Bringing Clara Barton Back to Washington D.C.

On Tuesday, July 28^th, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine was pleased to dedicate The Clara Barton Missing Soldier’s Office, the living and working space of Clara Barton during, and just after, the American Civil War.  Located on 7^th Street in Washington D.C., The Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office is now open to the public thanks to the unique partnership between the General Services Administration and the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. 

The original sign.

Clara Barton lived and worked in the space from 1861 to 1869. With the assistance of a handful of clerks, Barton discovered the fate of nearly 22,000 soldiers listed as missing in action and responded to nearly 63,000 pieces of correspondence. Barton financed the Missing Soldiers Office with her own funds out of this very space.

Tom painting the cases.

We had many tasks that needed to be completed to ensure their readiness for both the artifacts as well as our esteemed guests. The original cases that the museum had to spare we incomplete, but we contacted a local plexi glass company, who made us some quality lids.  In addition each received a fresh coat of paint that would complement but not take away from the interpretive space. 

Room 9.

Once the paint had cured and off gassed, the cases were brought up and into the space. We wanted each room to tell a different story of the Missing Soldiers Office.  In one room, we would focus on boarding house life.  In another, we show items that may have belonged to Barton.  In the main room, Room 9, we tell the story of the Missing Soldiers Office, with the original sign and other supplies used in the space.

The original sign on display in Room 9.

With the cases in place, the artifacts were brought in to the space.  By using risers, we were able to elevate the items for the public to view, and to highlight the items.  Labels were also added in the cases to describe the significance of each artifact. 

Edward Shaw's room.

Some of the rooms have been furnished with period items and décor to give a glimpse into the lives of those who resided there.  Two period ropes beds are seen in the Barton and Shaw rooms we set up two rope beds as well as a desk where a gas lamp would sit.  In the Room 9, we set up two period style desks, along with some crates, to represent items that would have been seen in the Missing Soldiers Office.

The visitor center and bookstore area.

The dedication of the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office was the culmination of a nearly 20 year project that began in 1996 when a GSA employee named Richard Lyons discovered artifacts in the attic that belonged to Clara Barton.  It is entirely due to his diligent observation and persistence that the space once occupied by Clara Barton was discovered and the news of the discovery shared.

Richard Lyon's receiving his plaque at the dedication.

Without his efforts and the contributions of multiple partners and many individuals - the artifacts, this historic space and the CBMSO legacy would have been lost to history. In a moving ceremony, Richard Lyons was presented with a plaque and a standing ovation in honor of his discovery and efforts.

Richard Lyons

Visitors can now walk the steps Barton walked and experience the space as she did more than 150 years ago. The CBMSO is the result of a one-of-a-kind partnership between the General Services Administration (GSA) and the NMCWM. Both are proud of the incredible efforts that went into restoring, preserving and interpreting this historic site. 

The ribbon cutting.

 Thomas Frezza

 Photos courtesy of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, except where otherwise noted.

A day at Fort Dix and Lakehurst, NJ

On May 6^th, I (Collections Manager and Educator Tom Frezza) traveled to Fort Dix to give a presentation on Civil War Medicine to military medical personnel.  Before making my way to New Jersey, I was asked if I wanted to tour some of the installations and see some of the training that is provided there.  I politely agreed, not knowing what an eye-opening experience I was in store for.

The large hanger in the center is Hanger One.

I left Frederick at about 4 AM, with a hot cup of coffee and plenty of National Museum of Civil War Medicine handouts.  I arrived at the restaurant where I would be speaking around 8 AM, and was then picked up by my host, Captain Michelle Imlay.  She asked if I wanted to go to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL) first, to see the hangers and exhibits.  “Of Course!” was my answer, trying to contain my excitement.  I had read about this base long before I ever started working for the museum and before this day was unsure that I would ever have the opportunity to see it.  Before being named Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL), this area was known as Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst.  The United States Navy purchased the property in 1921 for use as an airship station and renamed it Naval Air Station Lakehurst.

Inside Hanger One.

The Navy's lighter-than-air program was conducted at Lakehurst through the 1930s. NAS Lakehurst was the center of airship development in the United States and housed three of the U.S. Navy's four rigid airships, (ZR-1) Shenandoah, (ZR-3) Los Angeles, and (ZRS-4) Akron. A number of the airship hangars built to berth these ships still survive. Hangar One, in which the Shenandoah was built, held the record for the largest "single room" in the world.

It is also the site of the May 6, 1937 LZ 129 Hindenburg airship disaster. Despite the notoriety and well documented nature of this incident, today there is a simple memorial that denotes the location of the crash at then-NAS Lakehurst in the field behind the large airship hangars on base. A ground marker, painted black, and rimmed by a bright yellow painted chain, locates where the gondola of the German zeppelin Hindenburg hit the ground.

The Memorial with Hanger One in the background.

We toured the hanger and museum, and went to site of the memorial, where we realized that we were at the site on the anniversary.  The guides asked if we wanted to go to the wreath laying ceremony that evening. Who among us would want to miss something like that?  I, of course, said that I would come back that evening for the chance to see the ceremony.

After touring the hanger, we went back to Sebastian's Schnitzelhaus, the restaurant that I would be giving the talk at.  The German food was great, and the talk went really well.  It was more of a discussion than a presentation, with the attendees asking a lot of questions creating a dialogue between us..  They were able to learn where the some of the current policies and procedures originated from during the Civil War, and were educated about the difference between civil war medicine myth and fact.

Captain Imlay and Tom.

Captain Imlay then took me to the Medical Simulation Training Centers (MSTC).  There, I was able to observe a class of soldiers who were training to be first responders on the battlefield.  At the MSTC, they deliver effective medical training with a standardized training platform for both classroom and simulated battlefield conditions. The MSTC training components include a computerized bleed-breathe mannequin that is weighted and airway equipped, partial task trainers and associated equipment. Enabling technology includes audiovisual enhancements, camera surveillance capability, computer labs, and control rooms with a remotely managed training platform.

The MSTC program supports training for medical and non-medical personnel including Active Duty, Reserve, and National Guard, with priority given to deploying units. The MSTC’s goal is to better prepare Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines for the application of medical interventions under combat conditions.

Tourniquet training.

What really amazed me was that they were learning some of the same things that were developed during the Civil War, just modernized.  Some of the students even asked me if there was even training like this during the Civil War.  I pulled out my phone and pulled up the photo of the famous ambulance drill, where they are not only using an ambulance, but bandages and splints.

 

  

As the evening drew to a close we went to the ceremony honoring the lost passengers and crew from the Hindenburg disaster. It was an honor to witness.  There were descendants of those lost, people who had ridden on the airships, members of the ground crew, and those who had helped design her.  To hear their stories and to be on the exact spot, at the exact moment, left me in awe.

Disasters like the Hindenburg tragedy and the readiness of the first responders who delivered aid brought me right back to the Civil War.  , The aid system that the soldiers were learning the day I visited, the aid system that the ground crew gave to the wounded from the Hindenburg 78 years before, were all developed during the American Civil War, Over 150 years ago through the pioneering efforts of men like Major Johnathan Letterman.

I want to thank my host, Captain Michelle Imlay, for taking her day to show me numerous great sites, and for showing the same level of excitement to see all of the extraordinary things Fort Dix has to offer. 

~T. Frezza

Florida Artifacts Road Trip!

In February, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine was contacted by a cardiologist in Ocala, Florida, looking to donate a large collection of Civil War medical items.  Since the collection was a rather large one, measures had to be taken here in Frederick to ensure that we had the space to accept the artifacts.  The work room for the curator was crowded with risers and cases and needed to be cleaned out.  Shelving would also have to be brought in to store everything on.

With this work completed, Tom and Jake headed down to Florida to pick up the artifacts.  Arriving on Sunday, they worked with the doctor to pack three rooms worth of medical artifacts.  Not only were there items from the Civil War, but there were many post war items, and a large amount of pre-war items.  There were commissions, photos, tools, and many different medical cases.

Tom and Jake worked for six hours loading the collection, after which they left for the long drive north.  They drove through the night, stopping only for food and gas, and to switch driving duties.  Two hours on, two hours off.  They made great time.  They arrived back in Frederick at 4:30 am.  After dropping Jake off, Tom came to the museum at 5 am and unloaded all of the artifacts off of the truck and into the lobby.  Finally exhausted, he slept for an hour in the office, after which he moved all of the boxes into the quarantine room.

The next day, all of the boxes were unpacked; the artifacts were placed on the shelves in their temporary home.  This is where the collection will “live” for the next few months, while they are cleaned, preserved, and cataloged in hopes that soon they will be placed on display.

Items cannot simply be placed right back into the collections room. The first step is to place them into quarantine.  The reason for this is to ensure that items have not been exposed to materials that may cause damage to the artifacts in the collections room.  The most common concerns may include bugs and mold.  While the artifacts are in quarantine, they are checked for anything that could damage not only themselves but other artifacts.

 So, stay tuned, and hopefully soon you can see some of these items on display!

Thomas Frezza

 Photos courtesy of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, except where otherwise noted.