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Historic Preservation Home > Syllabi > 100 Level Courses > HISP 101-03 The American Heritage

UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE
HISP 101

Fall 2006
Combs 139
Sec. 3  T/TH 9:30 -10:45am

Gillian K. Bearns
Combs – Office #122
gbearns@umw.edu 
Ph. (540) 654-1371

Office Hours:
M/T/W/TH– 12:00pm - 2:00pm
By appointment

Description
This course introduces the principles of historic preservation and introduces the tools of analysis and interpretation.  These tools include architectural history, archaeology, history, sociology, and urban planning theory.  Through readings, class discussions, lectures, presentations, and field observation of historic and cultural resources, the course will teach the history, development and context of the American heritage that the field of historic preservation seeks to identify, understand and protect.

Course Objectives

  1. Foster a basic understanding and awareness of American historic preservation and the philosophy, purposes, content, and methods of the discipline.
  2. Foster basic knowledge of the two main fields contributing to and defining historic preservation: architecture and archaeology.
  3. Acquire a basic working familiarity with material culture and the built environment.
  4. Establish a basis for future studies in historic preservation.

Requirements

  1. Preparation & Participation
    • Participation is critical to your own learning and to that of your colleagues.
    • As noted below, a portion of your grade will be based on participation.
  2. Attendance
    • Attendance is important.  It is essential for lively class discussions. In addition, the lectures and presentations will cover material not available in the readings and that material is fair game for tests and the final examination.
    • Please notify me as soon as possible via email or telephone of any excused absences.
  3. Written Assignments
    • Submit electronically prior to the start of class on the day the assignment is due.
    • If paper submission is requested, please staple.  
    • All submissions must be accompanied by a dated, signed pledge page. Electronic signature is acceptable for electronic submissions.
    • Late submissions will be marked down ten points per day.  Please email or call in the case of an excused absence.
    • All assignments must be in Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, double spaced, 1” margins all around. 
    • Kate Turabian, A Manual for Writers (6th ed.) should be used for all written assignments. Footnotes are preferred; endnotes will also be accepted.  Parenthetical references are not acceptable.
    • Adhere to page limits.
    • Written assignments will be returned promptly with corrections and the grade.
    • Please make an appointment to discuss individual projects or papers.
  4. In Class Exercises
    • Attendance for all in class exercises is required.  These cannot be made up at a later date.
    5. Exams
    • A final exam will be held in class on the day specified in the syllabus
    • A make-up date can be arranged in the case of an excused absence.

Graded Course Work
No passing grade can be achieved in this course without completion of all graded assignments.

The following assignments will count towards your final grade:

Assignment

Due Date

#1

Identifying the Classical Orders

10/19

#2

Test I

10/19

#3

Architectural Analysis Proposal

10/31

#4

Test II

11/16

#5

Architectural Analysis

11/21

#6

Final Exam

12/12

Grade Distribution
The course requirements will be graded on a point system with a total possible number of points = 500. As the chart shows, not all assignments are given equal weight.

Graded Course Requirements

Points

Class Participation

25

Identifying the Classical Orders

25

Test I

100

Architectural Analysis Proposal

50

Test II

100

Architectural Analysis

100

Final Exam

100

Total Possible Points

500

Grading Scale

A

4.00

94-100%

A-

3.70

90-93%

B+

3.30

87-89%

B

3.00

83-86%

B-

2.70

80-82%

C+

2.30

77-79%

C

2.00

73-76%

C-

1.70

70-72%

D+

1.30

67-69%

D

1.00

60-66%

F

0.00

<60%

Required Texts
Keith Egloff & Deborah Woodward, First People: The Early Indians of Virginia, 2nd ed. Charlottesville, Va.: University of Virginia Press (2006).  Students are strongly encouraged to purchase the newest edition.

David Handlin, American Architecture, 2nd ed. New York: Thames & Hudson (2004).

Virginia & Lee McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Knopf (1984).

All other materials are available online.  Links to these materials should be available on Blackboard.

SYLLABUS

Tues. Aug. 29
Introduction
America’s Cultural Heritage

Readings:
TBA - [James Deetz, Invitation to Archaeology – excerpt from pp. 3-11]

Thurs. Aug. 31
Culture & Context: The Material World
            Our Built Environment
            Ideas about Preservation

Readings:
Egloff & Woodward, First People, pp. 1-6

Tues. Sept. 5
North America prior to European Settlement
In class – “Lost in Time” video

Readings:
Egloff & Woodward, First People, pp. 8-13

Thurs. Sept. 7
Native American Culture
            Paleo-Indian & Early Archaic Settlement

Readings:
Egloff & Woodward, First People, pp. 14-25

Tues. Sept. 12
Native American Culture
            Middle & Late Archaic
            Early & Middle Woodland

Readings:
Egloff & Woodward, First People, pp. 26-37

Thurs. Sept. 14
Native American Culture
            Late Woodland
            Regional Cultures

Readings:
Egloff & Woodward, First People, pp. 38-51
McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, pp. 65-73

Tues. Sept. 19
Native American Culture
            European contact        

Readings:
TBA

Thurs. Sept. 21
Early European Settlement Patterns
            New England v. Virginia

Readings:
TBA

Tues. Sept. 26
Historical Archaeology
Archaeology & Native Americans

Readings:
Egloff & Woodward, First People, pp. 53-63

Thurs. Sept. 28
Preserving Native American Culture
[“Thieves of Time” video]

Readings:
McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, pp. 5-31

Tues. Oct. 3
Basic Forms & Materials

In Class:
Discuss guidelines for Architectural Analysis Project

Readings:
McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, pp. 33-48

Thurs. Oct. 5
Building Technology           

Readings:
McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, pp. 48-61

Tues. Oct. 10
Elements of a Building
Decorative Detailing

Readings:
TBA

Thurs. Oct. 12
The Ancient Past
            Classical Architecture

Assignment:
Assignment #1- Identifying the Classical Orders at UMW
Prepare for Test I

Tues. Oct. 17
Fall Break – no class

Thurs. Oct. 19
Assignment #1 Due – Identifying the Classical Orders
Assignment #2 - Test I

Readings:
McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, pp. 75-101

Tues. Oct. 24
Our Built Environment
            Regional Architectural Traditions
            Impact of Technology
            Land Use Policies & Regulations

Readings:
McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, pp. 105-119

Thurs. Oct. 26
Architecture Patterns  - 17th century
New England
Southern Colonies

Readings:
McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, pp. 121-137

Tues. Oct. 31
Architecture Patterns – Continental Influences
            Southern Mississippi
            Southwest

Assignment #3 Due – Architectural Analysis Proposal

Readings:
McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, pp. 139-167

Thurs. Nov. 2
18th century Colonial Traditions
            Georgian
            Adam

Readings:
McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, pp. 169-195

Tues. Nov. 7
Classical Revivals
            Early Classical
            Greek Revival

Readings:
McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, pp. 197-209, 301-307

Thurs. Nov.
Classical Revivals
            Gothic
            Romanesque
            Exotic

Readings:
McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, pp. 211-237

Tues. Nov. 14
Classical Revivals
            Italianate
            Octagon

Assignment:
Prepare for Test II

Thurs. Nov. 16
Assignment # 4 – Test II      

Readings:
McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, pp. 241-261

Tues. Nov. 21
Victorian Architecture
            Second Empire
            Stick Style
            Queen Anne
Assignment #5 Due – Architectural Analysis

Readings:
McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, pp. 263-317

Thurs. Nov. 23
Thanksgiving Break – no class

Tues. Nov. 28
Victorian Architecture
Queen Anne
Shingle
Folk

Readings:
McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, pp. 355-407

Thurs. Nov. 30
European Reinventions
            Tudor
            Chateauesque
            Beaux Arts
            French Eclectic
            Italian Renaissance

Readings:
McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, pp. 409-463

Tues. Dec. 5
American Innovations
            Mission
            Prairie
            Craftsman

Readings:
McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, pp. 465-485

Thurs. Dec. 7
Post WWI
            Modernistic
            International
            Modern
                        Post WWII

Tues. Dec. 12
Assignment #6 – Final Exam