State Hospital Signage Small Grant 1
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION
COMBINED SMALL GRANT
ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION FORM Project Title: State Hospital Memorial Park Historical Interpretive Signage Project location, including address and parcel number: Northampton State Hospital Memorial Park, Olander Drive, map ID 31C-044 Project Sponsor/Organization: State Hospital Memorial Committee and Historical Commission Contact Name: Tom Riddell Property Owner, if applicable: City of Northampton Mailing Address: 210 Main Street, Room 11, Northampton MA 01060 Daytime phone #: 413-548-4607 Fax #: 413-587-1264 E-mail address: tomriddell@me.com
CPA Program Area (check those that apply): Open Space x Historic Preservation Community Housing Recreation Project Purpose (check those that apply) : Preservation X Rehabilitation/Restoration
Applicant’s Signature: State Hospital Memorial Commuttee
Date Submitted: January 31, 2018
For CPC Use Eligible: _____ Not Eligible: _____ Date: __________ Reviewer: ____________________ Appropriate for Small Grant Process_____ Referred to Traditional Funding Round______
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Total Project Budget (not to exceed $6,000.00): $4,500 CPA Funding Request (not to exceed $3,000.00): $3,000 Funding from other sources: $2,500 List any in-kind donations of labor or materials: The State Hospital Memorial Committee will contribute the purchase costs of six 24x36 inch signs that will be installed around the Village Hill area as part of a historic walking tour that will also include a stop at the State Hospital Memorial Park. CPA Request as % of Total Budget: 64% Budget Summary: Please specify how CPA funds will be spent. Itemize all projected expenditures. If budget is based on a quote, please attach it. List any additional funding sources or donations of in-kind service. These funds must be secured at the time of application, as evidenced by a signed commitment letter referencing the content of the application, and including any restriction on the use of funds. Estimated budget: CPA Funds: CPA funds will be utilized to hire a historian to complete the wording and design of historic signage within the Northampton State Hospital Park. Historic signage will be critical to convey information about the former State Hospital, the restored fountain, and the purpose and intent of the Memorial Park. Signage for the Park will be finalized as we work with the historian, so we do not have an exact cost estimate – at this time there are several different models that could be considered. Based upon research and recent experience with other signage projects, the amount requested should cover the sign panels to be installed within the Park. Matching funds: The State Hospital Memorial Committee will provide the costs of six signs to be installed around the Village Hill area as part of a historic walking tour. The larger tour is important to provide additional information about the State Hospital, its grounds, and the people who lived and worked there during its operation. One of these signs has already been installed at the burial ground; this is provided as an attachment. Sources of funding are donations, and a small grant from MassHumanities. 1) Please provide a brief description of the project. The Historical Commission was awarded CPA funds in 2011 for restoration of the Andrew Handyside fountain that was located on the grounds of the Northampton State Hospital,
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installation of the fountain in a memorial park dedicated to the memory of the Hospital in the exact location where it previously stood for over one hundred years and, to the extent that any funding remained, creation of the park itself. The fountain has now been nearly completely restored, missing pieces from the base reproduced, and the park parcel is now in City ownership. CPA funds have been augmented through donations and sale of state hospital artifacts at auction. Funding in-hand should be just enough to complete the restoration and installation, get the fountain reinstalled, create the connections necessary to make the fountain operate once again, and complete basic sitework for the park. We do not have funds for what we now see as a necessary, stand-alone portion of the park – interpretive signage. As the memory of the state hospital fades over time, many residents and visitors are seeking information about what the hospital looked like, what it meant to the community and the mental health field, and the many people who lived and worked there over the many years it was in operation. We would like to utilize CPA funding to hire a historian to finalize designs and wording of historic signage for the park, and to produce durable, meaningful signs that will provide visitors with information about the hospital and its impacts on the community. The park is intended to be a place for somber reflection and tribute to the hospital and all of the people involved with it, and the signage ultimately developed will match that tone. We are proposing matching funds to install small signage panels around Village Hill. These will be flat pedestal-mounted signs, each with a different theme. The burial ground sign has already been installed, and is attached as an example. The park signage will likely have a different appearance to reflect the atmosphere of the park. The historian we work with will help us to finalize the designs and text – involvement of a historian was required by the MassHumanities grant, and her input was very useful 2) What Community Preservation criteria – both general and program-area specific – does this project meet? The Memorial Park Signage project meets several of the CPC general evaluation criteria: Serves more than one CPA area Although primarily a historic project, the signage will be installed in a City park, and will also encourage residents to explore the open space surrounding Village Hill.
Addresses recommendations contained in the Sustainable Northampton plan and the
Northampton Open Space, Recreation and Mixed-Use Trail Plan The signs will help increase awareness of one of the most significant historic landscapes in the City Saves resources that would otherwise be threatened The state hospital facilities are now nearly all gone, with only a few buildings still remaining. By showcasing photographs of the hospital and providing details on its history, the project will help to preserve the Hospital’s memory. Serves under-served populations
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The signage at the park and the wider walking tour will serve the memory of the patients of the State Hospital. Receives endorsement by community groups, municipal boards or departments and City residents The project is supported by the Historical Commission and State Hospital Memorial Committee. The overarching work to create an appropriate memorial to the Hospital has been supported by many individuals and organizations. Leverages additional public and/or private funds, or demonstrates that other funding sources
are not available or sufficient. The project will leverage funds designated for restoration of the fountain and creation of the Park. There is no funding available for signage at this time.
Demonstrates a high benefit/cost value For a small initial investment, the project will inform visitors to the Park about the State Hospital for years to come. Can be implemented expeditiously and within budget We can begin work as soon as funding is available. Final installation will depend on timing of the park landscaping and grading, which we hope will occur this year. The project also meets all of the criteria for historic preservation projects. 3) What community need(s) does this project serve? If the project serves multiple needs and populations, please describe them. If the project serves a population that is currently underserved, please describe. There is currently no information about the State Hospital within Village Hill. This project, which will be walkable by the neighborhood and accessible to all residents and visitors, will 4) What specific guarantees will assure the long-term preservation of the project? The signage will be installed within a City owned and maintained park. 5) What community support does the project have? Explain the nature and level of the support. The project is supported by the Historical Commission, Memorial Committee, and many other individuals who have been involved with various aspects of preserving the Hospital’s memory over the years. 6) How will the success of this project be measured?
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Success of the project will be measured by creation and installation of interpretive panels within the State Hospital Memorial Park. 7) Is ongoing maintenance and upkeep required? If yes, please explain how this will be accomplished. The signs will be part of the State Hospital Memorial Park, which will be owned and maintained by the City. 8) Explain the various steps of the project and when they will be completed We will work with a historian to finalize signage designs and order the panels as soon as funding is available. We would like to have them installed for a ribbon cutting in 2018. 9) Provide any additional information you think would be useful in considering your project. Impactful signage will be an important component of the Memorial Park. While the Park and restored fountain will be an impactful memorial on their own, the interpretive panels will keep the memory of the hospital, and its patients and employees alive by providing historical photos and text. Attachments: Support Letter from Historical Commission Burial Ground Sign Example