Old Manse Management Plan - The Trustees of Reservations

Old Manse
Management Plan
2010
©
Table of Contents
1
Section 1 Introduction
2
Section 2 Executive Summary
3
Section 3 History
4
Section 4 Cultural Resources
5
Section 5 Natural Resources
6
Section 6 The Visitor Experience
7
Section 7 Interpretation
8
Section 8 Current Management
9
Section 9 Prescribed Routine
Maintenance
10
Section 10 Recommended
Actions
On the Cover:
The Old Manse
Photo by TTOR/Mark Wilson
About the Photographs and Images included in the Plan:
Unless otherwise noted, all photographs and images are from the collections of
The Trustees of Reservations.
Map: 5-1 The Old Manse Open Space Context
About the Maps Included in the Plan:
Unless otherwise noted, all maps are produced by The Trustees of Reservations’
Geographic Information System. Production of these maps is made possible, in
part, by generous donations from the Stratford Foundation, Environmental
Systems Research Institute, Inc., Data General Corporation, and Hewlett
Packard.
Source data obtained from 1:24,000 scale USGS topographic maps, field surveys,
Global Positioning Systems, and the Massachusetts Executive Office of
Environmental Affairs, Mass GIS. Feature boundaries and locations are approximate.
This plan was approved by the FOC on September 22, 2010
Section 1: Introduction
1.1
Overview of the Planning Process
Since 1891, The Trustees of Reservations has worked to protect special places in
Massachusetts and maintain them to the highest standards. To ensure these standards are
met, a program of careful planning and sound management is essential. Comprehensive
property management plans are created for each reservation and updated approximately
every 10 years. In the spring of 2008, The Trustees began the development of a new
management plan for the Old Manse. The planning process included:
o Describing in detail the site’s natural, scenic, and historical resources and
identifying management issues related to the protection of those resources.
o Assessing the visitor experience at the property, through oral visitor surveys and
anecdotal accounts from staff.
o Forming a planning committee made up of Trustees staff and local volunteers,
including members of the Concord Area Properties Committee.
o Developing a detailed list of management recommendations and a schedule for
implementing the actions.
o Developing a prescribed routine management program for the reservation that will
guide staff work plans and the allocation of human and financial resources.
1.2
Planning Framework
A framework, applied to all Trustees management planning processes, is comprised of
several elements.
First, The Trustees’ mission as set forth by founder Charles Eliot in 1891 and which
currently reads:
The Trustees of Reservations preserves, for public use and enjoyment, properties of
exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value throughout Massachusetts and
protects special places across the state.
Second, all management plans will support initiatives outlined in The Trustees’ Strategic
Plan, Trustees 2017, as well as the Division of Field Operations’ 2003 operational plan,
Conservation in Action!.
Introduction
1-1
Finally, several guiding principles reflect the general rules that will be applied when
carrying out work at all Trustees properties. They are value statements that may also
provide a source of criteria for determining goals and recommended actions.
1. We must engage many more people in our stewardship and land conservation work.
By enlisting a diversity of constituencies, we will mobilize broad-based support for
land and resource protection in Massachusetts. The Old Manse is one of our 102
classrooms where visitors can participate in a variety of enjoyable activities while
learning about conservation issues and stewardship strategies.
2. Resource protection is one of our fundamental responsibilities. Our stewardship
protects the historical, scenic, and ecological features that define the character of our
properties and contribute to our natural and cultural heritage. By providing and
interpreting exemplary stewardship of our properties, we demonstrate the importance
of conservation to our visitors, members, and the community at large.
3. Our ability to instill in people a strong conservation ethic is derived from our properties
being in good condition.
4. The prescribed level of management for a property is informed by the significance of
its resources as well as its engagement opportunity.
5. Through good communication and collaboration, we will confirm and strengthen our
partnership with the local community, members, volunteers, and other conservation
partners to achieve our long-term goals for the property. We view ourselves as a
community partner and a regional resource, investing in creative initiatives to build
shared values, perspectives and skills among a diverse constituency.
6. We consider volunteers to be an essential part of the successful management of our
reservations. We will work to inspire and enable a diverse group of people to
participate in the care of our properties and to advocate for conservation in their
communities and for conservation in general.
7. Successful management of our reservations relies on accurately determining and
securing the necessary financial resources and managing them well. To be successful,
we will actively seek the funds necessary to protect both our resources and our visitors,
and to provide a high quality visitor experience. We will nurture a culture of financial
responsibility, innovation, discipline and prudence.
8. We will work to reduce our contribution to climate change and minimize unsustainable
environmental practices. We will share our experience and knowledge with our
members, visitors, and the public, and use this experience to advocate for the
development of a sustainable society.
9. We will work to secure and enhance our reservations by addressing management issues
and opportunities beyond the reservation’s boundaries. In particular, we will work
Introduction
1-2
proactively to protect “critical lands” – adjacent or nearby properties that are important
to the character and effective stewardship of our reservations. We will also work
cooperatively with other nearby property owners, to maximize the collective
conservation value of the surrounding green space network.
10. We will continue to adapt our management based on experience, newly gained
knowledge, and available human and financial resources.
1.3
Acknowledgments
The Trustees are enormously grateful to all of the volunteers, staff, and other professionals
who have worked very hard to produce this management plan. Leading the way was a
Management Planning Team that consisted of the following:
Bonnie Akins, Volunteer
Thomas Beardsley, Site Manager
Susan Edwards, Director of Historic Resources and Project Manager
Henri Holkamp, Volunteer
Russ Hopping, Ecology Program Manager
Ginger Lang, Volunteer
Ned Perry, Volunteer
Gare Reid, Superintendent, Sharon-Walpole Management Unit
Cynthia Robinson, Volunteer
Steve Sloan, Southeast Regional Director
Electa Tritsch, Chair, Concord-Carlisle Property Committee
In addition, special thanks are extended to the following individuals who also contributed
to the development of this management plan: Vin Antil, GIS Manager; Jim Younger,
Director of Structural Resources and Technology; Deborah Kreiser-Francis, former site
manager, and Edie Dondero, former planner..
Thanks to the thoughtful participation of these individuals, and their passionate interest and
concern for this unique treasure, the Old Manse will forever remain one of the
Commonwealth’s special places.
Introduction
1-3
Section 2: Executive Summary
2.1 The Significance of the Old Manse
The Old Manse, a National Historic Landmark since 1963, is an icon of American history,
one that stands testament to the roots of American history, and provides sanctuary and
inspiration for all who venture within its walls. Situated along the banks of the Concord
River, amid pasture land and stone walls, orchard and vegetable garden, the Old Manse is a
historic house museum that accumulated layers of natural and cultural significance over
time, and the people who lived there derived inspiration from the landscape.
Figure 1 – The Old Manse in Winter
This 18th century minister’s home with its weathered clapboards, shingles and gambrel roof
provides a window into Concord’s political, literary, and social revolutions. It is a family
home reflecting the rich lives of six generations of some of America’s oldest families. It is
the home of authors, artists, philosophers, botanists, intellectual thinkers and reformers,
and historians. Among the last family members to live here in the 1930s, there was a deep
reverence for the past and a strong desire to ensure the property’s preservation. The
purchase of the house and surrounding acreage by The Trustees of Reservations in 1939
allowed this to happen.
Like the people who created it, the Old Manse has a fascinating and complex character. It
did not spring full-blown from the consciousness of a single individual. It evolved
Executive Summary
2-1
incrementally, with each successive inhabitant incorporating elements from the past with
new features to create compositions that spoke of their own time and place.
Within the house, the furnishings, wallpaper, and books reflect multiple decades and
generations. Similarly, the landscape, with its 18th century stonewalls, its orchard
originally planted by Ezra Ripley, and vegetable garden planned and planted by Henry
David Thoreau spans the centuries. The Old Manse of today is not the Manse of William
Emerson, or Ralph Waldo Emerson, or Ezra Ripley and his descendants, or Nathaniel
Hawthorne. It is all these things and more.
This historic site is a cultural treasure that refreshes the spirit and stimulates the
imagination. Within its boundaries may be found the history of Concord and the United
States.
2.2 Significant Management Issues and Opportunities
The site’s location, surrounded by the Minuteman National Historical Park, draws diverse
audiences from all over the world. More people pass by the Old Manse than any other
Trustees property because of this location. This provides an opportunity to increase the
number of people experiencing the Old Manse in a meaningful way. The resources of the
landscape, buildings, and collections are rich. However, the Manse is limited as to the
number of visitors who can view it at one time, the whole property is deceptively fragile,
and financial resources are limited.
The staff resources at the Manse are extraordinarily small with one full time employee, a
seasonal part-time site assistant, a seasonal part-time maintenance person, a corps of
seasonal tour guides, and a superintendent shared with the Sharon/Walpole Management
unit. The management plan committee feels that the plan outlined here is ambitious but
realistic with the input of staff and countless volunteers. The Old Manse has the potential
to be a leadership property for The Trustees in regard to natural and cultural resource
protection, education, and engagement.
Revenue produced at the Old Manse is sufficient to cover the annual costs of property
stewardship, including staffing expenses. When building renewal costs and organizational
allocations are factored in, however, the Manse’s annual operating budget produces a
deficit. Opportunities to increase earned income should be explored through strategic
planning.
Membership within the Concord-Carlisle area can be increased, as can be the number of
current memberships designated to the Old Manse. In addition, staff should pursue
opportunities to increase the sale of memberships on-site at the Manse.
Executive Summary
2-2
The highest priorities identified for The Old Manse are to:
•
•
•
•
Improve the visitor experience
Increase and diversify visitation throughout the property
Engage the audience in the stewardship of the property’s natural and cultural
history and resources
Provide exemplary resource protection for the landscape, buildings, and collections
2.3 A Vision for the Future
In 10 years The Old Manse will be:
A place of inspiration;
A place where visitors are provided with an outstanding visitor experience;
A place where the layers of history are revealed to visitors and interpreted in a
clear, focused manner;
A center for humanities and education programs;
A demonstration of the exemplary stewardship of a National Historic Landmark;
A site where all features are fully integrated and used to their fullest potential to
engage visitors in the conservation work of The Trustees of Reservations;
A place where green and sustainable practices are fully integrated into the
management of historic structures, designed landscapes, and natural landscapes;
Effectively engaging the participation of more local residents in property
stewardship and special events;
Viewed by the Town of Concord and by other local attractions as a valuable
community partner;
Sufficiently funded and staffed to ensure the continued preservation and
interpretation of this important landmark.
2.4 Implementing the Management Plan
Section 10 of this plan includes 64 recommended actions that have been crafted to achieve
the vision for the future of the Old Manse described above. The total cost of implementing
these actions over the next ten years (FY2009-2019) is estimated to be $3,285,990. These
funds will be derived from a variety of sources including the property’s annual operating
budget, the organization’s capital budget and other outside sources of income such as
grants and donations. It should be noted that $3 million of the costs are directly related to
reconstructing a barn on the property and endowment to support the facility, program, and
staffing.
Executive Summary
2-3
The estimated staff time needed to complete the implementation of this management plan
is approximately 3,319 hours over the next 10 years. These hours are in addition to the
approximately 9,495 staff hours that are needed annually to achieve an appropriate level of
routine care for the reservation. The prescribed routine maintenance plan indicates an
additional 600 hours beyond what is currently being expended at the Manse. Assuming the
workload of the Sharon/Walpole Management Unit remains consistent with its current
level, it is believed that this work can be completed with the existing staff resources and a
significant input of volunteer labor. If the organization takes on new properties or
programmatic initiatives in the management unit or region change, new staffing resources
will undoubtedly be required.
Executive Summary
2-4
Section 3: History
[The majority of this brief history was taken from a graduate school thesis by Allison Burson,
2006]
Before Europeans settled in Concord, Massachusetts, Native Americans lived in Concord
along the Concord, Sudbury, and Assabet Rivers. Archeological evidence supports the site
of a 4,500 year-old Native American base-camp in the field behind the present day Old
Manse next to the Concord River. Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry David Thoreau were
also familiar with the Indian remains near the Manse. In Mosses from an Old Manse,
Hawthorne wrote that “here in some unknown age, before the white man came, stood an
Indian village, convenient to the river, whence its inhabitants must have drawn so large a
part of their subsistence.” [Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mosses from an Old Manse, The Works
of Nathaniel Hawthorne (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin and Company, 1882)] Thoreau
and Hawthorne found Indian artifacts including arrowheads, spear points, and chisels.
In 1640, James Blood, a wealthy settler from England, arrived and took title to 666 acres
including the acreage where the Old Manse stands today. The Bloods were subsistence
farmers who grew enough corn, rye, turnips, cabbage, onions and squash to last through
long, cold New England winters. They planted an apple orchard so they could make their
own cider, and kept pigs, goats, chickens, cows, and sheep.
In 1769, the Bloods sold 22 acres to Reverend William Emerson, who began the
construction of the present-day Manse. At this point the property was still a working farm.
The Rev. William Emerson, chaplain to the Provincial Congress when it met at Concord in
October 1774 and later a chaplain to the Continental Army, was known for his religious
and political preaching. He was the first to answer the alarm bell in Concord that warned
of the British Regulars’ approach. There is speculation as to whether he fought at the
Battle on the Old North Bridge, but after the battle he joined the Continental army as a
chaplain and died of “camp fever” en route home from Fort Ticonderoga, N.Y.
Figure 2 – The Old Manse in a watercolor, Anon. Circa 1890
History
3-1
The Reverend William Emerson’s wife, Phoebe Emerson, remarried the Reverend Ezra
Ripley in 1780. Ripley had been boarding at the Manse in one of the Attic chambers since
1778. By 1780, the Manse had evolved into a gentleman’s farm. Unlike previous owners
who had farmed for subsistence, Ripley farmed as a pastime and made his living as a
minister. The Manse had no shortage of esteemed residents. Reverend Ezra Ripley’s stepgrandson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, stayed there for a year in 1834. Ripley owned the
property until his death in 1841, after which time the Manse was empty for a year. In July
of 1842, Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne came from Boston to spend their honeymoon at
the Manse, renting the Manse from Samuel Ripley (Ezra’s son) for the next three years.
Hawthorne wrote short stories and essays while living at the Manse and many of them
were published in Mosses from an Old Manse. Hawthorne christened the house with its
epithet of “Manse,” alluding to the fact that a number of ministers had lived there. Manse
is the Scottish term for a minister’s house.
In 1845, Samuel Ripley wanted to return to his home so the Hawthorne’s returned to
Salem. The house stayed in the Ripley family, passing to Sophia Ripley Thayer, and then
to Sarah Thayer Ames. By 1900 the Old Manse was primarily a summer house for the
extended Thayer and Ames families. In 1939, when Sarah Thayer Ames died, the property
and furnishings were purchased by The Trustees of Reservations, at the family’s
suggestion. The family felt strongly that the house and its history should be preserved in
perpetuity. The Trustees opened the Old Manse to the public for guided tours, carrying on
a tradition started by the family. The Old Manse was operated on a seasonal basis for many
years.
In 1945, six years after The Trustees acquired the property, the Manse boasted a visitation
of 5,543 guests, a 30% rise over the previous year. By 1953, more than 14,000 people a
year visited the Manse, and the admissions helped to support the organization. Laurence
B. Fletcher, Executive Secretary for The Trustees from 1929-1958, initiated interpretation
programs and a publication on Hawthorne at the Old Manse. In the early 1980s members
of the Old Manse property committee, Martha Hamilton and Judy Keyes, developed the
organization’s first collections management policy which guided much of the preservation
work undertaken in the mid 1980s funded by the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
The Old Manse was becoming a role model for other properties. The local committee
continued to play a significant role in the management of the property.
In the early 1990s, the committee, working with Trustees staff members and consultants,
undertook a series of plans including a cultural landscape report, an interpretive plan, a
furnishing plan, and a historic structure assessment. These documents guided the Manse
for the next decade.
The staff continued to be seasonal and consisted of a head hostess and tour guides. In
1996, a full-time historic site manager was hired. The committee undertook a major
fundraising project in 1997-1998 to reconstruct the Shay Shed which had been attached to
the house and woodshed.
History
3-2
Because of its location, the Old Manse was under the jurisdiction of three different regions
at various periods in its history as a Trustees property – the Southeast Region, the
Northeast Region and the Central Region. With The Trustees growth in recent years, the
Manse is now part of the Greater Boston Region. In 2005, the Old Manse Committee was
reorganized to include the oversight of the Malcolm Preserve in Carlisle and the newly
acquired Apthorp property in Concord. The committee name was changed to the Concord
Area Properties Committee.
History
3-3
Section 4: Cultural Resources
4.1
Introduction
To look at the Old Manse today, one can see at a glance that this National Historic
Landmark is a veritable goldmine of cultural resources. Herein lies elegant Georgian
architecture, designed landscapes, working landscapes, outbuildings, stonewalls and an
amazing collection of fine and decorative arts, archives, and archaeological artifacts within
the Manse itself – all of which evoke a pastoral paradise along the banks of the Concord
River and provide a means to explore the roots of American history.
There are also several layers to examine beyond those things that the eye can see. This
introduction lays out the way we look at this property from different angles, and allows us
to fully explore the wonderful tapestry of cultural history that exists at the Old Manse. If
by “cultural resources” we refer to anything that was a result of human activity, we must
refer to everything from prehistoric and historic archaeological sites and the artifacts
recovered from them to 18th century stone walls. In this section, we will explore the
property’s collections and archives, historic structures, and cultural landscape features, as
well as, and then examine significant threats to such resources as well as some significant
opportunities.
4.2
Historic Structures
The Old Manse
The Manse, meaning home of a minister, was built about 1770 by the Rev. William
Emerson, a Patriot, who served the Concord congregation for eleven years. He married
Phoebe Bliss and built this house creating, as she wished, “boxes of rooms.” The
architecture is grand for a minister but typical of Georgian structures of the period with
five bays, clapboarding, double hung sash windows, two chimneys, and a gambrel roof.
Changes occurred over the centuries during which the Emerson and Ripley families and
their descendants lived at the Manse. These include an attic dormer and a bay window on
the south side of the house which was added in 1875. From the west, the house has a
rambling nature with dormers, a summer kitchen and woodshed. The house is of balloon
construction and has approximately 3,000 square feet.
Inside, the house has a central stair hall off of which are four rooms, each with a fireplace.
The second floor plan is the same. Access to the attic is from a flight of stairs off the
second floor hall.
The first floor consists of a large and small parlor on each side of the front of the house
behind which is a study (later, dining room) and a kitchen. The wide pine floor boards are
painted. Both the stair hall and the small parlor have reproductions of the original 18th
century wallpaper which was installed in the 1970s. The woodwork in the small parlor is
Cultural Resources
4-1
painted rose, based on paint analysis of the original late 18th century color. The woodwork
in the stair hall is paint grained (19th century) and was cleaned and conserved by Mary Lou
Davis in 2007.
The study/dining room has painted plaster walls and a small built-in china cupboard. The
most significant aspect of the room is the etched window glass on the north and west sides
inscribed by Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne. It should be noted that the Hawthornes
used this room as their breakfast room and as Sophia Hawthorne’s artist studio.
The kitchen fireplace is set up as it would have been in the late 18th/ early 19th century.
The walls have a chevron painted design. A back stair case leads up from the kitchen to
the second floor nursery and the attic.
The second floor has two front bedrooms – the Emerson bedroom on the southeast and the
Hawthorne bedroom on the northeast. Paint analysis has been undertaken in the
Hawthorne bedroom and some of the 18th century wallpaper remains in the closet. A pair
of the original interior shutters also exists in this room. The Emerson bedroom opens into
the nursery on the southwest corner of the house. The latter room is not interpreted
currently.
The room on the northwest corner was used by Nathaniel Hawthorne as his study and still
has his crudely made ratchet desk against the fireplace wall. As in the room below, the
Hawthornes etched the windowpanes in this room. Family legend has it that this was the
room in which Phoebe Emerson and her children observed the battle of April 19, 1775.
The woodwork in this room has had paint analysis, and it was repainted in the Hawthorne
colors (a gray green) in 2006.
Figure 3 – The Study
Cultural Resources
4-2
This “third floor” of the house consists of five rooms and a back stairs leading down into
the kitchen. The bedrooms were used by family members, students, and visiting clerics.
The room on the north side has pencil sketches drawn by the American artist Edward
Simmons. The large dormered bedroom on the front of the house has remnants of 19th
century wallpaper and border. The so-called Saints’ Chamber on the south side of the
house has a fireplace and the finest woodwork on this floor. The woodwork and plaster
surrounding the fireplace have 19th century graffiti, including that of Nathaniel Hawthorne.
The attic has recently been opened for tours, by appointment.
Boathouse
The boathouse on the banks of the Concord River was constructed in 2001. This shingle
and stone structure was based on photographs of a late 19th century boathouse used by the
Ripley family. John Boardman of Concord built the structure and used the rocks found
nearby as the foundation for the boathouse. The boathouse has a dock adjacent to it which
is used by canoeists and kayakers on the river who wish to visit the property.
Shay shed and wood shed
The wood shed, attached to the main house, has served as the visitor welcome area for
ticketing and a museum shop for many years. Visitors must exit the tour through the shop
which has enhanced the revenue stream. In 1998, the Shay Shed was completed. The
shed, like the boathouse, was based on historic photographs and documentation and is a
replica of what was there originally. In the 19th century, the shed was used to hold small
carriages for the family. The building was designed to provide a staff office for the site
manager, meeting space for staff and volunteers, a small kitchen and rest room with
composting toilet, and storage on the second floor for the Manse’s significant collection of
books, primarily the theological libraries of the Emerson and Ripley families. Today, it
provides office and meeting space for staff and volunteers.
Barn foundation
At the time the Shay Shed was constructed, an archaeological dig was conducted by
UMass Boston. The dig encompassed the area covered by the shed and its outlying areas.
At the same time, a dig was undertaken on the site of the original barn. The barn burned in
the early 20th century. The barn foundation that exists today is a modern, symbolic
construction to identify the location of the structure. It is hoped that The Trustees will be
able to reconstruct a similar barn at some point.
Cultural Resources
4-3
Figure 4 – The barn foundation (Foreground) with the Shay Shed at the rear of the Old Manse
4.2.1 Current Condition
The Manse is in good structural condition. In the 1990s the Manse received funds from the
Massachusetts Historical Commission to repair sills in the kitchen and summer kitchen and
to re-glaze the windows. In 2006 and 2007 several capital improvements were made
including a new cedar shake roof on the main house, re-pointing of chimneys, and a new
furnace in the main house.
An exterior historic paint color analysis was completed in 2010 and the report provides
detailed information for the color chosen, a gray/brown. The full report is on file at The
Old Manse and at the Archives & Research Center. The entire house exterior is scheduled
to be painted by the end of 2010.
Funding is in place to install an exterior Nightscapes lighting system to light the avenue
and path to the house. Work is expected to be complete by fall 2010.
4.2.2 Routine Maintenance
Identifying all of the routine maintenance needs is extremely important to guard against the
creation of deferred maintenance and the rapid deterioration of building systems.
The Manse has one part-time maintenance person and also relies on staff from the
Neponset Unit and the Greater Boston Region to assist with building and landscaping
maintenance.
One of the challenges at the Manse is pests. Each year an inspection is conducted by
Waltham Pest Management. In 2007 there was evidence of termite activity along the front
façade of the woodshed. This will be addressed in summer 2008.
A review of electrical systems should be undertaken as well as HVAC systems in the Shay
Shed.
Cultural Resources
4-4
4.2.3 Capital Renewal
When creating a management plan, it is important to proactively plan for the renewal of
building systems. The rule of thumb for building a reserve to pay for renewal needs is to
set aside annually 2% of the total building replacement value. In the case of the Old
Manse, the total replacement cost of the main building, Shay shed and boathouse is
$775,400. At 2%, the renewal costs should be approximately $15,508 per year. This
figure assumes that all building systems were recently renewed and does not include
infrastructure renewal associated with site improvements.
4.3
Collections and Archives
The collections at the Old Manse are eclectic and represent two and a half centuries of use
by the Emerson and Ripley families as well as the Hawthornes during their tenure at the
Manse. One of the most important things about the Old Manse’s collections is that they
are original to the house with the exception of about a half dozen items which have been
donated in the last 15 years. The collections were part of the purchase by The Trustees
from the Ames family in 1939. This is especially important to the interpretation of the
house and adds to the historic significance of the furnishings. Collections received in the
last 15 years consist mostly of small oil paintings and prints of the Manse as well as a lock
of Una Hawthorne’s hair.
4.3.1 Fine and Decorative Arts
Furnishings include several pieces of 18th century furniture acquired by the Rev. William
Emerson and his wife Phoebe. Two of the most important are the secretary and tall case
clock in the present dining room. Another important early piece is a Jacobean style day
bed belonging to Phoebe Emerson. Other furniture includes both 18th and 19th century
American pieces – chairs, tables, sofas, desks, beds, and dressers. The Ripley family’s
1865 cross strung rosewood piano is still in the large parlor. There is an extensive print
collection, mostly of religious subjects. Fine art includes landscape paintings, portraits,
including one painted by American artist Edward Simmons, and religious subjects.
4.3.2 Archives
Perhaps the most significant aspect of the collections is the book, manuscript and archival
collection. The books represent the theological libraries of the Revs. Emerson and Ripley
with volumes dating back to the 16th century as well as books owned and read by other
members of the extended family. In addition to photographs, sermons and other printed
materials, there is a herbarium consisting of approximately 150 botanical specimens
gathered by Sarah Bradford Ripley in the early 19th century.
4.3.3 Archaeology
At the time of the Shay shed construction an extensive dig was undertaken by a professor
and students at U Mass, Boston. The report and several thousand artifacts were returned to
the Manse after being cleaned and catalogued. These are presently stored at the ARC.
Cultural Resources
4-5
4.3.4 Collections Care and Management
Collections management encompasses the physical care and control of the historic artifacts
and the recording and dissemination of information about the artifacts. Collections
management includes security, protection from light and humidity, object handling,
inventory, acquisitions, loans, deaccessioning, cleaning, cataloguing, data entry, and other
tasks.
As with many historic house museums, collections management practices at the Old Manse
have steadily improved over the years. When first acquired by The Trustees, the main
house’s contents were generally well protected. But by today’s standards, collections
management was not a top priority. In part, this was because it was clearly a family home
through 1939, and perhaps did not yet have the aura of a Mt. Vernon or Monticello. Also,
The Trustees did not have professional museum staff for many years.
The Trustees’ Standing Committee passed a Collections Policy (1998, rev. 2003)1 that
codified professional museum standards for The Trustees’ historic houses. The goal is to
preserve each historic house and its contents in perpetuity for future generations.
However, The Trustees does not carry fine arts insurance on its historic collections. Thus,
paying for conservation after a fire or flood would be a significant challenge.
Collections care involves more than preventing visitors from sitting on the furniture,
lighting fires, and from spilling cookie crumbs on the carpets. At the Manse, as at any
historic house, objects are dusted (dust is abrasive, holds moisture, and attracts insects) and
cleaned (e.g., removing tarnish from silver and brass). To lessen the damage that light can
cause to objects made of organic materials, there are UV filters and bamboo shades on the
windows. The house has intrusion and smoke detectors to help prevent theft and fire
damage. Objects that are not on view need to be properly stored and many of these items
are being sent to the ARC. Unlike The Trustees’ other historic houses, the Manse is not
“put to bed” during the winter months as there are group tours year round. This causes
additional wear and tear on the collections, and staff should be especially vigilant
regarding historic housekeeping and monitoring object conditions.
In addition to physically caring for its collections, museums have the responsibility of
cataloguing each object. This involves a detailed physical description, a history of
ownership (provenance), its legal status, and the assigning of a unique accession/catalog
number. Even more important, a museum should make that information available to the
public and to scholars via exhibits, tours, programs, lectures, etc. The Manse’s collections
have been inventoried, photographed, and catalogued, and there is extensive historic
photographic documentation. From 2006-2008, two volunteers, Henri Holkamp and Mona
Lambert, worked to bring the collections catalogue to professional museum standards. The
collections are part of The Trustees’ statewide Past Perfect database.
1
See TTOR Historic House Interiors Policy (2003).
Cultural Resources
4-6
4.3.5
Conservation and Restoration
Beyond the day-to-day preventative measures described under Collections Management,
the collections sometimes require additional care. All conservation, restoration, and
reproduction work is done to the highest possible standards.
The Trustees strives to use its historic buildings, landscapes, and collections to connect
visitors to the past and to each special place. This is a constant struggle: we want to retain
the original look and meaning of the buildings, landscapes and objects, but time and nature
are against us. Landscapes have plants that constantly grow, or are invaded by exotic
species. Historic houses are filled with objects that will, despite our best efforts, decay or
rust or get broken. The challenge is to find a balance between the desire to keep all the
original parts of the Manse and the need to restore elements, or even replace with
reproductions. A good example is the reproduction wallpaper.
An ongoing challenge is to preserve the objects inside a house that has little climate
control. We have taken practical measures, such as light-blocking window shades that are
closed whenever possible and UV filters installed on each window. We open some
windows and doors in the summer to let in fresh air, but this also brings in dust and
humidity. The Manse uses data loggers to track temperature and humidity. Because there
has been a recent mold problem with some paintings in the collections, Trustees staff
installed portable dehumidifiers for the 2008 season. Portable fans are also used during
the hot summer season. During the winter the heat, an oil fired hot air system, is kept at 55
degrees.
The Manse receives approximately $2,200 annually from a small collections endowment to
conserve pieces in the collection. Over the last several years, prints and paintings have
been conserved as well as selected pieces of furniture. The funds have also been used to
clean and conserve the paint grained woodwork, to install UV film on windows, and to
conduct paint analysis.
4.3.6 Collections Use and Research
The collections are used by staff to interpret and restore the Old manse. Original
photographs and documents in the archives give depth to the guided tours. Photographs
are invaluable for restoration projects. The museum shop is stocked with items inspired by
the collections, allowing The Trustees to earn some income and visitors to have a memento
of their visit. Numerous books have been published on the inhabitants of the Manse
including Nathaniel Hawthorne, the Peabody sisters, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mary Moody
Emerson, Sarah Alden Bradford Ripley, foremost among them. Scholars and authors
frequently use the Manse and its collections for their research in compiling these volumes.
As the Manse’s collections become more available and known (i.e., on the Internet), we
expect the collections to be used more frequently.
Cultural Resources
4-7
4.4
The Cultural Landscape
Considering the Old Manse’s cultural landscape as place (lieu) provides rich interpretive
programmatic, and preservation possibilities, despite the fact that until recently American
social science devalued the concept of lieu, which it dismissed as parochial and local,
unsuitable as a ‘structuring or mediating context for social relations’. 2 However, if the Old
Manse’s lieu as a cognitive representation, a humanized space created over time by
memory, language, and meaning inferred from the surrounding environment, it follows
that the Old Manse’s physical milieu is constituted by the socially determined spatial
structure we refer to as landscape (paysage).
Paysage et Les Lieux de Mémôire
What people make of their places is closely connected to what they make of
themselves as members of society and inhabitants of earth, and while the two
activities may be separable in principle, they are deeply joined in practice. If place
making is a way of constructing the past, a venerable means of doing human
history, it is also a way of constructing social conditions, and in the process, social
and personal identities. We are in a sense, the place-worlds we imagine.
Keith Basso, Wisdom Sits in Places.
The Old Manse’s physical landscape bears much evidence of human habitation and
political, cultural, and economic activity. Indeed, there are few cultural landscapes or lieux
in the United States as suggestive of the past and diverse social relationships. Accordingly
when we link lieu with paysage, we can read codes embedded in the landscape, along with
the social and personal identities once marginalized by modernity’s devaluation of place.3
It is of little surprise that Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote Nature at this particular bucolic lieu
et paysage. Nathaniel Hawthorne described it vividly in 1843, noting how the Concord
River slumbered between broad meadow prairies at this point, as it kissed the long grass,
bathed elder bush boughs, and the roots of elm, ash and maple trees. We can take this one
step further when discussing the complex and changing social relations between Manse
inhabitants and visitors such as Emerson, Ripley, Hawthorne, Thoreau, and Fuller.
Preserving and presenting this place’s preeminent and pastoral past is a challenging task,
as processes of change over time are inevitable. Indeed, as Hawthorne prepared to leave
the Old Manse in 1845, he despaired of the ‘discordant renovations’ that ‘vexed’ the
2
John A. Agnew, ‘The Devaluation of Place in Social Science’, in John A. Agnew and James S. Duncan, The
Power of Place: Bringing Together Geographical and Sociological Imaginations (Boston, MA: Unwin Hyman, 1989),
9–29.
3
Yi Fu Tuan, Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience (Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press,
1977); Edward Relph, Place and Placelessness (London: Pion, 1976), 30–31; Vincent Berdoulay, ‘Place,
Meaning, and Discourse in French Language Geography’, in Agnew and Duncan, eds., Power of Place, 124–36.
Cultural Resources
4-8
place’s antiquity. The painting of exterior walls, after workers had cleared moss and
woodbine from them, was tantamount to rouging a grandmother’s cheeks. 4
Numerous changes preceded and followed the ones regretted by Hawthorne, such as
Ripley’s planting of an orchard, Thoreau’s sowing of a vegetable garden, the addition of a
grape arbor, the sale of contiguous property, the establishment of a school for young men
and ladies, the abandonment of the house in winter months, and the burning of the Manse
barn. In 1939, the Ames family sold the house and lands to The Trustees. More recently,
The Trustees has made changes to the barn foundation, reconstructed a 19th century
boathouse, and rebuilt the Shay shed.
Change over time is also open to radical and misleading reinterpretations. For example,
postmodern theorists posit that periodic economic and social change compresses time and
space, causing cultural waves that can reshape language, art, history, and memory. This
process culminates in the creation of a ‘memory industry’ that preserves and
commemorates the rapidly disappearing past in ‘symbolic and functional’ lieux such as the
Old Manse. History and meaning is thus crystallized in archives, museums, and memorials.
Whilst preserving the past, these places of memory (les lieux de mémoire) possess the
potential to alter that past. For Pierre Nora, les lieux de mémoire exist only because of
‘their capacity for metamorphosis, or an endless recycling of their meaning and an
unpredictable proliferation of their ramifications’. 5
This subsection lays the groundwork for a plan to explore metamorphoses and recycling
processes, and to read the codes embedded in the Old Manse’s rich landscape. In this way,
we can preserve and promote place and personal identities within this most intimate of
cultural and physical landscapes. It engages post-modern theory to analyze growth and
change in the cultural landscape in the context of les lieux de mémoire in order to construct
educational programs, inform casual visitors, and provide a framework for preservation,
building and maintenance efforts.
An ideal way to reveal and interpret landscape codes is to conduct topographical, historic
and cultural tours of the Old Manse’s terrain and surroundings. In the summer of 2008, we
introduced a guided landscape tour, which replaced a self-guided tour by brochure that The
Trustees had produced in the late 1990s. We offer the guided tour not only to college and
high school groups, but also to individuals as a contextual introduction to the house tour,
and to those who show a deep interest in the wider subjects discussed during house tours. It
has been a great success, and we will expand and build upon the basic structure set in
4
Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mosses From an Old Manse, 9, 39-40.
Doreen Massey, Divisions of Labour: Social Structures and the Geography of Production (New York: Routledge,
1995); Edward W. Soja, Postmodern Geographies: The Reassertion of Space in Critical Social Theory (London:
Verso, 1989); David Harvey, The Conditions of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change
(Cambridge: Basil Blackwell, 1989); Michael Kammen, Mystic Chords of Memory: The Transformation of
Tradition in American Culture (New York: Vintage Books, 1993); John. B. Jackson, The Necessity for Ruins, and
Other Topics (Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 1980); David Lowenthal, ‘Past Time, Present
Place: Landscape and Memory’, Geographical Review 65 (1976): 1–36; Pierre Nora, ‘Between Memory and
History: Les Lieux de Mémoire’, Representations 26 (1989): 19.
5
Cultural Resources
4-9
place. What follows is a truncated version of that tour, in which we link and analyze lieu
and paysage.
Geographical surveys maps, landscape paintings, photographs, and prints are ideal sources
when interpreting, comparing and contrasting the cultural landscape. With these in hand,
the tour of this lieux de memoire begins at the barn foundation, at the very spot where
Amos Doolittle drew his famous print of the 1775 altercation between the Regulars and
Minutemen. This location also provides the opportunity to discuss the settlement of
Concord, and of this specific location by Englishman William Blood in 1654.
Figure 5 -Amos Doolittle Print, 1775
This print provides a view of the landscape during the tenure of the Reverend William
Emerson. It also enables students, and lay viewers to understand processes of
deforestation, and tree re-growth over time, as foliage virtually conceals the same view of
the bridge today. Moreover, this view also reveals the type of pasture and meadow in
existence at the time.
The tour continues with reading excerpts from Hawthorne’s description of the Manse
orchard in 1843 while viewing a circa 1885 image of the orchard, looking towards the
Concord River valley. The group then walks through the replanted orchard, towards the socalled Hawthorne rock, midway between the river and the house. Here we have the
opportunity to discuss rock formations, and to highlight a specific cultural aspect: romance
-- as Nathaniel Hawthorne often sat here with his wife Sophia. With this in mind, we have
exploited the social identity of the aspect of lieu by holding wedding ceremonies here. The
ministers, the bride and groom are offered landscape tours prior to the ceremony, and most
take advantage of the opportunity.
Cultural Resources
4-10
Landscape tourists walk on to the boathouse, and landing dock. The latter provides a fine
view of the Old North Bridge, and enables a discussion about why the Reverend Ripley
destroyed the original iconic structure in 1790. Furthermore, this location provides a
vantage point to look over at the North Field, and to discuss the archeological
investigations in that location that revealed Algonquin occupation for millennia prior
European settlement.
Figure 6 - Orchard View Circa 1885
Figure 7 - Old Manse Boathouse Circa 1895
Cultural Resources
4-11
The tour continues to the Thoreau Garden, and provides opportunities to discuss
horticultural techniques, now and then. Also, at this point it is possible to view the hill
located across Monument Street, which was once part of the Emerson/Ripley farm. It was
here that Ralph Waldo Emerson sat whilst he composed notes for Nature. The anonymous
landscape view, circa 1850 provides a view of this hill, looking across from the other side
of the Concord River. This prospect reveals that the hill was a pasture then, providing a
comparison with its forested condition today.
Figure 8 - Landscape View Detail, Circa 1850 (Concord Library Collection)
Suggestions for further reading:
William Hoskins, The Making of the English Landscape (History, geography,
environment)
Donald W. Meinig, The Interpretation of Ordinary Landscapes (Interaction of culture and
landscape)
Yi Fu Tuan, Space and Place, The Perspective of Experience (Sacred versus "biased"
space, mythical space and place, time in experiential space, and cultural attachments to
space)
Yi Fu Tuan Topophilia, A Study of Environmental Perceptions, Attitudes and Values.
(Philosophical reflections of man in his environment, and upon the aesthetics of
environments)
Cultural Resources
4-12
4.5
•
•
•
•
•
•
4.6
•
•
•
•
•
Significant Threats to Cultural Resources
Fire. Old wooden buildings are at great risk from fire, either accidental (faulty
wiring, tipped over lamp) or deliberate. Even if the fire is not catastrophic, the
resulting water and smoke damage would require expensive conservation of the
artifacts.
Theft and Vandalism. The Old Manse is filled with valuable antiques. Several
years ago a number of objects were stolen. Fortunately, they were later recovered.
Thefts can be perpetrated by visitors taking “souvenirs” while on a tour, thieves
breaking in at night, or by unscrupulous staff or volunteers.
Water and Wind. Violent thunderstorms, blizzards, and the occasional river flood
are all components of the weather in Concord. Buildings and their contents are
thus at risk from water, falling trees, and the like.
Agents of deterioration. High/fluctuating relative humidity, high temperatures;
light, careless handling, and pests (e.g. mice, powder post beetles) all pose threats
to artifacts.
Missed opportunities. As years pass, opportunities for oral histories from family
and staff who knew the Manse long ago are lost.
Wear and tear on tours due to high visitation and bus tours. Object conditions
should be monitored and visitation limited if deemed necessary.
Significant Opportunities
Continue to expand the use of the site, including collections and archives to inform
and illustrate interpretive themes for the Manse, thus diversifying its offerings.
Conduct additional research to expand knowledge of family and others who lived at
the Manse throughout the decades.
Continue to preserve, and restore when necessary, the interiors of the Manse and its
landscape to reflect its 240-year history.
Secure fine arts insurance for the collections.
Continue systematic collections conservation.
Cultural Resources
4-13
Section 5: Natural Resources
5.1
Introduction and Methods
The purpose of this section is to describe the natural resources that characterize the
reservation and to describe the significance of and the threats to these resources. This
section establishes the foundation for the recommended natural resource management
actions found in Section 10. The natural resource descriptions in this section were based
on existing information in Trustees files and a field survey conducted during the summer
of 2007.6 Natural resources decisions must be made in conjunction with cultural landscape
decisions.
5.2
Overview of the Natural Landscape
While this section describes the ecological features of the landscape surrounding the Old
Manse, it is worth noting that land use by humans has greatly influenced both species
composition and existing habitats found at the reservation today. Therefore, the Old
Manse is both a cultural and a natural landscape. The majority of the nine acres
comprising the reservation is maintained through active management as an open landscape
important for the historical setting of the Old Manse. The area around the house is
maintained as lawn and includes a vegetable garden planted with heirloom varieties, a
perennial garden and an orchard of antique apple varieties. Large shade trees are scattered
throughout the property and line the entrance drive. The small field is mowed annually
late in the season, and occasionally as needed for special events, and is dominated by
native warm-season grasses. The riverbank and adjacent floodplain support species
adapted to fluctuating water levels, including some very old swamp white oaks. Exotic
and invasive plants are common throughout and dominate the area around the house and
the woodlands adjacent to the reservation.
5.3
Regional Context and Open Space Setting
The Old Manse is located along the Concord River within a matrix of extensive protected
lands and large residential lots linked by the Concord River (Map 5-1). The Town Center
of Concord is less than one mile away. The Minute Man National Historical Park
surrounds the reservation7 and the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge’s Concord
Division (1,542 acres) is a half-mile downstream. The extensive forests of Estabrook
Woods are approximately one mile to the north. Open fields and marshes are common
locally, especially within the National Park and the Wildlife Refuge.
6
7
This survey was a one day visit on 8/24/2007 to assess community types and obvious threats.
The majority of the Park’s 967 acres occur to the east of the Old Manse.
Natural Resources
5- 1
Map 5-1
Natural Resources
5- 2
5.4
Natural Heritage and Other Designations
Natural Heritage
The entire reservation is designated Priority Habitat by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage
and Endangered Species Program (MNHESP). As a result, activities on the reservation
may be subject to MNHESP review per the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act
(MESA).
The reservation is also within a large area along the Concord and Assabet Rivers that is
designated as Core Habitat for Small-River Floodplain Forest (a priority community type
in Massachusetts) and a host of rare plants, birds, amphibians, reptiles and migratory bird
habitat.8
Important Bird Area
The reservation falls within the Sudbury/Concord River Valley Important Bird Area (IBA)
as designated by the Massachusetts Audubon Society.9 This IBA is 12,500 acres in size
and provides important habitat for marsh- and grassland-nesting birds, and contains
significant populations of migrating waterfowl and shorebirds.
Wild and Scenic River
An eight-mile section of the Concord River, from its confluence with the Sudbury and
Assabet Rivers to Route 3 in Billerica, was designated a Wild and Scenic River in 1999.
This portion of the River, together with sections of the Sudbury and Assabet Rivers,
received designation for the river’s “outstanding ecology, history, scenery, recreational
values, and place in American literature.” A Sudbury, Assabet and Concord River
Conservation Plan has been developed to guide the rivers’ management. “The
Conservation Plan relies on local and private initiatives to protect the river segments
through local zoning and land use controls. The SuAsCo River Stewardship Council has
primary responsibility for implementation of the conservation plan.”
5.5
Watershed Setting10, 11
The Old Manse property borders the Concord River and includes more than 400 feet of
riverfront and floodplain forest. The Concord River basin includes the Sudbury and
Assabet Rivers and drains 398 square miles in both Middlesex and Worcester Counties.
Topography in the basin is flat to rolling with elevations ranging from about 480 feet near
the headwaters to 50 feet where the Concord River empties into the Merrimack River at
Lowell. The Concord is a low-gradient and slow-moving river, dropping an average of
five feet per mile. The basin includes part or all of 36 municipalities, some densely
populated while others remain relatively undeveloped. More than 365,000 people reside
within the watershed.
8
Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, 2004, BioMap and Living Waters: Guiding Land
Conservation for Biodiversity in Massachusetts, Core Habitats for Concord.
9
http://www.massaudubon.org/Birds_&_Beyond/IBAs/site_summary.php?getsite=51
10
USGS webpage http://ma.water.usgs.gov/basins/concord.htm
11
http://www.mass.gov/envir/water/suasco/suasco.htm
Natural Resources
5- 3
5.6
Geology and Soils12
Melt water flowing from retreating glaciers more than 10,000 years ago deposited sandy
soils along what is, today, the Concord River. Most of the reservation- including the area
around the house, gardens and field- is covered in Deerfield Loamy sand with 0-3% slope.
This soil is moderately well-drained and groundwater is 18-36 inches below the surface on
average, though the depth is variable and fluctuates throughout the site. Wareham loamy
fine sand with 0-5% slope occur in a narrow band along the river’s edge. These soils are
poorly drained as groundwater is at or near the surface (0-6 inches). The small floodplain
forest at the reservation is underlain by Saco mucky silt loam. This soil formed from silt
and other material deposited by the river post-glaciation, and is regularly flooded.
5.7
Climate13
The Concord area experiences a moderate climate, similar to other areas of eastern and
central Massachusetts:
•
•
•
5.8
Mean annual precipitation: 45 to 54 inches
Mean annual air temperature: 43 to 54 degrees F
Frost-free period: 145 to 240 days
Natural Community Types
With the exception of the floodplain forest, the Old Manse is a cultural landscape that is
actively managed to depict a mid-19th century home and landscape. Roughly half of the
property’s nine acres are cultural grassland; the other half is developed and includes the
house, gardens, parking area and associated landscaping. Edge is abundant and roadways,
hedgerows and the Concord River frame most of the property. While physical and
biological processes have helped shape these communities, land use history has been the
driving force responsible for the communities present today. The reservation has been
shaped by hundreds of years of residential and agricultural use, reflected by the abundance
of stone walls, foundations, exotic plants, ancient landscape trees, fields, the Old Manse
itself, and adjacent structures associated with this country’s early fight for independence
(e.g., Old North Bridge).
Three community types were identified at the Old Manse during a survey completed in 2007
Descriptions of plant community types on the reservation follow where possible, the
Massachusetts Natural Heritage Program’s classification.14 A ranking system prioritizes
12
http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/WebSoilSurvey.aspx
http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/WebSoilSurvey.aspx
14
Swain, Patricia C., and Jennifer B. Kearsley, 2000. Classification of the Natural Communities of Massachusetts. Natural
Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Westborough, MA. (Note:
13
Natural Resources
5- 4
communities based on their rarity and degree of threat within the state; rankings are expressed
here as S1- S5. S1 community types receive the highest priority for protection, while S5
communities are those that are regarded as demonstrably secure. MNHESP considers any
community type with a state-rank of S1-S3 or any exemplary example of a S4 or S5
community type as a "Natural Community Type for Priority Protection." One priority
community type (Small River Floodplain Forest – S2) was identified on the reservation during
the plant community survey.
Cultural Grassland (no S-rank):
The northern half of the property includes a field that is maintained by annual mowing.
Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is dominant. Other plants include purple love
grass (Eragrostis spectabilis), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), common milkweed
(Asclepias syriaca) and red clover (Trifolium pretense). Black swallowwort (Cynanchum
louiseae) is abundant and covers up to 50% of the southern half of the field and is scattered
throughout the remainder. Panicled tick trefoil (Desmodium paniculatum) is an
uncommon wildflower. Its magenta flower spikes contrast with the browns of the warmseason grasses in late summer. Although relatively flat and dry, the northern end of the
field contains a slight depression where water accumulates at or near the surface. Path rush
(Juncus tenuis), flat-stemmed panic-grass (Panicum rigidulum) and sedges dominate this
depression. A few old apple trees occur along the southern edge of the field, suggesting
the area may have once been an orchard.
Landscaped/Developed Area:15
Much of the area around the Old Manse is maintained as lawn, gardens, orchards, parking
area and/or paths. Exotic plants dominate this area; lilacs, hostas, and lily-of-the-valley
(Convallaria majalis) are common foundation plantings and gill-over-the-ground
(Glechoma hederacea) is abundant in the lawn. Few native plants occur within this area.
A few white wood asters (Aster divaricatus) commingle with the foundation plantings and
a few sugar maples and white ash serve as shade trees and line the entrance drive. Exotic
invasive species are common but the regular mowing and stewardship of gardens and
plantings mostly prevent the invasive species from dominating.
Small-River Floodplain Forest (S2), including Riverbank:
The Old Manse includes one acre of floodplain forest, part of the Concord River’s
extensive floodplain and riverbank ecosystem. This community may have developed
and/or increased its extent as a result of downstream damming in the distant past.
Scattered silver maples and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) dominate this community.
Silky dogwood, ash saplings, false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrical), sensitive fern and fox
grape are common understory species. Buttonbush and purple loosestrife are dominant
where the tree canopy is open (e.g., near the river channel). Large silver maples,
basswoods and a few very old swamp white oaks, all of which were likely planted, grow
along the riverbank. A few small river birches (Betula nigra) also grow along the
riverbank between the Old North Bridge and the Boathouse. This community is influenced
15
Natural plant community types that match NHESP’s classification are capitalized in the text; those plant communities not
matching NHESP’s classification are identified in lower case only.)
Not a MNHESP community type.
Natural Resources
5- 5
by fluctuating seasonal water levels; floodplain species are adapted to spring flooding
followed by summer drying. This seasonal rhythm of flooding also excludes other species
of trees and plants that would normally serve as competitors.
The riverbank is used both as a canoe landing and by visitors wishing to explore the river’s
edge. As a result, the vegetation has been trampled exposing bare soil that is both
compacted and eroded, especially near the waters edge. In 2002 native wetland shrubs
were planted along the riverbank in an effort at restoration. Shrubs planted included highbush blueberry, sweet pepperbush, winterberry holly, and dogwood. Many of these shrubs
have died or are in poor health due to continued use by visitors, ongoing management (e.g.,
bank is maintained as lawn), and dense shade. Furthermore, black swallowwort, an exotic
invasive vine, is invading the riverbank area and will further impact restoration efforts.
Efforts to restore this area should include greater emphasis on restricting/managing visitor
use and on controlling exotic invasive species. Native plants such as river birch, grasses,
sedges, and wildflowers will colonize readily if visitor use is controlled.
5.9
Wildlife
The reservation is generally too small to provide significant habitats or support viable
wildlife populations. However, many common species of birds, mammals, reptiles and
amphibians can be found at the reservation and provide visitors with ample wildlife
viewing opportunities. In addition, the communities at the Old Manse- especially the
riparian and aquatic habitats and the field- provide habitat for many invertebrate species.
At least 70 species of birds, 12 species of fish, and more than 30 species of reptiles and
amphibians have been documented at the adjacent Minute Man National Historical Park.
(MIMA)16 Wide-ranging species such as coyote, fox and fisher are also regularly
observed, which attests to the area’s habitat diversity and the Old Manse’s proximity to an
extensive network of protected lands. It also illustrates the adaptability of some species to
coexist, and even prosper, in areas shared with humans. However, some wildlife can be
pests and pose management challenges to the Old Manse and its landscape. For example,
deer routinely browse in the vegetable garden and voles girdle the bark of fruit trees in the
winter.
5.9.1 Rare Species
Despite its small size, the reservation does provide habitat for rare species. Umber shadow
dragon, a Species of Special Concern in Massachusetts, has been documented in the
Concord River near the Old Manse and, as a result, all of the reservation is designated by
MNHESP as priority habitat. This elusive and rare dragonfly is active for only a short
time after dusk and, as a nymph, prefers aquatic habitat relatively free of vegetation.
Adults will utilize nearby vegetated and upland habitats for foraging and evading
predators. Threats to this species include silting of aquatic habitat, water pollution and
eutrophication. At the Old Manse, appropriate larval habitat may exist along the riverbank
area and adults may use the field and floodplain forest for foraging and cover.
16
http://www.nps.gov/mima/naturescience/animals.htm.
Natural Resources
5- 6
A leopard frog was observed in the lawn along the woodland edge near the floodplain
forest in August 2007. Northern leopard frog is a “watch-list” species in Massachusetts.
This frog prefers fields and meadows near the lakes, ponds and rivers in which it breeds.
A few river birches grow along the riverbank. This watch-list species is primarily
restricted to the Merrimack River watershed in Massachusetts where it grows in floodplain
forests and other seasonally wet areas (e.g., vernal pools). The saplings at the Old Manse
are susceptible to trampling and other damage from visitors accessing the riverbank.
Although this species can be common in appropriate habitat, its limited geographical
distribution in Massachusetts is responsible for its watch-list designation. This species and
its cultivars are widely planted for landscaping.
5.10 Summary of Significant Natural Resources
•
•
•
Floodplain forest and riverbank along the Concord River. Small River Floodplain
Forest is a designated Priority Community Type by MNHESP and riparian habitat
provides continuity to the habitat corridor along the river and habitat for rare species.
Rare species habitat. The reservation is designated Priority Habitat for a rare species
of dragonfly and at least two watch-list species have been documented on the
reservation.
Landscape context. Although small in area, the Old Manse is part of an extensive
network of protected lands and significant habitats. It is located at the intersection of
several large protected areas including the Minute Man National Historical Park, Great
Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and Estabrook Woods. This context allows
species, including rare species, to occur on the reservation when ordinarily they would
not be found on such a small area. Management within the reservation needs to be
mindful of potential impacts that may be felt off of the reservation (e.g., water quality
impacts to the Concord River).
5.11 Significant Threats to Natural Resources
Invasive species: Exotic invasive plants are abundant within both the reservation and
surrounding lands. The adjacent woodland to the east of the property is dominated by
invasive species. Indeed, native plants are the exception in this woodland; many of the
same invasive species are growing along the stone wall in the adjacent area of the
reservation. The canopy in this area is dominated by black locust and the understory
includes shrub honeysuckle (Lonicera sp.), crab apple, privet (L. sp.), garlic mustard,
Japanese knotweed, common and glossy buckthorn, black swallowwort, and five-leaved
acanthopanax (Acanthopanax sieboldianus). Black swallowwort is invading the riverbank
and cultural grassland- where it currently dominates the southern half of the field- and is
threatening native species and grassland habitat. Swallowwort is especially aggressive and
difficult to control and eradicate; but left uncontrolled, it will transform the aesthetics of
Natural Resources
5- 7
this area, out-compete native plants and invade the adjacent landscaped area. Purple
loosestrife is abundant along the river and floodplain. Purple loosestrife beetles
(Galerucella sp.) were released by the US Fish & Wildlife Service at Great Meadows
National Wildlife Refuge and are now established in the watershed. Once established,
these beetles disperse readily and, in the future, they should colonize the purple loosestrife
at the Old Manse. Due to the abundance of invasive species at the Old Manse, control
efforts should focus on the floodplain forest and riverbank areas, the eradication of
swallowwort, and on early detection of and rapid response to new invaders.
In 2008 the Asian longhorned beetle was discovered in Worcester, MA. This large exotic
is destructive to a host of hardwood trees including all the native maples and birch.
Eradication efforts are underway and as of yet it has not been confirmed outside the
Worcester area. The emerald ash borer is another exotic insect to be watching for. In 2009
the borer was reported in western New York and it is expected to continue to work its way
east. This bright green beetle feeds exclusively on ash trees and no ash species is resistant.
Tree management and preservation should consider these invasive species at the Old
Manse.
Intense visitor use is impacting the landscape. Upwards of 100,000 visitors are believed to
visit the Old Manse landscape each year, resulting in loss of vegetation, soil compaction,
and erosion along the riverbank. Similarly, but of less concern ecologically, visitors wear
paths in the lawn, designed landscapes and fields.
Climate change poses a new type and scale of threat to natural areas. The impacts of global
climate change will be felt throughout all of The Trustees’ properties but at varying
degrees. Global warming has the potential to significantly alter the ecosystems and natural
resources of Massachusetts in future decades through accelerating rates of sea level rise,
increases in storm frequency and intensity and changing floras and faunas due to a milder
climate. While solutions to these problems typically lay beyond the scope of our
management, addressing potential impacts during the planning process may help avoid
problems in the future. For example, implementing a program of early detection and rapid
response to new exotic invasive species will reduce the potential for these species
becoming established. River dynamics may also change. Predictions for more frequent
and extreme precipitation events combined with seasonal droughts will likely result in
extreme water level fluctuations in the Concord River.
Diseases also threaten trees at the Old Manse. In particular, ash decline is the greatest
threat currently. This disease, also known as ash yellow, is caused by a phytoplasma – a
specialized bacteria. There is no cure but healthy ash trees may be less susceptible.
Natural Resources
5- 8
5.12 Summary of Significant Opportunities
The riverbank vegetation is being trampled leading to soil compaction and erosion. Efforts
to control visitation in this area will allow plants to grow, stopping soil erosion.
The Old Manse is an ideal location to engage visitors on “green” landscape management.
Efforts to reduce the frequency of mowing, plant selection and fertilization methods can all
be explained.
Recommendations:
• Restore riverbank
• Invasive plant control (swallowwort)
• Mow field annually in early June.
• keep mower blade height on high to avoid killing amphibians
Natural Resources
5- 9
Section 6: The Visitor Experience
6.1
Introduction
The following information on visitation to the Old Manse was gathered from staff
observation, register sales, and a small survey conducted from over the past three seasons.
6.2
Current Visitation
The Old Manse has the highest visitation of The Trustees historic house museums.
Approximately 11,000 visitors tour the house annually. An additional 19,000 visit the
museum shop and walk the grounds. An estimated 1,600 tour the house off-season for
education tours, resulting in a total of about 31,600 people.
Overall visitation to the Old Manse has hovered around 10,000 for years, which accounts
only for those individuals who choose to go on a guided house tour; data show that
approximately three times that number enter the museum shop. These visitors often cite
“lack of time” as their primary reason for electing not to go on a house tour. Occasional
visitors mistakenly think they are at a National Park Service site; some express
dissatisfaction with the fee structure. Currently, there is no method of capturing data on
visitation to the grounds only.
Analyzing visitation numbers from Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007 has revealed a trend
toward increasing numbers (as a percentage of total visitation) of student groups (growing
from 24% to 32%), families (growing from 2% to 4%), and Trustees members (growing
from 4% to 5%). General, non-school group tours (e.g., bus tours) declined from 19% of
visitation in FY06 to just 5% in FY07. These trends can be attributed to a deliberate shift
in emphasis by Old Manse staff from bus tours to school groups as a target audience, as
well as a change in programming and special event offerings in effort to attract family
groups.
The Old Manse attracts a high number of visitors from all over the United States. School
groups and scholars from all areas of the country come to the Manse each year. There is
also a large international audience at the Manse. Visiting groups from many different
nations come to the house for a tour. Staff makes all efforts to accommodate non-English
speaking visitors to the extent possible. Several guides speak a second language and are
able to translate tour content for international visitors.
In 2006, staff created and administered a small, informal survey designed to yield
quantifiable information on visitation to the Manse. The results of the 2006 survey are
illustrated in the table below. A more comprehensive survey began in the summer of 2008.
The results of this survey are pending, but will supplement those of the 2006 survey and
will help guide the future management of the property.
The Visitor Experience
6-1
Table 1: 2006 Survey Data
CATEGORY
Age Group
15-26
26-40
41-80
81+
Gender
Male
Female
Reason for Visiting
Revolutionary War
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Old homes and furniture
Nearby attraction
Special event
Other
Heard of the Manse through
Word-of-mouth
Drove or walked past site
Media article
Advertisement
Guidebook
Brochure
Web site
The Trustees of Reservations
Other
Prior visits?
Yes
No
# of RESPONSES
% of TOTAL
22
38
82
51
11.4
19.7
42.5
26.4
86
121
41.5
58.5
82
55
61
23
26
0
43
28.3
19
21
7.9
9
0
14.8
49
37
6
8
48
20
9
8
56
20.3
15.4
2.5
3.3
19.9
8.3
3.7
3.3
23.2
35
152
18.7
81.3
A summary of the 2006 survey results show that the typical visitor to the Old Manse is
over the age of 40, drawn to the property for its Revolutionary history and association with
the Concord authors, and is visiting the reservation for the first time. Although
information about the reservation is relayed through a number of media, most visitors
reported first hearing about the Manse either by word-of-mouth, from a listing in a
guidebook, or by just happening upon it while walking or driving.
Results indicate that less than 20% of visitors surveyed were repeat visitors to the property.
This is not necessarily a true indication of the number of repeat visitors, however. Because
the survey mostly focused on visitors inside the house or museum shop, it did not capture
those visitors who visited the grounds only, which would be more expected of repeat users
(e.g., local joggers or dog walkers).
The Visitor Experience
6-2
6.3
Visitor Access and Circulation
6.3.1 Approach and Arrival
Approach signs for the Old Manse currently exist along the northbound and southbound
lanes of route I-95/Route 128, the eastbound and westbound lanes of Route 2, and in the
center of Concord. The myriad of small roads intersecting at Monument Square in the
center of town can be confusing for a first-time visitor, and people have been known to get
lost while traveling between one historic site in Concord and another. In addition, the
Manse shares an approach sign with the Old North Bridge at Monument Square, which is a
standard brown sign used for historic sites. This can be confusing to visitors looking for a
Trustees sign and contributes to the misconception that the Manse is owned by the
National Park Service. Overall, approach signage for the Manse could be greatly
improved.
Upon reaching the Manse, a 20-car gravel parking area is located on-site. Also available
are two National Park Service lots: one just south of the Manse property and another
across Monument Street servicing North Bridge visitors. Walk-in entrances to the
reservation abound: one from the southern National Park Service parking area, another
where visitors follow the driveway in from the street and two additional access points from
the allée area in front of the North Bridge. Less-often utilized is the dock on the Concord
River, perhaps an untapped asset for attracting recreational visitors to the site. It is
difficult for visitors approaching from the river to understand where they can dock and
access the property.
6.3.2 Orientation
There are introductory signs located at each of the four entrances to the Manse property.
In addition, a total of three interpretive signs are located on the property, at the boathouse,
garden and front door. A sign is placed on the front door when the house is open and
another is next to the museum shop door, both directing visitors to the museum shop. Each
of these informational and interpretive signs was developed at a different time and,
consequently, there is no uniformity to their looks and sizes. Further, the signs are placed
in locations and are fabricated in such a way that distracts the visitor from the otherwise
historic nature of the landscape. Replacements have been ordered for all of the signs on
the property and will be installed before the 2010 season. These new, uniform signs will
greatly aid in visitor orientation. In addition, two visitor kiosks (i.e., bulletin boards) will
be placed on the property: one in the main parking area for the Manse and one along the
stone wall bordering the MIMA National Park Service allee.
When the shop is open, there are brochures and other information available to visitors
about local sites, other Trustees properties, and upcoming special events. Staff and
occasional volunteers answer questions, orient visitors, and assist with any purchases.
When the shop is closed, there are three brochure containers hung outside that provide The
Old Manse’s brochure and Trustees membership information.
Currently, the open season runs from the weekend preceding Patriot’s Day in the middle of
April through October 31. A 45-minute house tour is offered to visitors beginning every
The Visitor Experience
6-3
half-hour on the hour, from 10:00am- 4:30pm Monday-Saturday and 12pm-4:30pm on
Sundays and holidays. Visitors are taken on a tour each half-hour, despite the number of
individuals in a group. Tours have no minimum number and it is not unusual for tours to
run with only one or two guests. Typically, there are about 5-6 individuals on each tour,
with a maximum of 15 people. Organized groups with advanced reservations can often be
accommodated in the off-season.
6.4
Special Events and Programs
Patriot’s Day Celebration is perhaps the largest event of the Manse’s calendar year. The
Trustees collaborates with MIMA National Historical Park and the Town of Concord.
Festivities begin with a dawn salute in the Manse’s north field conducted by the Concord
Independent Battery. MIMA offers a variety of activities from early morning to mid-day
which illustrate the battle of April 19, 1775. These events draw thousands of visitors who
assemble on the Manse property. The Manse has two tents selling coffee and doughnuts
and items from the museum shop that reflect patriotic history such as books, colonial
games, quill pens, tri-cornered hats, and wooden dummy guns. This is also opening day
for the Manse and special tours are offered focusing on the colonial period of the house
and the events of April 19, 1775. The Manse also participates in the Patriot’s Day parade,
again drawing thousands of visitors. The day concludes with a candlelight remembrance
ceremony consisting of 600 luminaria on the banks of the River. There are short speeches
about the events of April 19, 1775 and the role that the Emerson family played. There is
also patriotic music including the Concord Hymn. The luminaria, placed on both sides of
the North Bridge, represent the British regulars and the Colonial militia.
The Manse has a summer concert series, entitled Music at the Manse, which is held on
Sunday afternoons in July and August. Musicians donate their services and play under a
tent while visitors and guests enjoy the concert on picnic chairs and blankets. Presently,
the concerts are free to the public as the original intent ten years ago was not to generate
revenue but to attract more visitors to the reservation. Staff might want to consider a
donation for the concerts. At the intermission when most people are present, a staff
member should welcome the audience to the Old Manse to tell them what we are about.
The concerts can attract as many as 60 people.
The final large event of the calendar year is the Fall Festival held on Saturday of Columbus
Day weekend. The event celebrates the harvest and focuses on natural foods and other
products from the land such as corn husk dolls. Traditional artisans such as blacksmiths
have demonstrations, and there are heritage breed animals. The Manse sells cheese and
other snacks and has costumed interpreters. Local vendors also sell gourds and pumpkins,
and there is country music. Gaining Ground offers special tours of the heirloom vegetable
garden. The 2008 event included collaboration with the Concord Art Association and the
Emerson Umbrella to provide art related events including an art auction.
Gaining Ground, a Concord non-profit, manages the heirloom vegetable garden. In
addition to Gaining Ground staff, students from the Fenn School and Nashoba Brooks
The Visitor Experience
6-4
School volunteer in the garden. The garden attracts attention from visitors to the Manse
and staff and volunteers from both organizations answer visitors’ queries.
In 2008 Gaining Ground and Manse staff collaborated to expand interpretation of the
Thoreau Garden. Towards this end, the two organizations arranged joint-staff
work/information days on August 27 and October 8. Accordingly, Manse staff became
more familiar with the garden’s structure, and the history and nature of the heirloom
varieties planted there.
This is part of a larger, long term plan wherein Manse visitors will be able to tour the
garden with a Manse interpreter for a minimal cost, either separately, or as part of a house
tour. This will become an ‘extra’ item on the tour menu, in the same fashion as the new
attic tour. The two organizations have also collaborated on new signage design. Moreover,
as well as offering tours of the Thoreau Garden during the fall event, Gaining Ground will
exhibit there.
Other new programs launched this year include teacher training workshops in conjunction
with the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and a “triple tour of the landscape, house
and attic. The latter has attracted much interest and has provided new revenue.
6.5
Marketing and Outreach
As with other Trustees historic houses, the budget for marketing is extremely limited. Staff
members and volunteers have been successful in having coverage in the Concord Journal
and the Boston Globe, Northwest. Staff and volunteers place event posters around town
when there are special programs and there are sandwich boards which are placed on the
Monument Street sidewalk and at a couple of town locations. Programs are also publicized
on The Trustees webpage and in Special Places, the quarterly magazine. More attention
should be paid to magazine calendar listings and other free listings. The Manse would
benefit from strategic planning for its marketing efforts and a media relations plan should
be developed. A marketing plan that broadens and deepens the understanding of the Manse
is one of the most important needs.
6.6
Visitor Services and Facilities
Museum Shop
The museum shop is open until 5pm every day during the season and offers for sale books,
gifts, and memorabilia related to the history of the Old Manse and its residents. Seasonal
interpretive guides staff the desk at the museum shop and assist visitors with purchases,
answer visitor inquiries, distribute brochures, and talk about the history of the Manse and
the Concord area. Essentially, the shop functions much like a scaled-down visitor center
which is both a challenge and an opportunity. While it allows staff to interact with
visitors, answering general questions and providing orientation to the Park and Concord
The Visitor Experience
6-5
area consumes a great deal of their time. The shop is a key component to the Manse and
its functionality should be examined.
It is estimated that an average of 30,000 visitors enter the museum shop on an annual basis.
Only one-third of these visitors elect to participate in a guided house tour. Many only
browse the shop and explore the grounds of the Manse as part of a visit to MIMA National
Historical Park.
The shop is undersized for the volume of visitors that pass through and for all of the
activity that takes place there. It is often crowded and uncomfortable for those browsing
the merchandise. Staff has observed visitors entering the shop and, upon seeing the crowd,
immediately turning away and leaving. While how frequently this occurs is unknown, any
visitors being turned away is a missed opportunity that should be addressed.
The merchandise currently offered for sale in the shop should be reviewed. Products
offered for sale should reflect the interpretive themes for the Manse in some way. The
current selection of merchandise can be slightly expanded and better organized to be more
appealing to visitors and to help with crowding issues.
Restrooms
There are no public restroom facilities available on the reservation. Facilities managed by
MIMA are located just a short walk from the house, along the allée leading to the North
Bridge.
Emergency Plan
There is an emergency plan developed for visitor safety. A copy is kept at the sales desk in
the museum shop. The plan outlines what to do in case of visitor illness and has a list of
emergency contact numbers. There is also an evacuation plan in the event of fire.
Additional emergency preparedness planning is needed.
Universal Access
The Old Manse is not universally accessible. While visitors in wheelchairs or walkers
could enter the museum shop, narrow doors and stairways prevent them from going any
deeper into the house. Manse staff members have developed an alternative tour which
consists of a notebook with photographs, scans and text to tell the Manse story, thus
meeting recommendations of the American with Disabilities Act.
As is the case in most historic house museums, there are inherent challenges to universal
accessibility that result from the age of the structures. However, there are some nonstructural improvements that can be made, particularly on the grounds, which can make the
site more accessible to persons of limited physical ability. For example, some of the paths
immediately around the house can be made accessible by the installation of proper
surfacing material.
The Visitor Experience
6-6
Summary of Elements Important to Visitor Experience
The most important element to visitor experience is the integrity of the Old Manse
landscape and its sense of sanctity. The Manse should provide a sense of timelessness
where the visitor can seek respite from the work-a-day world and experience the
inspiration felt by those who have come before. Visitors should feel that they have entered
a historic landscape that has been preserved by generations of people who care about this
special place.
It is important for the visitor to feel a sense of intimacy and personalization. Guests to the
Old Manse should all feel that they are special. Guided house tours for the public are small
in size and allow for interaction between visitors and interpreters. Visitors can be given
personal attention and are encouraged to ask questions relating to Manse-related subjects
of their personal interest.
Visitor interaction with staff is especially important. Staff members are the spokespeople
for the organization and the property and there should be a high level of knowledge among
the staff, volunteer and paid, regarding the Old Manse – its history and its program, and
The Trustees.
Other elements identified as being important to visitor experience include good
stewardship, signage and information as to what this place is all about, and length of tours.
Both 30 and 45 minute tours should be offered to meet audience needs.
The Old Manse should be able to personalize, through the cast of characters who lived
here, the overarching themes of the American Revolution and the subsequent literary and
social revolutions that occurred in Concord.
6.8
•
•
•
•
Summary of Threats to the Visitor Experience
The volume of visitors passing through the house each year presents inevitable issues
of “wear and tear.” All efforts should be made to ensure these impacts are minimized
to the extent possible.
Overcrowding in the museum shop has a negative impact on the visitor experience and
on merchandise sales. The shop is undersized and its tendency to serve as a visitor
center further complicates this issue.
Visitors who wish to leave a tour early are not given the opportunity to do so. The
layout of the house makes it difficult for those who wish to exit early to find their way
out.
Intrusions on the visitor experience from external sources such as airplane noise are
frequent but, unfortunately, cannot be eliminated.
The Visitor Experience
6-7
6.9
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Summary of Significant Opportunities
Identify and pursue opportunities to increase the percentage of visitors entering the
museum shop who also take a guided tour.
Improve way-finding and interpretive signage on the grounds in effort to raise
awareness of the Manse among visitors to Minute Man National Historical Park.
Utilize the grounds of the Manse to expand programming opportunities.
Interpret the landscape and how it influenced and was impacted by the former residents
of the Old Manse; its current ecological value; and the greater landscape context.
Offer an abridged tour to groups with children. Communicate to all tour participants
that they may leave early if they need to do so and ensure they are able to find an exit.
Review existing programs and special events and eliminate those that are not well
attended or that do not advance the mission of the Old Manse and The Trustees.
Develop new programs as needed.
Increase marketing efforts in a strategic way based upon findings by the Historic
Houses Task Force.
Review the functionality of the museum shop including its orientation, lay-out and
size.
Build a barn on the existing foundation that can be used for interpretation and as
meeting space for events and programs.
Continue to improve universal access throughout the property.
The Visitor Experience
6-8
Section 7: Interpretation
7.1
Introduction
The predominant value of the Old Manse in The Trustees’ collection of “properties of
natural, scenic and historic value” is its history. Consequently, the driving force behind an
Old Manse management strategy must be a thorough, reasonable, and practical interpretive
plan that conveys the property’s history and its relevance for current and future audiences.
In general, visitor experience of a site is largely dependent on its interpretation. Nowhere is
this truer than at a historic site, where a large part of the site’s significance may not be
readily apparent from its visible components. Consequently, the function of management
for a historic site is largely to support and facilitate its effective interpretation, whether
through staff training, education, marketing, or site maintenance and preservation.
The purpose of an interpretive plan is to provide rational baseline thinking on goals, key
audiences, and strategies for interaction that will be replicable and/or adjustable. A plan
will never replace the inspired interaction between an impassioned guide and an
enthusiastic audience. It will provide data and rationales for future organizational planning
needs. The interpretive plan must incorporate overarching Trustees goals, while
specifically addressing historic themes, visitation, and infrastructure issues unique to this
property.
At the Old Manse, interpretation is especially challenging because its audiences are already
extremely diverse and its facilities are extremely limited. The Old Manse landscape is not
gated, easily accessible, and open to general public, while the building is small and entry
requires ticket purchase. Consequently, the two venues of what should be a single story
line are largely experienced by different visitor audiences. Is there a way to bridge, or
narrow the experiential gap between the two? The integrated landscape tour has narrowed
the gap somewhat and the new exterior signage will enhance the interpretive process.
In order for the Old Manse to support the broad goals of The Trustees and to fulfill its own
mission, it is essential that a broad and comprehensive interpretive plan be completed,
building on the Manse’s already significant strengths and expanding them by new
strategies.
7.2
Mission
The mission of the Old Manse is to preserve, research, and interpret the legacy of the
Emerson, Ripley, and Hawthorne families and their contributions to American history
while conserving the cultural and natural resources of the site for future generations.
Interpretation
7- 1
7.3
7.4
Interpretive Goals
to make this a beloved site (love of present site and appreciation of past
significance are essential to stewardship development)
to create a constituency that will steadily support it in the future (convert visitors to
members/volunteers/supporters)
to teach the value of place, history, and preservation even to transient visitors (be a
source of inspiration that they take back to their own communities)
to engage subject-matter experts in the interpretive process, in order to keep
interpretation current and provocative.
to increase and diversify income sources
Key Interpretive Messages
Every time the Old Manse interpretive program is successful, every visitor will walk away
with certain key messages from their visit. They will be inspired to apply them in their own
lives, and they will have the tools to learn more. These key interpretive messages include:
1. The Old Manse was and is a place of inspiration to its residents and visitors.
2. The Old Manse was a nucleus of intellectual activity during the American
revolutions of political, literary, and social change. It fostered the interchange of
ideas as people inspired each other in this place.
3. The Old Manse exists today because of the careful stewardship of those who
cherished the land and house, and respected their history and meaning.
7.5
Audiences
Introduction
There are three reasons to want to attract audiences to the Old Manse:
to share the extraordinary story of this place and its people
to connect the Old Manse and, more broadly, The Trustees with the community
to increase attendance and site visibility
Targeted Audiences
Tourists, especially families and children, drawn to the Old Manse by the North
Bridge and other Concord sites.
Residents of Concord, Carlisle and contiguous communities (those served by
Concord Area Properties Committee)
Local public and private school classes and programs, all grade levels
Non-local schools (nationwide)
Members of The Trustees of Reservations
Interpretation
7- 2
7.6
Subject-specific researchers and scholars
Cyber-visitors (those served by internet or other non-site programming)
Interpretive Strategies
Introduction
It is essential to think of interpretive strategies as a developing process, rather than a
scatter-shot effort to institute numerous changes all at once. We have chosen to emphasize
strategies that:
•
•
•
are relatively easy to implement, given the groundwork that has already been
done;
will improve the Old Manse interpretive situation immediately;
have overarching goals to broaden our means of engagement and to emphasize
the primary theme of inspiration at the Old Manse.
Strategy Menu I: strategies already in place
Guided Tours
o House tour
o Attic tour
o Landscape tour
Special Programs
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Interpretation
Gaining Ground Thoreau garden
Fall Festival (Columbus Day weekend fair)
Patriots Day Weekend Events
Halloween event
Educational programs offered to schools and colleges
Music at the Manse, June through September (outdoors)
Music in the Manse – (weekend piano performances on the Steinway)
Thanksgiving Weekend Tours
Mother’s Day Music Event
Christmas – Santa on the Steinway.
Christmas – an 1820s Holiday tour conducted by Mrs. Phebe Ripley
participation in Concord summer solstice event
7- 3
Strategy Menu II: strategies to be developed
New guided house tours
o 20-minute tour: an abbreviated form of the standard 45-60 minute site tour
o Walk-through – approx 10 minutes for those having to return to tour buses
visiting the Old North Bridge
o Discovery tour – audience ‘discovers’ content/story in each room visited –
may be same as below
o Family-oriented site tour (may be variant of 20-minute or discovery tour)
o Specialized tours that concentrate on specific subjects – revolution, social
change, US literature, cultural history.
“Participatory” rooms (reproduction furniture in small parlor; visitors sit during
tour wrap-up, to experience comfortable ambience. This, though, would be more
suited to special tours.)
Web-based information and programs – can be a major marketing tool for the site,
especially when the target audience(s) are specified and specifically addressed:
o Downloadable school programs
o Downloadable landscape tour
o An audio- visual walk-through tour of specific rooms, that offers tantalizing
glimpses.
o A section which stresses the Manse ecological and landscape history –
impacts of native and English settlement – as this links to the overall
Trustees mission.
Old Manse publications
o New edition of Paul Brooks history
o Topical series of brochures
Alternative means of interpretation, especially using electronic media (test strategy
using hand-held ‘paddles’ with information; convert successful approaches to
downloadable tour or cell phone tour)
New special programs aimed at expanding audience and diversifying engagement
process.
o Anniversary events
o Special September programs to take advantage of still-warm weather
o Permanent art exhibit – Thayer, Simmons, Sophia Hawthorne
o Off-season small, specialized events and activities (cf: writing workshop,
college level or adult education seminars)
o Creative workshops in the arts
o Teacher and interpreter training in collaboration with partners such as NPS,
U Mass Lowell, and others
Interpretation
7- 4
Specific priorities
Our first priority for change over the next two years is to improve interpretive
service to transient tourists; currently an audience of at least 12,000 with a potential
audience estimated at 14,000 providing an increase in annual income of $10,000.
This will require additional human resources.
Our second priority is to expand programming and interpretive opportunities for
school audiences. This will also require additional human resources.
Both tourist and school expansion audiences will benefit most immediately from
the development of a substantive, engaging, 20-minute tour.
All audiences will benefit from development of an outdoor self-guided tour, which
will not require the interpretive services of a paid staff member, thus reducing costs
while enriching interpretation.
The newly developed “attic tour” needs to be polished through:
o expanded staff training
o solid interpretive tie-ins with main house tour
o completion of furnishings arrangement, structural repairs and room
conservation (Simmons and other wall inscriptions; wallpaper)
The Old Manse staff has already approached the second and the fifth of the priorities
outlined above. The faltering economy and rising fuel prices persuaded those involved in
the educational tourism and leisure activity fields to view the 2008 and 2009-summer
season with trepidation. Accordingly, following discussions with the Director of Historic
Resources, in the context of strategic and management plans and previous RT3 reports,
The Old Manse modified and expanded its programmatic, event and educational content to
provide alternative income streams. This approach has relied less upon outside agencies,
such as historic re-enactors and facilities providers, and instead takes full advantage of The
Old Manse’s rich natural, physical, cultural, human and historic resources.
In 2008, The Old Manse introduced two new tours, prepared curriculum for college
lecturers and high school teachers, opened the attic to interpretation, introduced music
performances in the house, and prepared an art gallery in a currently unused Manse room.
The attic space was cleaned and prepared during the winter, and in the 2008 season it
became an integral part of interpretation for touring and educational programs. Staff
subsequently integrated the attic tour into a three-part tour, which combined landscapeattic-house. This triple tour provides a firm foundation on which to build. Already, it has
provided material for a program that integrates the house into the wider process of
industrialization in the region, during the immediate antebellum years. It also provides a
base for biographical-based programs, and explores lives led in and across specific social
class strata. For example, the attic social spaces contrast ideally, with those in the main
house. The elite class lived on the first two floors, and slaves, servants, friends and family
members and guests lived/stayed in the third floor attic. Moreover, the biographical
approach signposts the way ahead for further educational programs, and highlights the
work of artists who lived in the house, such as Edward Emerson Simmons, Sophia
Hawthorne and Theodora Thayer. Accordingly, the Manse attic is being prepared as an art
gallery to exhibit their work.
Interpretation
7- 5
Music is also an important educational tour, and The Old Manse has much potential in this
field. In June, 2008, local music trio October Rose began to conduct piano and fiddle
music in the Large Front Parlor on Saturdays and Sunday afternoons. Musicians have
played, with great success, on the home’s historic Steinway Squared Grand Piano, and
along with an early 19th century wind harp, provided much material to integrate music into
the three part tours. Accordingly, they include a focus upon art and music. This approach
has ultimately appealed to college-based National Endowment of the Humanities-funded
programs, to high school teachers, to community college professors from across the United
States, to reading groups, to a Historic New England party, and to a collection of
academics attending a Liberty Fund conference.
The Liberty Fund fosters understanding of a society of free and responsible individuals
through investigation, research, and educational activity. It is a private, educational
operating foundation, which runs its own interdisciplinary programs: conferences,
publishing, and websites. Participation is by invitation, and the majority of conferees are
college professors. Those academics invited to the Liberty Fund’s 2009 literature program
took The Old Manse’s triple tour in June 2008, and as a result, the Funds Senior Fellow
Dr. Nyle Kardatzke, invited The Old Manse’s Historic Site Manager to participate in the
Fund’s 2009 series of conferences. This is demonstrative of how educational programming
not only increases The Old Manse’s visibility, but also that of the Trustees of Reservations
as a whole.
Despite appealing to new audiences, The Old Manses’ traditional attraction, such as its
period furnishings, has gained more attention from EF Smithsonian, an educational touring
group for high school students from across the nation. Admittedly, the Old North Bridge is
the prime attraction, but positive feedback from the teachers who attend with their
students, from a far a field as Hawaii and Alaska, has contributed to an increase in
bookings from this group. This points the way ahead to attract further bookings from
similar educational tour groups. For example, visits from private school students, as part of
a wider American Studies-style curriculum offered to them by The Old Manse, could
prove to be very beneficial.
A revised and updated site tour supplemented with narrative explanation and
background materials will provide a basis for consistent guide training. An
abbreviated and simplified version of this information will constitute the proposed
20-minute tour.
Interpretation
7- 6
7.7
Internal Alignment
Issues and considerations
At the Old Manse, interpretation is especially challenging because its audiences are
already extremely diverse and its facilities are extremely limited. The Old Manse
landscape is not gated, easily accessible, and open to general public; the building is
small and entry requires ticket purchase. Consequently, the two areas of what
should be a single story are largely experienced by different visitor audiences. Is
there a way to bridge, or narrow the experiential gap between the two?
How far can we expand any particular audience without compromising site
preservation and security?
How do new initiatives change staffing requirements (seasonal and permanent)?
Need to increase and/or develop staff training program
Furnishings rearrangement
Acquisition of reproduction pieces for hands-on use
Need for staff to direct research toward implementation of new strategies
Do new initiatives have any impact on Manse collecting/collections policy?
What effect do new strategies have on conservation and preservation priorities?
Opportunities
Provide thorough training in three tour strategies (full tour; short tour; special
interest tour) to seasonal guides. This creates a “value-added” employment
opportunity for highly motivated and seriously underpaid seasonal employees.
Rearrangement of current room furnishings will provide physical environment for
more coherent visitor experience.
Construction of barn as visitor center/ full-year education space provides the
opportunity to bridge the gaps:
o between house and landscape;
o among interpretive themes;
o between high-season overcrowding and off-season low visitation;
o between community group interests and The Trustees mission.
The barn/ education center will also permit optimal site-load. With this added allweather space plus proposed program developments, the Old Manse will be in a
position to offer different visitors a 20-minute house tour, a self-guided landscape
tour, and a program/ exhibit in the barn at the same time.
Interpretation
7- 7
7.8
External Alignment
Current Partners:
Colonial Inn
Concord Historical Collaborative
Gaining Ground
National Park Service (Minuteman)
U Mass Lowell
Concord Players
The Community College Humanities Association
farmers, artist/ musicians, and artisans at special events
Sons of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
Future Partners and Considerations
Universities in Greater Boston
Private and Public Schools
Voluntary Associations
Hawthorne sites
Concord Land Trust
7.9
Implementation Plan
See Recommended Actions and Implementation Table.
Interpretation
7- 8
Section 8: Current Management
Museums that strive for excellence by continually clarifying their purpose
and realigning all practices and resources to achieve that purpose are
operating holistically within a cycle of intentionality. A museum thus writes
intentions that reflect and describe the museum’s essence, its unique value
and potential impact. Intentions represent staff members’ deepest passions
and meld together their hopes and expectations with community needs. A
museum that works within a cycle of intentionality has created an inclusive,
process-oriented infrastructure so it can write a purposeful mission and
measurable intentions. It can therefore demonstrate the value of the museum
in people’s lives and in its community through repeated assessment, while
offering continuous learning opportunities for all staff.17
8.1
Introduction
With its multi-layered history, a central location in the Greater Boston tourist orbit, its
setting in Concord, and a position contiguous to the Minuteman National Historical Park,
The Old Manse is a signature property with limitless potential. It is a focal point of
American Revolution, early American literature, and Transcendentalism. Accordingly, the
property possesses a national and international reputation that The Trustees can fully
exploit by adopting a ‘cycle of intentionality’ to enrich both the lives of its audience, and
the staff employed to interpret this special house-museum. Therefore, if implemented
successfully, a synthesis of existing and new administrative practices and appropriate
programmatic developments will meet all property management goals, and in doing so
effectively protect and promote this National Historic Landmark, while laying firm
foundations for growth and expansion during the forthcoming decade. In view of that, this
chapter analyzes and evaluates property management within the wider contexts of The
Trustees’ 10 Year Strategic Plan and proposals put forth by the Historic Houses Task
Force.
This chapter consists of five sections. The first lists property management goals. Section
Two reviews the current management and staffing structure, and discusses the roles of the
full time Historic Site Manager, the volunteer Concord Area Properties Committee, the
part-time seasonal Historic Site Assistant, Maintenance Technician, and interpretive staff.
Following this is a review of volunteerism, property equipment and financial resources.
Section Three describes and lists all tasks undertaken by the part-time seasonal staff, and
assesses the hours expended in their completion. The fourth section summarizes the whole,
while making further recommendations. The final section addresses other management
considerations.
17
Randi Korn, “The Case for Holistic Intentionality,” Curator: The Museum Journal, Volume 50
(2), 2007, 255-64
Current Management
8-1
8.2 Current Management and Staffing Structure
The Greater Boston Region’s Concord-Carlisle Management Unit (CCMU) manages The
Old Manse, Apthorp and the Malcolm Preserve properties. Staff at The Old Manse consists
of a full-time, year-round employee, the Historic Site Manager (HSM), who reports to the
Director of Historic Resources. An Assistant Historic Site Manager (AHSM), between 12
to 15 seasonal part-time interpreters, volunteers and interns, and a part-time seasonal
Maintenance Technician (MT), who assist the HSM. The MT, under the supervision of the
SWMU Superintendent, also cares for the Apthorp and Malcolm Preserve properties. In
addition, the Sharon-Walpole Management Unit (SWMU) provides assistance in dock and
tent work, and specific mowing duties. As The Trustees has yet to create a full-time
Superintendent post for the CCMU, the SWMU Superintendent is temporarily fulfilling the
role. The Trustees makes additional staff resources available as needed, such as the
Regional Ecologist, Archivists, the Volunteer Coordinator, and staff from other
management units. The following chart outlines the current management structure:
Executive Vice President
Director of Planning
and Stewardship
Greater Boston
Director
Director of Historic
Resources
Sharon/Walpole
Management Unit
Superintendent
Historic
Site Manager
Moose Hill
Farm Staff
Historic Site Interpreters
(Seasonal)
Maintenance Assistant
(Seasonal)
Current Management
8-2
8.2.1 Historic Site Manager (HSM)
Historically the HSM assumed a multitude of administrative duties, which left little time
for critical public outreach, education, planning, and program developmental and
implementation tasks. This situation evolved from the HSM’s historical role, under various
titles, as a single manager/administrator assisted by an active, volunteer property/house
committee, volunteer labor, and a part-time seasonal interpretive staff. Indeed, until a
decade ago the house manager or hostess had no support or direction from a historical
resource professional. Expertise came from volunteer members of the property/house
committee. This team assisted the site administrator through sub-committees conducting
programmatic and curatorial tasks. The administrator then supervised house tours in a
proscribed April-November season, either in groups, or from walk-in traffic. The Trustees
oversaw this basic managerial structure for many years, but it provided a number of
challenges, and limited income potential. For example, the house tour offered to groups
from schools and colleges, hardly differed from that available to walk-in tourists at
season’s height, and beyond school and college trips, and some home-schooling programs,
education laid low on the agenda. The Trustees, the Friends of The Old Manse, house staff
and education/interpretation, furnishings and landscape consultants tackled this problem
and others, by producing a new interpretative plan in the fall of 1993. This served The Old
Manse capably, until the implementation of some of the recommendations in this
Management Plan.
The local property/house committee thus played a central role in administration, and
became virtually autonomous in several areas during a period when The Trustees’ overall
administration of The Old Manse passed between various management regions. As a
result, in 2004/5 the organization disbanded the site’s burgeoning property/house
committee, and appointed a smaller advisory/property team, the Concord Area Properties
Committee. This local streamlining of management has produced positive results,
including the implementation of higher standards of interpreter training, and the crucial
introductions of HSA and MT positions. Nevertheless, the HSM’s position had hardly
changed in nature since The Trustees acquired the property in 1939.
A 2007 assessment of the HSM’s tasks calculated that they could be broken down into four
basic areas: administrative (60%), programmatic (20%), outreach (10%) and curatorial
(10%). The administrative tasks as listed included accounting, processing school and group
tour requests, responding to email inquiries, coordinating maintenance and repairs,
recruiting, hiring, training, and supervising employees and volunteers, evaluating
employee performance, and providing staff support. Program development included
planning, publicity, staffing, and implementing year round special events. Outreach
consisted of meetings, and conferences, whilst curatorial tasks included monitoring the
collections and cleaning the house.
A review of task hours committed to specific tasks during the past two calendar years
reveals a shift of emphasis away from administrative duties, with the HSA carrying out the
Current Management
8-3
majority of those tasks. The necessity to increase earned income, seek new means of fiscal
support, swell visitation and volunteerism levels, and to tie Trustees historic houses more
closely to local communities, means that the HSM’s goals have changed considerably.
Accordingly, 50% of time is committed to programs, special events and training, 30% to
outreach and engagement, 10% to administration, and 10% to monitoring collections and
cleaning the house.
Overall, the HSM’s current tasks now break down into these categories, placed in order of
importance:
● Program Development
● Education and Community Outreach
● Staff Training
● Collection Management
● Grant Applications
● Forming Partnerships
● Administrative
Again, these are ambitious tasks for one individual to undertake, and most are too esoteric
for laymen. This focus upon community outreach and partnerships highlights the property
committee’s important role in realizing management goals, as committee members can
connect into local networks, and in the process accurately gauge the pulse of Concord’s
community.
8.2.2 The Concord-Area Properties Committee (CAPC)
The Concord-Area Properties Committee consists of a chairperson and four members who
meet quarterly with the Greater Boston Regional Director, the Director of Historic
Resources, the SWMU Superintendent, and the HSM. The committee serves the three
Trustees’ properties within the Concord-Carlisle area. Its primary goals at the Old Manse
are to support the staff in promoting the site; serve in an advisory capacity regarding
programs, assist with special events, identify future property needs, and serve as Trustees
and Old Manse advocates in the community. It has played a central important role in
drafting this management plan, and as commitments such as these expand, the HSA’s role
in achieving evolving management goals takes on a new complexion.
8.2.3 Historic Site Assistant (HSA)
The HSA’s post is a relatively new one, introduced to reduce the HSM’s administrative
tasks. Its addition to the number of staff hours worked (770) reveals how time-consuming
the HSM’s administrative tasks originally were. Originally, employed for 20 hours a week,
the HSA prepared the Monthly Revenue Report, made bank deposits, picked up the mail,
ordered books, conducted inventory, covered the desk and gave tours. The HSA currently
works for 32 hours a week, and has taken on a wide number of responsibilities in those 12
extra hours. The HSA plays a central role in the bookstore’s expansion, as well as
preparing daily and monthly revenue reports, organizing staffing schedules, and overseeing
and arranging weddings and other special events. The addition to programming highlights
Current Management
8-4
the MT’s significant role in the care of the physical landscape, where upon these events
take place.
8.2.4 Maintenance Technician (MT)
The MT exclusively conducts all landscape work. The care and protection of this important
cultural landscape is a central site management goal. Accordingly, the HSM and MT have
introduced several improvements in the nurture and treatment of the topography. In the
past, private companies and volunteers have undertaken mowing and leaf removal tasks.
However, issues concerning the expenditure, timing, regularity and inconvenience of
having large industrial mowers racing across the sensitive landscape, and the timeconsuming problem of supervising volunteers to rake the autumnal leaves, have resulted in
the MT now undertaking these tasks with the aid of a second-hand mowing tractor donated
to The Old Manse by the SWMU superintendent. This system now provides more day-today control, and enables intimate treatments of the landscape’s most admired, visual areas,
particularly as stated in the light of the weddings and small events now taking place on the
site. Moreover, the property’s enhanced beauty and neatness is attracting more enquiries
and event bookings. The MT worked 24 hours a week, but this period became insufficient
to complete the extra tasks emanating from the implementation of changing management
goals, and the work required for the upkeep of the Apthorp and Malcolm properties.
Accordingly, the MT works either 32 or 40 hours per week to maintain the upkeep of all
three properties, and two contiguous properties the MT cares for in a recently constituted
Memorandum of Understanding with the Minuteman National Historic Park.
8.2.5 Interpretive Staff
The current staffing structure at The Old Manse is inadequate for future growth, and still
reflects vestiges of the property’s 70-year long administrative history. Up until recently,
The Trustees’ policy restricted each individual to 1,000 hours work per fiscal year, and
gradated them into A, B and C levels separated by 25 cents per hour increments based
upon specific responsibilities. This system did little to help morale, and provided
difficulties in maintaining a regularly attending, experienced and motivated workforce. A
major management goal therefore is to shift the traditional emphasis away from hiring a
transient workforce, and towards the establishment of a small permanent staff initially,
with low peripheral turnover rates for part-time interpretive staff. An important part of this
goal is to improve the minimum wage pay rates that Old Manse interpreters endure.
Although training standards for interpreters have improved considerably, the training and
supervision of new staff remains a time consuming and expensive undertaking as high staff
turnover rates demand constant repetition of training processes. Furthermore, better
standard of training does not ensure staff will stay on for more than a season or two. For
example, the hiring of interpretive staff through ads placed in professional journals does
not guarantee longevity, or quality. Future museum curators, docents, educators and public
historians will only stay a short while in a part time position which pays minimum wage
without benefits, and which offers little or no opportunity for advancement. The
interpretive post as it stands is most suited to students, but they are by nature transient.
Moreover, students are only available for about eight or nine weeks of a 28-week season.
Current Management
8-5
Considering such limitations, current and developing management practice takes advantage
of local demographics. In order to establish a motivated workforce with longevity of
duration at its core, the HSM recruits staff from a highly qualified and talented pool of
labor living in Concord and contiguous towns. Although not specifically trained in the
social sciences and humanities, these individuals bring a wide range of valuable skills in to
play. Some are stay-at-home-mothers, and others are retirees. For example, a softwaremarketing professional, a holistic healer, a caterer and a retired MFA guide are now
integral members of the current interpretive crew. Moreover, this developing managerial
program no longer hires new paid staff members immediately after a successful interview.
Prospective interpreters currently undergo a rigorous training program as unpaid
volunteers, and the HSM hires only successful graduates of this program into the paid
ranks. The program itself provides a suitable foundation in public outreach techniques, and
the study of American literature, historic architecture, material culture, US history, the
Romantic Movement and Transcendentalism. New staffers enter a team wholly committed
to the Old Manse mission. They also become a part of a workforce where morale is high
thanks to extra-curricular activities such as field trips, relevant research activities, and
trivia contests. Furthermore, the introduction of more flexible working hours, away from a
rigid 9:45 am to 5:00 pm structure is also possible with a staff recruited locally. This
enables staff members to leave during quiet periods, and to return when traffic increases.
A goal of the new interpretive staff strategy is not to limit the number of interpreters
working. This restricts available tours, with visitors often on tight schedules unwilling to
wait for upcoming tours. Where possible, three or four interpreters now staff the Manse
each day, within a flexible schedule, enabling tours to take place without long waits. This
system has increased expenditure on staff wages, but it is also partially responsible for a
17% increase in overall income in FY09 over FY08. Furthermore, it has maintained FY10
income at FY09 levels despite economic recession and inclement weather.
8.2.6 Volunteers
As discussed above, the training of interpreters as volunteers has proved to be a successful
and effective program. Indeed, a long-term goal is to recruit more volunteers as house
guides. There are currently three such interpreters, who all live locally, working at the
property. Moreover, the current paid staff also donate hours as volunteers. The most
striking examples involves the HSA and three staff interpreters who donate four hours per
week as members of a marketing and implementation team, and two museum professionals
on staff who are volunteering their time to prepare a new collection management manual,
in conjunction with our collection management policy, approved by the board of directors.
This discusses the intellectual control of the collection, along with the preparation of a
collections care strategy, to look at aspects of storage care, cleaning and conservation. In
addition, the HSA supervises two research interns each summer. The property committee
also provides volunteer hours at events, as do local musicians who play in and around the
property. Efforts are being made to recruit volunteers in other capacities and to develop
long term relationships.
Current Management
8-6
8.2.7 Equipment Resources and NPS Memorandum of Understanding
Minimal storage space means that the property’s maintenance equipment consists merely
of hand tools, a post digger, and a weed-whacker. However, a current Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with the Minuteman National Historic Park (MNHP) enables the
storing a mowing tractor at NPS property on Monument Street. Accordingly, the MT
mows that property’s lawn, and the NPS’s South Field. In addition, a change in policy at
the MNHP has resulted in that organization passing on its small events to The Old Manse.
To facilitate these events, we have recently purchased nine new tables, primarily for
wedding receptions, and 24 chairs. However, lack of storage space for equipment
continues to pose problems.
Office equipment includes a microwave and refrigerator, three computers with laser and
inkjet printers, a digital camera, and a copier, printer/scanner, fax machine and two fire
extinguishers. The museum shop has a small refrigerator, credit and “Go Boston” card
processors, and a cash register. The main house has a dehumidifier in the cellar.
8.2.8 Financial Resources
The Old Manse enjoys six forms of income support:
1. Tours
2. Sale of merchandise
3. Education
4. Endowment
5. Special events
6. Donations
7. Membership sales
Figures 8-1 and 8-2 show the percentage proportions of revenue in the above income
categories during FY08 and FY09. Total income for FY08 was $123,000, compared to
$144,000 in FY09. However, income proportions over the two years remain similar, other
than in one notable exception. A FY09 program goal was to increase the number of special
events, and maximize income from the Patriots Day Weekend and Fall Festival. Pointing
the way ahead to the future, the achievement of these goals paid dividends as landscape
and attic tour events helped to raise special event income from $3,344 in FYO8 to $15,650
in FY09. There is also much potential in increasing revenue from the Old Manse
Bookstore. To this end, current policy is changing the store’s focus from gifts and
souvenirs to books and education. The former will still be available, but a restocking
process is replacing existing gifts and souvenirs with those that reflect The Trustees’
mission and that of the property. In addition, membership of the Museum Store
Association will provide The Old Manse and Naumkeag’s bookstores with valuable,
professional advice.
At this point, there are no plans to raise income by increasing the admission rate, as
competition in Concord is too high, and because of current recession. Moreover, many
who enter the Manse already balk at the current eight dollar admission price for adults. In
place of raising admission prices, the goals focus upon selling memberships,
Current Management
8-7
recommending specific titles available in the bookstore during tours, and maximizing
income through education and by increasing the hours of operation. For example, the
ordering of more titles is in progress to keep up with current scholarship in appropriate
historical, cultural and literary avenues. In addition, a schedule of winter hours for tours
and programs will ensure that incomes continue to increase.
Fig. 8-1 Operating Income FY07
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Tours
Endowment
Miscellaneous
Sales
Membership
Education
Special Events
Fig. 8-2 Operating Income FY08
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Tours
Endowment
Miscellaneous
Sales
Membership
Education
Special Events
Management goals in this financial/resource revenue-raising field also include developing
and introducing more curriculum-based educational programming, and exploring granting
opportunities. An integral part in increasing current income flows and discovering new
income streams is the construction of a visitor’s center. However, financing must come
from donations, grants or capital funds. Before then, repair work needs to be undertaken on
Current Management
8-8
the exterior and interiors of the house, and particularly upon the air conditioning/heating
system. Indeed, the Greater Boston Three-year Strategic Plan Implementation Project,
while noting the necessity of building repairs, states that The Old Manse should be a lead
candidate for any limited capital funds available in the coming years, and suggests the
implementation of a capital campaign (See Section 12).
Revenue produced at the Old Manse is sufficient to cover the annual costs of property
stewardship, including staffing expenses. When we factor in building renewal costs and
organizational allocations, the Manse’s annual operating budget produces a deficit.
However, to plan for the immediate future, a description and review of the existing
management program is necessary. It reveals many achievements considering the limited
operating funds in the budget.
8.3
Current Management Program
The following tables list and assess routine management tasks on the property and in the
house. The following descriptive criteria apply:
Poor: The task is non-existent or conducted in a manner or frequency damaging to
significant resources or the visitor experience.
Inadequate: Insufficient resources or attention committed to the job.
Adequate: The manager carries out these tasks at levels not hindering resource protection
or visitor experience.
Strong: Management and staff complete the task in a manner representing the ideal.
Excessive: The manager invests a disproportionate amount of staff and/or financial
resources to complete the assignments
House Tasks
Clean house
gutters
Touch-up
painting of
structure
Maintenance
and repair of
furnace and
heating and
cooling
distribution
systems
Frequency
Season
Staff
Hours
Other
Hours
Current Level
Biannual
S, F
2
0
Adequate
Annual
All
0
0
Inadequate
As
Required
Current Management
F
2
12
Inadequate
Notes
Contracted Out
Specialist skills
required
Venting and damper
system is in dire
need of repair.
Working conditions
in the back office
were unbearable at
height of summer.
Estimate for work
received 7/09 for
$1,600
8-9
Fire Protection
Annually
Su
1
1
Inadequate
Wash windows
Annual
All
20
0
Inadequate
As
Required
W or S
20
0
Adequate
Weekly
All
175
25
Strong
Annual
S, Su, F
40
0
Strong
Annual
F
3
0
Strong
Ongoing
All
20
26
Inadequate
Annual
S
90
0
Adequate
Daily
All
12
0
Adequate
Clean house
and collections
Weekly
S, Su, F
30
0
Inadequate
Inspect
house/interiors
Weekly
All
20
0
S, Su, F
12
0
Clean and
vacuum attic
Staff special
events
Clean out
basement
storage
Put outdoor
equipment in
basement
Ongoing
restoration
carpentry
work (i.e.,
shutter repair,
doors)
Open house,
spring cleaning
Clean staff
bathroom
Inspect and
inventory
collections
Bookstore
Management
Annual
Daily
Current Management
There is one
extinguisher per
floor, but these are
inadequate in case of
an emergency. A fire
suppression system
is required.
Exterior cleaning not
currently
undertaken.
Specialist care
required.
Insufficient staff
resources.
Cleaning protocols
being prepared
Adequate
All
2,500
0
Inadequate
Strong
Schedule under
preparation
Bookstore painted,
redesigned and
restocked. Plans
envisage significant
growth in this
valuable resource.
8-10
Hire and train
seasonal house
guides
As
Required
All
120
0
Strong
Provide guided
tours of house
Daily
All
3000
0
Strong
All
30
0
Strong
All
200
0
Strong
Daily
All
100
0
Strong
Daily
S, Su, F
120
0
Strong
Daily
All
60
0
Strong
Weekly
All
300
0
Inadequate
As
Required
All
144
0
Strong
Daily
All
60
0
Adequate
Weekly
W
900
0
Inadequate
7,980
65
Staff scheduling
Accounts
Booking group
and school
tours
Open and
close house
and shop
Daily revenue
report
Public
Relations and
Marketing
Special Event
planning
Special Event
implementation
Winter Tours
and programs
Monthly
Daily
TOTALS
Current Management
Guides now tutored
as volunteers, and
invited to become
paid staff upon
successful
completion of
training program.
Off season Tours
and programs now in
place
Volunteer marketing
committee formed
There is much room
for expansion in this
area
8-11
Landscape
Tasks
Plow parking
lot and front
driveway
Coordinate
vegetable
garden
budget and
plans with
Gaining
Ground
Frequency
As needed
Season
W
Staff
Hours
12
Other
Hours
32
Current Level
Notes
Adequate
Based on eight
snow events per
year, snow plowing
is contracted out.
However, rapid
changing weather
conditions require
that manager and
volunteers manually
shovel snow and
sand on immediate
access paths.
Annual
All
8
0
Strong
Mending
stone walls
Annual
S
8
0
Adequate
Install and
remove docks
Biannual
S, F
Annual
All
3
Weekly
All
Weekly
Gaining Ground
and Manse staff
collaborate on
planning and tours
Adequate
Undertaken by GB
Supt.
0
Inadequate
Sign renewal held
up by poor internal
communications
0
0
Poor
New lighting plan
underway
All
20
0
Strong
Annual
F
40
0
Strong
Annual
S
60
0
Strong
Apple tree
pruning
Biennial
W or S
1
8
Adequate
Termite
inspection
Annual
Su
2
3
Strong
Inventory,
repair and/or
replace
property
signs.
Monitor and
maintain
exterior
lighting
Restock
exterior
brochures
Fall clean-up
General
garden cleanup
Current Management
48
0
Extended to area
hotels and
businesses
Contracted out.
8-12
Mow north
field
Mow/weedwhack lawn
area directly
around the
Old Manse
Clean trash
from
property
Inspect and
re-vegetate
riverbank
Remove
winter
protection
from orchard
trees
Prune grape
vines
Evaluate and
prepare
equipment for
season
Paint benches
for season
Prune trees,
lilacs, and
bushes
around
property
Fertilize
orchard trees
with lime,
mulch and
winterize
Rake off
leaves from
perennial and
herb gardens
Annually
Fall
4
0
Adequate
Field is allowed to
grow, and mown
once annually in
preparation for the
Fall Festival
Weekly
S, Su, F
60
0
Strong
Now completed ‘in
house’
As needed
All
32
0
Strong
Annual
S
4
0
Inadequate
Annual
S
4
0
Strong
Annual
W or S
2
0
Adequate
Annual
S
8
0
Strong
Annual
S
8
0
Strong
Annual
S
16
0
Strong
Annual
F
12
0
Strong
Annual
S
6
0
Strong
Current Management
Planning and
implementation
underway
8-13
Monitor
health of
trees and
replace when
needed
Dead head
perennials
and weed
flower beds
Re-seed bald
patches of
lawn
Water reseeded areas
of grass
Spray/weed
overgrown
areas of
driveway
Control
invasive plants
Leaf removal
Rove
property
Anthrop and
Malcolm
Preserve
Bullet Hole
House
Mowing
South Field
Mowing
Ongoing
Su
12
0
Adequate
Weekly
S, Su, F
20
0
Adequate
Annual
S
8
0
Strong
Daily
S, Su
8
0
Strong
Plans in place to
relay driveway, plus
the teardrop
portion leading to
shay shed.
Annual
S, Su, F
10
0
Inadequate
Annual
S
40
0
Strong
Annual
F
120
0
Strong
Daily
All
150
0
Strong
Bi-weekly
S, Su, F
100
0
Inadequate
Bi-weekly
S, Su, F
24
0
Adequate
Memorandum of
Understanding with
NPS (MOU - NPS)
Bi-weekly
S, Su, F
24
0
Adequate
NPS (MOU - NPS)
874
43
TOTALS
Current Management
8-14
Time currently worked by seasonal staff amounts to approximately 9,000 hours per
calendar year. Figures 8-3 through 8-5 below summarize task distribution by hours. Figure
8-3 sums up the HSA’s 770 hours from the house total as collated. Figure 8-4 extracts the
HSA’s hours, and views the remaining 7,690 hours worked as distributed across the entire
interpretive staff. Figure 8-5 reviews the MT’s tasks. In this chart, the ‘General Ground
Work’ label includes all landscape tasks including in the above table, excluding mowing.
The ‘MOU’ label is the Memorandum of Understanding with the National Park Service.
Fig. 8-3 Historic Site Assistant:
Bookstore
Distribution of Hours
Scheduling
18%
4%
Special Events
4%
37%
30%
Winter Hours
7%
Accounting
Inventory
Current Management
8-15
Fig. 8-4 Seasonal Staff:
Distribution of Hours
House Tours
Bookstore/Visitors
30%
Winter Hours
12%
45%
2% 4%
Special Events
7%
PR
Cleaning
Fig. 8-5 Maintenance Technician:
MOU
Distribution of Hours
Apthorpe/Malcolm
19%
4%
24%
Leaf Removal
10%
24%
19%
Trash Removal
Mowing
General Ground
Work
Current Management
8-16
Existing staff resources are inadequate to meet not only current but also future
management goals. However, a small rise in expenditure on staff culminated in a
substantial increase in income for FY09 over FY08. Moreover, the success in maintaining
FY10 income at a level achieved by September 1, 2009 ($84,892 in FY10 compared with
$84,437 at this stage in FY09), despite inclement weather and economic recession,
suggests that The Trustees can maintain and expand the HSA post, from a seasonal, parttime position to a permanent year-round position. Moreover, the addition of an educational
and marketing person to staff can lay the foundations for new, lucrative income streams.
8.4
Current Management Capacity and its Ability to Meet
Property Management Goals
Two broad areas define property management goals: Structural and Public Outreach.
Structurally, the primary goals are to develop and sustain appropriate levels of collections
management and preservation standards, and to introduce a suitably funded scheduled
maintenance and repair program. From a Public Outreach and Engagement perspective, the
major goal is to preserve and promote The Old Manse’s rich cultural and physical
landscape for current and future generations, while simultaneously creating new and
innovative ways to engage more people, recruit volunteers and attract diverse audiences.
Outreach and engagement goals are driven by interpretive themes.
The Old Manse’s location has placed it beyond the boundaries of the Central and Southeast
Regions, which resulted in basic stewardship from field operations staff. However, the
property is now an integral property in the Greater Boston Region, and receives better
attention. However, the lack of an established management unit to serve the ConcordCarlisle area continues this problem. In season, a part-time maintenance assistant cares for
the three Trustees-owned properties in the Concord-Carlisle area. In the off-season The
Trustees do not designate field staff to the property. Staff from the Sharon-Walpole
Management Unit assists with basic property management during the off-season, but their
distance from the Old Manse reduces time available to devote to the site. This poses
problems with such issues as tree husbandry, and the MT spends a disproportionate
amount of time roving the property in order to remove fallen branches, many of which are
potentially dangerous.
This is achievable by integrating visitor services, programs and interpretation, in a way that
mirrors The Trustees combined approach incorporating activities between field operations,
education, engagement, and land conservation. Engagement, conservation and preservation
goals, worked out within Federal, State and local authority acts, can further enhance the
property. For example, The Old Manse is a National Historic Landmark and is eligible for
special grant opportunities. However, this places limits on changes to the site, as
preservation projects must follow National Park Service guidelines for historic
preservation. Moreover, an adaptation and application of the State’s River Protection Act,
and local government natural heritage overlay acts, can further aid in the conservation and
enhancement of The Old Manse landscape’s historical, natural and cultural significance.
As a result, a program highlighting such aspects can become a permanent exhibit in the
Current Management
8-17
proposed on site visitor/education center, to inform and educate visitors to the site.
Moreover, the addition of a visitor center will play an important role in securing future,
long-term partnerships.
A major objective of modern non-profits is to gain high returns from proportionately small
initial investments. This is achievable at The Old Manse by establishing a pro-active
membership recruitment program on site, and by applying ‘leverage’ through more
partnerships with local businesses, bus tour companies and hotels.
Existing partnerships include those with the Minute Man National Historical Park, with
which the property currently has a beneficial Memorandum of Understanding regarding
landscape care and equipment storage. Like the Manse, the Minute Man National
Historical Park is a member of the Concord History Educational Collaborative, a gathering
of twelve historic sites and related organization in the greater Concord area, which
provides a source of information and support in the local museum community. For
example, representatives from the Old Manse, the Orchard House and the Emerson Home,
are meeting this winter to discuss future programming partnerships. In addition, the
Orchard House has a booth at our upcoming Fall Festival. In addition, another important
partner, Gaining Ground, also mans a booth at the Festival. Gaining Ground is a Concordbased non-profit organization, and The Trustees’ partner in maintaining Thoreau’s recreated vegetable garden.
Partnerships with area schools is a primary management goal, and the HSM plans to meet
with representatives from the Fenn School, Nashoba Brooks, Concord Academy, the
Middlesex School and with teaching staff from local public schools. Moreover, the HSM
will also seek partnerships with colleges and universities to place The Old Manse in
specific curricula. Students will visit the site in more numbers, and representatives from
The Old Manse can visit the schools and colleges, for a preset fee.
The Concord’s Colonial Inn has proved to be a valuable partner, particularly during the
past year at a time of wide revenue loss for tourist organizations. The Inn and The Old
Manse have a reciprocal agreement, wherein the Inn sends those seeking wedding
ceremonies to The Old Manse. In addition, the two organizations are collaborating in
organizing bus tours to The Old Manse, from which visitors will dine or stay at the
Colonial Inn.
All programs and partnerships thrive on the oxygen of publicity. To that end, we will also
create a property-centered, focused, and effective marketing program to augment the
organization’s publicity programming already in place, in order to promote missions and
visions. These include the introduction of a 12 month ‘season’ to maximize income
potential, a program which trains interpretive staff and volunteers to highest possible
levels, plus the addition of at least one full time or two part-time posts to staff. Moreover,
the existing staff should receive a very well deserved raise in pay.
Within the parameters of relatively small expenditure, the interpretive staff not only
welcome approximately 15,000 people per annum, they also develop programs, conduct
Current Management
8-18
tours, and make hour-to-hour, and daily decisions, most of which require diplomacy and
skill sets at a multiplicity of levels. Furthermore, numerous issues require instant
pronouncements and judgments, ranging from public safety to education and from
concerns regarding basic maintenance and repair to considerations involving community
outreach. Accordingly, if we are to achieve future, long-term management goals in raising
The Old Manse’s profile nationally, internationally and academically, a raise in the hourly
wage rate is a necessity. This will be achievable as we explore ways to inject new forms of
income from grants and programming. However, an increase in the budget will not solve
one very persistent problem.
In conclusion, current staffing resources are inadequate to meet the management goals of
the Old Manse. Converting the Historic Site Assistant position from seasonal to yearround, would allow the Historic Site Manager to focus much more time on program
development, community outreach and curatorial needs. Additionally, The Old Manse
requires a full-time, year-round Superintendent for the Concord-Carlisle Management Unit
to ensure the stewardship of the Manse’s landscape and its structural resources. In the
interim, a central management goal is to maintain the MT position without any reduction in
hours.
8.5
Other Management Considerations
The Old Manse is designated a National Historic Landmark. As a result, it is limited as to
what changes can be made to the site. All preservation projects at the Manse must follow
guidelines set forth by the National Park Service for historic preservation and The
Trustees’ organizational guidelines for the use and restoration/preservation of historic
structures and their interiors.
The Old Manse is subject to design review and approval from the Concord Historic
District Commission on issues such as signage and lighting.
Current Management
8-19
Section 9: Prescribed Routine Maintenance
House Tasks
Clean house gutters
Touch-up painting of structure
Maintenance and repair of furnace
and heating and cooling distribution
systems
Fire Protection
Wash windows
Clean and vacuum attic
Staff special events
Clean out basement storage
Put outdoor equipment in basement
Ongoing restoration carpentry work
(i.e., shutter repair, doors)
Open house, spring cleaning
Clean staff bathroom
Clean house and collections
Inspect house/interiors
Inspect and inventory collections
Bookstore Management
Hire and train seasonal house guides
Provide guided tours of house
Staff scheduling
Accounts
Booking group and school tours
Prescribed Routine Maintenance
Frequency
Season
Staff
Hours
Other
Hours
Changes in Hours
from Current
Schedule
Biannual
S, F
2
0
0
Annual
All
100
0
+100
As Required
F
2
52
40
Annually
Su
1
21
+20
Annual
All
40
0
+20
As Required
W or S
20
0
0
Weekly
All
175
25
0
Annual
S, Su, F
40
0
0
Annual
F
3
0
0
Ongoing
All
120
26
+100
Annual
S
90
0
0
Daily
All
12
0
0
Weekly
S, Su, F
30
0
0
All
20
0
Annual
Any
32
0
+20
Daily
All
2,500
0
0
As Required
All
120
0
0
Daily
All
3000
0
0
All
30
0
0
All
200
0
0
All
100
0
0
Weekly
Monthly
Daily
Daily
0
9- 1
Open and close house and shop
Daily revenue report
Public Relations and Marketing
Special Event planning
Special Event implementation
Winter Tours and programs
Daily
S, Su, F
120
0
0
Daily
All
60
0
0
Weekly
All
500
0
+200
As Required
All
144
0
0
Daily
All
60
0
0
Weekly
W
980
0
+80
TOTALS
Landscape Tasks
8,501
124
+580
Frequency
Season
Staff
Hours
Other
Hours
Increase in Hours
from Current
Schedule
As needed
W
12
32
0
Annual
All
8
0
0
Annual
S
8
0
0
Plough parking lot and front
driveway
Coordinate vegetable garden budget
and plans with Gaining Ground
M Mending stone walls
Install and remove docks
Biannual
S, F
Inventory, repair and/or replace
property signs.
Annual
All
3
0
0
Monitor and maintain exterior
lighting
Weekly
All
40
0
+40
Weekly
All
20
0
0
Annual
F
40
0
0
Annual
S
60
0
0
Biennial
W or S
1
8
0
Annual
Su
2
3
0
Annually
Fall
4
0
0
Weekly
S, Su, F
60
0
0
As needed
All
32
0
0
Annual
S
44
0
+40
Restock exterior brochures
Fall clean-up
General garden clean-up
Apple tree pruning
Termite inspection
Mow north field
Mow/weed-whack lawn area directly
around the Old Manse
Clean trash from property
Inspect and re-vegetate riverbank
Prescribed Routine Maintenance
0
48
0
9- 2
Remove winter protection from
orchard trees
Annual
S
4
0
0
Annual
W or S
2
0
0
Annual
S
8
0
0
Annual
S
8
0
0
Prune trees, lilacs, and bushes
around property
Annual
S
16
0
0
Fertilize orchard trees with lime,
mulch and winterize
Annual
F
12
0
0
Rake off leaves from perennial and
herb gardens
Annual
S
6
0
0
Monitor health of trees and replace
when needed
Ongoing
Su
12
0
0
Dead head perennials and weed
flower beds
Weekly
S, Su, F
20
0
0
Annual
S
8
0
0
Daily
S, Su
8
0
0
Annual
S, Su, F
50
0
+40
Annual
S
40
0
0
Annual
F
120
0
0
Daily
All
150
0
0
As Required
S, Su, F
100
Bi-weekly
S, Su, F
24
0
0
Bi-weekly
S, Su, F
24
0
0
994
43
+20
Prune grape vines
Evaluate and prepare equipment for
season
Paint benches for season
Re-seed bald patches of lawn
Water re-seeded areas of grass
Spray/weed overgrown areas of
driveway
Control invasive plants
Leaf removal
Rove property
Apthorp and Malcolm
Bullet Hole House Mowing
South Field Mowing
TOTALS
-100
Combined Totals – 9,495 staff hours, with 600 extra hours required
Prescribed Routine Maintenance
9- 3
Section 10: Recommended Actions
10.1 Introduction
This chapter will address the specific threats and opportunities identified in Sections Four
through Eight of this plan. It will present recommended actions designed to protect the
significant resources of the Old Manse and provide a high quality visitor experience. All
of the recommendations made in this chapter were developed in consideration of the
planning framework described in Section One, the vision for the future of the Old Manse
included in Section Two, and the goals and guidelines that follow. These
recommendations, together with the Prescribed Routine Management Program, will
comprise the management of the reservation for the next ten years.
10.2 Cultural and Structural Resources
Goals:
• Use the significant history of the Old Manse to engage people in the preservation of
this place and in our cultural heritage.
• Retain the integrity of this National Historic Landmark.
• Ensure that all buildings and structures accessible to the public are safe and that
any potential hazards are minimized.
• Continue to expand the use of the site, collections and archives to inform and
illustrate interpretive themes for the Manse, thus diversifying its offerings.
Guidelines:
•
•
•
•
Follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic
Properties.
Follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Cultural
Landscapes.
Follow The Trustees’ Historic Resource Committee’s policies on collections,
historic structures and interiors.
The Old Manse structure is not universally accessible. However, it is The Trustees’
practice to make it as accessible as possible without altering the architectural
integrity of the building. Attempts at accessibility include: wheelchair access to the
shop and first floor, a virtual tour
Recommended Actions
10- 1
10.2.1 Collections
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Recommended Actions:
Conduct additional research to expand
knowledge of family and others who
lived at the Manse in the late 19th and
20th century
Research and write a Land Use History
for the Old Manse
Update the inventory of historic book
collection and transfer those designated
to ARC
Selective conservation of historic books
will be initiated
Digitize historic photos in conjunction
with ARC plan
Review collections for appraisal
Review the advisability of fine arts
insurance for the collections in
conjunction with statewide policies.
Complete photo-documentation of the
collections.
Complete research on wallpaper
collection
Continue systematic collections
conservation for objects on exhibit
Inventory and organize contemporary
photo collection
Retrieve the artifacts excavated from the
archaeological dig that occurred on-site.
Transfer archaeology collection to the
ARC for research and develop finding
aid.
Recommended Actions
Description/Rationale:
This will be used to improve interpretation
and diversify program offerings
As one of The Trustees’ most significant
historic properties, the Old Manse should
have this document for internal and external
use.
Books not on exhibit that require a better
storage environment and access for research
will be transferred to the ARC
The books are an important aspect of the
Manse’s collections that require
conservation
This is part of a large statewide plan to
improve information and access
This is part of a statewide initiative
Current insurance for Old Manse collections
is inadequate
This is part of a statewide collections
management initiative
To improve interpretation of the Manse
interiors
This is a long term project using funds from
the Sears endowment
This will allow us to better utilize these
images and document the Manse’s recent
history
Some artifacts are held by UMass Boston
and should be returned to The Trustees.
The on-site collection is currently
inadequately stored in the Shay Shed
basement
10- 2
10.2.2 Structural Features
14
Complete restoration of Hawthorne
study
15
Complete restoration of Hawthorne
bedroom
16
Continue to conserve Manse interiors
17
Monitor environmental conditions in the
house to maintain a stable climate
Upgrade fire detection systems
18
19
Complete restoration of interior and
exterior shutters and reinstall
20
Complete sill work and re-glazing of
windows as indicated in reports
21
Undertake further archaeological
research at the barn foundation and
vicinity
Complete research on historic
documentation for barn
Develop case statement for barn
reconstruction or replacement
Reconstruct the barn on its original site
Use barn for interpretation and for
indoor meeting space for events and
programs.
Redesign boathouse dock to
accommodate canoes during both low
and high water
22
23
24
25
Recommended Actions
This involves reproducing a period
wallpaper and removing a 20th century
wallpaper installed by The Trustees
This involves painting the room in 18th
century colors, as documented and replacing
the period wallpaper
This is part of a systematic plan as outlined
in the Furnishings Plan,
This will be incorporated into the routine
management program.
The Manse’s systems are inadequate and
upgrade should be a priority for this
vulnerable house.
Most of the interior shutters for the second
floor exist and will be part of the room
restorations. Exterior shutters are missing
and need to be replaced, in kind
A report from restoration carpenter David
Webb indicates the need for this work to
maintain structural integrity of the Manse
This work is required before any
reconstruction can occur
This will inform decisions for barn project
This will include will include programmatic
uses and fundraising plan.
This has been part of a long-range plan for
the Manse and would fill the urgent need for
program and meeting space to expand and
diversify interpretation of the property.
This will improve riverbank preservation
and correct flotation elements.
10- 3
10.2.3 Cultural Landscape Management
26
27
28
29
Recommended Actions:
Description/Rationale:
Restore circular loop at end of avenue as This is an important aspect of the landscape
part of historic landscape
which has been difficult to manage as part
of routine operations. Different treatments
will be explored but non-chemical options
will be explored first.
Replace ash trees in avenue as they
Replacing the trees on a staggered schedule
decline taking into consideration the
will maintain the look and feel of the Allee.
size and looks of the replacement trees
Use native species not currently threatened
by disease and consider diversifying species
to reduce vulnerability to future diseases.
Evaluate the feasibility of maintaining a This is an appropriate way to manage the
small sheep herd in collaboration with
grassy areas at the Manse both for
NPS
maintaining the vegetation and for
interpretive purposes. It is also a “green”
measure. Management should:
• prevent over-grazing of selected
areas,
• minimize runoff containing fecal
matter that could contaminate the
Concord River,
• maintain a vegetative buffer between
the river and grazed area.
In the process of restoring the riverbank, It would convey the message that the
include construction of ADA-approved
outdoor experience of contemplate-inspire(or at least handicap-friendly) path and
act is accessible to everyone, and also help
pull-outs, connecting with the other
to counteract the lack of accessibility to the
paths to form an internal loop, and also
house itself.
connecting with the MMNHP allee.
10.3 Natural Resources
Goals:
• Highlight the ecological resources, threats and the Reservation’s connection to the
Concord River ecosystem as part of the education program to:
1. Reach a new user group, and
2. Engage visitors in conservation issues and challenges to promote
conservation beyond our boundaries.
• Minimize threats to natural resources
Recommended Actions
10- 4
Guidelines:
• Keep mower blade height on high to avoid killing wildlife and promoting a
healthier lawn and field habitat.
• Follow The Trustees guidelines on prioritizing control of exotic, invasive plants.
• Follow all relevant local, state, and federal regulations.
• Include 20th century ecological principles in management of cultural landscape
30
Recommended Actions:
Preserve and restore native riverbank
vegetation. This will be done in-house.
31
Control invasive plants on the
reservation.
32
Expand bird nesting box program to
include volunteer monitoring
33
Add conservation of native pollinators to
property management and education
Recommended Actions
Description/Rationale:
This action will include visitor
management along the riverbank to reduce
trampling, soil compaction and erosion. A
visual link between the Old Manse and the
river should be maintained. Previous
restoration work completed by Heimlich
did not succeed for various reasons.
Invasives are abundant, especially
throughout adjacent parcels making
eradication and control of most species a
low priority. The eradication of
swallowwort from the North Field and
riverbank is the highest priority.
This is an important link with visitor
experience
Native pollinators are in need of
conservation and serve important services
to both ecosystem function and agriculture.
Specific actions should include:
• Use of bee houses to attract native
species
• Planting of native species in the
perennial garden and elsewhere
• Signage to interpret conservation
actions and to highlight for
education
• Mowing areas less frequently or
annually to provide areas of habitat
10- 5
10.4 The Visitor Experience
Goals:
• Expand visitor services and interpretive programming to increase visitation.
• Engage a diverse audience and encourage them to be stewards of the property and
of history, in general.
• Encourage cross-promotion of the Old Manse with other historic sites in Concord.
• Take a lead role in telling the Transcendental story of Concord.
• Where possible, make the property more accessible to visitors of all physical
abilities.
Recommended Actions:
34 Create an annual schedule of events to
organize planning and implementation
more efficiently
35 Review the functionality of the museum
shop and make improvements.
36 Expand the merchandise offerings in the
museum shop to include additional authors
such as Sarah Orne Jewett and others
37 Continue to work cooperatively with the
National Park Service on signage for the
Manse and MMNHP.
38 Develop signage illustrating dock and
water landing access points. Create a map
with water landings to clarify access.
39 Improve baseline documentation on
visitation including the number of visitors
on the grounds.
40 Consider expanding Manse hours through
the shoulder seasons.
41 Create a comprehensive disaster
preparedness plan.
Recommended Actions
Description/Rationale:
With limited staff resources this will make
programs run more efficiently.
Current space is a bottleneck and there are
too many mixed uses.
This will help to broaden the mission
related focus and increase revenue.
MMNHP is our most important partner.
Plans, programs and signage should be
jointly evaluated.
This will help to address Natural Resources
concerns as well as to make it easier for
first time visitors to find their way.
This is part of a larger statewide initiative
to have a better understanding of our
audiences, both numbers and
demographics.
This would allow the Manse to engage the
many visitors who come to the Manse in
the fall and spring.
This will include policies and procedures
for safety of visitors and collections in the
instance of fire, flood, or other natural
disasters. It will also include procedures in
the event of medical emergencies.
10- 6
10.4.1 Education and Interpretation
Goals:
• Use all parts of the reservation to their fullest potential to engage the visitor with:
o ecological connection of the Old Manse to surrounding areas,
o the history and beauty of the property,
o the historic significance of the building and its occupants.
• Collaborate with other local attractions on joint programming initiatives and
opportunities.
Guidelines:
• Ensure that all outreach materials and “touch points” (e.g., signs, brochures) are
accurate, friendly, and clearly and consistently deliver The Trustees’ message.
• Ensure that all house guides and other property staff are adequately trained in
program delivery and well versed in the mission and message of The Trustees.
• Follow the recommended actions in the property interpretive plan.
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
Recommended Actions:
Commit to experimenting with diverse
interpretive methods to keep current
with audience expectations
Offer multiple tour options including an
abridged tour, or thematic tours.
Examine best interpretive methods for
the site including beyond-the-borders
walks
Develop programs for families with
children such as a Quest
Create tiered programming to appeal to
audiences along the engagement cycle
Identify specific opportunities for
engaging people further along the
engagement cycle.
Re-investigate a joint ticket with other
Concord sites
Expand relationship with Minuteman
and Gaining Ground constituents and
staff to improve message training and
shared initiatives such as sustainability
and diversity as well as to expand
programming.
Recommended Actions
Description/Rationale:
The Old Manse has the potential to be a
prototype for other Trustees sites and the
historic site field in general.
Success for the Manse will be realized in
being as responsive as possible to visitors’
varied interests and needs.
This will help to connect the Old Manse
landscape to surrounding landscapes such as
MMNHP and Estabrook Woods.
Quests at other Trustees properties have met
with great success and have attracted new
audiences.
This is in alignment with The Trustees’
Education & Outreach Engagement Plan.
This will encourage collaboration and
increase visibility for the Manse.
Collaborating with The Park Service and
Gaining Ground and Manse staff, we have
the capability to present a strong message of
ecology & stewardship to our combined
audiences. Opportunities to share resources
and expertise also exist.
10- 7
49
50
51
52
Explore development of a landscape
audio tour
Re-publish Manse booklet or create new
one.
Develop writing workshops and retreat
weekends
Expand public event offerings such as
co- hosting the Stone Soup dinner.
53
Expand web based offerings.
54
Develop formal school program with
area secondary schools and colleges.
This will further diversify Manse offerings
for a broad audience.
The Manse currently does not have a
publication for visitors to take home. This
is a frequent request.
Such mission related programs are an
important aspect of program expansion
The Old Manse’s landscape provides
unlimited potential for collaboration with
other Concord non-profits to connect to the
community.
This will greatly expand our off-site
audience
This is an untapped area for the Manse
which has great potential for connecting
students with our national heritage.
10.4.2 Marketing and Outreach
55
56
57
58
59
60
Recommended Actions:
Develop a marketing plan for the
reservation based on audience research
Create a link with MMNHP website and
vice versa. Include other possible
partners
Increase outreach efforts to schools.
Offer programs in conjunction with
Concord adult education.
Work with Concord Visitor Center staff
to encourage collaborative marketing of
Concord cultural sites – paper and webbased.
Create and maintain relationships with
information providers such as gas
station attendants, hospitality industry
and retail merchants
Recommended Actions
Description/Rationale:
At the present time, virtually no marketing
is done for the Manse. A thorough and
professionally-prepared marketing strategy
is needed to increase the property’s
visibility both locally, regionally, and
nationally.
There is an overlap in audience interests
from which both organizations can benefit.
Although many schools from across the
country visit the Manse, very few local
schools take advantage of this opportunity.
This would include in-class programs.
This is another means to broaden our
constituencies.
This and the recommendation below will
help to raise the Manse’s visibility in
Concord’s cultural community and will
result in increased visitation.
See above.
10- 8
10.5 General Management
61
62
63
64
Recommended Actions:
Description/Rationale:
Improve the existing disaster/emergency See recommendation 10. 4. An emergency
response plan.
plan is needed to protect the house,
collections and staff and visitors in the
event of an emergency.
Convert the Historic Site Assistant
Many of the administrative tasks could be
position from seasonal to year-round.
accomplished by the HSA, allowing the
Manager to pursue strategic initiatives.
Hire a full-time Superintendent for the
The Concord Area properties would all
Concord/Carlisle Area Management
benefit from full time managerial care. The
Unit.
superintendent from the Sharon/Walpole
MU is generous with his time but it is a
Integrate TOM, Malcolm, and Apthorp
challenge to meet property needs.
properties into a high-engagement MU
that utilizes the extensive natural and
recreational resources of Estabrook
Woods and the historical significance of
EW and TOM to engage a diverse range
of visitors.
Explore and implement opportunities to The Manse needs to become more reliant on
increase earned income.
earned income rather than support from The
Trustees to realize a balanced budget.
Recommended Actions
10- 9