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For Immediate Release: September 29, 2006
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES AWARDS $48,000 GRANT TO UMW PROFESSOR
Fredericksburg, Va. – Douglas Sanford, associate professor of historic preservation at the University of Mary Washington, has been awarded a $48,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for the project, “Measuring the Social, Spatial and Temporal Dimensions of Virginia Slave Housing.”
A team of researchers, led by co-directors Dr. Sanford and Dennis Pogue, associate director of restoration at Mount Vernon, will explore the dynamic between American slaves and masters by studying slave houses in the Chesapeake region. The goal of the 12-month project is to contribute to the ongoing study of slave housing and master/slave relationships by compiling and analyzing data derived from surviving slave quarters, historic documents and archaeological sites.
"I'm tremendously excited to receive this award, particularly as it represents the important opportunity to accomplish significant research regarding slave housing that regional scholars have sought for several years," said Dr. Sanford.
Divided into three stages with a total proposed cost of $60,000, the research will include field recordings of 12 standing slave buildings and dendrochronology or tree-ring dating of eight buildings, which will then be analyzed and recorded in an online database and web site. The database will include information on slave housing from documentary and archaeological sources, and will be available to scholars and the public. The NEH grant will be matched with donated services of the consulting staff, and an additional $12,000 will be funded by the university’s Center for Historic Preservation.
The slave housing project is one of 171 recipients of NEH awards, totaling $24.8 million awarded recently.
NEH grants are awarded on a competitive basis to projects designed to advance humanities research and prepare scholarly editions; provide high quality public programming on television and in libraries; support projects in U.S. history and culture offered by state humanities councils; preserve and stabilize significant humanities collections; and support long-term plans for strengthening humanities programming at cultural institutions.
For more information about the research, contact Dr. Sanford at (540) 654-1314.
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News release prepared by: Amy Jessee