Creating a Preservation Plan for Plimoth Plantation's Historical and Archaeological Resources

FAIN: PF-272013-20

Plimoth Patuxet Museums, Inc. (Plymouth, MA 02360-2429)
Jade Luiz (Project Director: January 2020 to May 2021)
Ana Opishinski (Project Director: May 2021 to November 2021)
Annie Greco (Project Director: November 2021 to July 2023)

An assessment of the collections and buildings at Plimoth Plantation, which has extensive collections of archaeological artifacts, fine and decorative art, and archival materials. Plimoth Plantation was the nation’s first living history museum, and it explores seventeenth-century New England, focusing on the voyage of the Mayflower, the lives of early English settlers, and Wampanoag culture.

Plimoth Plantation proposes to create a collections care plan that properly preserves and increases accessibility to the Museum’s extensive collections of archaeological artifacts, fine and decorative art, and archival materials. These collections are a highly-valued resource for scholars studying the 17th-century Atlantic world and inform the Museum’s interpretation of 17th-century New England. Their preservation and accessibility are vital for future scholarship. Despite their significance, the Museum’s collections are urgently in need of risk management assessment and protection. The dangers to the collection vary widely in terms of general housing, pest management, UV infiltration, climate control, moisture, and security, among other issues. This project will identify and articulate a plan for renovating collections storage to provide safe, secure housing that allows for improved disaster preparedness and pest mitigation; ensuring the collections' well being for future generations.