SOAL Partners: Black Cemetery Historic Preservation with ArcGIS
SOAL Partners: Black Cemetery Historic Preservation with ArcGIS
The historic Lincoln Cemetery in Harrisburg, PA, is not just a cemetery; it’s a testament to African American heritage, harboring the stories and legacies of many prominent individuals. Historically, African American burial sites in the United States, including Harrisburg’s oldest historic Black cemetery, have been actively marginalized, frequently targeted for destruction, and consistently subjected to neglect due to systemic racism and urban development. These are not passive losses to time but rather the result of deliberate and ongoing acts of erasure. Today, a radical step towards reclaiming Black History in south central Pennsylvania is underway, spearheaded by SOAL Partners–Messiah University and Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. At the heart of this Historic Preservation renaissance is a cutting-edge technology – ArcGIS.
This groundbreaking project took shape in the Fall of 2022 when Saving Our Ancestor’s Legacy Founder and Executive Director, Rachael Williams, joined forces with Dr. David Pettegrew, Messiah University Center for Public Humanities. Their vision for Lincoln Cemetery was clear: to employ GIS technology not just as a tool for mapping but as a medium for historical storytelling. This vision found a powerful ally in Professor Albert Sarvis, Harrisburg University Center for Applied Environmental & Geospatial Technology, particularly with the use of aerial drone technology. The drone imagery, capturing high-resolution views of the cemetery, provides an invaluable perspective for the ArcGIS mapping process.
SOAL Partners with Two Universities in Synergistic Collaboration for Historic Preservation of Harrisburg Black Cemetery Using ArcGIS
SOAL Partners Dr. David Pettegrew and Professor Albert Sarvis create a digital map of Harrisburg’s oldest African American burial ground–Lincoln Cemetery–The duo is already renowned for their work employing ArcGIS in the Digital Harrisburg project, which has garnered accolades for its innovative use of digital technologies in historical documentation.
Much Like the Digital Harrisburg Project the ArcGIS map of Lincoln Cemetery will be more than just a digital representation; it’s a portal to the past. Once completed, it will allow users to virtually navigate the cemetery, clicking on plots and gravestone icons to discover the stories of those who lie there. It’s a powerful way for descendants and historians alike to connect with the past, offering a tangible link to their ancestry and the broader narrative of African American history.
ArcGIS: A Geographic Mapping Tool for Black History Preservation
Understanding ArcGIS: The Heart of Digital Mapping and Analysis
ArcGIS stands for “Arc Geographic Information System”. It is a comprehensive platform used for creating, managing, and analyzing geographical data. Think of it as a high-tech mapping tool that goes beyond just showing locations. ArcGIS allows us to layer various types of data (like historical records, environmental data, and images) on top of geographical locations. This layering creates interactive maps that can tell stories, reveal trends, and uncover hidden histories.
At Lincoln Cemetery, ArcGIS is being used to develop an interactive map that brings together the cemetery’s physical layout with its rich history. This approach transforms the way we view and interact with this sacred space, turning a simple map into a dynamic storytelling device.
The adoption of ArcGIS technology in safeguarding Black history will be a significant achievement in the landscape of historical preservation of a Black cemetery.
“Cemeteries are non-renewable cultural resources, meaning that they are only useful in context. Once the data from the gravestones is worn away, the gravestones are broken and weathered, or the cemetery itself is destroyed, either intentionally or unintentionally, then all of the information that could have been gleaned from it or the additional corroborating evidence provided is lost and without a map or recording of this data, the data is lost for good. People, and their stories, matter and by having the cemetery data recorded, parts of their life history will be known and safe, and can aid in the discovery of other aspects of the life that they lived.”
Weitman, Sarah L. “Using Archaeological Methods in Cemetery Surveys with Emphasis on the Application of Lidar.” Electronic Theses and Dissertations, Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies, 2012. Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/627.
The Role of Aerial Drone Technology in Mapping a Historic Black Cemetery
To supplement the capabilities of ArcGIS, aerial drone technology is employed. Drones, equipped with high-resolution cameras, fly over the cemetery capturing detailed images from above. These images provide a bird’s-eye view of the cemetery, revealing aspects of the landscape that are not visible from the ground. This aerial perspective is crucial in creating a detailed and accurate base map in ArcGIS.
Professor Albert Sarvis from Harrisburg University’s Center for Applied Environmental & Geospatial Technology has been instrumental in integrating this drone technology. The high-resolution images captured by the drones are integrated into the ArcGIS platform, allowing for a comprehensive visualization of the cemetery’s layout and topography.
By marrying ArcGIS with aerial drone imagery, the project at Lincoln Cemetery is set to revolutionize the way we preserve and interact with historical sites. This combination allows for a more thorough and nuanced understanding of the cemetery’s geography, history, and the stories it holds.
Fostering Youth Engagement & Rapid Progress in Historic Preservation of Black Cemeteries
Central to the revival of Harrisburg’s Lincoln Cemetery, a key site in Black history, is fostering community and youth involvement. This initiative, spearheaded by SOAL, is not just about employing advanced technologies for historic preservation; it’s also a platform for engaging the community, particularly the youth, in the preservation of this important Black cemetery. Through partnerships with local schools and educational institutions, SOAL facilitates hands-on learning opportunities for young people. This goes far beyond introducing them to the intricacies of ArcGIS and drone technology within the context of historic preservation, the students at Messiah and Harrisburg Universities are central to this project.
Student Innovations in Field Data Collection
Over the 2022-2023 academic year, Messiah University student Rachel Petroziello launched the project, utilizing the ArcGIS platform to overlay the drone images of Lincoln Cemetery onto digital maps, meticulously marking the cemetery’s plots and gravestones.
Beginning in the spring semester WenXin Ling integrated the use of the ArcGIS Field Maps mobile app. The mobile app was a game-changer in this process, enabling efficient and accurate data collection in the field: creating a detailed catalogue of each gravestone, georeferencing their location, recording names, birth/death dates, and photos, directly into the ArcGIS system.
In April of 2023, thanks to the work of Petroziello and Ling, the project gained further momentum when over 30 Messiah University students and faculty members contributed to the cemetery’s data collection during a service day. Their efforts were instrumental in documenting hundreds of additional gravestones, that were not visible in the drone footage alone, thereby significantly advancing the digital map’s completion.
SOAL Partnerships Preserving Black History Through Technology
By harnessing the capabilities of ArcGIS, SOAL and its university partners are not just preserving a physical space; they’re safeguarding the stories and legacies contained within it. This project underscores the transformative power of technology in historical preservation, ensuring that the rich history of Lincoln Cemetery is not only remembered but also made accessible to future generations.
The entire process of creating and populating the Lincoln Cemetery ArcGIS site is ongoing. As we continue our mission of preserving Black history through cutting-edge technology at Lincoln Cemetery, our upcoming blog posts will unveil some truly groundbreaking developments. We start our exploration in Block F, a site that holds profound historical significance. This area is believed to encompass a mass grave, potentially containing thousands of untold stories, including those of enslaved individuals from Harrisburg and Dauphin County dating back to the early 1700s. Utilizing Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), we’re set to reveal these hidden narratives, giving a voice to those long silenced and shedding light on chapters of history that have been overlooked for too long.
Our journey doesn’t end there. We’re bringing the past into the present by transforming Lincoln Cemetery into something like a 3D hologram using LiDAR technology, revolutionizing how we view and interact with this storied space. And finally, we’ll delve into the unexpected parallels between two distinct technologies: kaleidoscopes and multispectral analysis, uncovering the vibrant, multifaceted stories that lie beneath the surface of the American landscape
