"We'll have around 50 to 60 volunteers coming up [in a] wide swatch of people from alumni to retirees to faculty and staff," Anna Tucker, public relations and marketing manager for the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books, said. "But the largest component will most definitely be the KSU students, who are thrilled to be working on the property."
Volunteers will be working on the sunken garden section of the property during their fourth volunteer work session to date. Workdays are part of the ongoing effort to restore the site to its appearance of a Depression-era farm and the university has been working to uncover the site's history through the years of an American Indian site to the 20th century.
Tucker said the university acquired the property, which is about 56 acres, in 2009 as a gift from property owner Jodie Hill.
"There are several time periods that are representative in the valley property," Tucker said. "Probably the most visible are the historic buildings [at the] Corra Harris site."
Along with its historical wonders, the project on the property also includes the preservation of several endangered plant species and allows KSU culinary services students to engage in organic farming. Archaeological fieldwork is included as well to discover history buried below ground.
"This site gives our students an unparalleled opportunity to apply what they are learning in the classroom in a real-world environment," Dr. Jennifer Dickey, KSU public history coordinator, said in a news release. "It gives all of us at KSU a chance to help preserve an important piece of Bartow County's history for future generations."
"The workday started as a way to incorporate the students into the property itself," Tucker said. "Kennesaw State is very much involved in student research [and the ability] to give them the field work experience they will need. The students are an essential part of interpreting and preserving the site and they've done a fabulous job over the past two years."
For more information on the In the Valley property or the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books, contact Tucker at 770-420-4699 or atucke20@kennesaw.edu.