Dear Lucy,

Here are some thoughts about your inquiry regarding fencing at historic sites:

a)  You can get vinyl-coated chain link fences.  This may sound strange but the vinyl can be in dark green, black or brown which makes the fence blend into the landscape and visually, it is very unobtrusive.

b)  Choose a thick gauge of chain link so that vandals cannot use wire-cutters to cut through the fencing during hours when the museum is closed.   Sometimes, people will even steal fencing by cutting the chain link, then rolling it up and taking it away so that they can re-use or sell it.    With a thick gauge, they cannot cut it easily.

c)  What kind of gardens are there or potentially might there be on the property?   I once got a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop urban greenspace (it was a special program targeted to certain areas of the United States) by proposing and developing an ETHNOBOTANY GARDEN.   It was a teaching garden, installed by Americorps Volunteers with the supervision of U.S. Agricultural Extension Agents.   Museum personnel designed the garden and researched historic plant use among the major ethnic groups in Georgia.  We developed curriculum and programs for families and school children in the garden.  We also did a site study about the history of plant use and gardens on the museum property.  We found information in archives (real estate records, insurance maps, newspaper articles) as well as by studying existing flora and it's placement on the contemporary property.  It was a wonderful project.
Of the $50,000,  $5,000 was budgeted to buy and install
the fence around the back and sides of the building (3 sides).  We kept the front of the building, a 1929 school, unfenced for aesthetic reasons.

d)  Don't forget to consider height of the fence.  We bought an ten-foot tall fence to discourage vandals.  We did not use razor wire on the top because that would send the wrong message about the museum.  We wanted security, but at the same time, we wanted to project a friendly, aesthetically pleasing landscape around the historic building.

Hope these ideas help you.

Cordially,
Pamela Sezgin

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