November 2010

The Liberty Bell's inscription conveys a message of liberty which goes beyond the words themselves. Since the bell was made, the words of the inscription have meant different things to different people. When William Penn created Pennsylvania's government he allowed citizens to take part in making laws and gave them the right to choose the religion they wanted. The colonists were proud of the freedom that Penn gave them. In 1751, the Speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly ordered a new bell for the State House. He asked that a Bible verse to be placed on the bell - "Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof" (Leviticus 25:10). As the official bell of the Pennsylvania State House (today called Independence Hall) it rang many times for public announcements.

The old State House bell was first called the "Liberty Bell" by a group trying to outlaw slavery. These abolitionists remembered the words on the bell and, in the 1830s, adopted it as a symbol of their cause.

In anticipation of Utah's statehood, Brigham Young directed construction of the building as the state's capitol. The Statehouse is the south wing of a large domed capitol building in the form of a Roman cross, designed by Truman O. Angell. It is the only portion of that envisioned structure ever built and was finished in time for the December 1855 meeting of the Territorial Legislature, which was the only full session held in the old statehouse. The Daughters of the Utah Pioneers restored the Statehouse and reopened it as a museum in 1930. Today it houses an excellent collection of Mormon pioneer artifacts.

This towering Gothic Revival church is the largest pre-1901 house of worship in Jacksonville. When it was constructed in 1887, its architect, Robert S. Schuyler, had already established himself as an experienced designer of Episcopal churches. In addition to four Carpenter Gothic chapels in Waldo, Fairbanks, Pablo Beach, and Lake Santa Fe, Florida, Schuyler also designed St. Peter's Church in Fernandina in 1881 (one of several National Register buildings designed by Schuyler in that city). The excellence of St. Andrew's architecture was praised in the 1889 edition of King's Handbook of Notable Episcopal Churches in the United States.

The once populous residential area around the church has faded in recent years, and by the late 1970's the building had fallen into disuse and disrepair. Its congregation had moved away. Vacant for over a decade, the building was one of the most perplexing challenges facing local preservationists. Ironically, the Jacksonville Jaguars helped save it.

This museum depicts army history and traditions, as well as other Army Special Operation Forces.

The museum, operated under the auspices of the US Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, is a three-dimensional training aid, exposing students to their long heritage of the soldiers and organizations who preceded them. This includes such heroic examples as the First Special Service Force, the Office of Strategic Service (OSS) and Detachment 101 in World War II, the Korean Conflict, to modern actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also serves to illustrate the unique and specialized part played by all aspects of the Army Special Operations community both in conflict and during crucial roles in peacetime, The museum has also proven itself to be a valuable recruiting catalyst.

Constructed between 1732 and 1756 as the State House of the Province of Pennsylvania, it is considered a fine example of Georgian architecture. From 1775 to 1783 (except for the winter of 1777 - 1778 when Philadelphia was occupied by the British Army) this was the meeting place for the Second Continental Congress. It was in the Assembly Room of this building that George Washington was appointed commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1775 and the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. In the same room the design of the American flag was agreed upon in 1777, the Articles of Confederation were adopted in 1781, and the U. S. Constitution was drafted in 1787. The building, inside and out, has been restored whenever possible to its original late-18th century appearance. Most of the furnishing are period pieces. The "rising sun" chair used by George Washington as he presided over the Constitutional Convention is original.

The State of Hawaii established the Honolulu Memorial Park as a community service cemetery in 1958. The Honolulu Pagoda is architecturally significant for three reasons: it was designed with the original proportions of the Nara Pagoda and uses the bracketing construction techniques found in the traditional design; it is the largest pagoda ever built; and it incorporates new construction techniques using concrete and steel.

Manzanar War Relocation Center was one of ten camps where Japanese American citizens and resident Japanese aliens were interned during World War II.

Manzanar National Historic Site was established to preserve the stories of the internment of nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II and to serve as a reminder to this and future generations of the fragility of American civil liberties.

This land has been a War Relocation Center, an apple farming community, a cattle ranch, and home of the Owens Valley Paiute. Together, these occupations illustrate Manzanar's long history of recurring human settlement, habitation, and displacement.

Extensive exhibits span a century of history, from 1885 to the present, with a focus on the World War II relocation and internment of Japanese Americans from the west coast. They include a large scale model of Manzanar War Relocation Center crafted by former internees, historic photographs and audiovisual programs, and artifacts.

In addition, a large graphic includes the names of over 10,000 Japanese Americans who spent all or part of World War II at Manzanar.

The Thornton Burgess Museum is located in the Deacon Eldred house on historic Shawme Pond. Visitors can browse a variety of books, toys, games, and household goods that feature some of Burgess’ most famous characters including Peter Rabbit, Reddy Fox, and Jimmy Skunk. Currently on display is a red work quilt made by a 10 year old girl with Ruby Short McKim’s patterns based on the Burgess Bedtime Stories. The highlight of the museum exhibit is a display of several recently acquired Harrison Cady illustrations.

The home of America's poet, Carl Sandburg, is quite a baronial estate for an old socialist. It was designated as a National Historic Site in 1968 to honor Carl Sandburg's compelling collection of stories about the American people; their plights, struggles, joys and hopes as told through Sandburg's poetry, prose, journalism and biography. Taking a guided tour of the historic Carl Sandburg Home with over 65,000 artifacts on display is an insightful glimpse into the lives of the Sandburg family. Mrs. Sandburg owned and operated a premier goat dairy from 1935 to 1965. Here at Connemara the dairy became a Grade A operation, with milk being distributed to local dairies and sold in stores around the community.

Depicted as "Dixieland" in Wolfe's novel Look Homeward, Angel, this historic Old Kentucky Home boarding house, run by Wolfe's mother, was home to the author for ten years.

Considered by many to be one of the giants of 20th Century American Literature, Thomas Wolfe immortalized his childhood home in his epic autobiographical novel, Look Homeward, Angel. Wolfe's colorful portrayal of his family, his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, and the Old Kentucky Home boarding house earned the historic Victorian home a place as one of American Literature's most famous landmarks.



A modern visitor center, opened in late 1996, is located at 52 North Market Street, directly behind the historic Old Kentucky Home boarding house. The facility houses an exhibit hall featuring personal effects from the Wolfe family home, Wolfe's New York City apartment, and his father's stonecutting shop.