Schifferstadt Architectural Museum Post 1

A few weeks ago, I began an internship at the Schifferstadt Architectural Museum in Frederick, Maryland.  Schifferstadt is a small non-profit museum that is run by the Frederick County Landmarks Foundation (FCLF).  FCLF is an organization that was founded in the 1970s and currently concerns itself with the preservation of historic sites, structures, and landmarks within the city of Frederick.  The Schifferstadt Architectural Museum, a colonial German stone farmhouse that was built c. 1758 (the oldest standing house in Frederick), is FCLF’s main landmark. 

Schifferstadt is a small museum that has a close relationship with the local residents of Frederick.  The town of Frederick has a rich history and more importantly, a large group of residents and locals who are actively engaged in learning and celebrating their towns’ history.  The Schifferstadt museum is constructed as a recreation of the features of the original farmhouse from the 18^th century, displaying built-in cupboards, three five-plate stoves (one is in its original position- the only known still standing five-plate stove in the United States), a squirrel-tail bake oven, a vaulted cellar, and decorative forged hardware in the kitchen and bedrooms. 

These first few days have shown me the close connection that local residents have with the museum and the extensive upkeep that goes into running a small town museum. The Schifferstadt museum is entirely volunteer-run, with the exception of my boss, who manages affairs part time throughout the week.  Many of my first duties have been small but integral tasks like emailing local organizations to ask for volunteers to help the museum, writing thank you letters to our docents and existing volunteers, or even just re-cataloging digital archives.  

I have found it interesting to see how this small museum displays and teaches visitors about its history.  Though some items on display are authentic 18^th century German amenities (a point that is stressed upon during tours), not all of them are.  Some materials are recreations of what is believed would have been present among the Brunner family in the 1700s.  However, for many visitors, the importance is in seeing a visual representation and depiction of colonial farm life, while translating and internalizing this history with either their own ancestors and family or their own depictions and understandings of the past.  Rika Burnham and Elliott Kal-Kee express a similar understanding in their work Teaching in the Art Museum, stating that such materials should not be considered “an end in itself but as a tool to be used for the larger purpose of enabling each visitor to have deep and distinctive experiences” (9).    

The most important aspect of my work has involved fostering the ongoing relationship between Schifferstadt and the local community.  As Eilean Hooper-Greenhill argues in The Educational Role of the Museum, one of the most important aspects of a small museum is for its ideas and development to be “founded upon a recognition of community needs and professionalism” (195).  The local community is the backbone of the Schifferstadt, providing the museum with the encouragement and passion to continue providing a historical and educational space.  In the upcoming week, I look forward to beginning my work on larger projects and hope to expand my understanding of the work environment of a small museum like Schifferstadt.  

References

Burnham, Rika and Elliott Kai-Kee. Teaching in the Art Museum: Interpretation as Experience. Getty Publications, 2011.

Hooper-Greenhill, Eilean. The Educational Role of the Museum. Psychology Press, 1999.