The Campbell House Museum just started a Twitter account. This is definitely a good move to reach a new and younger audience for an established house museum. Often missing from the conversations about historic preservation on Twitter and other online spaces are local institutions. The gap is generational, as older joining is separated from the over-wired, individualized approaches of young advocates today.
Still, does new media have to remain separate from the old movement? Of course not. The gap must be spanned to keep long-standing preservation organizations viable. The Campbell House Museum recognizes that it’s a two-way street.
Readers, I want to know:
Are you a member of local historic preservation organizations? Which ones?
If not, why not?
Leave your comments here.
6 replies on “Are You a Member of Local Historic Preservation Organizations?”
In the county of St. Louis, the individual cities with Historical Societies are having a lot of trouble attracting younger audiences. Two years ago, I created this Yahoo Group to help those societies connect. Since most of them do not use email, however, no one ever posts. Technology is something they use only to preserve their photos and research; most communication is still done by snail mail, unfortunately.
I’m a member of Landmarks and the DeMenil House; I am probably going to stop my membership in the former after 15 years for ideological reasons. St. Louis Building Arts Foundation will likely get my donation (albeit small) from this point forward.
I’d be curious to hear from others and from this blog what other local preservation organizations are membership-based.
No. Can’t really afford the extra expense. Most of our charitable money goes to Doctors Without Borders, KDHX, Heifer Int’l, and a few others. If we were a two income household, that would change.
Hi Everyone,
I belong to several organizations but have a good reason for it. I do belong to Landmarks and have volunteered there for several years. I belong to the WG Historical Society and used to be on their Board. I am currently on the Board of the Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park and also belong to the National Trust and the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy.
I have been trying to talk the FLWHEP Board into at least creating a Facebook presence. Even though I am in that “Older” category yet I can see the relevance and the connection with younger people that Twitter and Facebook might foster. We have a LOT of younger visitors. I’d be interested in finding out if this social media really works though.
We do have a great website but don’t even do email “blasts”.
How will we save these older buildings and neighborhoods if we don’t get involved?
I am 21 and would love to get involved with historical preservation. I just don’t know how to get involved. I don’t have much money and most of the websites for these committees don’t explain how to get started and whats expected of members.
If someone could explain how I can get started I would defiantly look into it more 🙂
I’m a member of Friends of the Mother Road and the Route 66 Association of Missouri.