McFaddin-Ward House Welcomes New Registrar/Assistant Curator
Beaumont, TX; Jan. 23, 2024 – The McFaddin-Ward House welcomes Beaumont native Katherine McAtee as the museum’s new registrar and assistant curator.
McAtee will assist McFaddin-Ward House Curator of Collections Victoria Tamez with a variety of curatorial work, including cataloguing of McFaddin-Ward collections in accordance with standard museum practices, conservation of artifacts, care of historical archival photo and negative collection, and object photography. McAtee will also be responsible for maintaining inventory of exhibited as well as stored artifacts, maintaining accurate records pertaining to collection items, and assisting in curatorial activities such as exhibit planning and execution, public programs, and interpreter training.
“We’re excited to have Katherine joining our curatorial team at the McFaddin-Ward House,” Tamez said. “This week, we are working to redress the house with the conclusion of our holiday interpretation, so it is a great time for her to get hands-on experience working with objects.”
McAtee graduated from the University of Alabama in the fall of 2023, earning a bachelor’s degree in history with a focus on the American South. While pursuing her degree, she worked for Historic Tuscaloosa, serving as a docent for three of the organization’s historic sites, including two historic homes and a historic inn. McAtee gained additional experience and developed a “deep admiration” for the collections and curatorial departments of historic homes during a summer internship with the Beaumont Heritage Society.
“I loved getting to work inside the beautiful homes Historic Tuscaloosa owns and maintains and meeting new people, making connections, and sharing excitement with people about the homes,” McAtee said. “When I interned for Beaumont Heritage Society, they were moving into a brand-new collections building, and I was so fortunate to be there and witness that. I really enjoyed seeing how a collections space was built and designed with the home’s collection in mind.”
As a Southeast Texas native and graduate of All Saints Episcopal School and Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School in Beaumont, McAtee says she has grown up admiring the McFaddin-Ward House and is looking forward to learning more about the house and the history of the McFaddin and Ward families.
“It was sort of bizarre walking through the house when I got the job and remembering moments of my childhood that I spent there,” McAtee said. “I can remember the warm feeling that visiting the house and seeing the employees’ joy and excitement gave me, so to come back 15 years later and be a part of that magic is something I do not take for granted for a second. I am so unbelievably grateful to be working for such an amazing organization and cannot wait to see what the future holds.”
Built in 1905-1906 in the distinctive Beaux-Arts Colonial style, the McFaddin-Ward House reflects the lifestyle of the prominent family which lived in the house for 75 years. The museum features free tours, educational programming, year-round events, a carriage house, and gardens.
For more information, call 409-832-2134 or visit mcfaddin-ward.org.
