Saving History Saturday: The American Civil War Museum and Adaptive Reuse

Today marks the official opening of the “new” American Civil War Museum in downtown Richmond after eighteen months of construction. The $25 million project has not only helped to accomplish the museum’s goal of creating new, innovative interpretations of the war, but it also allowed them to perform several adaptive reuse projects at the former Tredegar Iron Works site. Though the American Civil War Museum is unique in their repurposing of the historic ruins in the new site, museums across the county have utilized adaptive reuse practices to save both buildings and artifacts in the process.

Across the United States, too many historic buildings sit abandoned or dilapidated, simply waiting to either be destroyed or saved. It takes a devoted preservationist with a vision, passion, and capital to renovate, rehabilitate, or restore a historic building. Some buildings may continue to be used for its original function or, in this particular case, be used for a completely different purpose.

According to the International Committee for Architecture and Museum Techniques, adaptive reuse “is the process of reusing an old site or building for a purpose other than which it was built or designed for.” Ultimately, this process saves the historic structure, while also benefiting society. Though having a different use than before, the buildings keep their historic and architectural integrity and heritage values, but can serve a variety of functions when fully renovated and rehabbed.

Various other museums have utilized practices of adaptive reuse – or rehabilitation – as part of their actual museum to tell more stories and save history. Some of these museums include the Missouri Civil War Museum (St. Louis, MO), the National Museum of Civil War Medicine (Frederick, MD), Ford’s Theater museum (Washington, DC), and the Baltimore Civil War Museum (Baltimore, MD). Through adaptive reuse, each site has both saved historic buildings, while also preserving artifacts and preserving history.

The American Civil War Museum has built their museum around the historic ruins of Tredegar, making sure they pay tribute to the Iron Works – and enslaved people – that forged and built much of the Confederacy’s artillery pieces. By using glass and steel, the museum allows the historic structures to be the focal point. In a sense, the historic ruins are just one part of their over-16,000-piece artifact collection. The American Civil War Museum has certainly created a world-class facility while also making sure the story of Tredegar Iron Works is told for generations to come. Hopefully, more museums in the future continue to utilize adaptive reuse to save history and utilize historic buildings, just as we see with the American Civil War Museum and countless other museums nationwide.