2012 MAAM Presentation 10/15/2012 Donna Ann Harris & Emily Cooperman Presenters • Rebecca Perkins — Board member, Friends of the Jacobus Vanderveer Asking visitors what they really want: House, Bedminster NJ Case study of the Jacobs Vanderveer • Donna Ann Harris, House Bedminster NJ Principal Heritage Consulting Inc., Mid Atlantic Association of Museums Philadelphia October 8, 2012 • Emily Cooperman PhD, Principal ARCH Consulting, Philadelphia PA Presentation Outline About The Jacobus Vanderveer House • Introductions • About the Jacobus Vanderveer House and the Friends of JVH and current programs • About the Project • Prior restoration, studies, and installation • Heritage Tourism Assessment and Interpretive Plan • Audience research components • Focus on Survey Results • Interpretive themes • Programming being planned • Lessons learned 1
2012 MAAM Presentation 10/15/2012 Donna Ann Harris & Emily Cooperman Current Programs Principal Façade as Restored 6 Jacobus Vanderveer House Grant Objective • A comprehensive heritage tourism assessment, leading to: – Better understanding of the JVH audience – an interpretive plan and – interpretive products and strategies that will enable us to use the Vanderveer House, our research archive and historic collections to provide higher levels of visitor education and enjoyment North elevation 8 2
2012 MAAM Presentation 10/15/2012 Donna Ann Harris & Emily Cooperman Click any image to enlarge the floor plan view. Jacobus Vanderveer House Interior before restoration 9 Click any image to enlarge the floor plan view. 11 3
2012 MAAM Presentation 10/15/2012 Donna Ann Harris & Emily Cooperman Site givens – building restoration Click any image to enlarge the floor plan view. Spaces set up for period room interpretation 13 14 Site givens – building restoration Site givens – building restoration Internal reveals 1813 Wing 15 16 4
2012 MAAM Presentation 10/15/2012 Donna Ann Harris & Emily Cooperman Site givens – analysis Site givens – building restoration of significance • Major track record of documentation reaching back to 1935 • Pointing site interpretation to 18 th century history of house as: • Example of building of period (local history • General Knox Accessible entrance 17 18 New Jersey Historic Trust Grant to JVH Project Design • 3 Phases: 1. Research a) Audience Research b) Review of existing research regarding interpretation 2. Interpretive Plan, identify interpretive products 3. Interpretive product implementation 19 20 5
2012 MAAM Presentation 10/15/2012 Donna Ann Harris & Emily Cooperman Audience Research Components Audience Research Components • Need a photo here 1. Historic House Museums 6. Revolutionary War sites Today presentation school program site visits 2. Board member visits to 7. Residents focus groups peer sites 8. Memo on informal 3. Current & former Board programming for kids member interviews 9. Create matrix of audiences 4. On-line survey and programs 5. Local Partner interviews 10. Create final audience research report 21 22 Reach Museum Advisors Research Audience Research Findings • 60% want to visit “on our own” ”self curated • Audience experiences” • Board • 59% Talk with costumed interpreters-- historians, • Programming docents” Staff does not direct their visit” • 48% want to view objects or object-based exhibits • Partnerships • 46% want to attend programs or events • Children’s programs • Guided tours —only 45% like 55% don’t like guided tours 6
2012 MAAM Presentation 10/15/2012 Donna Ann Harris & Emily Cooperman Findings – Programming (survey) Findings - Audience 1. A knowledgeable guide in specific rooms in the • The JVH audience is made up of: house to answer questions – 35-65 year olds, 2. Shopping events such as antiques markets, – half with children at home, designer showcases & local artists – women 3. Printed brochures, maps, guides • Who have an interest in: 4. Educational lectures or programs on topics related – The history of the American Revolution to the Vanderveer House – Everyday life in the 18 th Century 5. Demonstration of crafts, historic cooking or similar – Local history activities by costumed interpreters (not • This audience is typical of most house museums doing/classes) nationwide 26 Findings: Programming (survey) Findings - Programming 6. Guided tours 7. Historical re-enactments of Revolutionary War life by costumed interpreters 8. Social events 9. Lectures on antiques and historic objects care 10. Smartphone app with interactive screen-based features, or similar, handheld device 28 7
2012 MAAM Presentation 10/15/2012 Donna Ann Harris & Emily Cooperman Matrix: Programming/Audience Making decision on programming Colonial Christmas Receptions** Antique, crafts, appraisal events Colonial Christmas Open house Weekend Guided tours casual Journey to the Past Weekend** • Task force formed to identify programming for Colonial Christmas Dinner** Children's Summer camps** Colonial Christmas School Laminated cards in rooms Cell phone tours adults Adult hands on tours ** Specialized activities** Kids hands on tours ** Self guided brochures coming year Five Generals Tour** JVH Audience ** program Colonial BBQ event Individual tours ** Guide on demand reserved in advance Podcasts/Videos Curator tours ** Fly over video Group tours ** • 4 audience groups for programming Room panels Room books Programs** visitors – Individual adults Children in school classes – Family groups Area Public School Fourth and Fifth Grade Classes Area Middle School History classes – Children in non-school groups Area National History Day clubs Area High School History classes Individual undergraduate college students – Specialized groups Individual graduate school students MA / PhD Area Parochial and Private School 4 and 5 • Voted on top 3 interpretive methods for that grade classes Children in non-school settings audience Home school parents and children grade schools Boy Scout Troops earning merit badges Individual Boy Scout earning merit badges Top programming for 2013 Creating a year long calendar of events • Lecture Series • Colonial Christmas • Hands on activities for • Special Exhibits/Loan • Partner developed – 2 weekends after kids shows Thanksgiving events • Night at the Museum • Curator tours – Gala dinner & Cocktail – 5 Generals Tour • Summer History Camp • Self-guided activities reception at house – Fall Fest – House decorated by • Parent/child activities • Antique, craft and – Weekend Journey to the interior designers for appraisal events Past • Colonial BBQ Christmas • Demonstrations • Lectures – Children’s programming • Junior docent program • Colonial BBQ summer event 8
2012 MAAM Presentation 10/15/2012 Donna Ann Harris & Emily Cooperman First Steps: Interpretation at the Jacobus Analysis of Mountain Vanderveer House of Documentation • Take existing, extensive documentation • Develop “building block” documents 33 34 Interpretation – theme development First Steps: “Building Block” documents • Outline of existing theme bases and sub-categories • Narratives established by previous efforts: Sample: 1: Bedminster and the American Revolution, the The Vanderveers, Life in the Raritan Valley in the eighteenth and early Pluckemin Cantonment, Gen. Knox’s headquarters nineteenth centuries Farming and settlement life in the area in the eighteenth century 2: Dutch in the Raritan Valley: the Vanderveer Character of rural settlement in the Raritan Valley Family in Bedminster Community Density and patterns Agriculture and crops 3: Dutch, English and American traditions in Buildings (including JVH House) and architectural traditions How does the house work / how was it used architecture How was it built and how did it change over time What other buildings were there on the property How does it relate to other houses of the period The Vanderveers over three generations in the JVH Dutch-American – the meaning of hybrid culture 35 9
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