Preservation of the Washington College Archives

FAIN: PG-50964-10

Washington College (Chestertown, MD 21620-1197)
Ruth Casandra Shoge (Project Director: May 2009 to November 2011)

Funding supports the purchase of preservation and storage supplies to rehouse the college archives and manuscript collections documenting the history of Washington College, founded in 1782, as well as local and regional African-American life in the 18th century.

Washington College requests a grant of $6,000 to purchase the necessary preservation supplies required to properly house archival documents, artifacts, and audio-visual materials. The acquisition of preservation supplies would take us to the second level of a three-phase program: first, to get the archives collection assessed and organized; second, to preserve and house the collection; and finally to conserve and digitize materials as appropriate. As the tenth-oldest college in the nation, founded in 1782, its stories can be found in documents and artifacts that have been saved or re-collected after two devastating fires (1827 and 1916) ravaged the early collections. The development of a long-term program for the professional care of the collection is long overdue, and this grant would be used by the College Archivist, Susan Elter, to purchase preservation supplies to house all documents, photographs, and some artifacts in acid-free folders and boxes.