The Epworth Park Foundation Archive Project

What you’ll see below is just a start. It’s a simple image-descriptive-info site with visitor comments. It doesn’t compare to current archival functionality or standards. But by building this proof-of-concept, we can use it to apply for grants to fund an application that can meet those standards.

Eventually, we will be scanning, taking photos, and documenting everything in our archival room plus any artifacts that are in the possession of those who have been affiliated or knowledgeable of the history of park: cottage owners, the church and its members, visitors, etc.

The eventual goal is to make this archive available to the public, cottage owners past and present, The Ohio Historical Connection, The Chautauqua Trail Association and, possibly, the National Archive.

We realize that there’s as much or more knowledge and artifacts of the park’s history outside the park as there is within.

First of all, if you have information about any of the images shown below, we’d like to hear from you. When you click the title/link below each image, you’ll be shown a larger copy of the image, a “toggle” called “Metadata”, and a comment section below. Click the arrow next to Metadata to drill-down to see the detail. If you have any additional information or clarification, add a comment.

Second, if you have original or high-quality material (photos, posters, maps, etc) we’d like to talk to you about adding them to the archive. Contact the Archive Project.

Metadata is “data that describes and provides information about other data”. Archivists use this information to categorize and help others find images they’re looking for (e.g., “Show me all images that include the hotel before 1930” or “…that were contributed by Bob Smith”).

If you have information about the photo that can “fill in” or fix any Metadata or, please contribute by adding a comment.

Those that help will be given credit when the archive is published.

As mentioned above, this is just a start — a “proof of concept” project — a low-key, low-cost start to what we hope to expand on with grant money and volunteers.