The restoration of the J. Sidna Allen home : nuances of turning a historic home into a museum, 2013

Item — Call Number: MU Thesis Wes

Identifier: b5596216

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The collection consists of theses written by students enrolled in the Monmouth University graduate Anthropology program. The holdings are primarily bound print documents that were submitted in partial fulfillment of university requirements for the Master of Arts degree.

From the Collection:

During the fall 2022 semester (in instances where the requisite waivers were received from consenting student authors), the Monmouth University Library, together with the University's Graduate School and Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences, began providing open access to select full-text digital versions of current theses and dissertations through links to the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global website in the Library's Online Public Access Catalog. Links to these open access digital publications can also be found in the "External Documents" section under any conforming titles that are listed among the holdings itemized in the collection inventory for this finding aid.

Dates

Creation: 2013

Creator

Westmoreland, Audrey (1989- ) (Author, Person)
González-Tennant, Edward (Thesis advisor, Person)
Veit, Richard F. (1968- ) (Thesis advisor, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use. Access is by appointment only.

Access to the collection is confined to the Monmouth University Library and is subject to patron policies approved by the Monmouth University Library.

Collection holdings may not be borrowed through interlibrary loan.

Research appointments are scheduled by the Monmouth University Library Archives Collections Manager (723-923-4526). A minimum of three days advance notice is required to arrange a research appointment for access to the collection.

Patrons must complete a Researcher Registration Form and provide appropriate identification to gain access to the collection holdings. Copies of these documents will be kept on file at the Monmouth University Library.

Extent

1 Items (print book) : 70 pages ; 8.5 x 11.0 inches (28 cm).

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Introduction [excerpt]

Jeremiah Sidna Allen who was born on July^19th, 1866, was the builder of a National Register listed house in Fancy Gap, Virginia named the J. Sidna Allen House (JSAH). Finished in 1911, the house is an extraordinary example of the Queen Anne style popular from 1880 to 1910. The current owners of the house seek to create a non-profit foundation to restore the home and open its doors to visitors to learn about local history. After years of sitting untouched the house has fallen into a state of disrepair, requiring significant funding and effort to restore. This past year, 2012, marked the centennial anniversary of the notorious Carroll County Courthouse Shootout, in which the original owner of the house, J. Sidna Allen, was involved. These anniversary celebrations have inspired the community to take action in preserving and restoring this home. The connection to the courthouse shooting along with its commanding and unusual architectural style landed the house on the National Register of Historic Places in the 1970s and the Virginia Landmarks Register in 1974. Many options are available to preserve the home and make it self-sustainable, such as turning the home into a bed and breakfast, a for-profit private estate, a museum, or a community center, to name a few. The intention of the J. Sidna Allen Home Foundation (JSAHF) is to combine two of the aforementioned options. They are planning to restore the home and turn it into a museum. They also hope to use the house for community events such as weddings, concerts, reunions, festivals, and more. It is my intention to create a resource documenting the history of the house and its need for preservation, the possible options for preservation/interpretation, and the best methodology needed for implementation for the foundation to use in their process of restoring and sustaining the JSAH.