Directions: For this homework assignment, I ask you to write a 1-2 page descriptive essay based on your observation of one of the historic sites in Auburn listed below.   Your first step, of course, is to go to the site, notebook in hand, and jot down your impressions.  (I have canceled  this Wednesday’s class to allow time for your visit.)  The essay will grow out of the notes you take during your field observation, but you should also see HH pp. 73-76 and 103-04 for further advice on writing a descriptive essay.  What you choose to describe–the focus and arrangement of details–is entirely up to you, but do attempt to combine your observation with analysis, whether in a separate conclusion paragraph or blended in with the description.  In other words, your goal is not simply to write a journal-like description of what you observed (i.e., First I looked at this, then I looked at, etc.).  The essay will be graded as a double homework assignment.
 

Choose one of the these options:

* Pine Hill Cemetery (intersection of Armstrong and Casey Sts.).   Perhaps the most historic site in Auburn, this cemetery is rich in historic architecture, and includes markers going back to the 1850s.  Rather than attempting to describe the cemetery as a whole, however, you might train your observation on one or more particular monuments.  Some questions to consider:   What distinguishes nineteenth-century or “Victorian” grave markers from twentieth-century ones?  For instance, note changes in:  the materials used to construct markers; the style of lettering; the wording of epitaphs; and the use of symbols.

* Auburn Train Depot (now Cary-Pick Realty, Mitcham Ave.; near Brick Oven Pizza).  Examining the architecture and grounds of the depot, describe how the past and present have converged at this site.  What reminders can be seen of when the depot still received passengers?  Where do antique and modern details seem oddly juxtaposed?  Look for the stone marker commemorating the visit a famous historic figure to Auburn.  (Do be careful as you walk around; trains still run through here about 6 times a day)

* Samford Hall/Haley Center.  Compare and contrast these two architectural monuments of different centuries.  (For the mechanically inclined: write a description of how that 19th-century lathe next to Samford Hall actually worked)
 
* Historic Homes in Auburn.  The area on North College St. between Bragg Ave. and Drake Ave. contains a number of historic homes, one going back to 1848 (you can still see the well in the front yard).  Describe one or more of the houses in this area, or compare this neighborhood to others in Auburn.

* Girl Scout Hut?  Wright House?  Where are these places, and why are they considered historic?

* Describe a historic site of your own choosing.