“Public Memory Meets Archival Memory”

• Cox, Richard J. "Public Memory Meets Archival Memory: The Interpretation of Williamsburg's Secretary's Office," American Archivist 68 (2005): 279-296.

This article discusses the Secretary's Office in Williamsburg, Virginia, which was the first public records office in the United States. The structure was completed in 1748, so it predates both the revolution and the establishment of the republic. Cox notes that it is "the only original Colonial central government building extant." However, most people, including historians and archivists, seem to know and care very little about the history behind the Secretary's Office. This is true in spite of the fact that the building exists in Williamsburg, which is a type of mecca for American history buffs.

Cox examines the history of the interpretation of the office, pointing out that very little emphasis has been placed upon the office as a records office. It has been used for exhibitions and public speeches, but because, in all likelihood, many consider records to be boring, this original intent of its use has not been highlighted very well. Cox concludes that this lack of emphasis on records keeping and archives as a function of the building needs to be corrected. Indeed, it is ironic that a town that so often relies on archival sources would fail to emphasize archival science. He hopes that this will be corrected by the 400th anniversary of Virginia in 2007, and he suggests a possible layout for an exhibit about archives and records keeping in the Secretary's Office.