The National Archives at New York City
Winter 2012, Vol. 44, No. 4
By Dorothy Dougherty
The National Archives at New York City in the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House. (National Archives photo by Jeffrey Reed)
The National Archives at New York City has reopened to the public in the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House building at One Bowling Green in lower Manhattan—an exciting and historic move that was years in the making.
The new location has more than tripled the space available for public engagement. Now the National Archives at New York City is ready to serve researchers and the public as never before.
Our new Welcome Center begins the National Archives visitor experience. Here visitors are met by staff at the information desk and learn about the Archives, upcoming programs, and special events through brochures and calendars. Before they step foot into the research facilities, visitors can explore records housed throughout the National Archives and Records Administration with the interactive “NARA Across America” kiosk.
Visitors can then view featured documents and artifacts in the adjacent Exhibit Gallery or pass through the double glass doors to enter the main Research Center.
he Exhibit Gallery, at roughly 300 square feet, showcases a yearly rotation of original documents. The gallery features a “New York on the Record” exhibit that presents original records related to New York from Archives holdings across the country, including Washington, D.C., other regional facilities, and the Presidential libraries. The current theme focuses on “Connecting Records” and demonstrates how our records are connected nationwide and through history.
The Research Center has been expanded to include 22 public access computers and three microfilm reader/printers. In addition to our online databases, visitors have free access to subscription database services such as Ancestry, Fold3, and ProQuest. In the Textual Research room, up to 12 patrons can examine original records from our holdings, which cover federal agencies from New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The new dedicated Learning Center offers year-round activities focusing on historical records that illuminate our nation’s history and New York’s role in shaping the nation. Mornings in the Learning Center are dedicated to workshops and lectures for registered groups such as educators, student field trips, genealogists, community groups, and more. In the afternoon the space is open to the public.
The Learning Center at the Custom House was modeled on the ReSource Room at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. In both locations, the public can discover records by pulling boxes off the shelf, opening map drawers, and engaging directly with select facsimile documents. Access to computers allows for additional research and learning.
Thanks to a partnership with the Foundation for the National Archives, visitors can also make free copies of documents to take with them and share with others.
In addition, the National Archives at New York City will display an annual exhibit in the public rotunda of the Custom House to further showcase our holdings, attract visitors, and promote an awareness of the National Archives’ tremendous value and importance to people everywhere. Our first installation in fall 2012, “The World’s Port: Through Documents of the National Archives,” featured records from our New York holdings.
Future exhibits will draw on the holdings of the National Archives at New York City and traveling exhibits created by the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and other locations.
The exhibit “New York on the Record” presents original records related to New York from National Archives holdings across the country.
The Learning Center offers workshops and lectures for registered groups such as educators, student field trips, genealogists, community groups, and more.
“The World’s Port: Through Documents of the National Archives” featured records from our New York holdings.
Dorothy Dougherty is the public programs director for the National Archives at New York City. Her responsibilities include public, education, exhibit, and outreach efforts. She received her M.A. in history from C.W. Post, Long Island University, and frequently lectures on a wide variety of topics.