Riders and Romances

This spring, as the Amherst Historical Commission put forward a request for Community Preservation Act funds for the restoration of paintings hanging in the Jones Library (still need to post about that), it occurred to me that most residents had at best a dim awareness that we owned an art collection. In preparation for any questions in Town Meeting, I took a stroll through the building in order to re-familiarize myself with the location of each work of art.

Lo and behold, I came across one of the canvases—Paul Dominique's late 19th-century "Arabs Mounted in Battle"—hanging over: the romance collection.

I'll bet that even some of the more dedicated lovers of this beloved institution didn't know that we owned this one, much less, where to find it. And beneath the venerable painting, we find such alluring titles as One Fine Cowboy: He's got a way with horses. . . and with women . . . .

What's the connection (besides physical proximity—and studs on stallions)? Actually, maybe more than you think.


Read the rest on the book blog:  Gotta Love Those Romance Titles (or: the price of freedom is eternal kitsch).

29 January 1963: Death of Robert Frost (and a reminder about his presence in western Massachusetts)

The Mass Moments post for today discusses his career as a whole, in a narrative arc that moves from early literary struggles and disappointment to triumph and canonization.As it puts it, "success was a long time in coming" to the man who eventually became "the most popular and renowned American poet of the twentieth century." He was very much of our region but inspired and nourished rather than limited by it:

The sounds he expressed in his poetry were the cadences and rhythms of New Englanders' everyday speech. Frost found his poetic voice listening to, and then writing about, the working people of New England. But Robert Frost was not a regional poet. As one reviewer put it, Frost was to New England as Dante was to Florence: an artist able to express universal themes in local stories.

and

Frost credited his success to the simplicity of both the subject and style of his poems. He liked to write about the everyday objects and landscapes of New England. Frost's style drew from the artless cadences and sounds of New Englanders' speech. He liked to "speak" his poetry to audiences, to draw attention to the artistry in the sound of the human voice. "The ear does it," he wrote; "the ear is the only true writer and the only true reader."

The geographical tag for this entry somewhat peculiarly says, "This Mass Moment occurred in the Northeast region of Massachusetts."Uh, not quite. Today's Moment refers to his death. Frost, who was born in San Francisco,  died in Boston (for Mass Moments, that would be "the Greater Boston region").Presumably, the entry lists "northeast" region because of the decisive role of Frost's youth in Lawrence. Although he briefly attended Dartmouth College, he never completed his studies there (which didn't prevent him from getting two honorary doctorates there later; evidently, there is hope for everyone). Instead (as the entry puts it), he recalled, "My year and a half of the [Lawrence] district school, and my four years in the Lawrence High School were the heart of my education.They suited me perfectly."

Given that the entry bases its geographical tag on a crucial phase of Frost's life rather than the place of his death, one could make a far better argument for western Massachusetts. In between his adolescence and his death, he spent much time in New Hampshire and Vermont (where he is buried), and of course, also in Amherst.He taught at Amherst College in 1916–20, 1923–24, and again, 1927–1938. Frost is among the figures depicted on the Amherst Community History Mural in the historic 1730 West Cemetery, created in 2005 by David Fichter under the auspices of the Historical Commission.In 2009, in conjunction with its 250th anniversary celebrations, Amherst undertook further steps to celebrate Frost's presence here. In the spring, Town Meeting voted to allocate Community Preservation Act funds for the Historical Commission's "Writer's Walk", a series of markers at the homes of literary figures, among them, the house at 43 Sunset Avenue, where Frost lived from 1931 to 1938. The request for proposals for fabrication of the signs is now in preparation.

It was in 1938 that Frost's beloved wife, Elinor, died of a heart attack in Florida ("Together Wing to Wing and Oar to Oar," reads the inscription on the gravestone). Frost subsequently moved to Boston and acquired his now-famous summer home in Ripton, Vermont, but the connection to Amherst did not end then.

In the fall of 2009, Friends of LIbraries USA (FOLUSA) honored the Jones Library with a plaque for its work in preserving the legacy of Frost.  The collection, which now includes some 12,000 items, was unusual in that it began in Frost's own lifetime, and enjoyed his cooperation. As the finding aid puts it,

This collection represents not just Frost's life as a professional poet, but also his life as a public figure. In particular, the collection documents Frost's nearly lifelong connection with the town of Amherst both as a professor at Amherst College and as a part-time resident.

Even at the end of his life, the connection was strong, in retrospect tinged with tragedy and symbolism.  As Mass Moments puts it:

In 1961 an aging Robert Frost braved the frigid weather to read a poem at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy. He died in Boston on January 29, 1963. At the memorial service at Amherst College, over 700 guests listened to readings of Frost's poetry. Later that year, President Kennedy paid tribute to the poet at the groundbreaking for the Robert Frost Library at Amherst College. Frost had achieved his often-stated ambition of "lodging a few poems where they can't be gotten rid of easily."

The speech was far more than a perfunctory one, for, taking Frost as an example, it called for "full recognition of the place of the artist in society."  That was on October 26.  Less than a month later, Kennedy himself was killed in Dallas. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson created the National Endowment for the Arts.

One further connection to literary sites:  In 1940, Frost bought a South Miami farm, which he named, "Pencil Pines," and began to winter there.  As noted in a recent post, he was also among the prominent writers who visited fellow author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings in her North Florida home at Cross Creek.

the guest bedroom at Cross Creek

bookshelf, displaying works by authors who stayed in the guest room: among them, Frost's Complete Poems

During these New England winters—and especially, the unusually snowy one we are having this year—a Florida refuge surrounded by an orange grove sounds pretty good.  But then again, who would want to be deprived of "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening," which Frost himself called "my best bid for remembrance"?

Last Service at Historic North Amherst Church (preliminary report)

Christmas Eve:  The historic 1826 North Amherst Church held its final service tonight.

parishioners and well-wishers leave the sanctuary

 I'll have a more detailed report soon, but reporters from WWLP Channel 22 in Springfield were there,

and interviewed attendees before and after the service for this segment.

Tevis Kimball new acting director of Jones Library

One of the open questions at the retirement celebration in honor of outgoing Jones Library Director Bonnie Isman was that of succession. Although the trustees had agreed to seek an interim director rather than attempt to fill the position permanently on short notice, that plan ran into a roadblock when two of the candidates dropped out, apparently because they concluded it was too difficult to relocate for a temporary position.

Writing in the Republican, Diane Lederman reports on the solution:

AMHERST - The Jones Library Board of Trustees has appointed Tevis Kimball, curator of special collections at the library, as acting director until a permanent director is found.

Long-time director Library Director Bonnie J. Isman left Dec. 10 after 30 years. The trustees had planned to interview two candidates for the interim position but both withdrew their names. They had hoped to have hired an interim director before Isman departed.

Kimball will spend about one fifth of her time in special collections and the remainder as director, said library trustee Christopher J. Hoffmann. (read the rest)

Larry Kelley actually ran the story on his blog four days ago, when the announcement came out. His piece moreover includes the text of a statement by Kimball.

I've worked with Tevis on historic preservation issues:  a joint project of the Historical Commission and Library is an ongoing document conservation and digitization program, supported with Community Preservation Act funds. She has also been a great help to my classes as I introduce students to historic preservation, local history, and archival research.

Tevis Kimball showing a 19th-century newspaper to my historic preservation class

 An interview that ran in the Amherst Bulletin in 2007 provides an overview of Tevis's interests and the work of Special Collections.


Recent reports

Larry Kelley, "Jones Library has a new (acting) director," Only in the Republic of Amherst, 14 December
Diane Lederman, "Tevis Kimball named acting director of Jones Library in Amherst," Springfield Republican, 18 December

Related articles

• Library director bid goodbye - MassLive.com (masslive.com)
• Amherst Bulletin | After 30 years at the helm, Bonnie Isman says goodbye to The Jones Library (amherstbulletin.com)
• In Our Opinion: A librarian's legacy | GazetteNET (gazettenet.com)

Hawthorne Farm Project: Secure Against the Natural Elements and Criminal Elements—But Not Public Criticism

I had to miss the public forum on the Hawthorne Farm project last week because I was attending the Garrison Keillor benefit performance for the Emily Dickinson Museum (coverage of that event to follow in a separate post).  I'll have more to say about Hawthorne as I recap some of Amherst's recent historic preservation controversies in the coming weeks.

In a nutshell, though, the story is this:  the Town purchased the approximately seven-acre former Hawthorne farm (1, 2) with Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds authorized at spring annual town meeting. The declared purposes were recreation—first and foremost, playing fields—and exploration of the possibility of affordable housing in the former farmhouse. This fall, the Town, having concluded that affordable housing in the existing structure was not an economically viable option, took out a demolition permit on the house and outbuildings, though insisting that this action was to a large degree pro forma, as it had neither specific plans nor the required funds for such an action (not to mention, for construction of new units). The Historical Commission, after a lengthy formal public hearing and equally lengthy subsequent deliberations, imposed a one-year demolition delay on the house and larger barn and asked the Town for firmer figures on the relative costs of adaptive reuse of the structures versus demolition and new construction for affordable housing. The Historical Commission and Fair Housing Committee plan to request CPA money to fund such a study at next spring's town meeting.  There the matter rests.

The demolition delay hearing revealed two areas of deep concern on the part of residents—abutters, in particular:  dismay at the prospect that the familiar buildings might be demolished, and more generally, a feeling that the public had not been adequately apprised of plans for the property (Town staff reject the latter assertion). The situation was complicated by the fact that the Town had promised an open forum on uses of the property, but for a variety of reasons (interpretations also differ), no such action took place prior to the demolition delay hearing.

The scope of the Historical Commission hearing was limited to the disposition of the structures, so last week's gathering, by contrast, was the first occasion for more wide-ranging debate between citizens and representatives of the Town.  (Scott Merzbach's article—below—summarizes the points of controversy and some of the key statements.) It raised many of the same issues about the buildings, and about the process. In addition, it provided a forum for those who reject the entire premise of the purchase and wish the land could be used for recreational purposes other than playing fields, or even resurrected as a working farm.

Frankly, I expect that those are non-starters:  the Town explicitly stated that it was acquiring the land for purposes of mainly active recreation though with the possibility of integrating various forms of passive or multigenerational recreation into the overall program.  The Open Space and Recreation Plan articulates the priority for playing fields (see, e.g. Sections 7 C and 8.3, 8.7).  However, the topography and presence of wetlands dictate that considerable areas of the parcel would have to be left open, and they could therefore presumably provide space for, say, walking trails, community gardens, and the like as subsidiary uses.  If the Town were interested primarily in open space or agricultural land, as such, then other parcels would have priority, as dictated by the Plan (e.g. sections 8.1, 8.2).  As for farming, this land has not been in active agricultural use for a good many years, and its soils are apparently not of a sufficient quality to merit protection under the high standards of the Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) policy in any case.

Open Space and Conservation Action Plan: 

Hawthorne Farm is part of Circle 3

One concern on the part of Town staff was that extended custodianship of an empty property might allow it to suffer from deterioration and vandalism.  As the photos below show, the house and barns have recently been secured against the proverbial natural elements and anti-social elements.  As the forum at the Bangs Center shows, the project is still anything but impervious to criticism. Another public forum is tentatively scheduled for January.

the circa 1780-1830s farmhouse

the circa 1890 barn

the 1967 horse barn

* * *

Press

Scott Merzbach, "Some say soccer fields are a poor use of Hawthorne property," Amherst Bulletin, 17 December

Hawthorne Farmhouse: Opening Up to the Public Process, Buttoning Up Against the Elements and Unwanted Visitors

As recently noted, the Historical Commission imposed a demolition delay on the circa 1790-1830 house on the Hawthorne farm (235 East Pleasant St.), which the Town of Amherst acquired for purposes of recreation and affordable housing.  Now that this review process is complete, the Town is about to undertake the long-awaited public input process, to determine specific preferences and possibilities for the use of the property.

The first step will be an opportunity for the public to tour the land and buildings with Town staff, at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, 6 November.  Traffic on East Pleasant St. is heavy and parking limited, so participants are instructed to assemble in the nearby Wildwood School parking lot.

Because it will take quite some time to develop a detailed plan for the property, the Town's first concern is to secure the structure against vandalism or other inappropriate activity.

A broken window represents the problem.

broken pane on the ground floor, to right of entrance porch

 Plywood sheets leaning against the barn represent the solution.

plywood sheets at the ready near the circa 1890 barn

I myself have a scheduling conflict and will be unable to take part in the walk-through, but I've already seen the property on a Historical Commission site visit preparatory to the demolition delay hearing.  I would, however, be very interested to learn of the reactions of any residents who do take part.

The next major step in the input process will be a public forum at Town Hall: Thursday, December 9, Town Hall, First Floor Meeting Room, 7:00 p.m.

Well, where are you? Celebrating Noah Webster's Birthday and Searching for Remains of His Property

Noah Webster (rear)

October 16 marks the birthday of Noah Webster (left, background; 1758-1843).  The big celebrations were in 2008, on the 250th anniversary of that occasion, and it's worth reminding ourselves now, as we did then, that he has strong connections to Amherst as well as the Hartford and New Haven regions.

Webster's residency in Amherst from 1812 to 1822 is best and justly associated with his lexicographical and pedagogical legacy. He worked here on the famous 1828 dictionary (one manuscript entry is preserved in the Jones Library Special Collections) and played a crucial role in the founding of both Amherst Academy and Amherst College, The connections don't end there.  One of his partners in the creation of the College was Samuel Fowler Dickinson.  In 1844, the latter's eldest son, Edward (left, foreground),  who had served as the College's Treasurer from 1835 to 1837, purchased a new reprint of the 1841 edition of the dictionary, published in Amherst by J. S. and C. Adams for the family library (that copy is preserved in the Houghton Library at Harvard).  It was, by the standards of the time, an expensive acquisition.  It was also much appreciated.  His daughter, Emily, more than once described it as her only or sole "companion."  According to her niece, Martha Dickinson Bianchi, the poet read it as "a priest his breviary." Scholars have in the meantime come to see it as crucial to an understanding of Dickinson's poetry, and especially, any attempts at translation.

Still, as I noted in my 250th anniversary post, Webster was also involved with his local and Massachusetts surroundings through agricultural, scientific, and political pursuits.  I alluded there to his extensive, 12-acre farm in what is now the center of town, and to anecdotal and archaeological evidence for the site of a well on his property. I thought I would therefore add a few more details on those excavations, which took place 12 years ago this week (Oct. 21-27, 1998)—all the more appropriately because this is Archaeology Month.

The University of Massachusetts Archaeological Services (UMAS) undertook that survey in conjunction with preliminary plans for the Boltwood Walk Parking Garage.  (Nice coincidence:  Only when I read the original report for the first time several years ago did I realize that friend and fellow cultural historian and blogger Jan Whitaker did the editorial work on the document. Check out her award-winning writing on food and restaurant culture.)

The story is actually fairly simple, but the evidence is ambiguous (not uncommon in such preservation cases). We know that Webster lived at this site, the former "Phoenix Row"—now on Main Street, in the area of the "Amherst Block" (the late nineteenth-century multi-unit structures were called "blocks" and given names: thus, "Cook's Block," "Carpenter Block," etc.). The Lincoln Building (below) occupies approximately the site of the former Amherst Block.

Because the area was the site of periodic demolition and renewal, any visible trace of Webster's home vanished long ago. Writing in the local newspaper in 1962, however, local historian Lincoln Barnes recalled seeing a surviving fragment amidst the remnants of an 1880s building:

When this building was torn down (in the early 1940s, but really in 1938) . . . the ancient well which was used by the Noah Webster family was uncovered . . . . (arrow in photo shows location of well)

It therefore became a prime target of the archaeological investigation.  "Trench #1" explored the site of that late nineteenth-century "industrial structure" "known as Carpenter's Hall or the Carpenter Block (earlier known as the Amherst Record Printing office, a tin/stove shop, and Red Men's Hall)."  The excavations uncovered the expected 1882 foundations and layers of fill from the later nineteenth and twentieth centuries.  In addition, however,

Within the eastern half of the foundation a well was identified (Feature 2).  The well consisted of a circular shaft, lined with brick, extending below the concrete floor.  Above the concrete floor, a semi-circle of brick remains, approximately 2 ft in height.  One side of the well was apparently removed in order to cover it with concrete, leaving an opening only for a small pipe, which extends vertically out of the well, and runs to the north to the exterior cistern.  A jackhammer was used to remove the concrete floor and observe the well below.  The well had been filled prior to covering it with concrete.

The layers of historic fill from Strata 14 and 15, from the exterior and interior of the structure, respectively, contained promising traces of early ceramics—1 fragment each of tin-glazed earthenware (Delftware;1640-1800), 6 sherds each of creamware (1762-1820) and pearlware (1780-1840)—but because they were found in association with later items, the best one could do was to date these fill levels to the nineteenth century.

Unfortunately, the photograph of the well itself that Barnes claims to have taken cannot be located.  He did not mention the location in a cellar (though this does not rule out the more recently excavated site as identical, for this would have fit the practice of the day). More curious, perhaps, the well appears on none of the historic maps (including the famous Sanborn fire insurance maps so valuable to historians and preservationists, nor even on the detailed sketch of the farm that one of Webster's daughters left behind.

 The mystery thus remains.  As the archaeological report puts it,

If the well found in the archaeological trench was not the well observed by Barnes, this raises the possibility that another well may lie on the property.  However, beyond the reference by Barnes, no other documentation of any wells known to exist. The well is not recorded on a nineteenth-century map of the Noah Webster property made by one of his children, even though other outbuildings are recorded (Figure 6).  Nor is the well detailed on any of the Sanborn fire insurance maps, or any other historic maps that have been found to date.

With the underground garage now in place and the plaza paved, it seems unlikely that we will get a chance to explore any alternative sites anytime soon. That's one of the prices of change.

In any event, we do know for certain that Webster's farm occupied this entire area.  So, next time you station your car in the parking lot and visit one of the many restaurants that border it, pause for a moment to remember that it was from the ground under your feet that Noah Webster derived at least some of his food and drink.

The Historical Commission wants to make sure that no one forgets.  In 2005, we commemorated Webster's significance for the town on the community history mural created by artist David Fichter in the historic West Cemetery (the image at the top of this page, from the education panel of the painting).  In 2009, on the occasion of the town's 250th anniversary, Town Meeting appropriated Community Preservation Act funds for our Amherst Writer's Walk project, markers to be placed at the residences of the town's major authors, among them, Webster.  The request for proposals for fabrication of the markers is now in the works, and with any luck, the Writer's Walk will become a reality sometime next year.

Jones Library Special Collections: one of my students enthusiastically researching Noah Webster for the Amherst Historical Commission's "Writer's Walk" project in 2008.  She is holding a copy of the 1844 Amherst edition of the dictionary, published by J S. and C. Adams.

In the meantime, don't forget that it's archaeology month.  Webster's famous 1828 dictionary defined the term as

ARCHEOL'OGY, n. [Gr. ancient, and discourse.]

    A discourse an antiquity; learning or knowledge which respects ancient times.

It's a definition that could apply to historic preservation—and good advice for us all.




Resources


• Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary
• September 24, 1847: "First 'Merriam-Webster Dictonary' Published in Springfield (from Mass Moments)
• Joshua Kendall, "Poets and Their Passion for Lexicographers: Plath and Roget, Dickinson and Webster" (from Psychology Today, 26 October)

Related articles

• Merriam-Webster's 2010 Words of Summer (boston.com)
• The Complexity of Archeology (socyberty.com)
• Archaeological Stratigraphy Conference, Sweden, February 2011 [Aardvarchaeology] (scienceblogs.com)
• Poets and Their Passion for Lexicographers: Plath and Roget, Dickinson and Webster (psychologytoday.com)

{updated image}

The "Gazette" on the Historical Commission: Demolition Delay Imposed on House and Barn Wins Praise from Public

 "Year-long demolition delay placed on 19th-century Amherst farmhouse, barn,"  Scott Merzbach reports in Saturday's Gazette, on the recent Historical Commission proceedings involving the Hawthorne property, acquired by the town for purposes of creating recreational spaces and affordable housing. Scott takes his characteristic pains to capture some of the subtleties and details of our decisions within the context of a brief article.  He notes both the town's promises of flexibility, and public skepticism over the planning process to date.  He concludes with praise for the Historical Commission from concerned members of the Community Preservation Act Committee (CPAC):

The letter, signed by Vince O'Connor and Mary Streeter, both members of the CPA Committee, and Denise Barberet and Ellen Kosmer [NOTE: Ellen is likewise a member, and Denise, a former member; JW], reads, "We urge the commission to continue to push staff to get off of their laurels and go beyond their initial assessments of the Hawthorne house by investigating creative sources of funding and innovative partnerships and community involvement that could make rehabilitation and reuse of the house economically feasible, and to be open, responsive, and respectful of both public participation in the process and of committee input."

I haven't actually seen the letter myself (I assume it went directly to Town Hall and that I will therefore receive it by the time of our next meeting). The goal of finding projects that combine historic preservation and affordable housing has, however, been one of the top desiderata that we share with our colleagues on CPAC, about which we have had many and cordial conversations. The trick, of course, is getting all the details to line up: finding the site that is both intrinsically appropriate (proximity to to infrastructure and services) and yet financially viable can, as we have repeatedly found, be maddeningly difficult. It therefore seemed particularly worth pursuing in this case, if only to put the lingering doubts to rest.

As noted earlier, now that the procedures are completed, I will be able to offer a full account of the deliberations and rationale, which help to explain our actions in the cases under consideration as well as the underlying rationale of preservation policy, which is an ever-changing mix of general principles—in our case, guided by the Amherst Preservation Plan and Master Plan—and the contingent conditions deriving from the site in question.

For the moment, just two points and one announcement:

1. From the standpoint of the Commission, at least, this was not in any way an adversarial process.  Although some earlier public comments from the former Town Manager unfortunately suggested that the Town was planning to act precipitously, subsequent public and private statements from both Director of Conservation and Development David Ziomek and Town Manager John Musante made clear that the Town lacked the desire, plans, and funds for action anytime soon.  Both officials therefore affirmed that they would gladly accommodate themselves to whatever decision the Historical Commission might take.
2. Even though the Town indicated that it was in no hurry to demolish, the Commission felt that imposing a delay that could be lifted if conditions were met represented the best means of satisfying our mutual interests and reassuring a skeptical public that felt its wishes and concerns had not been heard earlier.
3. For a variety of reasons, the public process promised by the Town concerning the property did not take place before the demolition delay hearing. The Town has now announced that it will begin on the morning of November 6 with a site visit for interested residents (see the calendar, above for details).

North Amherst Library Preservation Work Underway as Autumn Begins (and some reflections on maintenance, preservation, and the use of CPA funds)

I’ve always been a big fan of the North Amherst Library, and not just because it’s near my house at the edge of town and I drive past it every day. It is in fact one of the town’s hidden architectural and cultural gems. Founded in 1869 by 45 residents who paid fees to use it, the library was opened to residents in 1873 and incorporated in 1875. After the schoolhouse that held the collections succumbed to fire (a not uncommon fate for Amherst buildings in that era), a combination of private donations and public funding permitted construction of the current building, designed by Roswell F. Putnam of nearby Leverett and and dedicated in 1893. The site thus has the distinction of being home to both the earliest public library and the earliest public library building in town.

With its small but revolving, steadily updated collection and role as an exchange center for loan items from both within and beyond the Amherst libraries, the diminutive structure generates much more use than the casual visitor could possibly imagine. Add to that the dedicated staff and outreach efforts such as story time and the summer reading program, and you can see how it functions as a true multigenerational social hub of the North Amherst village center.

When we first moved to the area, the library was painted a uniform, somewhat-the-worse-for-wear, and unhistorical white. Our stereotypical vision of the New England town probably includes white, clapboarded houses and churches. Nowadays, this passes for simplicity in frugality. What most people probably do not realize is that it wasn’t until about the 1830s that white came into its own. Before that, many buildings were unpainted or used darker colors. (I often ask my students: If you were living in the hinterlands of Colonial western Massachusetts and wanted to make your own paint for a building, how would you do it? They get the point: one would turn first to mineral earths or vegetable dyes; hence the prevalence of reds and browns based on iron oxide. White paint required pigments derived from from chemically treated lead.) As commercial paint preparations came on the market in the later nineteenth century, a proliferation of new colors (many derived from new substances and processes) became more practical as well as fashionable.

An early photograph gives a hint of the library’s variegated hues, and a postcard shows the actual colors.

In 1996-97, the building was repainted in its original colors and the interior restored thanks to a very generous (then-anonymous) gift from William Holland (father of current Jones Library Trustee Chair Pat Holland).

The library is now in the midst of a double makeover.

At the close of last month, at the very end of the warm weather just before the incessant rains hit, workers began cleaning the exterior in preparation for repainting, funded (along with some modest electrical and insulation work on the interior) by $ 12,000 for historic preservation from the Community Preservation Act (CPA) that Town Meeting voted earlier this year.

However, as I pointed out at the time, although the Historical Commission is always pleased to support the needs of our valued libraries, the fact that the structure had not been repainted since the original restoration nearly 15 years ago gave one pause.  Regular touch-up and occasional full repainting are part of normal maintenance, an obligation that falls on owners of Colonial mansions and contemporary ranch houses alike.  Unfortunately, if enough time elapses, deferred maintenance turns into preservation work.  This was the conundrum—greater by several orders of magnitude—that we faced when Town officials first suggested using CPA funds to repair the Town Hall masonry.  Although numerous projects are worthy and could conceivably qualify as historic preservation work in any given year, there is a great temptation, particularly in times of fiscal constraint, to fund as many undertakings as possible outside the regular budget, and CPA cannot become a piggy bank for use on rainy days.  Otherwise, local historical commissions, which have clearly defined mandates under state law, are forced to set aside their own carefully devised priorities and respond instead to external, ad hoc demands.

The key is good strategic planning.  Our Historical Commission works on the basis of a ten-year Preservation Plan.  In the realm of town government as a whole, our new Master Plan furnishes the prime directives.  In addition, the Select Board has in recent years begun to emphasize rational planning and the long-term view, thus avoiding some of the penny-wise and pound-foolish mistakes of the more distant past.  Since I have joined that body, I have been very pleased and encouraged to see how this approach is reflected across the board (no pun intended), from the setting of the Town Manager's performance goals, to the work of the Joint Capital Planning Committee (JCPC), on which I serve—along with two Library Trustees.

Clearly, the Library (like the town itself in the case of Town Hall) in the past simply did not plan ahead, and ironically, the windfall gift of the 1996-97 restoration may have brought about a false complacency and helped to postpone precisely the sort of strategic thinking that was necessary.  One simply cannot do business that way today.

I am gratified to see that the Library is now engaged in applying more sustainable principles in its own domain. Indeed, long-term and strategic planning appears high on the list of the Trustees' priorities (more on that in a later post). The Historical Commission successfully supported additional CPA funding for the preservation of the collections and building of the main Jones Library branch:  $ 40,000 for restoration of the slate roof and $ 75,000 for archival climate control, as well as $ 20,000 for the latest installment in a joint document conservation project involving Jones Library Special Collections and the Town Clek's office.

It was not only CPA funds that were at work on the North Amherst Library.  Over a year ago, the immense and stately beech that had reigned over that landscape succumbed to disease and had to be cut down.  The town planted in its place a Princeton Elm (a new variety derived from one of the few disease-resistant old specimens), donated by Hadley Garden Center. This weekend, volunteers, inspired and guided by Trustee Chair Pat Holland, continued recently begun improvements to the now open triangular lawn on which the library sits, planting shrubs and autumn flowers.

Carpenter and Morehouse, in their History of the Town of Amherst (1896), describe the library as "a neat and ornamental structure." it is becoming such once again, with grounds to match.

Related articles

• Digital Amherst (digitalamherst.org)

Historical Commission Tuesday Night Update

On Tuesday night, the Historical Commission took up several pieces of significant business, most associated with Community Preservation Act appropriations:

• It heard a report from consultant Martha Lyon after which it formally authorized the start of the bid process, in accordance with her recommendations, for restoration of historic nineteenth-century ironwork in West Cemetery:  the ornamental fencing around the Dickinson and Cutler plots, as well as the Town Tomb door.

• It authorized applying for newly available state matching funds for a survey of historic outbuildings.

• In the lengthiest discussion of the evening, it took up the demolition delay requests for historic structures on the Hawthorne property (235 East Pleasant Street), acquired by the town at spring Town Meeting for potential use as recreation and affordable housing.  The Commission found both the Greek Revival farmhouse (c. 1790-1830) and the two barns (one, late nineteenth century, and one, circa mid-twentieth century) to possess historical importance—the house, in 4 categories, the older barn, in 3, and the newer horse barn, in 1—under the terms of our Demolition Delay Bylaw.  However, given the late hour and departure of two Commission members, it tabled a decision on the demolition request until the start of its next meeting on October 19.

• Finally, the Commission reviewed relevant portions of the zoning measures proposed as replacements for the town's old Phased Growth Bylaw, which will appear on the fall Town Meeting warrant.

Details will follow soon.

First Phase in Restoration of Amherst's Civil War Tablets Complete

Scott Merzbach recently published this report on the work of the Historical Commission.  I'll follow up shortly with a posting of my own.

from the Daily Hampshire Gazette:

Civil War plaques restored in Amherst but remain mothballed
By smerzbach
Created 06/04/2010 - 04:00

AMHERST - Restoration is complete of six memorial plaques recognizing more than 300 residents who fought in the Civil War, but how and when these tablets get put back on display remains uncertain.

For close to a decade, town officials and residents have planned to get the large marble plaques, which include the names of black soldiers who were part of the famous 54th Regiment, installed in a public place so residents can once again view them.

Historical Commission Chairman Jim Wald said Wednesday that this process can now start with hiring consultants who know how best to display the memorials.

"With the conservation process complete, we're trying to find a place to store them and to take the next step to get engineering studies under way," Wald said.

Town Manager Larry Shaffer, though, said getting to the point where they can be shown will not be easy, but it is essential that this happens.

"It's an important project from a historical perspective," Shaffer said. "If we're going to celebrate history, we want them out so the public can view them."

All the plaques were commissioned in 1893 by the local Grand Army of the Republic post, a veterans organization for the Civil War. After being in various parts of Town Hall for close to a century, including the basement when it was the town's police station, the plaques were moved during mid-1990's renovations and have been stored at the Ruxton gravel pit in North Amherst since.

Last year, Town Meeting appropriated $65,000 in Community Preservation Act money, of which $25,000 was set aside for the cleaning and restoration work done by Monument Conservation Collaborative of Norfolk, Conn., a company that specializes in such projects.

Wald said the Historical Commission will continue to explore both interior and exterior displays, though if the plaques are put outside, an enclosure will be needed so the tablets are protected from elements and vandals.

The restoration, Wald said, included cleaning the tablets of a yellowish tint that formed from tobacco stains and varnish, and now the bright white marble surface has been restored. A black acrylic paint was used to ensure all names on the plaques are visible.

Another $20,000, Wald said, was appropriated for an engineering analysis and researching the design for a secure installation, with the final $20,000 appropriated for actual installation.

The marble tablets each measure 56 inches by 75 inches and weigh between 600 and 800 pounds.

Despite their size, they are considered delicate. "They are both heavy and fragile," Wald said.

Historical Commission members Michael Hanke and Elizabeth Sharpe looked at spaces throughout Town Hall for placing the tablets and didn't find any suitable areas where all of them could easily fit.

Whether the CPA money for getting the tablets displayed is sufficient isn't known. Shaffer said he may look into whether the town can use money left over from a brick repointing project at Town Hall to help pay for the safe display of the plaques.

Shaffer, who had hoped to have them displayed in time for the town's 250th anniversary last year, said his idea is that a smaller introductory tablet and one of the larger tablets that describes the Civil War dead could be placed in the first floor lobby at Town Hall, covered in protective Plexiglas. The remainder would go elsewhere in the building.

If the Civil War plaques go on display, it will be the culmination of a long process that began with the late Amherst resident Dudley Bridges, in 2000, who proposed getting the plaques back in a visible location.

In 2001, the Select Board considered putting the tablets in front of Town Hall, but later agreed with Bridges that they should be placed in a monument display at the Gates Lot, next to Sweetser Park on Main Street.

The 54th regiment was the subject of the 1989 motion picture "Glory," starring Denzel Washington and Matthew Broderick. Their fame came following a July 18, 1863, assault on Fort Wagner near Charleston, S.C., where more than 100 men lost their lives.

[Postscript: I see that, as sometimes happens, I did not manage to do a follow-up at that time. Stay tuned.]

31 May: Memorial Day in Amherst. Honoring those who served; reversing the vandalism of veterans' graves

"War feels to me an oblique place"

     —Emily Dickinson

Although I've lived in Amherst for a good many years now and have witnessed many of our local festivities, this was the first time that I took part in the annual Memorial Day parade.  Ours is a small affair. I remember these events as being much grander when I was a child, though whether that was because it was a different era or because I lived in a much larger town, or both, is hard to say (the eternal problem of historical evidence and analysis). Certainly, some of our neighboring small towns have much larger celebrations. The difference may also have to do with the general Amherst distaste for things military and "patriotic" (though it was not always that way).

Still, like other New England towns, we decorate the graves of veterans with flags on the eve of the holiday—thus originally known as "Decoration Day" (it began to be called Memorial Day only from 1882 on), a practice commemorated in the second movement of Charles Ives's "A Symphony:  New England Holidays").



We also hold a small procession (we call it a "parade," but that almost feels like an exaggeration) from the Town Common to War Memorial Pool (ironically, closed for the second year due to budget constraints).


I marched (or walked at a dignified pace), along with my four of my five fellow Select Board members (one was out of town at another holiday program), as official representatives of the Town, behind the lead veterans and flag-bearer, and we returned the waves of the scattered observers (interestingly:  mostly either middle-aged people, or young couples with children).

preparing the flags

As we turned south from Pleasant Street onto Triangle Street and approached the site of the memorial ceremony, two F-15 fighter jets roared over our heads in salute (I can imagine how well that will go over with some people here), at once a striking contrast to the smallness of our enterprise and an affirmation of its importance.

The traditional ceremony took place beneath the flagstaff: placement of floral tributes on behalf of Town, veterans, and scouts, a few brief remarks by a representative of Veterans Services, reading of the names of the deceased, gunfire salute, playing of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and the national anthem.

Of particular interest to me was the news that veterans' service markers had been restored in time for the holiday.  It's traditional here to denote the graves of veterans with metal emblems that are both markers (indicating the war or nature of service) and flagholders, for occasions such as this. 

This past winter, a number of western Massachusetts towns suffered from a revolting wave of vandalism by thieves who stole some 200 of the markers, hoping to sell the valuable bronze. It's not the first such occasion in the Northeast, and at a time when thieves will steal copper from not only ornaments, but even the wires and pipes at construction sites, it's another sign of desperation as well as greed.The only cemeteries of ours targeted here were the 1818 North Cemetery and St. Brigid's cemetery in neighboring Hadley (though belonging to our local Catholic church). 

Now, if there are two groups you don't want to piss off, it's veterans and police, so these thieves, evidently a few bullets short of a full clip, were easily caught a few weeks later when an informant ratted them out.  They had sold the markers, readily identifiable as such, to area metal recyclers whom the authorities had alerted and soon questioned.  When, in a similar incident in New York several years ago, the thieves faced only petty larceny, outraged veterans and other citizens demanded that the penalty be raised to a felony.  Our local vandals have been "charged with felony larceny and larceny from a grave."  

The good news was that the bronzes were recovered. The bad news was that, although all were still recognizable as markers, some had been broken, and repair was prohibitively expensive.  We are still pondering how best to treat these artifacts. In the meantime, though, they have been replaced with new markers of bronze-washed aluminum, which is more durable and attractive than plastic but  much cheaper than bronze and therefore less valuable and attractive to any potential future thieves.  Normally, Veterans' Services purchases the markers as needed, but because of the unprecedented number and the expense of replacing the missing markers all at once, additional resources were required to set things right in time for the holiday. Soon after the thefts came to light, Ronald Lashway, owner of Douglas Funeral Home in Amherst, and a relative of veterans whose graves at St. Brigids's were desecrated, established a fund with People's Bank to reward anyone coming forth with information and/or pay for replacement markers.

On the way back to the center of town, I walked through historic 1730 West Cemetery, to see the flags and old markers.  (It was also one of my periodic visits to see how our landscape restoration was progressing; more on that in another post soon.)

grave of a Revolutionary War veteran

Because my route to and from home every day takes me past North Cemetery, I stopped there, as well, to view the decorated graves, and in particular, the replacement markers.

It is of course a mixed blessing that Memorial Day has come to mark the social if not astronomical start of the summer vacation season. It highlights the date while at the same time diminishing its historical and cultural rationale.  In her remarks at the ceremony, Veterans' Services representative Kathleen Pollard urged us to "put the memorial back in Memorial Day," and to observe a moment of rest and silence at 3:00 p.m.

I duly paused from my afternoon labors in the garden, but it was the midday walk through the cemeteries that most powerfully brought home the meaning of the occasion for me.  I've always been struck by the fact that American Memorial Day, a time when we remember life cut short, occurs in spring, the season of rebirth in nature (in many western countries, of course, the association with the christological imagery of days of national mourning or military commemoration was quite deliberate).

In any case, the contrast spurs contemplation as we living mark the sacrifice of the fallen, and also our universal mortality:

The possibility to pass
Without a Moment’s Bell—
Into Conjecture’s presence--
Is like a face of steel

Emily Dickinson