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A living look at Manzanar life |
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Thursday, 04 February 2010 |
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By Mike Bodine
Register Staff
2-4-2010 There will be some new additions to the Manzanar National Historic Site that will give visitors a taste of what life was really like for Japanese-Americans at the former internment camp.
Ground breaking on two demonstration barracks will happen Saturday, Feb. 13. These barracks will be built using the original blueprints, Alisa Lynch, public information officer for the site, said Tuesday.
The idea of the barracks is to show how people lived at the camp and how they adapted to the environment over the years.
Lynch explained that even former internees gave input on the project, to make it as true and accurate a representation as possible.
The Manzanar War Relocation Center confined more than 10,000 Japanese Americans in 36 blocks between 1942-45. Each of these blocks contained 14 barracks, a kitchen and mess hall, a recreation building, latrines, and laundry and ironing rooms.
Barracks 1 and 8 of Block 14 will be reconstructed. Barrack 1 will represent life when the camp first opened in 1942 and Barrack 8 will be a representation of what life was like 1945.  The Manzanar War Relocation Center as seen during World War II. The center, now a national historic site, will be rebuilding some of the barracks as demonstrational props to show visitors what life was like for the more than 10,000 Japanese-American interned their between 1942-45. Photo by Ansel Adams
The design of the interior has yet to be done Lynch explained. She said the staff are currently busy trying to finish the interior on the restored World War II mess hall that was moved to the site from the Bishop Airport in 2002.
Lynch said she hopes former internees will give input into the interior design as well.
According to a press release, in 1997 the National Park Service approved the development of Block 14 and in fiscal years 2009-10, Congress approved funding, proposed by Senator Diane Feinstein, for reconstructing Barracks 1 and 8 on Block 14.
The ground breaking event begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Manzanar History Association will provide light refreshments in the mess hall following the event. Later that day, the NPS is inviting former internees to gather informally in the Interpretive Center to share their memories and experiences.
The events are free and open to the public. Manzanar National Historic Site is located along U.S. 395, six miles south of Independence, and nine miles north of Lone Pine. For more information, go to www.nps.gov/manz or call (760) 878-2194.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 18 February 2010 )
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