|
about me
Name Katherine Kirby Neubert Birthday 09.13.87 Email katherineneubert@hotmail.com -- writer, jolter, aspiring photojournalist.
friends
alexis design the daily collegian the daily jolt the new york times wordswift |
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Preserve UMass (PUMA), a private unincorporated group started last spring at the University of Massachusetts, is involved in a number of negotiations led by the Massachusetts Historical Commission regarding the fate of several campus structures. The group is working in conjunction with the Town of Amherst Historical Commission, the University administration and the UMass Building Authority.Such negotiations have led to an agreement by all parties involved, that the main section of the historic Stucco Cow Barn, Milkers Bungalow, and Calf Barn could neither be saved nor adapted to a modern use. A few years ago, the UMass Alumni Association wanted to convert the structure into an alumni center, but a close examination revealed a lack of feasibility in the project. It is said to have been too costly to refurbish the structure because of its ceramic block and stucco construction. "We and the Amherst Commission tried to have the two silos on the north end of the barn saved as the site for a permanent exhibit documenting the history of the barn complex and the importance of the research and teaching done there over the decades," said Joseph Larson, the corresponding secretary of Preserve UMass. Negotiations now focus on a Memorandum of Agreement's (MOA) third draft by the Massachusetts Historical Commission and Preserve UMass, the Amherst Commission and the state Commission are ready to sign. Though, the administration and the UMass Building Authority haven't agreed yet. The draft MOA contains a series of findings that document the events that led to the loss of the barn and give standing to Preserve UMass and the Amherst Commission to be parties to the agreement. It also includes five stipulations regarding the preservation process. The University must produce written and photographic documentation of the stucco barn and several other historic buildings. UMass must also create a permanent exhibit documenting the important role the University has played in agricultural research. More significantly, the agreement stipulates that UMass will conduct a campus cultural survey and master plan that will meet state and national standards with respect to the buildings that are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. This includes planning for adaptive reuse of the historic structures to provide functions that are of current importance to the University. Meanwhile, Preserve UMass seeks to gain respect among its peer organizations to bigger players in the building preservation process. "Preserve UMass has about 105 members from Nantucket to Berkshire County, plus a number from out of state," Larson said. "They are alumni, active and retired UMass faculty and staff members, friends of the campus and professionals in historic preservation." However, no structures have been preserved during the short time of the group's existence. With four or five other locations on campus considered to fill the spot for the new recreation center, the Stucco Cow Barn, Milkers Bungalow and Calf Barn were the best site to meet several objectives. While they were recently demolished, the Wooden Victorian Horse Barn, Blasdell House and Grinnell Arena remain. "This material, plus other issues made it virtually impossible to convert to a modern use from a building code and safety issue. The two silos on the north end of the barn were made of reinforced poured concrete and offered an opportunity to preserve these as an exhibit site." There are still about 26 campus buildings on the Massachusetts Historical Commission's Inventory of Historic and Archaeological Assets of the Commonwealth, according to the Feb. 9 PUMA Senate Report. The list includes two buildings of historical significance: the 1884 Old Chapel, the iconic image of the state's land-grant university, and the 1728 Stockbridge House (University Club), the oldest house in Amherst. --- *You can view this article here. "Kat" [
6:01 PM ] |