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Woolridge Brown Morton III papers

 Collection
Identifier: 018.WBM

Scope and Contents

The Woolridge Brown Morton III papers contains materials created and accumulated by Dr. Morton throughout his years instructing and professional service and engagement in Historic Preservation. The collection is rich in evidential, legal, intrinsic and informational value. The collection dates from 1714-2011, with the bulk of materials dating from 1970-2000.

This collection contains academic materials created and accumulated during Morton’s time at the University of Mary Washington and independent contractor, authored articles and publications such as the Secretary of the Interior Standards, photographs from his work in southeast Asia and Egypt and architectural drawings, maps and other oversized items from Morton’s work such as the Landsdowne Room and Hue, Vietnam. Also there are resource publications, Preservation Briefs, historic surveys and information related to enrolling his children into private school.

Materials in this collection are divided into five series: Academic, Correspondences, Oversized Blueprints, Drawings and Maps, Publications and Professional Service and Development. The Publications series contains two subseries: Authored Articles and Resource Publications. Both of these subseries contain materials related to authored contributions by Dr. Morton for various articles and publications and research source materials used for Dr. Morton's projects.

The series Professional Service and Engagement contains eight subseries: American Research Center In Egypt, Egyptian Antiquities Project, Bayt Al-Razzaz Project, Borobudor, Coptic Cairo Project, Lectures and Papers, Southeast Asia, United States of America and A Vanished Egypt Exhibit. The American Research Center in Egypt Egyptian Antiquities Project contains Publications sub subseries. The United States of Americasubseries contains six sub subseries: Landsdowne Room, National Conservation Advisory Council, Pilot Preservation Series, Saint Anthony Monastery Project, State Capital Building, Albany, New York and WBM / HPC. While for the most part these sub subseries contain project materials and are self-explanatory, the WBC / HPC sub subseries contains information related to Dr. Morton's consultation services for projects such as Pennsylvania State Capital Building and Old Zion Church.

This collection does not contain materials such as University of Mary Washington syllabi or tenure documents, sabbatical requests, course reviews, lecture notes, lesson plans, departmental operations, ledgers, or department correspondences. Also, this collection contains very little personal materials and no materials related to Dr. Morton's service as an Episcopalian Priest.

Dates

  • 1714 - 2011
  • Majority of material found within 1960 - 1999

Creator

Language of Materials

All records are in English unless otherwise noted.

Conditions Governing Access

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

Biographical / Historical

W. Brown Morton III, Hon. A.I.A. was born 1938 January 7 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Dr. Morton is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Historic Preservation, University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, Virginia. He is an international historic preservation consultant and architectural conservator whose international projects include the UNESCO mission to develop the stabilization program for the imperial city of Hué, Vietnam after the 1968 Têt offensive, the UNESCO international campaign to safeguard Borobudur in Indonesia and the preparation of the World Heritage List nomination for the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal.

In 1995-96 he spent a sabbatical year with the American Research Center in Egypt developing a conservation program for the late-15th century Bayt al-Razzaz palace in Cairo. He has also advised the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land on the conservation of the Memorial of Moses at Mount Nebo in Jordan. Brown Morton’s work as an architectural conservator throughout the United States has included projects for the preservation of the New York State Capitol in Albany, the New York City Hall, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Cathedral of the Assumption in Louisville, Kentucky.

Morton is the co-author of The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Preservation Projects. He served as Chairman of the United States National Committee of ICOMOS (US/ICOMOS) from 1975 to 1979 and on the US/ICOMOS Executive Committee from 1975 to 1988. He received his Bachelor of Architectural History from the University of Virginia School of Architecture, and completed his graduate studies in architectural conservation with the French Ministry of Cultural Affairs at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Brown Morton is also a priest of the Episcopal Church.

Education -

1966, Diplomé Etudes Supérieures de l'Histoire, de la Construction, et de la Conservation des Monuments Anciens, Ministère des Affaires Culturelles, Service des Monuments Historiques, Paris.

1961, Bachelor of Architectural History, School of Architecture, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.

Professional Experience -

Professor Emeritus, University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, Virginia

1. Department of Historic Preservation

a. Prince B. Woodard Chair of Historic Preservation, July 1995 to June 2008.

b. Chair, Department of Historic Preservation, July 1992 to June 1995.

c. Professor, July 1999 to June, 2008.

d. Associate Professor, Department of Historic Preservation, July 1992 to June 1999.

e. Assistant Professor, Department of Historic Preservation, July 1986 to July 1992.

f. Coordinator of International Programs, Center for Historic Preservation, 1989 to 2008

g. Lecturer, Department of Historic. Preservation, August to December 1985.

Teaching Related Activities -

a. Adjunct Professor

Columbia University, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning nd Historic Preservation, New York, 1979 to 1980.

b. Visiting Lecturer

Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996.

Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, 1987.

Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 1985.

ICCROM, Rome, Italy, 1980.

New York University, Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York, 1980.

University of Virginia, School of Architecture, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1978.

George Washington University, Historic Preservation Graduate Program, Washington, D.C., 1977.

University of Vermont, Historic Preservation Graduate Curriculum, Burlington, Vermont, 1977.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1976.

Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey, 1974.

Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, 1974.

National Museum Conservation Laboratory, New Delhi, India, 1972.

Historic Preservation Consultant -

Provide full range of consultant services to international organizations, member states of UNESCO, and to national, state and local governments, institutions, corporations and individuals, 1978 to present.

Prior Historic Preservation Experience -

a. Departmental Consultant for Historic Architecture, United States Department of the Interior, and Chief, Technical Preservation Services Division, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, National Park Service, Washington, D.C. (GS-15). Managed the national technical historic preservation programs of the Secretary of the Interior under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and other federal legislation, 1975-78.

1) Administered the national historic preservation grants-in-aid project review program for all 56 states and territories and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

2) Developed the policy and Federal design standards for the rehabilitation of historic properties under the provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 1976 and initiated the national program for project review.

3) Administered the Department of the Interior's program responsibilities for the transfer of surplus Federal property for historic monuments purposes. This involved, for example, developing the policies and design criteria for the transfer of the Boston Naval Shipyard to the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

4) Developed and implemented the national research and publication program to provide technical historic preservation information and preservation design and planning guidelines to all Federal agencies, all State Historic Preservation Offices and the public.

5) Managed a staff of 40 architects, archaeologists, historians and other technical and clerical personnel with an annual operating staffing budget of approximately one million dollars.

b. Staff Architect, ICCROM, Rome, Italy. Assigned to the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and the Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) for a three-year tour of duty by the U.S. Department of the Interior, 1971-75.

1) Designed the rehabilitation program for ICCROM's permanent headquarters in the 17th century Ospizio di San Michele.

2) Developed and delivered lectures and fieldwork seminars for the Architectural Conservation Course.

3) Carried out international conservation missions for ICCROM and UNESCO to Vietnam, Nepal, Turkey, and Indonesia.

c. Architect, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, National Park Service, U. S. Department of the Interior, 1967-71.

1) Served as Principal Architect, Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS). Organized and managed the nation wide HABS summer teams to prepare measured drawings, architectural photographs and architectural data of historic buildings, landscapes and districts.

2) Architect, National Historic Landmark Program. Carried out the theme study for 19th century American architecture.

d. Architect in the office of Jean-Pierre Paquet, Architecte-en-Chef, Service des Monuments Historiques, Hotel des Invalides, Paris, France, 1964-66.

1) Participated in the urban design program for the safeguarding of the historic district of Besançon.

2) Participated in the rehabilitation program for the Hotel de Lamoignan in the Marais district of Paris and the Hotel des Invalides.

International Missions -

Public Lecture: The Effect of the Venice Charter in the United States” for the Venice Charter Revisited Conference, International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture and Urbanism [INTBAU] Venice, November 2006.

Architectural Conservation Lecture Series: International Resources Group, Cyprus, May 2006.

Public lecture, “The Politics of Cultural Property.” presented at Wilfred Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, as part of the Canada Research Chair in Global Studies and Political Science Lecture Series, October 2004.

Keynote speaker at first international conference on The Conservation and Regeneration of Traditional Urban Centers in the Middle East, “Learning from Regional Experiences & Building Partnerships”.

Keynote speech/paper: Fresh Thinking: Exploring a New Paradigm for the Conservation and Regeneration of Traditional Urban Centers, Amman, Jordan, January 19-25, 2002

Architectural conservation mission to the Franciscan Archaeological Institute, Custody of the Holy Land, Memorial of Moses, Mount Nebo, Jordan, to develop conservation recommendations for Mount Nebo. August, 2001.

UNESCO-ICOMOS International Millennium Congress; Archi2000, Bethlehem, Palestine.

January 22-25, 2001 [postponed for security reasons.] Scientific Committee papers published in absentia by UNESCO see http://www.unesco.org/archi2000/pdf/morton.pdf

UNESCO Lecturer, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil, Specialized Course on the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Historic Districts, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996.

American Research Center in Egypt, Egyptian Antiquities Project, August 1995 to May, 1996.

UNESCO meeting to evaluate the Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil, specialized Course on the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Historic Districts. Meeting held Brasilia, Brazil, 1995. 3rd International meeting of experts for the evaluation of the Borobudur project, Indonesia, 1995.

United States Information Agency, Academic Specialist Program, historic preservation mission to RIWAQ, Centre for Vernacular Architecture, Ramallah, West Bank, via Israel. 1993.

2nd International meeting of experts for the evaluation of the Borobudur project, Indonesia, 1989.

Evaluation of World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, 1989.

Preliminary mission to the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil to develop a cooperative research program with Mary Washington College, Center for Historic Preservation, 1989.

1st International meeting of experts for the evaluation of the Borobudur project, Indonesia, 1986.

Member, Consultative Committee for the Safeguarding of Borobudur, Indonesia, 1976-83.

National Geographic Magazine assignment, Borobudur, Indonesia, 1982.

Member, National Committee on United States- China Relations, Urban Planning and Historic Preservation Study Team, Peoples' Republic of China, 1982.

Member, US/ICOMOS delegation to the 6th General Assembly of ICOMOS, Rome, Italy, 1981.

Speaker, International Symposium on Chandi Borobudur, Kyoto, Japan, 1980.

UNESCO Consultant Contract, Nepal, to prepare the World Heritage List nomination for the Kathmandu Valley, 1979.

President, US/ICOMOS delegation to the 5th General Assembly of ICOMOS, Moscow and Suzdal, USSR, 1978.

UNESCO Consultant Contract, Nepal, concerning the implementation of the "Master Plan for the Conservation of the Cultural Heritage in the Kathmandu Valley", 1978.

Nominated by the Government of Indonesia to the Consultative Committee for the Safeguarding of Borobudur, 1976.

UNESCO Consultant Contract, Vietnam, to implement project for the conservation of the historic monuments of the imperial city of Hué, 1975.

Participant, ICCROM/Advisory Council field study team of the historic sites and buildings of Poland, 1974.

ICCROM teaching mission to Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, 1974.

UNESCO Consultant Contract, Vietnam, to prepare recommendations for the conservation of the historic monuments of Hué, 1973.

ICCROM delegate to the Third Extraordinary Session of the General Conference of UNESCO, Paris, 1973.

UNESCO Consultant Contract, Nepal, Member, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Tourism Projects Department Field Team, 1972.

UNESCO Consultant Contract, Vietnam, to survey war damage to the historic monuments of Hué and to develop recommendations for emergency stabilization, 1971.

Detailed by the United States Department of the Interior to the staff of the International Centre for the Preservation and the Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), Rome, Italy, 1971.

1966, Diplomé Etudes Supérieures de l'Histoire, de la Construction, et de la Conservation des Monuments Anciens, Ministère des Affaires Culturelles, Service des Monuments Historiques, Paris.

Honors and Grants –

Professor Emeritus, Department of Historic Preservation, University of Mary Washington, Virginia, May 2008.

Mary B. Pinschmidt Award, University of Mary Washington, Virginia, May 2008

Honorary Trustee, Cromarty Courthouse Museum, Cromarty, Scotland. Elected, June 2004.

Lifetime Achievement Award, Waterford Foundation, Waterford, Virginia, Awarded April, 2004.

Samuel H. Kress Foundation Grant through US/ICOMOS, September, 2000.

Prince B. Woodard Chair of Historic Preservation. Elected by the Mary Washington College Board of Visitors, April, 1995.

Honorary Member, American Institute of Architects. Elected, 1992.

Fellow, United States National Committee, International Council on Monuments and Sites (US/ICOMOS). Elected, 1989

United States Department of the Interior, Superior Service Award. 1978.

Publications and Video Tape Productions -

Books

[Manuscript in preparation] Robert E. Lee: Enginee: Son of a Tranished Hero. . Anticipated publication date 2010. Morton, W. Brown III, Gary L. Hume, Kay D. Weeks, and H. Ward Jandle

The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. Washington, D.C.: U. S. Department of the Interior, 1992.

Monographs

[Manuscript in preparation], John Farquhar and the Collapse of Fonthill Abbey, 1825.

[Manuscript in preparation], Ann, Viscountess Primrose (1704-1775): London Lady – Jacobite Spy.

Morton, W. Brown, Conservation Recommendations for the Memorial of Moses on Mount Nebo, Faysaliah, Madaba, Jordan, for the Franciscan Archaeological Institute, Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, Jerusalem, 2002.

Morton, W. Brown III, Bayt al-Razzaz Existing Conditions Report 1995, Vols. I, II, and III. Egyptian Antiquities Project of the American Research Center in Egypt, Cairo, Egypt, 1995.

Morton, W. Brown III, DeTeel Patterson Tiller, and Richard Striner. Ethics in Preservation: Lectures Presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Council for Preservation Education, Indianapolis, Indiana, October 23, 1993. National Council for Preservation Education, 1995.

Morton, W. Brown III and Fred D. Johnson, Jr. The Furniture of Waterford Chair and Cabinet Makers John Mount, William T. Mount, and Lewis N. Hough, 1825 to 1895. Illustrated Catalog to an Exhibition of the Waterford Foundation at the Hardware Store [The Lewis N. Hough Chair factory] Second Street, Waterford, Virginia, October 7, 8 and 9, 1994.

Morton, W. Brown III and Gary L. Hume. The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Preservation Projects. Washington, D.C.: U. S. Department of the Interior, 1979.

Morton, W. Brown III. Vietnam: The Conservation of the Historic Sites and Monuments of Hue. Paris: UNESCO, 1974.

Morton, W. Brown III, principal consultant. The Master Plan for the New York State Capitol, Albany: Temporary State Commission on the Restoration of the Capitol, 1982.

Morton, W. Brown III and Denys Peter Myers. Pension Building, 1882-1886, Summary Report. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, 1967

Chapters or Articles in Professional Books

Morton, W. Brown III, “Conservation Recommendations for the Memorial of Moses on Mount Nebo.” In M. Piccirillo (a cura di), Un progetto di copertura per il Memoriale di Mosè. A 70 anni dall'inizio dell'indagine archeologica sul Monte Nebo in Giordania (1933-2003) (Studium Biblicum Franciscanum ,SBF Collectio Maior 45), Jerusalem 2004. 336 pp.; Part I: Interventi di Restauro e Conservazione , 2004.

Morton, W. Brown III, “A Call for Bold Leadership in New Church Building Design,” In Searching for Sacred Space: Essays on Architecture and Liturgical Design in the Episcopal Church, John Ander Runkle, editor. New York: Church Publishing Inc., 2002.

Morton, W. Brown III, “Built Environment,” and with Carter L. Hudgins and John N. Pearce. “Historic Preservation.” In Encyclopedia of Local History, Carol Kammen and Norma Prendergast, editors. American Association for State and Local History Book Series. Walnut Creek, California: AltaMira Press, 2000.

Morton, W. Brown III. “Managing the Impact on Cultural Resources of Changing Concepts of Significance.” In Preservation of What, for Whom? A Critical Look at Historical Significance, Michael A. Tomlan, editor. Ithaca., NY: National Council for Preservation Education, 1998.

Morton, W. Brown III. “Forging New Values in Uncommon Times.” In Past Meets Future: Saving America's Historic Environments, Antoinette J. Lee, editor. Washington, D.C.: The Preservation Press, 1992.

Morton, W. Brown III. “What Do We Preserve and Why.” In The American Mosaic: Preserving a Nation's Heritage, Robert E. Stipe and Antoinette J. Lee, editors. Washington, D.C.: US/ICOMOS, 1987.

Morton, W. Brown III. “Saving Indonesia's Borobudur: A High-Tech Triumph in International Cooperation.” In The Challenge of Our Cultural Heritage: Why Preserve the Past?, Raj Isar, editor. Washington, D. C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1986.

Morton, W. Brown III. “On Earth as It Is: Recent Losses of Historic Structures from Earthquakes and Natural Disaster.” Protecting Historic Architecture and Museum Collections From Natural Disasters. Barclay G. Jones, editor. Boston: Butterworths, 1986.

Morton, W. Brown III. “Preserving the Environment of Borobudur.” In International Symposium on Chandi Borobudur, Tokyo: Kyodo News Enterprise, 1982.

Articles in Professional Journals and Magazines

Morton, W. Brown Morton III, “Using the National Register as a Teaching Tool.” In CRM: Cultural Resource Management, Volume 25, No. 1, [25th Anniversary Year], 2002. [Actually published in 2003] Morton, W. Brown III. “Book review: Lost Virginia: Vanished rchitecture of the Old Dominion.” The Journal of Southern History (Volume 69, No. 1, Feb. 2003); 168-169.

Morton, W. Brown III. “The Integrity of Historic Places.” In Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Volume L, No. 1, [Fiftieth Anniversary] 5967-5969, (December 2000). Printed in 2001.

Morton, W. Brown III. “Bayt al-Razzaz: An opportunity for a new direction in urban conservation in medieval Cairo.” UNESCO-ICOMOS International Millennium Congress; Archi2000, Bethlehem, Palestine, Scientific Committee papers published in absentia by UNESCO (January 2001).See also: http://www.unesco.org/archi2000/pdf/morton.pdf

Morton, W. Brown III. “Bayt al-Razzaz: the challenge of adaptive use for a vacant Mamluk palace in Cairo.” International Journal of Heritage Studies Vol. III, No. 3 (Autumn, 1997).

Morton, W. Brown. “Bayt al-Razzaz Palace: Developing an Existing Conditions Report.” APT Bulletin: The Journal of Preservation Technology Vol. XXVIII, No. 2-3 (1997).

Morton, W. Brown III. “The Battle to Save Borobudur.” Reader's Digest Magazine, 15 international editions in 12 languages. (1985).

Morton, W. Brown III. “In the Hills of Java: Borobudur Restoration.” Progressive Architecture Magazine No. 11, (November, 1984).

Morton, W. Brown III. “Indonesia Rescues Ancient Borobudur.” National Geographic Magazine Vol. 163, No. 1, (January, 1983).

Morton, W. Brown III. “Kathmandu Valley in Exotic Nepal.” American Preservation Magazine Vol. 1, No. 5, (June-July, 1978).

Morton, W. Brown III. “The Preservation of Borobudur, Indonesia.” Parks, An International Journal for Managers of National Parks, Historic Sites and Other Protected Areas, (January, 1978). [Published in English, French and Spanish editions.]

Morton, W. Brown III. “International Centre for Conservation Studies.” Journal of Architectural Education Vol. 30, No. 2, (November, 1976).

Morton, W. Brown III. “Introduction.” Monumentum, ICOMOS Vol. 13, (1976).

Morton, W. Brown III. “Field Procedures for Examining Humidity in Masonry Buildings.” APT Bulletin Vol. VIII, No. 2, (1976).

Morton, W. Brown. “La Protection des Monuments Historiques aux Etats-Unis”, Les Monuments Historiques de la France, No. 2, (1976).

Morton, W. Brown III. “Historic Preservation in Scotland.” Historic Preservation Vol. 22, No. 3, (July, 1970). Morton, W. Brown III. “Bath - A Georgian City Today.” Historic Preservation Vol. 19, No. 1, (January, 1967).

Quoted in Other Publications

Quoted in the opening chapter of A Pride of Place: Rural Residences of Fauquier County [Va.], edited by Kimberley P. Williams, 2003.

Videotape Productions

Morton, W. Brown III. The Petersburg Tornado. Organized, filmed and developed script for video for the Historic Petersburg Foundation, Petersburg, Virginia, August, 1993.

Morton, W. Brown III. Hurricane Disaster Assessment, September, 1989. Organized and filmed the nationally circulated videotape of the Hurricane Hugo damage to Charleston, South Carolina for the Historic Charleston Foundation's Disaster Relief Fund. October, 1989.

* Content for this arrangement note is almost verbatim from Dr. Morton's website (http://www.spanglefish.com/brownmorton/index.asp?pageid=75674) with a few minor edits and additions by the finding aid creator.

Extent

79.4 Linear Feet (5 oversize folders, 17 oversize boxes, 12 record center cartons, 2 oversize crates )

Abstract

The Woolridge Brown Morton III papers consists of materials related to Morton’s professional service and volunteer efforts during his fourty plus years instructing at the University of Mary Washington and while working as a private contractor.

The materials in the collection span from 1714-2011 with the bulk of the collection dating from 1960-1999. They reflect his involvement in important events such as preservation projects in Bayt Al-Razzaz, Borobordur, Egypt, Vietnam and in the United States of America. The collection also contains original and copies of architectural drawings blueprints and maps, projects and proposals, correspondences, reports, photographs and materials related to self-authored and contributive publications.

This collection does not contain materials such as University of Mary Washington syllabi or tenure documents, sabbatical requests, course reviews, lecture notes, lesson plans, departmental operations, ledgers, or department correspondences. Also, this collection contains very little personal materials and and is limited to correspondences related to efforts to secure admission into two parochial schools for his children. Further, there are no materials related to Dr. Morton's service as an Episcopalian Priest.

Other Finding Aids

Financial support for the arrangement and description of the Woolridge Brown Morton III papers was generously provided by the National Council for Preservation Education.

Related Materials

Related materials can be found in the National Council for Preservation Education records [018.NCPE]: https://aspace.emich.edu/repositories/2/resources/522

Complimentary/related materials may be found in the Marshall McLennan papers [018.MM]: https://aspace.emich.edu/repositories/2/resources/517

Legal Status

This collection contains copyrighted materials. Researchers must secure permission from the University Archivist before any materials are copied.

Processing Information

Collection arranged and described by Robin Derminer 2014 January 24.

Title
Woolridge Brown Morton III papers
Status
Completed
Author
Robin Derminer
Date
2014 January 22
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