In fall 2013, Boise State’s Construction
Management program offered a class unlike any other before. The class objective was to reconstruct a historical guard tower at the Minidoka National Historic
Site. Both construction management and history students were invited to join
the service learning class. Headed by professors Rebecca Mirsky and Casey Cline, the students
were educated on the history of the Japanese American incarceration during
World War II, as well as the construction techniques and procedures necessary
for a federal reconstruction project.
The history of the Minidoka War Relocation Center as well as related centers was taught during the first half of the semester. Students were required to read “Farewell to Manzanar” by Jeanne Wakatsuki prior to the first class. Students were also fortunate enough to witness a presentation from Hanako Wakatsuki, a relative of Jeanne Wakatsuki and current employee at the National Park Service at Tule Lake Unit of WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument, one of three Japanese American confinement sites managed by the National Park Service.
The standards for reconstruction designated in Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act have strong guidelines that must be followed. The second half of the semester focused on learning these guidelines and how they relate to the guard tower reconstruction project. A presentation from Don Watts and Tricia Canaday from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) was given on the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Preservation and what constitutes Character Defining Features in a historic structure.
During the last three weeks of the fall semester, students constructed a 1/3rd scale model of the guard tower. Construction of the full scale tower was then undertaken from March 21st through 27th by the Boise State Construction Management Association and students enrolled in the Guard Tower Reconstruction course, offered as a Spring Break Workshop through Boise State University. Boise State Construction Management is an official partner of the National Park Service: Minidoka National Historic Site.
The history of the Minidoka War Relocation Center as well as related centers was taught during the first half of the semester. Students were required to read “Farewell to Manzanar” by Jeanne Wakatsuki prior to the first class. Students were also fortunate enough to witness a presentation from Hanako Wakatsuki, a relative of Jeanne Wakatsuki and current employee at the National Park Service at Tule Lake Unit of WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument, one of three Japanese American confinement sites managed by the National Park Service.
The standards for reconstruction designated in Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act have strong guidelines that must be followed. The second half of the semester focused on learning these guidelines and how they relate to the guard tower reconstruction project. A presentation from Don Watts and Tricia Canaday from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) was given on the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Preservation and what constitutes Character Defining Features in a historic structure.
During the last three weeks of the fall semester, students constructed a 1/3rd scale model of the guard tower. Construction of the full scale tower was then undertaken from March 21st through 27th by the Boise State Construction Management Association and students enrolled in the Guard Tower Reconstruction course, offered as a Spring Break Workshop through Boise State University. Boise State Construction Management is an official partner of the National Park Service: Minidoka National Historic Site.