system, for instance, will be much less than if they have to hire a contractor to do the work. But construction experience is not required. “There are some buildings that don’t need as much work,” Allen says. “If you’re not an elec- trician but you know you’re going to have to hire an electrician, you have to have those resources.” DCR does not impose strict deadlines on
progress but it does want the property oc- cupied as quickly as possible. “Sometimes it takes a while for a number of reasons. There will always be delays; we just want them working toward a goal,” Allen says. In addition, as part of the Historic Cu-
ratorship Program, the state requires the public be able to share in the experience of the building at least twice per year. “Beyond what the curators are already doing, which is a lot, we ask them for programming that engages the public and provides benefits to the park,” Allen adds. For example, Willow- dale Estate hosts the DCR system-wide First Day Hike on Jan. 1 at Bradley Palmer State Park. The estate serves as the beginning and end of the hike, provides refreshments and conducts tours of the mansion. In 2011, DCR hosted a reunion of sorts
in which all the curators came together to share experiences and lessons learned. “No- body had any regrets; nobody lost money,” Allen says. “It’s really like a family of people who have led this unique life and can share their stories. The way the housing market fell around here, the Historic Curatorship Program really helped some of these folks because the first five years requires the ma- jority of the investment but then they have the next 20 or more years without a mort- gage payment or interest on a mortgage payment, so they can invest the money they would be spending on a mortgage on some- thing else to make up for that equity.” Allen adds people question how curators
can invest in a building for 30 years and then walk away with nothing but the satisfaction of saving a historic building. He says, “If you look at what the real costs are going to be and then consider that you’re not going to have the costs associated with purchasing or renting a property, it can balance out for the right curator.” DCR encountered the end of its first lease
within the Historic Curatorship Program two years ago. The curator had transformed the Gatekeeper’s House at Lowell Heritage
State Park, Lowell, Mass., and wasn’t inter- ested in extending the lease. Park staff took some measures to maintain the building, like running the heat and installing motion- sensitive lighting, but vandals targeted it within six months. “There’s not as much money that needs to go into this property, but there’s real value for basically the equiva- lent of 24-hour security and the guarantee of 25 years of maintenance,” Allen says. “There isn’t a lot of fanfare for maintenance and it certainly doesn’t get the funding it needs, but that year-to-year maintenance is what keeps these buildings from getting to the point where we can’t bring them back again. That’s worth a huge amount, too.” Allen hopes to put an RFP out for the
Lowell Gatekeeper’s House soon. He thinks there will be a much broader group of peo- ple who can apply, allowing the program to be even more selective when choosing the house’s next curator.
Unique Opportunities Allen has trouble naming his favorite success story from the Historic Curatorship Program, but he thinks Willowdale Estate is quite inspirational. He says when the Brad- ley Palmer mansion was included in the program, DCR hoped a curator would bring the building back to its original use as an event venue. The curators who were chosen had started other bed and breakfasts and hotels and signed a 50-year lease to return the mansion to an event/wedding facility. However, they soon discovered creating a for- profit business in an abandoned state park building is especially challenging. “The mansion needed a new septic sys-
tem. The archaeology came into play. There were delays and frustrations. It was getting to the point about eight years ago when it looked like it might not happen because there were so many challenges,” Allen says. “But they persevered and we persevered, and we just celebrated the five-year anniversary of Willowdale Estate’s opening, plus they recently completed the second phase of the rehab, which is the Bradley Palmer Coach House that will have accessory uses for the mansion. We’ve accounted for more than $4 million that has been invested at Willowdale Estate—a property that was really threat- ened. “These curators have turned this mansion into the premiere wedding and event center
Dodge House
Bradley Palmer State Park, Hamilton, Mass. Before
After
in Massachusetts’ north shore because they have the setting—6 acres surrounded by a state park and this incredible building. You can get married in many of our other state parks, but Willowdale Estate offers a very different venue not available at other parks. People are creating life-long memories in this mansion again. Plus, the curators are amazing partners; they offer free programs for the public every other month.” Allen adds the Historic Curatorship Pro-
gram has provided more benefits than had been initially intended by its 1994 legisla- tion. For example, for every $1 DCR invests in “keeping these buildings on life support,” the agency gets $7 back from the sweat eq- uity and investment of its curators. In addition, the curators offer visitors
unique experiences in the state’s parks. “Breathing new life into these properties brings services and a presence that are re- ally unique and offer opportunities to the public that wouldn’t normally be in these parks,” Allen says. “Not only has this pro- gram preserved historically significant buildings, but it has really improved the park and the visitor experience, which is a double bonus for us.”
May-June 2013 // RETROFIT 57
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PHOTOS: MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION
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