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See Lancaster Reports
August 2007
By: Nancy Howell
Linking Our Heritage
See Lancaster recently announced being the recipient of a Cultural Heritage Tourism research grant. Thanks to the efforts of Senator Greg Gregory in helping to secure the grant, this research will become a major component of See Lancaster’s Comprehensive Plan on how to best market and promote Lancaster County as written about earlier this year.
The information collected will assist members of the See Lancaster staff who plan to meet with regional and national committees to help us as we identify historic and cultural assets to be preserved and recognized for their educational and marketing potential. All parts of the county will be carefully analyzed to identify what makes Lancaster distinctive, while sharing part of a regional and national past.
See Lancaster resources education is a key in preserving historical and cultural benefits of a community. Therefore, research will also be conducted with the awarded grant monies to investigate the benefits of a Welcome Center with a Children’s Interactive Educational Museum. Within the Center would be “learning stations” that would teach our history and bring to life the past as real experiences. Children would learn at a very early age the history and cultural beginnings of Lancaster County. The goal is not only to teach Lancaster’s place in history, but to link it to the history of the region and the nation.
See Lancaster’s project is not an isolated county effort, but linked to many movements across the nation to develop a pride of place and call attention to our historic and cultural assets for interested travelers. One of the more notable attempts to develop this idea comes from the 2006 National Heritage Areas Act by U.S. Rep. John Spratt, D-5th District. This bill calls for the U.S Department of Interior to study the possibility of linking Revolutionary War battle sites for marketing and educational purposes under a single War for Independence theme.
Lancaster County will play a major part in this research project as we gather data to use for promotional and educational purposes. If you feel you have knowledge of or information important to this research project, please contact the See Lancaster staff at 286-1145.
You may prefer to stop by our Welcome Center and Gift Shop at 201 W. Gay Street to share this information.
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