DAPHNE — Al Guarisco is on a mission: The Daphne native plans to re-establish the Baldwin County Historical Society.

Baldwin County residents established the organization in 1923. But recently, participation and interest have dwindled, Guarisco said, adding he wants to build interest in the society to reactivate it.

“We want to inform and make the public aware that we have many historic sites in Daphne and throughout Baldwin County,” he said.

“It’s important for the community to keep it going because this area is rich in history,” society member Joan White Crowder said.

Daphne’s historic sites include the Old Methodist Church Museum, built in 1876, and Jackson’s Oak at Village Point Park Preserve, where it is said that Gen. Andrew Jackson rallied 3,000 American troops during the War of 1812.

Awareness of such landmarks is crucial for their preservation, Crowder said.

“If you go into a new place and don’t have the history behind it, those places disappear from the map,” she said.

Two efforts to boost historical interest include public presentations and the publication of literary works with local roots, Guarisco said.

Also, the society hopes to circulate the Quarterly — a publication that tells of Baldwin’s founding history and families — to the general public, Guarisco said.

“We would also gather county archives and artifacts to tie everything together,” he said.

The society may use area museums as a homebase for such efforts. The organization could coordinate presentations with ongoing exhibits, Guarisco said.

The society may also seek to get children involved, by re-establishing a historical society at middle schools and high schools.

Such programs were once part of local school life, according to society member Doris Allegri.

Under the program, students could take field trips to prominent sites within the county, Guarisco said.

As part of its outreach to schools, he said the society may offer scholarships to college students studying history.

Ralph Veller and Crowder will serve as initial officers of the revived organization.

Becky Holliday, education coordinator of the Baldwin County Heritage Museum at Elberta, and Jo Ann Flirt, director of Historic Blakeley State Park in Spanish Fort, will share the tasks of publications and publicity.

Harriet Outlaw, a retired Baldwin County public school teacher, also will help with membership efforts and heading up programs, according to a news release.

Membership dues for the revived, non-profit Baldwin County Historic Society will be $25 for individuals or $35 for families, according to a news release.

Members will be invited to special historical programs, free of admission, and will receive members’ discounts on the purchase of the organization’s publications.

To join the society or for more information, call Guarisco at 626-2729.