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The National Archives at New York City has always been off the beaten path, hidden in an obscure, cramped lower Manhattan office with no sign to publicize its reams of historical documents.
Starting later this month, its records - which bring history to a personal level - will be available in a large public space in the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House built in the early 1900s on Bowling Green.
"This is going to put us in the spotlight," said Dorothy Dougherty, the public programs director, whose passion for history started when she was an interpreter at the Old Bethpage Village Restoration.
To inaugurate the new home of the archives, an exhibit is planned: "The World's Port," which will display 17th century to 20th century documents, photographs and drawings highlighting New York Harbor's shipping industry in...