Ramsey County Historical Society Inc

THE RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY WILL DIGITIZE APPROXIMATELY 2.5 MILLION COUNTY ASSESSOR FIELD CARDS THAT DOCUMENT THE STRUCTURAL CHANGES TO ALL RAMSEY COUNTY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES MADE BETWEEN 1915 AND 2007. THE CARDS PROVIDE INFORMATION RELATED TO ZONING, BUILDING DESIGN, PROGRESSION OF OWNERSHIP AND MORE, AND AS SUCH, HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO REVEAL HISTORIC ZONING CODES THAT DELINEATE AREAS OF RACIAL SEGREGATION. ONCE DIGITIZED, THE COLLECTION WILL BECOME A RESOURCE FOR HISTORIANS, SCHOLARS, AND REFORMERS STUDYING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN RACIAL HOUSING COVENANTS, REDLINING, AND ZONING. IT WILL ALSO HELP INDIVIDUALS RESEARCH THE HISTORY OF THEIR HOMES, NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THE INDIVIDUALS WHO SHAPED THE COUNTY’S DIVERSE RESIDENTIAL AREAS. DIGITIZATION WILL ENHANCE LONG-TERM PRESERVATION OF THE COLLECTION BY REDUCING HANDLING OF THE CARDS AND WILL PREPARE THE DIGITAL FILES IN PREPARATION FOR THE CREATION OF A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE ONLINE CATALOG.

SUPPORT FOR GIBBS FARM STAFF [RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY SEEKS FUNDING TO RETAIN THREE FULL-TIME PERMANENT STAFF AND HIRE THREE DAKOTA CONSULTANTS, FOUR PART-TIME PERMANENT STAFF, AND 12 PART-TIME SEASONAL STAFF.] [PURPOSE: GRANT FUNDS WILL PERMIT THE RECIPIENT TO REOPEN GIBBS FARM, A NATIONAL REGISTER SITE THAT IS ONE OF MINNESOTA?S EARLIEST FARMSTEADS AND A CROSSROADS FOR THE DAKOTA PEOPLE OF HEY?TA OTH??WE (CLOUD MAN?S VILLAGE). ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THREE FULL-TIME PERMANENT STAFF WILL BE RETAINED AND THREE DAKOTA CONSULTANTS, FOUR PART-TIME PERMANENT STAFF, AND 12 PART-TIME SEASONAL STAFF WILL BE HIRED. GRANT FUNDS WILL ALSO ALLOW THE RECIPIENT TO DEVELOP NEW PROGRAMS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DAKOTA TRIBAL MEMBERS WHO WILL ENSURE THEIR CULTURAL SENSITIVITY. THESE PROGRAMS WILL ADDRESS THE EXPANDED OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDED BY THE RECIPIENT?S EXPANSION INTO YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMS. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: STAFF POSITIONS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GRANT WILL PERMIT THE RECIPIENT TO DEVELOP NEW PROGRAMMING AND RUN THESE ENHANCED AND EXISTING PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDING THE PROGRAMMING AT THE HISTORIC GIBBS FARM SITE. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: APPROXIMATELY 6,500-7,500 STUDENTS VISIT GIBBS FARM IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER DURING A TYPICAL YEAR. THE RECENTLY-COMPLETED CONVERSION OF ONE OF THE FARM STRUCTURES INTO A YEAR-ROUND CLASSROOM WILL INCREASE THE SITE?S CAPACITY AND THE GRANT?S BENEFICIARIES BY 3,000 STUDENTS ANNUALLY. ADDITIONALLY, APPROXIMATELY 200 CHILDREN ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND CAMPS AT THE FARM DURING THE SUMMER. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.]

NEW COLLECTIONS FACILITY FOR RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY [RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (RCHS) REQUESTS FUNDING FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES TO DESIGN, CONSTRUCT, AND EQUIP A 4,500 SQUARE FOOT COLLECTIONS FACILITY, TO BE CONSTRUCTED ON RCHS?S MAIN EDUCATIONAL SITE: THE HISTORIC GIBBS FARM IN FALCON HEIGHTS, MINNESOTA. THIS NEW TWO-STORY FACILITY WILL INCLUDE A 3,000 SQUARE FOOT COLLECTIONS STORAGE SPACE ON THE FIRST FLOOR IN WHICH TO HOUSE ITS MOST SENSITIVE THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS. THE SECOND FLOOR WILL FEATURE A 1,500 SQUARE FOOT GALLERY, WHERE SELECTIONS FROM RCHS?S COLLECTION WILL BE EXHIBITED, AS WELL AS EXHIBITIONS FROM RCHS?S COMMUNITY PARTNERS. RCHS?S PROPOSED COLLECTIONS FACILITY IS PART OF A LARGER CAPITAL ENDEAVOR AT GIBBS FARM, DESIGNED TO INCREASE CAPACITY AT THE SITE BY 100%. THE PLAN CENTERS ON A NEW FOUR-SEASON PROGRAM BUILDING, A PRIVATE CEREMONIAL SPACE FOR RCHS?S DAKOTA ALLIES, A NEW ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING, AND A RECONFIGURED ENTRY IN ADDITION TO THE NEW COLLECTIONS FACILITY.]

THE RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY WILL DIGITIZE ITS COLLECTION AND PRESERVE THE MATERIALS DOCUMENTING 110 YEARS OF THE CITY’S GROWTH FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS’ USE. THE COLLECTION INCLUDES ABOUT 350,000 SAINT PAUL BUILDING PERMITS AND 73 BUILDING PERMIT LEDGERS THAT DETAIL THE TRANSFORMATION OF THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, STREETS, AND SIDEWALKS. THEY WILL APPLY THE MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY DIGITIZATION STANDARDS AND BEST PRACTICES. BY DIGITIZING THE COLLECTION, THE MUSEUM WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE HANDLING OF THE ORIGINAL MATERIALS, PRESERVING THEIR CONDITION AND INTEGRITY WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY ENSURING THEIR CONTINUED ACCESSIBILITY.

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

HORSE-DRAWN VEHICLE COLLECTION CONSERVATION PLAN

CONSERVATION CONDITION SURVEY OF RCHS'S COLLECTION OF HORSE-DRAWN VEHICLES