Processing of the less-documented projects continued last week. While there are fewer records for many of the remaining projects I am now arranging, the process remains slow and steady as I discover materials for previously processed projects and series as well as newly added projects. When I find information for previously arranged projects or series, I am either adding folders to the arrangement or including the documentation in folders that already exist. When I add folders, it is necessary to adjust the folder numbers in the finding aid. This is a simple enough process as long as it is completed accurately. While it can be easy to overlook, I am careful to record on the finding aid any additional folders added and to change the remaining folder numbers, if necessary. All of the information for previously unlisted projects will go into a subseries of “Smaller projects.”
There are three boxes within this section remaining for processing, aside from the six boxes of other materials, so I am still on schedule so far. Documentation for the following projects was found last week: Lincoln Park Housing in Gadsden, Alabama; National Baptist Training School in Nashville, Tennessee; Mound Bayou Hospital [Taborian Hospital] in Mound Bayou, Mississippi; Royal Fellows’ Club in Tyler, Texas; Texas College in Tyler, Texas; Miles Memorial College in Birmingham, Alabama; and about six more residential projects. Upon researching the background on these locations, I was able to find some National Register of Historic Placesrecords that will prove beneficial when writing the scope and content and biographical and historical sections of the finding aid. (To find the documents through the link, go to the advanced search and type "McKissack" in the box for architect/builder/engineer under Keyword. Of the thirteen results, only about two are not applicable.)
Blueprints
Volunteer Evelyn Jones and I finally finished dusting, flattening, and recording the metadata of the McKissack blueprints. They are now under weights until I finish processing the nine remaining boxes. The blueprints were in slightly better condition than we thought, so the process did not take as long as previously estimated. Unfortunately, little of the information on these remaining four sets of blueprints led to the assumption that they were for McKissack projects. One set of blueprints was for a service station that appears to be located in New York. One was prepared by Donald Southgate, a name I have not seen in any portion of this collection so far. Another blueprint appears to be a residence but contains no identifying information. Only one of these drawings seemed to possibly relate to the McKissacks.
Interesting Finds
While no identifying architects are listed, another document we unrolled was a hand-drawn map that shows downtown neighborhoods in Nashville during what appears to be the mid-twentieth century. This is assumed to be related to the McKissacks since it includes areas where they had worked on some of their projects. It is one page of waxy paper with the Cumberland River and select neighborhoods south/west of the river included on the drawing. Fort Negley, Meharry Medical College, Hubbard Hospital, City Hospital, City Wharf, City Hall, State Capital, Union Station, Pearl High School, and Fisk University among other landmarks are all located on this map. It may be interesting to note that Meharry Medical School is located further into town than its current location across the street from Fisk. Also located on this map is New Walden site, Stevens Sanitarium, and Ward Belmont. There appears to be only one bridge crossing the river downtown. This is a unique document not only because it is hand-drawn, but because of the locations documented on the map. It may be my favorite find, yet! I hope to be able to include it on HistoryPin.
Challenges
The biggest challenge at the moment is the heat in the building. As with many campuses, the air conditioning is turned on according to a schedule that does not necessarily correspond with the weather. It has been particularly warm over the last week or so but the air conditioning is not on yet so the building has been extremely hot. Some measured have been taken, such as opening the doors and using fans throughout the building. This has helped to keep the temperature somewhat tolerable for those of us working and I have even gone to work downstairs when the temperature was over 90° on the third floor, but the heat is particularly challenging for the documents as well as for the electronics. We are all hoping for cooler weather and/or the change to air conditioning very soon.
Until next time,
Amanda J. Carter
Franklin Library, Fisk University
IMLS HistoryMakers Fellow 2012-2013
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