Introduction to Oakley Cabin AR Experience
Montgomery Parks is proud to announce that its Oakley Cabin Augmented Reality (AR) experience has been recognized for Excellence in Preservation Partnerships by the Maryland Historical Trust. This modern project is a results of a partnership between Montgomery Parks, Montgomery County Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions (TEBS), and the University of Maryland Historic Preservation Program (UMD).
What is Oakley Cabin?
Oakley Cabin African American Museum and Park is a living history museum positioned on Brookeville Road in Olney. The cabin is considered one of three originally built in the course of the nineteenth century and could have been home to enslaved laborers from the encircling Oakley Farm. After Emancipation, it became the middle of a community of free Black families who worked mostly as farm laborers, laundresses, and tradespeople.
The AR Experience
The AR experience enables visitors to make use of a mobile device to scan QR codes that provide audio narratives with details concerning the community and virtual renderings of the Oakley Cabin interior and surrounding grounds. Visitors may use their phones to interact with 3-D models and objects that will have historically been found at the positioning. The AR experience is on the market in seven languages and is open year-round to visitors.
Partnership and Development
The partnership between Montgomery Parks, TEBS, and UMD has been instrumental in developing the AR experience. Each partner played a novel role, with Montgomery Parks contributing interpretations based on years of historical and archaeological research, TEBS overseeing the technology and integration of information into an AR format, and UMD providing high-level documentation through laser scanning and 3-D modeling.
Community Impact
The AR experience complements live interpretive programming already going down at Oakley Cabin. Docent-led tours offer the general public and college groups a take a look at the culture and traditions of the Oakley community, which heavily influenced its surrounding communities. Oakley Cabin is open the second and fourth Saturdays of the month from April through October.
Quotes from Key Figures
"The partnership between our three organizations harnesses technology to counterpoint the general public’s understanding of history," said Cassandra Michaud, Montgomery Parks cultural resources stewardship supervisor. "We plan to develop future projects that serve to document these critical histories and expand public access to cultural heritage." County Executive Marc Elrich added, "We’ve taken a historic site like Oakley Cabin and made it more accessible to people through the use of modern tools that help bring the past to life."
About Montgomery Parks
Montgomery Parks manages greater than 37,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 415 parks. Montgomery Parks is targeted on promoting physical activity, social connectivity, and environmental stewardship, especially in diverse and urbanizing areas, with an emphasis on teens, working-age adults, and seniors.
Accessibility
Montgomery Parks encourages and supports the participation of people with disabilities. Please contact the Program Access Office at 301-495-2581 (Voice/TTY), MD Relay 7-1-1 or 800-552-7724, or ProgramAccess@MontgomeryParks.org to request a disability modification.
Conclusion
The Oakley Cabin AR experience is a groundbreaking project that showcases the facility of technology in preserving and sharing history. By providing an immersive and interactive experience, visitors can gain a deeper understanding of the Oakley community and its significance in American history. This project serves as a model for future collaborations between organizations and highlights the importance of preserving our cultural heritage for future generations.
