Dear Vanya,
Thank you so much...I really like your phrase "living witnesses."  Our site
is an historic water treatment and pumping plant (The Hackensack Water Works
-website: www.HWWC.org), and at this site the processes of rapid sand filtration
and carbon filtration were first utilized and expanded and explored so that
at the turn of the century, water became safe and cholora and typhoid were at
last defeated.  We just published a book "The Hackensack Water Works" by
Clifford W. Zink which has won several preservation awards, is up for 5 more awards
including the National Book Award.  What makes it fascinating is that the
second half is "Living History Interviews" with former workers at the plant.
These "Living Witnesses" inform the understanding of the site and add the human
element of folks who were on a mission to provide a continuing supply of pure,
safe water.

I'm going to steal your "living witnesses" phrase, if I may.  We are
currently working with our town and our County government to help establish a museum
on the site (This is after a 10 year preservation battle which we finally won
last year and the site cannot now be demolished).  So, I've had 10 years to
think about the value of museums and to research the topic to find convincing
arguments to overcome short-sighted politicians who wanted to demolish to gain a
10 million dollar construction project at the expense of a national landmark.
We won - now we are working to help wtih a preservation  and restoration plan
and the establishment, FINALLY, of a museum :>)

I have learned so much and gained so much from the dialogues on this Museum
line.....I am grateful to all the participants!

All the best,
Maggie

Maggie Harrer
Projects Director
The Water Works Conservancy, Inc.
PO Box 714
Oradell, NJ 07649
Phone: 201-967-0133
Fax: 201-967-7517
Website: www:HWWC.org

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