12 Jun Get to know Naomi

Hello! My name is Naomi Doddington and I am so happy to work for the Hispanic Access Foundation (H.A.F.) in its partnership with the National Parks Service’s (N.P.S.) Latino Heritage Internship Program (L.H.I.P.). I am working in the acronym-happy Heritage Documentation Programs division which houses three programs, the Historic American Buildings Survey (H.A.B.S.), the Historic American Engineering Record (H.A.E.R), and the Historic American Landscape Survey (H.A.L.S.). I will be working primarily on a H.A.B.S. project with other interns and staffers to document the Baggage and Dormitory building on Ellis Island. This building has a colorful past, housing all those whose immigration was pending review for any non-medical reasons. This could be anything from paperwork that was out of place to suspicions of communist or anarchist leanings. It was also used as a prisoner of war camp during WWII. We will make three trips to the island over the course of the summer and will be using laser scanners, hand measurements, photographs, and notes to thoroughly document this historic site. Back in D.C., we’ll turn all our field notes into minutely accurate technical drawings of the existing conditions at the site and lay the groundwork for the continuing project of creating a virtual tour of the places on Ellis Island that your average tourist isn’t allowed to see. This internship is perfect for me in so many ways. I am working towards my Master of Science in Historic Preservation (M.S.H.P.) degree from the joint Clemson University/College of Charleston Graduate Program in Charleston, South Carolina. I’m originally from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico and I’ve lived in New York (both N.Y.C. and in the upstate), Chicago, Florida, and (for the last ten years) Charleston. I’m an absolute history geek, and I am passionate about issues of social justice. In that vein, my thesis (which I’m starting to work on this summer) deals with gentrification and an exploration of programs aimed at preserving the social fabric of formerly neglected neighborhood which are becoming highly valued by outsiders.