The architect’s sketch and floor plan for the Lincoln Public Library (click to enlarge).
The Lincoln Town Archives (LTA) has launched a new website at lincolntownarchives.omeka.net to highlight treasures from their historical collections. The site features selected archival materials and exhibits about Lincoln’s local history, including some rarely seen images and artifacts—all easily accessible online.
Currently the LTA is featuring a new digital exhibit called “R.D. Donaldson: A Vernacular Carpenter.” The exhibit explores the life and legacy of Lincoln builder Robert Douglas Donaldson and is based on research conducted by late Lincoln resident Robert Loud. It also highlights photographs and documents recently donated by R.D.’s grandson, Craig Donaldson. Archives intern Indrani Kharbanda assisted in the creation of the exhibit.
The new LTA website also includes an exhibit titled “From Bookcase to Building: A History of the Lincoln Library,” adapted from an original physical display created by Marjorie Hilton for the Lincoln Town Archives’ grand reopening in 2009. It chronicles the history and development of the Lincoln Public Library, and spotlights documents such as the Constitution of the third Social Library in Lincoln (1840) and images of the original Lincoln Library building in the 1880s.
As an ongoing digital project aimed at providing easy remote access to archival collections and promoting local history, Town Archivist Marie Wasnock will add more historical items and exhibits to the site periodically.
The Lincoln Town Archives collects, preserves, and provides access to the history and culture of the town of Lincoln. Collections include municipal records, manuscripts, books, photographs, audiovisual materials, and other ephemera documenting the history of Lincoln from 1746 to the present.