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Mary Culver papers

 Collection
Identifier: 018.MC

Scope and Contents

The Mary Culver papers contain resources and materials related to Culver's course of study, employment and personal interests in the historic preservation field. The collection is arranged alphabetically and is divided into six series: Historic Preservation Graduate Program at Eastern Michigan University, Historic Preservation and Local Resources, Historic House and Outbuilding Resources, Historic Preservation Organizations and Institutions, National Registry of Historic Places, and Personal. Although records date from the 1980s through the 2000s, the bulk of the records are from the 1990s.

The series Historic Preservation Graduate Program at Eastern Michigan University documents the work Culver did both as a student in the Historic Preservation program and as an adjunct faculty. Included in the series are her course materials, files on the courses taught, notes and resources, papers and projects and a file on Preservation Eastern the student organization for the graduate program. Historic Preservation and Local Resources series includes files arranged alphabetically primarily by topic and include information on form, function, and geographic areas.

The Historic Houses and Outbuildings Resources is the most comprehensive of the series of materials and begins with a series of articles arranged alphabetically. From there files include collected materials related to house and outbuilding type. Two subseries, Greek Revival and Interiors, contains additional subgroups of research materials. The subseries Houses is further divided into Michigan and Non-Michigan homes. The Michigan subseries has extensive files pertaining to Ann Arbor and then townships within Washtenaw County. These are arranged alphabetically and the township files are not equally representative.

Historic Preservation Organizations and Institutions includes both national and local organizations that Culver participated in at varying levels. Files are arranged alphabetically with further groupings for materials related to organizations in Michigan, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Pioneer American Society. Given Culver's role in the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission one would expect to find more in this series of materials, but it is still a good representation of the function and role of the Historic District Commission in the city of Ann Arbor. The National Registry of Historic Places series includes work done by Culver in pursuit of having properties placed on the National Registry and includes information on property nominations including application forms, instructions, and sample nomination forms. The series of Personal records contains travel files, correspondence, photographs and other collected ephemera related to her family, but primarily with those who she met and worked with during her time in the field of Historic Preservation.

Dates

  • 1980 - 2000
  • Majority of material found within 1990 - 1999

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Researchers are asked to request materials 24 hours prior to visiting the the University Archives.

Biographical note

Mary Culver was a graduate of and adjunct faculty member in the Historic Preservation Program at Eastern Michigan University. Before attending Eastern, Culver earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in Speech and Secondary Education. Culver completed the Historic Preservation Program in 1993 and maintained a special interest in Greek Revival architecture, specifically in southeast Michigan after graduation. Culver worked and volunteered for the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission, serving for a period of time as the organization's Chair, and was a consultant for surveys taking place in Washtenaw County's Superior Township. Culver, in addition to being an adjunct faculty at Eastern was also an adjunct faculty at Washtenaw Community College teaching continuing education courses.

Extent

13.7 Linear Feet (13 record center cartons, 1 archive box, 3 oversize folders)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The Mary Culver papers contain resource materials and research files created and collected by Culver while attending and teaching in the Historic Preservation Graduate Program at Eastern Michigan University. The papers include information related to local historic districts, sites, and organizations. Culver was particularly interested in Greek Revival architecture in southeast Michigan. Records date from 1980 through 2000, with the bulk of materials dating from the 1990s. The collection is arranged into Culver's areas of interest and periods of collecting.

Related Materials

Other collections at the Eastern Michigan University related to Southeast Michigan preservation include:

The Susan Wineberg papers [018.SW]: https://aspace.emich.edu/repositories/2/resources/533

The Jane Schmiedeke papers [018.JS]:https://aspace.emich.edu/repositories/2/resources/506

The Washtenaw County Histoic Preservation Program surveys [018.WCHPP]: https://aspace.emich.edu/repositories/2/resources/537

which can also be accessed online through the Eastern Michigan University Digital Commons [commons.emich.edu/wchpp/]

Other collections at the Eastern Michigan University Archives related to Historic Preservation include:

The National Council for Preservation Education records [018.NCPE]: https://aspace.emich.edu/repositories/2/resources/522

The Woolridge Brown Morton III papers [018.WBM]: https://aspace.emich.edu/repositories/2/resources/542

The Marshall McLennan papers [018.MM]: https://aspace.emich.edu/repositories/2/resources/517

The Historic Preservation Program records [05.HP]: https://aspace.emich.edu/repositories/2/resources/811

The Preservation Eastern records [04.PE]:https://aspace.emich.edu/repositories/2/resources/724

Separated Materials

Mary Culver's papers included volumes of books about historic preservation, history, historic houses, and architecture that have been separated from the collection and absorbed into the circulating collection of the library.

Title
Mary Culver papers
Status
Completed
Author
Elizabeth Searls, Alexis Braun Marks, CA
Date
2014 September 29
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Eastern Michigan University Archives Repository

Contact:
Bruce T. Halle Library, Room 310
955 West Circle Drive
Ypsilanti Michigan 48197
734-487-2673