APPLICATION for COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT FUNDS The Climate Control Project Submitted: 30 September 2016 Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House 399 Lexington Road Concord, Massachusetts 01742 978.369.4118 www.louisamayalcott.org TOWN OF CONCORD OMMUNITY RESERVATION OMMITTEE C P C .(<(652$'&21&25'0$ 7(/ )$; Application for CPA Funding Due no later than 4:00pm on Friday, September 30, 2016 $SSOLFDQWLOUISA MAY ALCOTT'S ORCHARD HOUSE, INC. &R$SSOLFDQW LIDSSOLFDEOH 3URMHFW1DPHCLIMATE CONTROL PROJECT 3URMHFW/RFDWLRQ$GGUHVV399 LEXINGTON ROAD CONCORD , MA 01742 3XUSRVH 6HOHFWDOOWKDWDSSO\ Ƒ2SHQ6SDFH Ƒ&RPPXQLW\+RXVLQJ Ƒ+LVWRULF3UHVHUYDWLRQ Ƒ5HFUHDWLRQ 3URMHFW%XGJHW $PRXQWRI&3$)XQGV5HTXHVWHG 350,000.00 $PRXQWIURP2WKHU)XQGLQJ6RXUFHV 0 7RWDO3URMHFW%XGJHW BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB350,000.00 ,IPXOWL\HDUSURMHFWQRWHFXUUHQWSKDVHRQO\ 3OHDVHFKHFNZKLFKRIWKHIROORZLQJLVLQFOXGHGZLWKWKLV$SSOLFDWLRQ ✔ 2QH3DUDJUDSK3URMHFW6XPPDU\ 7LPHOLQH ✔ 0DS LIDSSOLFDEOH ✔ $UFKLWHFWXUDOSODQVV✔ LWHSODQVSKRWRJUDSKV 1DUUDWLYH ✔ LIDSSURSULDWH 6HOHFWLRQ&ULWHULDDQG1HHGV$VVHVVPHQW✔ &RS\RI$XGLWRUPRVWUHFHQW)LQDQFLDO✔ 'HWDLOHG3URMHFW%XGJHW ✔ ,QIRUPDWLRQ 1RQ3URILW2UJDQL]DWLRQV2QO\ )HDVLELOLW\$VVHVVPHQW✔ /HWWHUVRI6XSSRUW LIDQ\ 6WDWHPHQWRI6XVWDLQDELOLW\ LIDSSOLFDEOH ✔ 5HTXLUHG'RFXPHQWDWLRQ 7KH&RQWDFW3HUVRQIRUWKLV3URMHFWLVJAN TURNQUIST , Executive Director $OO&RUUHVSRQGHQFHVKRXOGEHPDLOHGWRPO BOX 343 CONCORD, MA 01742-0343 7KH&RQWDFW3HUVRQFDQEHUHDFKHGE\SKRQHDW978.369.4118 X102 RUE\[email protected] Signature of Applicant: Signature of Property Owner (if different): For Historic Preservation Projects Only±SOHDVHFKHFNWKHER[EHORZOHIWDQGDFNQRZOHGJH Ƒ ,:HKDYHUHDGWKHU.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic PropertiesDQGXQGHUVWDQGWKDWSODQQLQJIRUDQGH[HFXWLRQRIWKLVSURMHFWPXVWPHHWWKHVHVWDQGDUGV APPLICATION for COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT FUNDS by LOUISA MAY ALCOTT’S ORCHARD HOUSE, INC. for CLIMATE CONTROL in ORCHARD HOUSE 399 Lexington Road on “The American Mile” Concord, MA Brief Project Summary Orchard House (c. 1690) is an assemblage of house parts remodeled by A. Bronson Alcott in the 1850s and 1860s and, beginning in 1910, has subsequently undergone varied repairs throughout its existence as an historic house museum, culminating most recently in a multi- phased Preservation Project which began in 2000 and was completed in 2012. The current proposed CLIMATE CONTROL PROJECT, submitted under the category of Historic Resources, is intended to preserve the extensive and irreplaceable material culture displayed and stored within Orchard House by providing an environmentally sustainable (geothermal/ground-source heat pump) system at a cost of $350,000. The collection of Orchard House contains thousands of personal and household items, books, photographs, artwork, furniture, and textiles belonging or relational to famed author Louisa May Alcott; her father, Transcendental philosopher and educational reformer A. Bronson Alcott; her mother, noted social reformer Abigail May Alcott; her youngest sister, artist May Alcott Nieriker; oldest sister Anna Alcott Pratt; and younger sister Elizabeth Sewell Alcott; as well as former Secretary of Education William Torrey Harris, the only other resident of Orchard House after the Alcotts’ residency. The Climate Control Project has been thoughtfully designed both to maintain the delicate balance between temperature and humidity to prevent deterioration of or other detrimental effects to the artifacts and the house itself; this will also be utilized in an environmentally ethical manner. In addition, this project will provide a physical environment in which visitors – most particularly students and scholarly researchers, who tend to spend longer periods of time in Orchard House – can comfortably enjoy their experience. Community Preservation Act funds will thus be used to help Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House fulfill its dual mission of preservation and education in the best possible setting for Concord residents and visitors from around the world to enjoy as they are educated, enlightened, and inspired by all that Orchard House has to offer. APPLICATION for COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT FUNDS by LOUISA MAY ALCOTT’S ORCHARD HOUSE, INC. Narrative The beautifully maintained collection of Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House represents over a century of community-wide commitment to its preservation. The largest artifact in our collection -- Orchard House itself -- is itself a testament to the 19th Century American Literary Renaissance led by Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, and the Alcotts, who were friends as well as intellectual partners. During the late 19th Century, the only other owner-resident of Orchard House after the Alcotts, educator William Torrey Harris, staunchly protected drawings and mottoes throughout the house in honor of the Alcotts. In 1911, the Concord Women’s Club formed The Louisa May Alcott Memorial Association (LMAMA) and charged it with preserving the home as a “memorial.” Anna Alcott Pratt’s son Frederick and his wife personally returned original Alcott furnishings to the house prior to its opening to the public for tours. Today, descendants of the Alcotts and founding members of LMAMA remain dedicated to advising, volunteering, and donating, while the collection continues to attract the interest and enthusiasm of tens of thousands of visitors annually. Of the nearly 2,500 artifacts in the collection of Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, approximately 80% were owned by the Alcotts themselves or are directly relatable to them; the remaining items are of the period (c. 1858-1877) or date to the early 1900s, when Orchard House first opened to the public. The collection includes the house itself, which contains much of the fabric of the Alcotts’ residence. Nine period rooms are publically exhibited (without barriers), including Louisa May Alcott’s Bedchamber and the desk built by her father where she wrote her stories and novels (most notably Little Women in 1868); the Kitchen, with an original soapstone sink, built-in cupboards, hot water reservoir, and laundry drying rack; May Alcott’s Bedroom, with original (c. 1860) wallpaper and drawings on wall panels and doors as well as her Studio, which also features sketches executed directly on the walls; the Parlor and Study, where Mr. Alcott’s architectural renovations and many significant family possessions may be seen; the Parents’ Bedchamber, which displays recently acquired 18th Century portraits of Mrs. Alcott’s grandparents, Samuel and Abigail May, as well as of her father, Joseph May, as a young man; along with a vast array of household furnishings, artwork, personal memorabilia, books, and photographs both on display and stored on-site. Taken as a whole, these items are indispensable resources that document the family’s contributions to art, education, literature, philosophy, and reforms and are valued by researchers, students, and casual visitors alike. Although the most common research use of the collection focuses on the Alcott family, the diverse nature of our holdings provides insight pertinent to abolition, women’s suffrage, Transcendentalism, educational reform, art, theater, social welfare, and publishing. Alcott letters, both written and received, describe local authors such as Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne or important socio-political issues of the time, and include valuable narratives of the Alcotts’ experiences and interactions, both at home and abroad. By exhibiting their home and the collection in a welcoming and accessible manner, Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House is committed to enhancing visitor understanding and appreciation of the ideals and involvements of one of the most significant periods of American history. Perhaps no protocol is more important to safeguarding our collection than the proper management of temperature and humidity. ~continued APPLICATION for COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT FUNDS by LOUISA MAY ALCOTT’S ORCHARD HOUSE, INC. During Phase I Preservation of Orchard House (2000-02) funded by a Save America’s Treasures Grant and triple-matched by private donations, a climate control system was installed for the first time following recommendations derived from a year-long environmental survey funded by an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Conservation Projects Support Grant which monitored temperature and humidity inside Orchard House via hygrothermographs. Using the monitoring data and observations from site visits, consultants prepared a plan to improve ventilation and reduce fluctuations in heat and relative humidity without compromising the historic integrity of the building. This climate control system also allowed for remote monitoring of the system by the Buildings & Grounds Supervisor, who could override the system to ensure optimal protection for the collection. Over time, this system experienced increasing failures which required numerous repairs. After over 15 years of nearly continuous operation, upgrading this system is a necessity to protect Orchard House and its collection from the detrimental effects of improperly balanced temperature and humidity. The proposed Climate Control Project seeks to provide a state-of-the-art, environmentally sustainable geothermal system which will utilize ground-source heat pumps for both heating and cooling. Estimated cost for the project is $350,000, inclusive of overhead/contingencies. Specifically, implementation of this project will include: Excavation and installation of geothermal wells Excavation