Date of Award
6-10-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
History
First Advisor
Charles Romney
Abstract
An archive serves as a custodian of history, preserving materials such as records, documents, and objects that offer insight into people, organizations, and places. Park Hill Baptist Church, located in North Little Rock, Arkansas, was founded in 1947 and celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2022. This paper explores the process of creating a well-organized archive to transform the church's cluttered History Room into a valuable resource. Starting with minimal knowledge of archival practices, I conducted research on how to organize, preserve, and make accessible historical materials, including decisions on what to keep, why it matters, and how to ensure its long-term usefulness. This effort highlighted the importance of preserving the church’s history, which had previously been confined to the History Room and the memories of its congregation, and the desire to make it accessible to the public. The archive includes photographs, documents, objects, and plans for displaying larger items. This project ensures the preservation of the church’s history and opens the possibility for future digitization, expanding access for future generations. Included in this paper are images documenting various stages of the process and a plan for maintaining the collection with minimal ongoing effort.
Recommended Citation
Gates, Jessica Ann, "Preserving the Past: Creating and Keeping an Archive of the History of Park Hill Baptist Church in North Little Rock, Arkansas" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 1276.
https://research.ualr.edu/etd/1276
