Laurel Bartlett, PhD Candidate in the Planning, Design, and Built Environment Program, Clemson, South Carolina
Laurel Bartlett is PhD Candidate in the Planning, Design, and Built Environment Program at Clemson University. She was raised in New York’s Hudson’s Valley but has called South Carolina home for the past decade. Ms. Bartlett received her Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Clemson University and the College of Charleston and, prior to pursing her doctoral studies, worked as an architectural historian for a cultural resource management firm. Her current research is focused on understanding the factors that influence visitor impact and material degradation at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.
What led you to your field?
I’ve always had a passion and reverence for historic places. Similar, I’m sure, to most people involved in the field, my interest began with family trips to places such as Gettysburg, Fort William Henry, and other historic sites as a child. However, my path into historic preservation is a bit of an irregular one. As an undergraduate political science major, I was bound and determined to run for political office, but quickly found I was more interested in presidential history than presidential politics. After finishing my undergraduate degree, I took a couple of years to decide on a master’s program and found that the graduate program in historic preservation offered jointly between Clemson University and the College of Charleston had a great curriculum that focused not only on preservation theory, but also architectural history and materials conservation that led me to a better understanding of the built environment. The program offered the opportunity to get involved in historic preservation efforts to maintain historic and cultural resources and to study their construction, development over time, and larger roles on the cultural landscape.
How does what you do relate to historic preservation?
I am currently a PhD candidate in Clemson University’s Planning, Design, and the Built Environment PhD program, and I am completing dissertation research on visitor impact at historic sites. While there is a broadening scope of cultural resources that fit under the umbrella of historic preservation, the preservation and maintenance of designated historic sites has always been of interest me. It is my hope that this current research will lead to the development of a processed-based framework for visitor impact assessment to assist historic sites in planning for sustainable visitation and the protection of historic materials.
Why do you think historic preservation matters?
Prior to returning to graduate school, I worked as an architectural historian for a cultural resource management firm primarily doing cultural resource assessment surveys for compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA. In this role I witnessed firsthand the effects that development can have on historic resources and how influential preservationists can be in advocating for their protection. Historic preservation and cultural heritage management are key to not only studying and learning from past methods of construction and ways of life but also ensuring the protection and sustained usefulness of those resources important to our history and heritage.
What courses do you recommend for students interested in this field?
Classes in preservation theory and history provide a strong foundational understanding of the history of the historic preservation movement as well as the development of the policies and precedents that guide the field. I would also recommend classes in materials conservation and architectural construction for those interested in historic resources. An understanding of historic construction methods and materials is instrumental in assessing significant building and spatial developments, and alterations to historic fabric, as well advocating for their significance.
Do you have a favorite preservation project? What about it made it special?
My favorite preservation project was an architectural documentation project that I completed with several classmates at Clemson to record a sixth-century abbey near Youghal, Ireland, in the summer of 2012. This project provided the opportunity to be involved in an international preservation project and to study the architectural development and changes of a structure over the course of many centuries.
Can you tell us what you are working on right now?
As a PhD candidate, my primary project involves studying visitor impact at historic sites and assessing the influence of use, interpretation, and management on material degradation at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Using material conditions assessments, GPS visitor tracking, archival research, hot spot analysis, and interviews, this research explores visitor behavior and how patterns of density and congestion correlate with the frequency and type of material damage. GPS visitor tracking has been used in numerous national parks and landscape settings, but this is one of the first times in the U.S. where it is being employed at a historic house. The Thomas Jefferson Foundation and the staff at Monticello have been extremely welcoming and supportive of the research, and I look forward to providing them with some additional information on patterns of use and material degradation at Monticello that may be useful to their preservation planning and site sustainability. I am continually grateful for their participation and assistance with this current research.
How do you think national historic preservation programs help your community?
National historic preservation programs help bring awareness to historic resources and places within local communities. Preservation programs, such as Main Street revitalization efforts, are economic drivers that create opportunities for heritage tourism, but also preserve local culture. Formal programs such as the Federal Historic Tax Credit help to encourage the reuse of historic structures and support the continued sustainability of the historic built environment.
Do you have any advice for novice preservationists?
I highly recommend looking into an undergraduate or graduate program in historic preservation. There are many different aspects of historic preservation from architectural history to architectural conservation to advocacy, so look for a program that best fits your area of interest.
The ACHP’s mission is “preserving America’s heritage;” can you give us an example of how your community is preserving its heritage?
In areas like Charleston, South Carolina, where development appears to be progressing more rapidly in the last decade, there has been a push to involve more review and input on development from local preservation organizations and preservation professionals. For example, there has been a recent initiative to establish a city-wide archaeological ordinance which would require an archaeological survey before large-scale developments began. This would help to identify and protect the tangible historic fabric and heritage of Charleston that has yet to be discovered.
Besides understanding material degradation at historic sites, how else can this data help preservationists and planners?
As use continues to change at historic sites this research will help preservation professionals and planners understand the impact visitors have on materials and cultural resources and ultimately lead to better preservation planning and site management. This research project will also help provide information to guide future priorities including the development of a visitor use management plan, limiting damage to historic structures and landscapes, assisting with facility improvements, and maintaining desired spatial-temporal distribution conditions while ensuring the quality of the visitor experience.
How can visitors minimize their impact on historic sites?
While impacts to historic sites from intentional means such as vandalism or damage from relic hunters do occur, the majority of impact to historic sites is the result of attrition and use. The easiest way for visitors to minimize their impact is simply to be mindful. Watch where you step, do not touch walls or surfaces, avoid leaning against, sitting on, or climbing objects, and stay on designated pathways. As a preservationist, I know that people are tactile in nature and learn from touching objects and that it is a hard temptation to resist. One set of hands on a doorway or stair railing might not seem like much, but multiply that by a million hands over the course of a year and that is a lot of compounding impact from dirt and oils on individual hands.
What precautions can those managing historic sites take to minimize visitors’ impact?
Every historic site is different and the type and intensity of visitor impact is situational and contextual. However, in my research, I have found that a majority of damage can be prevented through education. In addition to explaining acceptable behaviors to visitors, it is also helpful to describe the reasoning behind why those behaviors are requested. This allows visitors to play an active role in the preservation process. Making visitors part of the solution rather than the problem helps make visitors more aware of their interaction with cultural resources and their responsibilities as a visitor.
What kinds of preservation projects would you like to work on in the future?
I would love to continue researching visitor impact at historic sites and help with providing a process-based framework for visitor impact assessment that could be applicable at any historic site. I’m especially interested in creating plans for the larger World Heritage Sites, which receive several million visitors per year.
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