From the School Office to the Historic Preservation Office

Jenn, graduate student, tells us about her internship on Little Rock, Arkansas.

“I spent the summer of 2018 in Little Rock, Arkansas interning at the Department of Arkansas Heritage within the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. I had the privilege of designing my internship with the Deputy Director of the office based upon my interests and willingness to learn new concepts within the Historic Preservation field. I had the honor of working with the National Register Survey team, Main Street Arkansas, Community Outreach, and Cemetery Preservation. Anyone who knows me knows of my love of cemetery preservation. This bug bite me in undergrad and I have been hooked ever since so I was so ecstatic to incorporate it into my internship.

I spent my internship putting my classroom knowledge to the test from presenting a National Register property to the State Review Board to working with the Main Street team on a consulting job. The program here at Southeast Missouri State University is focused on building the next generation of historic preservationist leaders who inspire change and I was extremely fortunate enough to work with like-minded individuals this summer at the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. My favorite aspect of my internship was working on a cemetery preservation project on cemetery carvers. I complied a database for cemetery carvers displayed in Arkansas which included a bio, examples of their work, and photo of their makers mark or signature. It is now a part of their permanent collection in their archives which is exciting.

This internship gave me insight on how a state Historic Preservation office runs. I met many passionate people who either had a Master’s Degree in Architecture, Historic Preservation, or Urban Planning. Although they all had separate job duties, those separate pieces fit together perfectly to ensure that they are fulfilling the objectives of the National Historic Preservation Act throughout the state of Arkansas. It was a great opportunity to work with so many passionate preservationists who are saving the special places that tell the story of Arkansas.”