Museum studies students work at Anne Spencer House and Garden Museum

Six Randolph students spent Thursday afternoon doing hands-on curatorial work in the former home of a famous poet.

Art professor Andrea Campbell took some of her museum studies students to the Anne Spencer House and Garden Museum, where they carefully measured, photographed, and squinted at artifacts through magnifying glasses. This semester, they will be researching the artifacts so they can be properly cataloged and displayed in the museum.

Anne Spencer was a Harlem Renaissance poet who lived just a few miles from the College. Her husband, Edward Spencer, was a postal carrier whose route included R-MWC, and many artifacts in the home came from the College.

The students’ work was covered by two news organizations. You can learn more about their work in this News & Advance article and this WDBJ-7 video.

You also can view more photos of the project in this Facebook photo album.

This project grew out of a partnership the College has established with the museum to provide opportunities for students and to help the museum preserve the history there.

Local author, acclaimed historical preservationist to speak about Anne Spencer

One advantage of being located in Lynchburg is our proximity to many important historical sites, which means we also have connections to many local history makers—such as Anne Spencer, the well-known Harlem Renaissance poet who made her home just a few miles from the Randolph College campus.

Lessons Learned from a Poet's Garden

Featuring Jane Baber White

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 15
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Alice Ashley Jack Room, Smith Memorial Hall

On Wednesday, Randolph College will highlight its connections with Spencer by hosting Jane Baber White for a discussion of Lessons Learned from a Poet’s Garden, her recent book that details the process of bringing Spencer’s home and garden back to life as a museum. That 28-year restoration has attracted attention and praise from around the world.

The restoration process also unearthed many remarkable connections between Spencer and R-MWC. For example, Randolph College’s campus is surrounded by a red brick wall, which replaced a wrought iron gate—and that gate is now found in Spencer’s garden. White will discuss those connections and other lessons learned in the restoration process.

White is a lifelong resident of Lynchburg and has a passion for gardens and historic sites. She has led a number of restoration projects and received local, regional, and national recognition for her work at the Old City Cemetery, where she was director for 27 years.