JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The 1883 Historic Stutsman County Courthouse has received an exhibit grant that will make them the first historic site in the U.S. to be devoted to interpreting the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
Rob Hanna, Historic Sites Manger with the State Historical Society of North Dakota, explains in a blog that after reflecting on how badly voters need to understand jobs that may have been held in the courthouse, it led them to pursue the new exhibit.
“What if the Courthouse could become a beautiful, immersive exhibit, where every room illustrates different aspects of local government and citizenship,” Hanna explains in the blog.
“The rooms and everyday objects of a historic courthouse would illustrate the Bill of Rights, the expansion of civil rights over time, government accountability, the protection of private property, law enforcement, the role of public education in a democracy, and on and on. Indeed, if you had set out to make the most engaging museum about citizenship imaginable, could you possibly do better than this?”
During a City Promotion Capital Committee meeting, a grant request from the 1883 Stutsman County Courthouse Committee was considered. The committee approved the grant.
“We want this exhibit to support fun, meaningful interactions among them,” Hanna explains.
“There will be functional devices like candlestick telephones, typewriters, mechanical calculators, and surveyors’ equipment. Visitors can cast votes on issues from early North Dakota history. They can type their answer to a thought-provoking question on a Remington typewriter, then post it to the wall for other visitors to consider and add to the conversation.”
Hanna explains that other historic sites and centers address becoming a citizen, but none are about being a citizen wrt large.
“What rights do citizens in America have? What responsibilities? I found websites and even one or two exhibits, but not a single complete interpretive facility about being a citizen. If I’ve missed something, please let me know! But even if these sites exist, clearly there’s a need out there for more.”