From March 25 to May 25 works by 20 RISD students made from a historically significant pecan tree will be on view at Hampton National Historic Site in Towson, MD.

The benches, baskets, desks, corsets and more (like the stools and worker’s bag above by Brittany Bennett ’11 TX, Ayako Maruyama ’10 ID and Rebecca Manson ’11 CR) were made as part of a joint furniture studio and history seminar taught by faculty members Dale Broholm of the Furniture Design Department and Dan Cavicchi of History, Philosophy and the Social Sciences. Their partnership with the National Park Service [NPS] marked the first time that wood from a fallen Witness Tree – the NPS designation for longstanding trees that have witnessed significant events in history – has been used as a teaching tool.

Students visited the site and researched the history the tree has witnessed since being planted on a former slave plantation prior to the Civil War. The experience helped them better understand “how history informs objects and provides a deeper understanding of culture,” Broholm notes.

“Watching the process of RISD students creating objects in response to the pecan Witness Tree was fascinating and a wonderful learning experience,” adds Gregory Weidman, curator of Hampton National Historic Site. “Students got involved with history in a hands-on way, showing that the potential for discovery and learning at other NPS sites is endless.”

Broholm and Cavicchi plan to offer the class again next fall, working with a different Witness Tree. The NPS expects the RISD exhibition this spring – the first of its kind related to a Witness Tree – to become a prototype for other parks nationwide.