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The Decatur House, opened as a museum in the 1960s by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is reported to have a new mission and focus: the history of the White House. According to the New York Times, the museum will now, "support research related to White House history, store historical documents, offer expanded educational programs for children, and host lectures and other programs that explore the history of the White House and the surrounding area." The National Center for White House History at Decatur House will be operated by the White House Historical Association.
I have talked before about house museums as products of the political climates within which they are born. (See Patricia West's Domesticating History: The Political Origins of American's House Museums.) What drove Decatur's new mission? A political understanding that only part of the story was being shared? A desire to prove that lessons were learned from the discussions and controversies surrounding the revisioning of the Liberty Bell Center? The intent to share with the public research compiled over the last several decades that represents a shift in how history is viewed and portrayed?
I am interested to see (not only on the museum's web site but also in the NYT) the emphasis on the museum's intention to interpret the lives of all who lived in Decatur House, free and slave. Is this new or just newly talked about? The original mission of the Decatur House Museum was to "educate the public about American cultural and social history as it relates to the House, its location, architecture, preservation, and its occupants and their stories," according to this document. However, the museum summary also makes reference to discussions of who lived in the house and how space was used, demonstrating that urban slave life was being discussed at the Decatur as early as 2000. Perhaps the "new" aspect at the Decatur is simply the public announcement of good history already being presented.
In addition to the links presented above, visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation's page on the Decatur House for more information, including images.
