THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 3, 1996 TAG: 9603010178
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Ida Kay's Portsmouth
SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
The notion of having the Naval Shipyard Museum in two places does not seem too far-fetched when you talk to Ray Gindroz, the man behind the Vision 2005 plan.
Portsmouth, he said, has so much historic stuff that you can only get the full impact by having ``a whole experience.''
``There is just so much stuff here that you can have two locations,'' he said.
When Gindroz was here last week to meet with city officials, we cornered him to ask his opinion of the Naval Shipyard Museum future.
``You need to show off as much as you can of the history,'' he said.
I've been thinking about the possibilities for the Naval Shipyard Museum ever since we've been talking about Vision 2005.
The existing Shipyard Museum is in a perfect place when you think of the new High Street inlet that will bring the ferry landing almost to the front door of the museum.
It is the right place for a super display of local history, which is tied forever to the history of the nation's oldest Navy yard.
It is the perfect place to give visitors a taste of all the history of Portsmouth. For the browsers, the present location is a great beginning.
For those who are deeply interested in naval history, it is a great place for an introduction to all Portsmouth has to offer.
For those who want to delve deeper, a second location in the shipyard would be the logical second stop.
As I understand it, the shipyard commander, Capt. Bill Klemm, has suggested using one of the historic buildings overlooking Trophy Park as an adjunct museum.
Trophy Park already has a historic display of guns from some of the Navy's historic vessels.
Others, once displayed downtown around the Shipyard Museum, are stored. So are hundreds more naval artifacts that would interest visitors.
``We must stop thinking about museums as a building,'' Gindroz told me. ``The museum experience should be through the city.''
Portsmouth could have a museum extending from the nation's first Naval Hospital, through the historic downtown and to the nation's first Navy yard.
What a museum!
Gindroz would like to see some of the artifacts, such as the ship's bells and guns placed all along the waterfront between the shipyard and the hospital.
``They could create a history trail,'' he said.
Portsmouth, he said, ``has so much historical stuff.''
``People should have the whole experience.''
Of course, there will be people in Portsmouth who will resist putting the Naval Shipyard Museum in two places. Many would prefer that the city spend big bucks to construct a new building for the museum, simply making a larger space for the existing artifacts.
At one time that seemed the best way to go. However, now that the shipyard is interested in providing a historic building on the original grounds and near a gate accessible to the public, the picture is a little different.
In addition, the implementation of the Vision 2005 plan casts a different light. The plan would improve and include all of the historic area from the hospital to the shipyard, making all of it attractive to visitors.
Of course, there would be many details to be worked out between the city, the Navy and the private supporters of the shipyard museum. But that already is part of the picture, since many of the artifacts at the existing museum over the years have belonged to the Navy.
Certainly, any local artifacts that should find their way into the collection should be designated as local property.
But those are details that can be dealt with.
The important thing is looking at the whole picture, as suggested by Gindroz.
We need to do that now, not later. After all, the Navy and Captain Klemm seem very disposed to the idea of expanding the museum to the historic area of the Navy yard.
And that may not always be the case.
Let's start talking about it now and get something under way before it passes us by. by CNB