Built in America: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record, 1933-Present

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Go directly to the collections, Built in America: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record, 1933-Present, in American Memory, or view a Summary of Resources related to the collections.

The materials available in Built in America: The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) 1933-Present, provide an opportunity to develop critical thinking and creative writing skills. Descriptions and images of various buildings and structures in these collections provide the basis for research projects. Meanwhile, historic homes can serve as the catalyst for creative writing exercises and a discussion regarding the homes of authors such as Faulkner, Fitzgerald, and Poe.

Research Project

Many of the materials in these collections provide examples of how to document the historical significance of a building or structure. Select a local building such as a school, church, retail center, or private residence and research its history. Resources might include personal interviews, newspaper clippings, or public records that are available for review through local government agencies. Document the historical significance of the building through the use of photographs, written descriptions, and any other suitable methods. The following questions provide a starting point.

• In what year was the building constructed?
• What is the architectural style of the building?
• Who owned the building?
• What was its original purpose? What is its current use?
• What was the relationship between its construction and its purpose?
• How does it compare to other buildings in the community?
• How has the building changed over time (additions, natural disasters, renovations, etc.)?

Creative Writing

All of the buildings and strutures in these collections have a story to tell about the nation’s past. Write a scene in a play, an entire play, or a short story exploring the significance of one of the places featured in these collections. Browse the Subject Index to select a location. You may choose an anonymous setting, such as a mine during the California Gold Rush, or a slave cabin, or a famous setting such as Abraham Lincoln's birthplace, Thomas Edison's mansion, or the White House.

Creel Cabin, HODGENVILLE, Larue County, KY.

Use the elements of your play or narrative to explore the role of place in shaping the lives of the people who lived there and the events that took place in it. Also consider how the place reflects a certain historical era. Keep the following questions in mind:

• When was the building constructed?
• Who lived and/or worked in the building?
• How is the building a reflection of the era in which it was created?
• Did the building play a role in the events of that era?
• How might characters and events change in another setting?

Architectural Review

Browse the Subject Index and select a type of building, such as a church, hospital, or gas station. Compare the different examples of each type of building as they were constructed in different parts of the United States.

Write an essay discussing the architectural consistencies and discrepancies in these various buildings and locations. Determine the specific elements that seem to define a community building.

Author Homes

William Faulkner's Oxford, Mississippi home.

A search on some authors' names will produce images of authors' homes such as Philadelphia's Edgar Allen Poe House, William Faulkner's house in Oxford, Mississippi, and the Minnesota home in which F. Scott Fitzgerald completed his first novel, This Side of Paradise. Why do you think that people are interested in visiting homes of authors? Can these buildings tell us anything about the authors who lived in them or provide insight into their work? Why or why not? If so, how? Do you think that these buildings should be preserved in honor of their former residents?