in terms of time, labor, and supplies. There are too many of you to name here, but we sincerely appreciate your efforts on behalf of Fairfield’s collections.
With special acknowledgments to the local and regional organizations who provided financial support as well as time, supplies, and advice:
Archeological Society of Virginia, Richmond Chapter
Archeological Society of Virginia, Northern Virginia Chapter
Dovetail Cultural Resource Group
Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust
Jamestown Rediscovery
Mariner’s Museum
Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory
Preservation Virginia
Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, Archaeology Department
VA History Online
Virginia Association of Museums
Virginia Department of Historic Resources
Virginia Museum of Natural History
The William & Mary Center for Archaeological Research
