Hard to forget how scary The Hermitage looked to a young child growing up in the 1960s and early 1970s. Then in "January 1972 the Friends of the Hermitage, Inc., a private, non-profit organization, was incorporated. In agreement with the state, the Friends is responsible for historic site management including the furnishing and programs at The Hermitage, while the state is responsible for restoring the structure of the house. This public/private partnership has continued to the present time."
Here it is today.
You need to look no further than this site to see, in my eyes, a clear difference between the northern and southern US. In the north we tend to showcase Revolutionary War artifacts, while in the southern US the tendency is to showcase the Civil War. Of course, this has much to do with the fact that the Civil War was largely fought in the south and that the north has more Revolution War sites to preserve. Both are worthy of our interest, especially if you are like me and have a keen interest in American history.
For those of you who share my interest in Social Networking there is a Facebook page for Fans of The Hermitage.
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As part of the class of 1973, I was taking John McKeon's film class and made a short documentary on old houses, inclusive of the Hermitage BEFORE ANY RESTORATION BEGAN. In 1980 my film group completed a 22 minute documentary on the Hermitage and included the old footage. I donated copies to the museum and, in 2008, took over management of their computer network, surrending it in 2014 when we moved to Georgia. A FINE OLD HOUSE INDEED.
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