Rebirth: Creating the Museum of the Reconstruction Era and the Future of the House Museum

Reimagining both the House Museum and Reconstruction memory for the twenty-first century

In Rebirth, public historian Jennifer Whitmer Taylor provides a compelling account of how to reenvision the historic house museum. Anchored by oral history interviews with docents and using the Museum of the Reconstruction Era—formerly known as the Woodrow Wilson Family Home—as a case study, Rebirth offers best practices for interpreting issues of contested public memory, such as white supremacy and domestic political terrorism, for twenty-first-century audiences. Taylor challenges readers to contemplate how historic sites interact with and contribute to vital contemporary political conversations. Rebirth is a necessary book for public history practitioners, students of museum studies and historic site interpretation, and those interested in the history and memory of the Reconstruction era.

© 2025 University of South Carolina Press (Ebook): 9781643365817

Release date

Ebook: April 10, 2025