Historic Germantown: What’s Happening in Freedom’s Backyard

Historic Germantown, the consortium of fourteen historic sites, museums and an arboretum in Germantown, recently completed a project designed to enhance collaboration in order to sustain these historic places. The outcomes of this project position Historic Germantown to implement significant change in how the sites operate and interpret their history and in turn what role they play in the community.

The central vision underpinning this project is that Historic Germantown is uniquely placed to tell a story that connects with all Americans. Recent highly successful efforts in Germantown, including the national award-winning History Hunters educational program, a theme tour project called “Story Tours,” the innovative Youth Writers humanities project undertaken by two sites, and an annual community-focused special event called the Revolutionary Germantown Festival (highlighting the 1777 Battle of Germantown), have all pointed the way toward enhanced collaboration.

The Historic Germantown project has enabled the sites to develop an integrated interpretive framework for the group, conduct audience research, expand outreach into the community, and create a marketing strategy. It has also led to the creation of a new logo and in June 2008 the fourteen attractions came together under a unifying message, proclaiming Historic Germantown as Freedom’s Backyard. Through this HPP-funded project, Historic Germantown has created a positive vision of how historic sites can thrive in today’s challenging environment.