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A Touch of Class, Historic Homes
Randi Dorman
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Although there were only a thousand days that the Kennedys lived in the White House, Jacqueline Kennedy made a lasting contribution in the advancement of historic preservation as she created her legacy as the First Lady of the Nation and wife of President John F. Kennedy. With her education and talents, Jackie spend the entire $50,000 appropriation for improvements on the private quarters of the White House, then she established a committee for restoration, not redecoration, of the Nation's home, the White House. Americans were asked to help in the process by finding and contributing the original pieces of a particular historic era. The White House became the most historic house in the nation. The Public Law 87-286 in September 1961, established a permanent White House furnishings collection and the curator's office. The responsibilities of the curator's office ensured that the White House furniture would not be auctioned off or misplaced in a warehouse. Within eighteen months, Mrs. Kennedy's goals were achieved. Mrs. Kennedy supervised the publication of the first guidebook to the White House that is still used today. The sale of the guide continued to pay for restoration. Using the infant networks of television, Mrs. Kennedy led Americans on a tour of the White House for one hour on February 14, 1962. Three of the four television networks broadcast and paid for the documentary that was the first major documentary presented by a woman. Fifty countries, also, viewed the historical moments. While establishing the White House Historical Society, she encouraged a movement throughout the Nation on the local level for support of historic preservation. Within her time, she had taken bold steps that led the traditional concept of wife and mother into a modern woman that demonstrated successful supervision and creativity. Since the Kennedy's restoration, first ladies have assumed more prominent roles than just the traditional hostess and are expected to be advocates of national issues. Students will connect local historic homes with this movement of historic preservation and rethink the influence of television upon American culture.
LaGrange Daily News, "Your Daily T.V. Guide", February 14, 1962. (Permission to use article granted by the LaGrange Daily News.)
National Register of Historic Places--Nomination form--The Strickland House
Power-Point entitled Historic Homes in LaGrange, Georgia
Script for Historic Homes in LaGrange, Georgia
(Optional) DVD Jacqueline Kennedy's White House Tour. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. ($9.95) http://www.jfklibrary.org/store/detail.aspx?ProdID=52&Category=CDDVD
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/whtour/ Historical tours of the White House
http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/ Activities with the White House
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/life/video/index.html Video tour of Oval Office by President Bush
Travels through Troup County, A Guide to its Architecture and History. Troup County Historical Society. 1996.
50 minutes
1S3
How did the technology of television assist with the advancement of women and historic preservation in the 1960s?
Specific content: How did the restoration of the White House by Jackie Kennedy lead to the first televised documentary by a woman and encourage historic preservation throughout the Nation?
Provide a copy of the handout of the article, "Your Daily T. V. Guide," in the LaGrange Daily News on Wednesday, February 14, 1962, for each student. Students should then list television programs that they would want to watch on that date.
Begin a class discussion asking the students to explain their choices of programs. Since television was an infant industry at this time period, lead the students to discuss the effects of the different programs on American culture and history. Gradually, direct the class to notice the 10:00 program, The Tour of the White House with Mrs. Kennedy. Some students may reflect on their own experiences of touring the White House in Washington, D.C.. Explain the effect that restoration of the White House, due to television, had on the local level of communities throughout the United States and fifty countries. Community leaders flooded the government with concerns about restoration of local establishments and the national registration of historic homes.
Download the teacher made Power-Point Historic Homes in LaGrange, Georgia. This Power-Point was created by Randi Dorman who photographed historic homes near Hollis Hand Elementary. (Note to Teachers: Prior to lesson, make photos of local historic homes in your community)
A script is provided for the Power-Point. The presentation is NOT timed, so the teacher may have discussions about each historic home.
Class discussion should develop on the importance of preserving the past as well as television being a media for large audiences within a short time period. The effect of television supported the movement of historic preservation. Emphasize to students that the televised restoration of the White House resulted in local communities requesting their homes to be placed on the National Register. Preview a portion of the DVD, A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy,for the students to understand the restoration of the White House from the viewpoint of the First Lady. Optional Activity: The DVD can be purchased through the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum ($9.95) http://www.jfklibrary.org/store/detail.aspx?ProdID=52&Category=CDDVD. There are websites that provide historical tours of the White House as well as videos of President George Bush, Jr. with a tour of the Oval Office in the White House. http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/whtour/ and http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/life/video/index.html and http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/
Class discussion will evolve into an understanding of the National Register of historic homes and places. In the Notes session, there is information concerning the National Register. A sample of a local historic home's application, Strickland House or "Homeplace" on Glenn Road in the Liberty Hill area, is provided for students to examine. Historic homes must have a statement of significance in the application. Mrs. Ann Strickland Petry's interview in 1975 describes the involvement of Wilson Strickland and his four sons in building the house in 1858. Statements are given concerning the effects of the War Between the States and the brothers. See Linked File.
The activity may be a writing activity and/or role-playing activity. The student(s) may decide to re-enact a few minutes of the tour of White House with Mrs. Kennedy leading the presentation. Others may want to write a paragraph concerning the importance of television for awareness to an issue or concern especially since television has large audiences throughout the world.
Since the LaGrange Historic Homes are nearby, the present owners of one of the historic homes could be invited to speaker to class concerning historic preservation. In other communities, an owner of a local historic home could be invited to the classroom.
The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 established the National Register as a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and preserve historic resources. The National Park Service administers the Register. Generally, a historic home is eligible for application after fifty years of existence. Each state is responsible for its own procedure, but the National Register provides a criteria. Usually, the National Park Service makes a decision within 45 days after appropriate application has been submitted. The property expresses a significance of historic value. National Historic Landmarks are declared by the Secretary of the Interior who administers the National Park Service. There are less than 2,500 historic places that has this national honor. Bellevue, a National historic home in LaGrange, Georgia, holds this honor as of 1982.
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Your Daily TV Guide LaGrange Daily News_1S3 Dorman
Strickland Home_Dorman
National Historic Homes_1S3 Dorman
Historic Homes Script for PowerPoint_1S3 Dorman