At the Foot of Prince George Street: The Burtis House, Hell Point, and Climate Change

This studio project includes a final report and abridged report that was submitted to Preservation Maryland.Annapolis is redeveloping its City Dock area into an elevated green space. The city will create preventative measures that protect the downtown area from rising sea levels. These measures include reconfiguring the stormwater system, elevating sea-level walls, and building storm surge gates. This redevelopment plan is a multi-phase initiative that provides for preserving and adapting for future use of the historic Burtis House, located at 69 Prince George Street. The Captain William Burtis House is ideally located to share the story of the history of Annapolis. As the sole surviving historic waterman’s home situated on City Dock, this property can assist visitors in understanding the Chesapeake way of life’s past, present, and future. With the redevelopment of the City Dock area, the Burtis House and site can become a welcoming and attractive place to learn about the region’s history. Due to its location, Burtis House has endured intermittent flooding, and it is vulnerable to sea level rise, subsidence, and tidal surges. Therefore, the building must be safeguarded against coastal flooding and stabilized until its use is determined. Preservation Maryland is leading the Burtis House initiative in partnership with the City of Annapolis and the National Park Service Chesapeake office. In 2021 Preservation Maryland issued a request for proposal for Phase 1 of this project. This first phase prioritizes the stabilization of the structure and preservation of the existing historic fabric from the effects of climate change for future adaptive reuse. Preventative measures against the impacts of climate change include raising Burtis house by four feet, water infiltration measures, and other defenses. As part of this phase, Preservation Maryland was looking for professional consultant services to conduct historical research on the context of the Burtis House and the neighborhood around it. The study would be utilized in interpretive panels placed around the house as work was being done. The University of Maryland’s Historic Preservation Studio class (HISP 650) responded to Preservation Maryland’s request for proposal for consultant services and was accepted. This report is the result.Nicholas Redding, Preservation Maryland Laura Houston, Preservation Marylan

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

National Register of Historic Places Nomination for the Old Korean Legation Building

The Korean Legation building at 1500 13th Street Northwest, Washington, D.C., once served as a nexus of early U.S. and Korean diplomacy. Nestled among buildings lining Logan Circle, the South Korean flag and a small entrance plaque are the only visible hints to the building’s complex heritage. The Korean Legation building is worthy of nomination to the National Register of Historic Places because of its significance regarding the early development of international relations between the U.S. and Korea. This edifice is a remarkable, tangible link to the early history of Koreans in the U.S., given that historical discrimination and xenophobia of individuals, systems, and the state resulted in the loss of historical landscapes associated with many marginalized communities. Only within the last few decades has the preservation field begun to recognize more sites historically relevant to marginalized communities and people of color and this nomination furthers that important work. A short essay will conclude the final project document to provide insight into the nomination research and writing process with specific emphasis on challenges and opportunities in producing National Register nominations for sites associated with underrepresented and marginalized communities. This can also serve as a guide or resource for future students undertaking a National Register nomination for the first time