Fort Ticonderoga today announced the launch of the Institutional Legacy Initiative, an oral history project to document first-person accounts of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum and the Pavilion, the summer home of the Pells – Fort Ticonderoga’s museum founders – which was built in 1826 and is a National Historic Landmark. The initiative will collect and record the stories of individuals who worked for the Pell family, the Fort Ticonderoga Museum, or visited the Pavilion as family or guests from 1909-1987.
“The Institutional Legacy Initiative provides an opportunity to capture first-hand insights into relationships, culture, decisions, and policy that shaped life at the Pavilion and work at the Fort Ticonderoga Museum,” said Tabitha Hubbard, Project Manager of the Institutional Legacy Initiative at Fort Ticonderoga. “The resulting recordings will reveal information about life and work at the Pavilion and the Fort Ticonderoga Museum between 1909 and 1987. The Institutional Legacy Initiative will add an additional layer to the already rich story of Ticonderoga through never-before-documented stories.”
In December, Fort Ticonderoga received a $2.4 million Arts & Cultural Facilities Improvement grant from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and Empire State Development (ESD) for the Pavilion restoration and adaptive re-use project. This grant required a $2.4 million match and harnessed individual major donor and foundation support. Fundraising efforts are still underway for the $6 million project.
“The Pavilion restoration project will save a national treasure while allowing the Fort Ticonderoga Museum to expand as a national cultural destination,” said Beth Hill, Fort Ticonderoga President and CEO. “Among the plans for the restored Pavilion is dedicated exhibit space to tell the story of 200 years of preservation and restoration efforts across the site, and highlight the rich decorative and fine arts collection. Additional uses will include meeting space, catering and teaching kitchen, and visitor amenities.”
The oral histories collected through the Institutional Legacy Initiative will be recorded, preserved, and made accessible for generations to come. Selections from these oral histories may be featured in future exhibitions and educational programming. For more information about the Institutional Legacy Initiative, contact Project Manager, Tabitha Hubbard, at collections@fort-ticonderoga.org.
America’s Fort is a registered trademark of the Fort Ticonderoga Association.
Photo: Fort Ticonderoga has recently launched the Institutional Legacy Initiative, an oral history project to document the institutional history of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum and the Pavilion, an 1826 National Historic Landmark. Photo: Events like this 1935 wedding in the Kings Garden illustrate how one celebration involves many different people and many different memories of the site itself. Credit: Fort Ticonderoga Museum