[MassHistPres] Parties Confer on UMass Historic Buildings

[Joseph S. Larson]

NEWS RELEASE

Parties Confer on UMass Historic Buildings
Contact: Joseph S. Larson 413-256-8256

Amherst - November 26

Members of Preserve UMass and the Amherst Historical Commission met on November 16 with James Cahill, Director of UMass' Facilities and Campus Planning to see to what extent the three parties could agree on a joint response to the Massachusetts Historical Commission's stop work order on the $50 million Student Recreation Center.

The stop work order, issued by the state Commission on October 26 was due to the failure of UMass, the Massachusetts Building Authority and the project designer to comply with state law to notify and confer with the state's Historical Commission when historic buildings are impacted by construction by state agencies. "It appears that the University has never complied with the state laws and regulations governing historic buildings" said emeritus professor Joseph S. Larson, Corresponding Secretary of Preserve UMass, a group of nearly 100 active and retired faculty and staff members, alumni and friends of the campus.

Although university officials declined last Spring to involve Preserve UMass and the Amherst Commission in discussions regarding the future of historic structures on the UMass list of buildings to be demolished, the state commission's stop work order letter invited both parties to be involved in discussing the impact of the student recreation project. "We very much appreciate the state's interest in seeing that all concerned parties be involved" said Larson. "Preserve UMass represents important state-wide constituents of the greater UMass community and the Amherst Historical Commission is the local governmental authority charged with identifying and inventorying historic structures on state and private property in the town."

Larson and the Town of Amherst's Historical Commission members Elizabeth Sharpe and Lynda Faye discussed with Cahill a range of actions that the University might take to mitigate the "adverse impact" that the recreation center project will have on a site that the state commission finds could qualify for nomination to the Massachusetts and National Registers of Historical Places.

The joint discussion revealed that demolition of several structures on the Brooks Barn Complex, prior to the stop work order, has been extensive and makes it unlikely that the largest impacted structure, a 1909 stucco cow barn, can be preserved or moved, and the focus of the meeting turned on appropriate mitigation. Ms. Sharpe and Faye could not make commitments on behalf of the Amherst Historical Commission, but Larson believes that suggestions for including displays in the new student center illustrating and memorializing the historic importance of the Brooks Barn Complex would be generally supported. "However", said Larson, "Preserve UMass takes the position that destruction of a site of potentially national significance, plus the long record of the university's failure to comply with state law, dictates that mitigation should ensure future compliance with the law and preservation of the remaining Brooks Barn Complex structures. Preserve UMass will recommend to the Massachusetts Historical Commission that no work proceed until UMass issues a contract for an independent, professional assessment of the historic and architecturally significant buildings on the campus. In addition, we will recommend that the university commit to preservation of the 1912 Grinnell Arena on site, and move the 1894 wooden horse barn and the 1869 Blaisdell House to the University's Hadley Farm facility to be preserved and to support the equine and small animal teaching and research program."