Laurel Park CPA.pdf 1
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION
COMBINED SMALL GRANT
ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION FORM
SMALL GRANTS COMBINED ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
1. Please familiarize yourself with the relevant portions of the CPC Plan 2012-
2014 (at a minimum: eligibility (Appendix A, Allowable Use Table), general
evaluation Criteria (Overview - Page 6), and applicable program criteria
(Historic Preservation – Page 14, Community Housing, Page 22, Open
Space, Page 24, Recreation, Page 31)
2. Please consult with the CPC staff prior to submitting any application
materials. Coordinating early will help ensure that your proposal is eligible
for CPA funds, and increase the chances of a favorable decision. CPC staff
can be reached at 413-587-1263.
3. Complete the Combined Eligibility and Application Form.
4. We would prefer that you keep to the space provided. But if you need
additional space, please continue on separate pieces of paper; number all
the pages submitted. Ten copies are required.
5. Attach any letters of support, funding commitments or landowner
permission
6. Attach any of the following if relevant:
a. photographs, renderings or design plans of the site, building, structure or other
subject for which the application is made
b. USGS topographical map, assessors map, or other map as appropriate, showing
location of the project
c. Information regarding Natural resource limitations (wetlands, flood plain) or
zoning (district, dimensional and use regulations as applies to the land)
d. Mass. Historic Commission Historic inventory sheet
e. Historic structure report or existing condition reports
f. Names and addresses of project contractors, and consultants
g. Evidence that appropriate professional standards will be followed if construction,
restoration or rehabilitation is proposed.
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Project Title: Historical Signage for Laurel Park
Project location, including address and parcel number: “The Circle” at Laurel Park
Project Sponsor/Organization: Laurel Park Association, with the support of
Homeowners at Laurel Park
Contact Name: Sandra Matthews, Liz Duffy Adams, Laura Pravitz
Property Owner, if applicable: Homeowners at Laurel Park
Mailing Address: 72 Laurel Park, Northampton, MA 01060
Daytime phone #:413 320 9554 Fax #: N/A
E-mail address: smatthews@hampshire.edu
For the following, please refer to the Small Grant Eligibility Chart:
http://northamptonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4185
CPA Program Area (check those that apply):
Open Space x Historic Preservation
Community Housing Recreation
Project Purpose (check those that apply) :
x Preservation
Rehabilitation/Restoration
Applicant’s Signature: _
__________________________
Date Submitted: _February 7, 2022___________________________
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): $5966
CPA Funding Request (not to exceed $3,000.00): $3000
Funding from other sources: $2966 from LPA
List any in-kind donations of labor or materials:
Historical research and maintenance of the signs will be carried out by volunteers.
CPA Request as % of Total Budget: approximately 50%
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.
$3197 Cost of sign fabrication and mounts (see quote below from Fossil Graphics). We
are requesting $3000 of CPA funds to cover the majority of the sign fabrication.
Additional Costs to LPA:
$197 Remaining cost of sign fabrication
$919 Shipping (see quote from Fossil Graphics)
$1500 Design (60 hours @ $25/hour)
$350 Estimated installation costs
$2966 Total additional costs to LPA
These additional costs are within LPA’s capability but will be a stretch. We would not be
able to fund the full project ($5966) without grant support.
1) Please provide a brief description of the project.
Laurel Park is a residential community on 40 acres of wooded land within the
boundaries of Northampton, that was founded in 1872 (150 years ago) during the
period of the “Second Great Awakening” as an outdoor center for Methodist summer
“camp meetings” and Chautauqua gatherings. Today it is a secular self-administered
community on shared land. We propose to make the rich history of Laurel Park more
accessible by placing historical signage on or at each of our five historic common
buildings, with an additional sign commemorating the destruction of the hurricane of
1938, which dramatically changed the landscape. These markers, to be fabricated by
Fossil Graphics, will contain annotated historical photos and descriptive information,
drawn from Laurel Park’s extensive archive. The signs will all be located in “the Circle”
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at the center of Laurel Park, where visitors come for events and where residents
regularly walk. Their installation will be at the core of festivities celebrating the 150th
anniversary of the founding of Laurel Park. Please see attachment for information about
the precise location and size of the markers.
2) What Community Preservation criteria – both general and program-area
specific – does this project meet? Please refer to the Overview CPA Plan
Section, Page 6), and applicable program criteria. (Historic Preservation –
Page 14, Community Housing, Page 22, Open Space, Page 24, Recreation,
Page 31)
This project meets Historic Preservation criteria. Laurel Park is connected historically
to a network of Methodist Camp meetings which originated in the 19th century in
England and Scotland. Many of these camps survive in various forms all over the
country including the most famous, Oak Bluffs, on Martha’s Vineyard. Laurel Park was
the regional center for summer religious activity, bringing congregants from surrounding
towns including Springfield, Westfield and Athol, together with itinerant preachers. It
was also an important site for the Chautauqua movement, which originated in western
New York. During the heyday of the Chautauqua circuit, thousands of people came to
Laurel Park for Chautauqua Assemblies to engage in lectures, music, classes,
discussions, and devotional services; a dedicated train station was built at the Laurel
Park entrance to receive the trolleys and trains that brought people here. Attendees
were housed in simple cabins and fed at outdoor tables (please see attached historic
photos).
The signs will allow residents and visitors to compare present day Laurel Park to
various stages of its history, preserving collective memory.
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.
This project meets the needs of the community –– both within Laurel Park and in the
context of Northampton and the Pioneer Valley –– to know its own past. While a sense
of history is palpable on the grounds of Laurel Park, the actual details of that history are
not well known. The 150th anniversary of the founding of the community, this year, offers
an opportunity to address this gap. The signs will allow residents’ and visitors’
imaginations to reach into the past and draw a line to the present. They will be carefully
placed to allow access for guests of all sizes and those in wheelchairs.
Laurel Park today is a thriving secular community on common land with five historic
common buildings. Our historic community buildings are put to a wide range of uses
and made available to the public. LPA sponsors and publicizes annual summer
Chautauqua festivals (revived in contemporary form in 1987) and offers concerts,
lectures and multi-denominational religious services to the wider community.
Community buildings are also available for private rental at reasonable rates. Members
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of the public are welcome to come and stroll informally through the grounds at any time.
We have noted that visitors from outside the Park are struck by the charm and old-
fashioned “camp feeling” of the setting, and are invariably curious about Laurel Park’s
origins. The presence of the signs will help to answer their questions. This project would
serve to illuminate our history to visitors and serve as a permanent statement about our
historical significance in the region.
4) What specific guarantees will assure the long-term preservation of the
project?
One of Laurel Park’s notable qualities since its inception is the active engagement of its
residents. In 1986 the administration of the community was divided between HALP and
LPA. HALP owns most of the common land and the common buildings, while LPA, a
501c3 organization, is tasked with keeping our historic spaces alive through cultural and
spiritual events. The investment of both LPA and HALP in this project will assure that
the signs will be appreciated and well maintained in the near and long term.
5) What community support does the project have? Explain the nature and
level of the support.
Within Laurel Park, our community of approximately 150 residents celebrates “history,
community and nature” (see our mural on the red barn visible from Route. 5). It is in our
self-interest to protect both our natural setting and our history. Accordingly, the LPA has
the full support of the Homeowners at Laurel Park for this project (please see attached
letter).
Beyond Laurel Park, we are grateful for the support of the Northampton Historical
Commission. In addition, the LPA has had frequent positive interactions with Historic
Northampton over the years, and Forbes Library has offered LPA a space in Hosmer
Gallery (October 2022) to exhibit photographs and documents from our archive in honor
of our 150th anniversary. We are pleased to be connected to the larger history of
Northampton while celebrating our unique place within it.
6) How will the success of this project be measured?
LPA will take every opportunity to make people aware of the presence of the signs,
announcing them at our events, and on our Facebook page and website. They will be
prominently located where visitors will easily encounter them. Each sign will contain a
map indicating the locations of the other signs, so that viewers can readily see them all.
We intend to survey the residents of Laurel Park about their responses to the signs.
However, we consider that the successful design and installation of the signs is, in itself,
an intrinsically valuable contribution to the community. We expect that their impact will
be felt over time and will not be easily quantifiable. It is our hope that knowledge of the
idealistic, collective spirit motivating the founding of the community 150 years ago may
be adapted productively to the present day and beyond.
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7) Is ongoing maintenance and upkeep required? If yes, please explain how
this will be accomplished.
The signs are guaranteed by Fossil Graphics for 10 years against fading and weather-
related deterioration. Additionally, we plan to place the majority of them directly on
buildings, on covered porches or under eaves, to protect them and extend their lives.
They require cleaning at least twice a year. Volunteers from the community, organized
by LPA, will make sure this happens on an ongoing basis.
8) Explain the various steps of the project and when they will be completed
Research and design will be completed by June 1, 2022. Research will be conducted by
community members in consultation, as needed, with Historic Northampton and Forbes
Library. The signs will be designed by Kandy Littrell, a Laurel Park resident and a
graphic designer with over 25 years’ experience. Her employers and/or clients have
included The New York Times, Random House, Meredith Publishing, and Disney
Publishing Worldwide.
Fabrication of signs by Fossil Graphics will take place in June, and installation of the
signs will take place in July and August 2022. The signs will be “unveiled” on August 27,
at a festive event, open to the public, to commemorate the date of the 150th
anniversary of the founding of the community.
9) Provide any additional information you think would be useful in
considering your project.
We would be glad to welcome members of the CPC for a site visit. Please feel free to
contact Sandra Matthews by phone (413 320 9554) or email
(smatthews@hampshire.edu) with any questions.
The following documents can be found below:
• Quote from Fossil Graphics
• Letter of support from the Executive Committee of HALP
• Photos of proposed sites of the signs, with dimensions
• One page with sample historical photographs from the Laurel Park archive
• MA Inventory sheet
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All Fossil panels feature our exclusive 12-Color HD Printing. Quote continued below:
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Subtotal: $3,197.00
Subtotal:
3,197.00
Shipping: 919.00
0 %Tax: 0.00
TOTAL: $4,116.00
Deposit Due: 2,470.00
After Delivery Amount Due 1,646.00
Please continue scrolling to see letter of support from HALP:
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See below for sample historic photos:
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Locations and Dimensions of signs:
NORMAL HALL. A 30” x 36” sign will be attached to the right side wall of the building. People
will be able to see it as they enter the Park by car, and to read it as they enter the building. In
addition to offering photographs of the activities that took place in and around Normal Hall (our
oldest building), the sign will provide a general introduction to Laurel Park and its history.
Normal Hall
THE TABERNACLE. A 24” x 36” sign will be installed on a post to the right of the Tabernacle
entrance, but still under its eaves for protection. It will include historical photographs of earlier
versions of the building and be easily visible as people enter.
The Tabernacle
THE CHAPEL. A 15”x15” sign will be attached to the wall on the left side of the front door.
The Chapel
THE DINING HALL. A 24” x 36” sign depicting past events that took place in and around the
Dining Hall will be attached to the side of the building to the left of the door, below the
windows. The sign will also discuss nearby historic structures – the Checker House and
Friendship Fireplace.
The Dining Hall
BUILDING 1. A 12” x 18” sign will be attached to the front wall above the bench. Building 1 was
previously the Laurel Park post office.
Building 1
COMMEMORATING THE HURRICANE OF 1938. A 12” x 18” sign will be installed on a post in the
foreground area of the photo below. It will include a photograph of hurricane damage done to
the 2 houses in the background. The sign will be visible from the path to the Tabernacle.
Hurricane site