The Official Website of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Energy and Environmental Affairs

 EEA Home  Agencies  Department of Conservation and Recreation  DCR Seeks Curator for Historic Gatekeeper’s House at Ma

CHARLIE BAKER For Immediate Release ­ November 17, 2016 GOVERNOR KARYN POLITO DCR Seeks Curator for Historic Gatekeeper’s House at Maudslay LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR State Park MATTHEW A. BEATON SECRETARY BOSTON – Thursday, November 17, 2016 – Today, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the rehabilitation, reuse, and maintenance of the 1903 Gatekeeper’s LEO ROY House at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Massachusetts. The DCR’s Historic Curatorship Program enables private DCR COMMISSIONER entities the opportunity to rehabilitate, manage, and maintain a historic property in exchange for credit toward a long­term lease. An open house for interested parties to assess the interior of the building is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Media Contact December 10, 2016 from 10:00AM­2:00PM, and the deadline for all responses is set for Thursday, January 12, 2017. Interested parties can find the application documents and additional information on the DCR’s Historic Curatorship Mark Steffen Program webpage.

(617) 360­1715 “The Baker­Polito Administration continues to prioritize the importance of fostering public­private partnerships as a way to better serve the Commonwealth’s citizenry by leveraging funds that will benefit us all,” said DCR Commissioner Leo [email protected] Roy. “DCR’s Historic Curatorship Program has been incredibly successful over the years, enabling the preservation of historically significant structures for future generations to enjoy, explore, and benefit from.”

The turn­of­the­century Gatekeeper’s House, historically referred to as the Forester’s House, was built in 1903 and is located at what was the southeast entrance to the former Moseley family estate named “Maudsleigh” (now Maudslay State Park). The House greeted visitors to the estate and was designed by William Gibbons Rantoul of the Boston firm, Jacques & Rantoul. Rantoul’s distinctive Shingle style connects the remaining estate buildings and holds together the historic integrity of this Gilded­Era period in the park’s history.

In order to participate in the Historic Curatorship Program, the property must be used in a way that is compatible with the park and the surrounding community, and public access must be provided at least twice a year. The open and competitive selection process of Curators is based on a number of criteria, including:

The overall quality of the proposal;

The potential curators experience in restoration and historic preservation;

The availability of financial resources; and,

The proposed incorporation of public benefits.

Additionally, the RFP provides information regarding the property and the Historic Curatorship Program, outlines the response requirements, describes DCR’s criteria for evaluating proposals for selection, and provides conditions assessments, cost estimates and other background material to better assist in the preparation of a proposal.

The Historic Curatorship Program has resulted in several very successful partnerships across the state that represent a diverse range of building types and reuses, from residential farmhouses to a mountaintop restaurant and inn (Bascom Lodge at Mt. Greylock State Reservation), a premier events facility (Willowdale Estate at Bradley Palmer State Park), a restored house museum (Crosby Mansion, Nickerson State Park) and artist live­work lofts (Baker Administration Building, Dorchester).

Since the DCR’s Historic Curatorship Program’s inception in 1994, over $19 million in private funds has been leveraged toward the preservation of twenty­one of the state’s unused but historically significant properties. The program has become a national model, inspiring other government entities to add this innovative public­private partnership to their preservation toolbox.

###

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), an agency of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, oversees 450,000 acres of parks and forests, beaches, bike trails, watersheds, dams, and parkways. Led by Commissioner Leo Roy, the agency’s mission is to protect, promote, and enhance our common wealth of natural, cultural, and recreational resources. To learn more about DCR, our facilities, and our programs, please visit www.mass.gov/dcr. Contact us at [email protected].

Follow DCR on Twitter...... www.twitter.com/MassDCR

Follow DCR on Instagram...... www.instagram.com/MassDCR

View videos on YouTube...... www.youtube.com/MassEEA View downloadable photographs on Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/masseea/sets/

Visit the Energy Smarts blog...... www.mass.gov/blog/energy

Visit The Great Outdoors blog...... www.mass.gov/blog/environment

Visit our website...... www.mass.gov/dcr

251 Causeway Street, Suite 600, Boston, MA 02114 — (617) 626­1250 office / (617) 626­1351 (fax)

© 2016 Commonwealth of Massachusetts. EEA Site Policies Contact EEA About EEA Public Records Request Mass.Gov® is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.