Rebuilding Historical Foundations

By Brad McBrayer

Published in the March/April 08 issue of Christian Living Magazine. Used with permission.

www.christianlivingmag.com

A time capsule has opened in Roswell, Georgia. Rising out of the earth and nestled in a corner, 19th-century buildings with Italianate architecture, handmade brick and mahogany store fronts are cut out of time. Hidden behind the pharmacy chain and the commercial bank lays a home for true Americana. The Circa History Guild is more than a museum, more than parchment papers and minted coins. It's a passion for Founder, John T. (JT) Adams. It's an avenue through which he hopes to remind citizens that history is instructive. It's a mission to help return Americans to their moral foundation and to strengthen families.

Revealing History

If given a chance, Bill Potter, the chief historian, will walk visitors through an oral time machine. Whether detailing the childhood struggles of Andrew Jackson or discussing the Gettysburg battlefield, Bill is a walking repository of United States history. His experience, coupled with JT's unique acquisitions, give Circa a convincing platform from which to encourage visitors to consider their legacy---their heritage. The collection of memorabilia is vast, yet the desire is that the History Guild will be more than just a display case. "We're trying to disseminate historical knowledge to the masses and rekindle the American spirit," JT says. "We're trying to remind everybody what it means to be an American and how extraordinary and miraculous the founding of this country was." JT and Bill want the experience to be more than a visual representation of an ancient era. They want guests to feel the texture in the lives of our forefathers. Kids should see words on a scroll and realize their meaning. As JT says, "That the tenets of the Declaration of Independence are rooted in God the Creator, something larger than themselves." JT adds, "I want to tell the stories of World War II, Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. I want to remind children and adults alike that there's something to be proud of and something to remember." The Circa History Guild connects us to our past: George Washington's signature in a diary; Confederate money carried from the Appomattox Courthouse by one of Robert E. Lee's staff officers; the U.S. patent book featuring Abraham Lincoln's invention. These relics are rich with significance; but it's the lives and stories behind them that pave the path to moral ground.

Revealing HIS Story

JT Adams is more than a history buff. He's a man devoted to the endowment of our past. His love of history began in the third grade when he learned how to "authenticate" his project on the Declaration of Independence. Using lemon juice and an open flame, he turned the paper into a parchment-like document. Young JT was hooked making history as a child. Admittedly, adulthood fractured his interest. He became, in his own words, "chronologically narcissistic like so many others. Only worried about yourself... letting the world just swirl around you." Then came the tragedy of September 11, 2001. He was in Vietnam, adopting his son, when the attack occurred, but his country's history recaptured him from a world away. "9/11 reminded me," he says, "how it could all be taken from us in a moment." In the aftermath he read this patriotic quote... "The terrorists don't understand. We don't live in America. America lives in us." "That thought stays with me always," he says. "It reminds me that the story of America needs to be told again and again." To that end, JT has literally made it his business to perpetuate the legacy of America. In 2005, John Adams, Inc. established Lodestone Development, which specializes in historically inspired construction such as the Ellard Mercantile Exchange, home of the Circa History Guild. Next year, it will open a replica of Monticello as new facilities for the Alpharetta Methodist Christian Academy. Another division of his corporation is the Lyceum Company, a "knowledge and entertainment" arm that will produce original material for historical understanding. There's no limit to which JT will go to change the future through the course of history. Perry Mason, the General Manager of Lyceum, says, "JT is a walk and talk kind of person. His vision is big, and it's for all the right reasons." Bill adds that working with JT Adams "is like drinking from a fire hose with... the fruitfulness of ideas in communicating history."

Everyone's Story is Relevant

While attention to American history is prevalent throughout his ventures, JT really wants citizens to pass on their family's stories. He believes "everyone's history is important. Even if they think it's irrelevant, it's actually a part of the American story. That's what we're trying to do; to have people sit down at the Thanksgiving table and ask their grandmother about her life and how she struggled through the Great Depression." He notes that "most people couldn't even say two sentences about their great-grandfathers, even if they know their names. Those people are relevant, whether they worked in a cotton mill in Savannah, Georgia or were a cook on the Oregon Trail. Their stories need to be told." Imagine the near future. Another time capsule is opening. Great grandchildren are searching for their heritage. JT and his staff at Circa pray that today's citizens are leaving behind evidence of their family's faith and our country's dignity. They hope that we will join them in making history.