Lobster Cove in Massachusetts, North Dakota’s Indian Dance Lodge, Ohio’s Goodyear Airdock, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in North Carolina…what do all of these landmarks have in common? They are all part of the Historic American Building Survey (HABS), the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) contained within the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. From pueblos and one-room schoolhouses to national treasures such as Monticello and the Golden Gate Bridge, this collection includes nearly 40,000 historic structures and sites.
HABS, HAER, and HALS are administered by the National Park Service with the Library of Congress and support from the private sector. There are more than half a million drawings, photos, and written histories documenting the collection, which spans from Pre-Columbian times to the 20th century. All 50 states are represented, with iconic structures ranging from Alaska’s St. Michael’s Cathedral to Florida’s Art Deco Century Hotel in Miami Beach. The collection is truly a time capsule that in many ways chronicles our national history, with log cabins, windmills, dairy barns, a foundry, a copper mine, plantation homes, a covered wooden bridge, and a Gold Rush general store. Among the westernmost sites is one of the most tragic: the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor. A wide range of architectural influences and movements is also on display, from French Colonial to the Prairie School.
This fascinating record, part of the library’s “American Memory” historical collection, is diverse in scope and robust in size.
I have found that one of the most interesting aspects of working here in Virginia is the opportunity to work on historically significant civic buildings. One of the most intriguing projects I worked on was the Richmond County Courthouse in Wausau. The courthouse dated back to 1759, before the American Revolution. It was typical of its day, a rectangular one-room courtroom space built of brick with an arched loggia fronting the structure. The structure has undergone several renovations but remarkably has remained in continuous use as a courthouse all these years.
While the building has been significantly altered from its original condition much of the exterior still bears its original aesthetic. My work on the project was to oversee recommendations to stabilize the deterioration of the brick façade, and upgrade the building to support the current operational needs of the courts. This included the creation of secure holding for in-custody defendants, improved judicial chambers, and courtroom improvements.
It was highly rewarding to work on a project with such a legacy of civic service and to know that I supported the continued use of this building for future generations.
About the Author
