The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, is expanding its sponsorship of the annual “Within These Walls” exhibit at the National Museum of American History, the organization recently announced. NAR will be the exclusive sponsor of the exhibit from September 2018 through 2030. The exhibit chronicles the story of one home and five families whose lives intersected with American history at different crossroads.
“Real estate is more than just a structure; it’s a home,” says Bob Goldberg, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing at NAR. “The stories of the occupants are what makes a house a home. We were particularly intrigued by this home as it provided an opportunity for NAR to share the importance of homeownership through the stories of the five families who called this structure home.”
The exhibit is built around a 250-year-old, two-story house from Ipswich, Mass.—the largest artifact in the National Museum of American History. In the early 1960s, the Ipswich House was saved from demolition by a handful of local citizens. Smithsonian staff took the house apart piece by piece, transported it, and reassembled it inside the National Museum of American History on the National Mall.
The exhibit will continue to be expanded and updated with new stories. In 2018, the museum will install a new artifact case to feature objects marking the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, which was signed in April 1968 to protect the buyer or renter of a dwelling from seller or landlord discrimination. Other future enhancements to the exhibition include experiences to further engage younger visitors in piecing together exhibit stories and the ways enslaved people staked their claim to liberty, as well as additional interactives throughout the exhibition.
For more information, please visit www.nar.realtor.
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