[MassHistPres] Metropolitan Water Works Museum?

[Dekle, Ross (SEC)]

I must admit that ever since I heard about this project, I have been
looking forward to touring the waterworks.  I even went to the open
house for the condo units, (a wash since the actual buildings were not
open for viewing).  I have wondered, however, how viable the museum
would be.  It would be interesting to know if the development of a
museum was part of the purchase agreement.

As a preservationist, my first interest is in preserving these wonderful
artifacts that chronicle the age of vast civic improvement projects in
the late 19th Century.  Second would be making them available for the
education and enjoyment of others.  If a museum is not viable, perhaps
another use could be found for the space that would incorporate the
major features of the waterworks, which would also admit the public.  As
I recall from the open house, there are plans for a health club in the
complex.  It seems like pumping iron amongst the giant steam engines
would be properly atmospheric activity.  I'm sure there must be other
alternatives that creative people could think up.  Of course, it would
be preferable that plans would be incorporated to make the waterworks
available for tours by outside groups.

That being said, I am still hoping for a museum.  As I mentioned before,
the waterworks is part of larger movement in the 19th century, to
improve the living conditions of American and European cities.  The
Industrial Revolution swelled the populations of these cities and the
overcrowding brought devastating fires and diseases.  The development of
waterworks to bring fresh drinking water and fight fires, and sewage
systems to control waste, were responsible for saving lives, and
improving the living conditions of millions of people.  These massive
civic improvement projects, that we take for granted, were an amazing
feat and are truly worthy of study and memorializing.

Ross W. Dekle
Preservation Planner    

-----Original Message-----
From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu
[mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of Dennis De Witt
Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2007 2:30 PM
To: MHC listserve
Subject: [MassHistPres] Metropolitan Water Works Museum?

Many of you may be familiar with the wonderful Richardsonian "high
service" Metropolitan Water Works pumping station that stands next to
the Chestnut Hill Reservoir (and across the reservoir from from the
Boston College Campus) -- just beyond the Cleveland Circle termination
of Brookline's Beacon St. boulevard.

As you also may know, the site has been redeveloped with about 100 DUs
of housing in its four existing buildings and one new building, with the
intent of supporting the preservation of the main engine room of the of
the high service building, which contains three steam pumping engines,
dating back to the 1890s.

Originally the entire interior of the high service building was to have
contained a museum.  But, as economic realities set in, four ancillary
spaces, such as the coal bunker, we designated to become large condo
units.

Early in the process a museum pro forma was developed developed based on
the larger model.  Given the now reduced space it doesn't credible in
terms of visitations, budget, or operating model -- if, indeed, it ever
was.

Can you think of a viable model or analogy, of any sort, in New England
or elsewhere, for something like this situation -- i.e. a museum with
three spectacular but static 100 year old steam leviathans in a
wonderful building?

In some way the Larz Andrson auto museum might be an analogy in terms of
architecture and location but everyone (OK, every male) to some extent
can identify with cars.  Another analogy that comes to mind (a site I
last visited 40 years ago, which says something) would be the Saugus
iron works -- nothing much happened other than a water wheel turning, as
I recall.

Is the "museum" model wrong?  Is a better analogy the house-museum (or
maybe a fire house museum, of which there must be some, somewhere)?

Anyone got any suggestions of good analogies in New England or
elsewhere?

Dennis De Witt
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