In communities across America, many important historical and cultural sites are managed and overseen by local governments or private foundations. Often, local non-profit organizations or parks and recreation departments preserve these treasures as public parks, museums, or historic sites, which are open and accessible to the public. As a steward of these important cultural resources, governments and organizations must comply with not only local, state, and federal historic preservation guidelines, but also balance other needs such as those generated by the Americans with Disabilities Act, the local school board, neighborhood groups, the chamber of commerce, or a visitor’s bureau. To navigate these various requirements, and to preserve the integrity of these irreplaceable cultural resources, the stewards of these properties often need the services of cultural resource professionals.
New South Associates has extensive experience working with state and local parks and foundations to comply with these varied needs. Much of our work in this arena has involved archaeological investigations, historic architecture studies, public interpretation, and public outreach. While these services often result in standard documents, such as an archaeological survey report, other projects may result in less typical deliverables. For example, New South Associates has created fully designed public outreach documents that catalog, in an engaging style, the natural and cultural resources of a community. These books have served to articulate and illustrate local residents’ vision for how to preserve the elements they value most in their community. In other projects, New South Associates has created full databases, which include maps and photographs of historic cemeteries. These records allow descendants to quickly and accurately access information on burial records, as well as tombstone inscriptions and exact plot locations. Finally, New South Associates has created signage and brochures to support the public interpretation and presentation of heritage sites. Some examples of the many projects we have conducted for parks and foundations include:
• Randolph Cemetery Mapping and Documentation Study, Historic Columbia Foundation (South Carolina);
• Beamon Park to Bells Bend: A Community Conservation Project, The Land Trust for Tennessee (Tennessee);
• Archaeological Testing of the Drayton Hall Orangerie, National Trust for Historic Preservation (South Carolina);
• Hay House Archaeological Investigations, The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation (Georgia);
• Vendue Prioleau Charleston Waterfront Public Archaeology Study, The Historic Charleston Foundation (South Carolina);
• Archaeobotanical and Subsistence Studies of the Archaeological Sites at James Madison’s Montpelier, Montpelier Foundation (Virginia);
• Ressaca Civil War Battlefield Visitors Center Archaeological Study (Georgia Department of Natural Resources, State Parks and Historic Sites); and
• Poinsett Bridge Historic Context and Archaeological Study, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Heritage Trust Program (South Carolina).
New South Associates understands that the vision of each park or foundation is specific to the needs of their community and we know how to work closely with members of both to meet their goals.