Great Hall Interior

The interior of the reconstruction of the Great Hall; Grand Portage National Monument, on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota.

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Why Reconstructed Places Have Gone Out of Fashion

One of the problems with historical landmark reconstruction is the gaps in the information. The folks who built and decorated the Great Hall at Grand Portage likely had some drawings and other documentation, but those typically leave out essential details. These museums are generally a cross between things which are clearly known, things which are believed to be typical, and the occasional WAG. I don't know the exact mix, here; on the whole, the place is convincing. But I've spent enough time researching easier subjects to know the limitations of historical research.

Then there are pedagogical issues. The present display includes table settings, trade goods, maps, and furs; this is more to give the enactors who inhabit the place something to point at as they explain things than any pretense of historical accuracy. That is to say, I'm sure the display is "accurate" at some level, but I'm also quite certain that when the trading headquarters was active you'd never find the place looking even vaguely like this photo shows.

Nonetheless, I love the place. Perhaps in a decade or so I'll find my way there yet again.