Posted on 10/18/2006 10:31:31 AM PDT by detsaoT
The Museum of the Confederacy will move from its location near Virginia Commonwealth University in downtown Richmond, where it is shrouded by construction, new buildings and VCU's Medical College.
S. Waite Rawls III, the museum's executive director, said the museum will vacate its spot at 1201 E. Clay St. but that the White House of the Confederacy will remain where it is.
A new site for the museum has not been determined. An independent peer-review panel recommended the move, which Mr. Rawls said he hopes will be completed by 2011.
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Officials had expected to receive a $700,000 grant from Virginia in July, but instead received a $50,000 stipend.
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The cuts in staff and hours helped reduce the museum's fiscal 2007 budget deficit -- which was approaching $700,000 -- to $350,000.
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The Confederate White House served as the residence of Confederate President Jefferson Davis during the Civil War. The museum was added in 1976.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
I'd like to see the Museum move its publications online, which should save on the cost of actually physically publishing materials. They could probably also provide a paid research (annual?) section on their website containing scans and OCRed text of original Confederate documents that are hard to find elsewhere...
Is Southern history dead? Have we as a nation lost any desire to know and understand our past?
Deo Vindice,
~dt~
ping away, good Sir!
Ping!
Richmond Ping!
What's this about, really? Is it political correctness that's destroying this beloved institution, or is there some other issue? I don't want this beautiful facility shunted off into some dark corner.
On the other hand, its present location is less than easy to get to.
Funny line in the article: "The White House of the Confederacy will stay in its present location." Yeah, as if they could move Jeff Davis's house.
Outside of the south, I really don't imagine that many see the history of the Confederacy as "our past". No flames please, as a Marylander growing up, when we visited Gettysburg, my sister and I came home wearing gray.
Somewhere I still have my deed to one square inch of land in each of the Confederate states - it hung on my bedroom wall until I moved out of my parent's house (to go to college). And I still have all of my confederate money, too!
Yeah, as if they could move Jeff Davis's house.
_____
What? You've never watched Mega Movers on the History channel?
I'm not sure that it's as much PC nonsense as it is limited space in downtown. The VCU Medical Center is expanding a lot and the museum is now surrounded by new buildings. The medical center has not (publicly) said it's wants one solution over another. Publicly at least, the medical center doesn't want to be seen as forcing anyone out. VCU has had it's share of those arguments in the past and doesn't want to go down that road again.
There has been some talk of actually moving the building to another location. That can be done from a technical point of view. Not sure about from a financial point of view.
As the great-grandson of a veteran of the 48th Ohio, I consider Confederate history part of our American history or as you put it, "our past"!
Also, because of all the construction that has been going on, it has been difficult for museum visitors to get to the museum. And, of course, parking is always an issue. Those 2 factors caused a large drop-off in attendance over the last couple of years.
As do I, but not as Confederate history, but as American history. I cannot separate the 2. It sounds like you don't either.
"Have we as a nation lost any desire to know and understand our past?"
Judging from some of the comments made on other threads I'd say yes. The winners have definately written the history!
It's also useful to remember the every soldier who fell in the Civil War was an American, whether they fought for the North or the South.
I remember all the construction and the difficulty parking. If they have to relocate, it would be nice if they could still be not too far away from their present location. After we visited the museum, we were pleased to find that it was only a few blocks away from the house of my cousin many times removed, Chief Justice John Marshall. We were able to see both places on the same day.
Richmond has a specific obligation to preserve the history of the Civil War. Regardless of which side you're on, the war happened and Richmond was a significant player. The problem is that Richmond wont embrace it. Mayor Wilder claims that Richmond is a "destination city", but that's just wishful thinking on his part. If you are planning a vacation for your family, do you think of starting with Richmond? Not too many do. Now, if Richmond preserved it's role in history and marketed it distinctly, would you consider it? If the city welcomed you as a tourist and offered an accurate, well managed history lesson, would you consider it? Think of other cities that embrace their place in history - Boston, Charleston, Gettysburg, even Appomattox. These cities are destinations because they don't run from their history.
I live in Richmond, probably always will, and it makes me mad that we wont understand and respect our place in history. You don't have to be on any "side" to learn, absorb and appreciate the events of the Civil War.
From the city that put the latest Civil War hero, Arthur Ashe, on Monument Ave, I feel like my opinion is in the minority. Richmond doesn't get it and they are too short sided to understand the amazing opportunity it could be if we did something with our Canal and historic sites. No, we make national news because of the laptop stampede, endless crime, and baseball diamond squabbles.
BTW, if you happen to be in Richmond, go to Pamplin Park in Petersburg. Take the guided tour and you'll be amazed at the fine presentation of factual, unbaised history. It can be done, but Wilder wont do it.
k.
"I don't think the problem is location," he said.
Isn't that a clever deduction. And why in the world would the location be a problem? Me thinks the problem lies with the buildings that are shrouding the existence of the Confederate White House. Me also thinks some spineless, politically correct folks are calling the shots. Me also thinks them folks would like many to be ashamed of the Confederacy and all its symbols.
BTW, it looks to me like we are doomed to repeat that history as there are many who are quite uninterested in knowing what and/or why WBTS actually occurred. It appears to be much more fun and very monetarily profitable to ignore this...
Well, since I live here and you don't.... the problem is the location.
The medical center needs more space for its needs. The medical center is bounded by I-95 on one side and so any expansion options are limited by this physical reality. VCU has never asked the museum to move. In fact, publicly at least, the university has stayed out of the decision process. In the past, VCU had several unpleasant episodes on the other campus related to expansion efforts and learned from those mistakes. The decision of the museum to move was made by them.
The construction continues and parking is worse than ever.
Well, That's great that you live there and I don't. However, I fail to see how making this an issue(in which case, it really is a non issue) does good for anyone except you.
Be that as it may, Richmond is history all wrapped up in a package, but as another poster said, Wilder is a bit too blind/ashamed to see it. Jeff Davis' house is historical and should never be considered a problem, as many are making it out to be. It should always have priority, for the obvious reasons.
Regarding the medical center and all other buildings that are obstructing access to Jeff Davis' house, they should be moved. Jeff Davis' house was there first. And just because I don't live there, doesn't mean I have lost my powers of deduction...
Exactly. The Museum just isn't going to get much attention in the current location. They're not moving the Davis house. That's good, but there's just way too much congestion over at MCV/VCU for that to be a good location for the museum.
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