HAER is an acronym for the Historic American Engineering Record, a program administered by the National Park Service, developed to document significant engineering and industrial heritage across the United States. HAER focuses on capturing the history and visual documentation of American engineering achievements of various scales and types, including bridges, tunnels, dams, canals, highways, and historic industrial sites.
The primary objective of HAER is to create a comprehensive and authoritative record of these engineering structures and landscapes through high-quality measured drawings, written histories, and large-format photographs. These documents serve as a valuable resource for researchers, historians, engineers, and preservation professionals in understanding the engineering techniques, materials, and design concepts employed in the construction of these structures.
HAER records not only the physical attributes of the sites but also the context in which they were built, providing insights into the socio-economic factors, technological innovations, and cultural significance associated with each. The data collected by HAER teams include architectural plans, elevation and detail drawings, photographs, written histories, and oral interviews with individuals involved in the creation or operation of the engineering works.
The HAER collection is housed in the Library of Congress and is accessible to the public. Through its comprehensive documentation efforts, HAER aims to foster an appreciation for the nation's engineering heritage and to aid in the preservation and interpretation of these historically significant sites for future generations.
