Project: Researching and Writing 24 Preserve America Nominations, Dec. 2003 to Feb. 2004
In November 2003, I was contracted by the National Park Service in partnership with the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council of Rhode Island to be the author for nominations for Preserve America designations for 11 communities in Rhode Island and 13 communities in Massachusetts – a total of 24 applications in all. Preserve America is a 2003 White House initiative to encourage and support community efforts for the preservation and enjoyment of America's priceless cultural and natural heritage. This ongoing program celebrates communities that protect and use their historic assets for economic development and community revitalization, and encourage people to experience and appreciate local historic resources through education and heritage tourism programs.
Benefits to the communities include White House recognition; a certificate of designation; a Preserve America Community road sign; authorization to use the Preserve America logo on signs, flags, banners, and promotional materials; listing in a web-based Preserve America Community directory; inclusion in national and regional press releases;official notification of designation to State tourism offices and visitor bureaus; and enhanced community visibility and pride.
First Lady Laura Bush said, “"Preserve America promotes cultural and natural preservation and encourages greater appreciation of our national treasures - from monuments and buildings to landscapes and main streets. PresidentBush and I want every American, especially our children, to discover and learn about our Nation's heritage, a heritage our parents and grandparents bestowed upon us and that we continue to build upon."
The work I did prior to actually writing the application essays was painstaking. (The blank form is online at www.preserveamerica.gov.) I did hours of research to collect interesting facts about each community’s history and developed a working knowledge of its continued efforts in historic preservation, its management of its historic assets, its preservation education and its heritage tourism. The legwork required to obtain the information for the even simple check-box parts of the application was nothing short of a marathon effort. For weeks, I visited historic sites, conducted detailed interviews with each community’s public officials and met with historic preservation partners both in the public and private sectors. I also accumulated the documents and images that would support each individual nomination. In addition, the applications were backed by letters of recommendation from dozens of elected representatives, public officials, community leaders and respected private citizens – using a template as a suggested format, these too, had to be solicited, complied and verified.
The final phase of the application process consisted of creating and then writing the text for each nomination as a coherent, convincing “story.” My objective was to leave little or no room for rejection by the review committee at the Washington, DC office of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the independent Federal agency that advises the President and Congress on national historic preservation policy.
My work was 100% successful. On June 25, 2004, every one of the 24 applications
that I wrote was approved and, as a result, each of the communities is now proudly displaying the signage honoring it as a Preserve America community.
Winning nominations for the following towns and cities written by Anita Rafael -
MASSACHUSETTS
Blackstone
Douglas
Grafton
Hopedale * scroll down to see completed application
Leicester
Mendon
Millbury
Millville
Northbridge
Sutton
Upton
Uxbridge
Worcester
RHODE ISLAND
Burrillville
Central Falls
Cumberland
East
Providence
Gloucester
Lincoln
North
Smithfield
Pawtucket
Providence
Smithfield
Woonsocket
Project Writer: Anita Rafael: Research, text and compilation of supporting materials.
Preserve America Nominations
Dec. 2003-Feb. 2004
Sample of a completed Preserve America nomination. The facts and story line of each nomination varies greatly as every community has its own unique way of preserving and using its historic and cultural assets.
Preserve America Nomination for the Town of Hopedale, Massachusetts
Introduction The Town of Hopedale is located in the south-central part of the State of Massachusetts. It is one of the 24 communities along the Blackstone River Valley which were designated by Congress in 1986 as having national significance as "The Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution." Hopedale is a 5-square mile community of 6,000 residents whose industrial past is everywhere evident, but whose lifestyle today is largely suburban in nature. Hopedale was, in fact, conceived by Reverend Adin Ballou as a Christian-based "dale of hope" in 1841, making it unique among the towns in the region. The town's official founding in 1886 was because of the success of the Draper family in manufacturing mechanical looms for the textile industry, an enterprise spanning an entire century. Like several other small towns in the region that have easy access to Interstate 495 and Route 128, Hopedale is expected to grow rapidly within the decade. Hopedale's commitment to historic preservation is evident in its new listing on the National Register of Historic Places of an historic district that encompasses virtually the entire village - some 8000 acres in all.
Recent Project The Town of Hopedale has successfully undertaken a massive historic preservation effort in listing the village center on the National Register of Historic Places, a district recognized in 2002 as having some 600 significant homes, buildings, structures and items which are both publicly and privately owned. The sites have a period of significance ranging from 1825 to the late 20th century. In addition, the Town of Hopedale has begun a project, with public-private partnership support to develop a plan for restoration and purposeful use of an historic site known as the (Little) Red Shop.
In late 2002, the Town of Hopedale, with support from the Heritage Corridor and the volunteer participation of interested citizens, along with private, non-profit organizations known as the Friends of Historic Hopedale and Friends of Adin Ballou, plus town officials, and others, participated in the development of a preliminary planning report for the Red Shop. The Red Shop, locally considered an “icon,” was built in the mid-1840s. It is the first shop built by the community, and is the town’s oldest industrial remnant of an enterprise that shaped the town for nearly two centuries. It is a small wood-frame building that has been moved four times, as recently as the 1950s to a prominent location on town property. The 20’ x 90’ shop as it is now may, in fact, be only a portion of a structure that was originally larger, perhaps 2-stories with a cupola. It has had various uses - workshop for making machinery, sales room, storage shed, repository of artifacts, and until recently, as a museum. Only occasionally open, it is in disrepair and lacks heat and restrooms. The outcome of the project was a preliminary plan, published in March of 2003 that recognizes the unique potential of the Red Shop as a museum or educational facility and heritage attraction. The report also outlines a recommended plan of action to meet the goal of preserving the historical character of the building, enhancing its historical meaning and usefulness, as well as using the site to tell the story of Hopedale’s industrial past and the community’s role in the industrial development of the Blackstone River Valley region.
Fund-raising efforts and awareness-raising efforts regarding the Red Shop project are currently in progress. In 2002, for example, the Hopedale Junior/Senior High School used a mini-grant from the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce for a multi-disciplinary project which provided the students with a hands-on community-based learning experience about local history and the culture of a textile mill village. Students made and sold artistic representations of their study to benefit the Red Shop restoration project. In a current effort to bring to light the significance of the site, the Friends of Adin Ballou have included the Red Shop in a 16-page self-guided walking/ biking guidebook titled “Early Hopedale Community.” The book was funded in part by the Heritage Corridor.
Ongoing Project The Town of Hopedale in partnership with the Heritage Corridor, the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce participates in a Heritage Tourism Initiative which promotes historic and cultural sites by making use of its library, town hall, historic attractions and businesses as distribution points for brochures, maps, self-guided tours and literature of interest to residents and tourists. As part of a regional heritage and cultural cross-promotion network, the sites in Hopedale are part of a 150-site chain of distribution points throughout the Blackstone Valley. Additional information about Hopedale’s historic sites is available year-round at the Heritage Corridor Visitors Center in nearby Uxbridge and Mendon.
Additional Project The Town of Hopedale in partnership with the Heritage Corridor participates in a Heritage Tourism Initiative with Identity Signage, indicating it is part of the historically significant region known as the Blackstone River Valley. In the Town of Hopedale several interpretive signs provide visitors with information about historic sites and historic monuments in Hopedale.
Appended: Photography of Hopedale, MA.
Resolution The Town of Hopedale has adopted a resolution indicating its commitment
to the preservation of its historic assets.
Appended: Copy of resolution of Hopedale, MA.
Category 1 / Discovering
1.1 An ongoing publicly available inventory of historic properties.
The Town of Hopedale has a publicly available inventory of historic properties listed by the Massachusetts Historic Commission (MHC). The document is available at the local library, town hall, at the Heritage Corridor office, and at the MHC office in Boston, MA. An additional inventory was compiled and is updated by the Heritage Corridor office and is available to the public. Properties are selected for inclusion on the basis of their individual significance or their value as indicators of the town’s physical, social or economic development. More than 20 homes and buildings, plus a pre-settlement era archaeological site along the Mill River, have been identified as significant in the Town of Hopedale.
1.2 A community supported museum, interpretive facility, archive or local history
records collection. In the Town of Hopedale, the public library has taken an active role in archiving books and printed material related to the history of the town. The town has appointed local residents as curators who have begun collecting items as a first step towards establishing a new museum.
1.3 Active citizen volunteer involvement.
Citizen volunteers in the Town of Hopedale participate in several events related to fund-raising for the Red Shop restoration project and on behalf of a private, non-profit organization known as Friends of Historic Hopedale. Events at which volunteers are active include the annual Day In The Parks celebration, a town-wide “fair” coordinated by members of the Hopedale Cultural Council. The activities include historical walking tours, trolley tours, and horse-drawn-wagon tours of Hopedale’s historic sites. Volunteers also coordinate a holiday house tour of private historic homes in Hopedale to benefit local historic preservation efforts.
1.4 Opportunities for children to learn about local heritage in the schools.
In the Town of Hopedale, the public school system makes use of opportunities for children to learn about local heritage through its partnership with the Heritage Corridor. National Park Service Rangers present programming in local schools, and educators specializing in teaching local history are partnering with the Heritage Corridor to update and revise curriculum-based programs which meet the Massachusetts Board of Education criteria. Additionally, using the information contained a new, widely-distributed 60-page handbook titled “An Educator’s Guide To The Blackstone Valley - A Comprehensive Guide to the Cultural, Natural and Historic Resources Throughout the Blackstone River Valley” teachers in Hopedale can access in-school programs from all the museums and organizations listed. The publication is a project of the Blackstone Valley Educator’s Network in partnership with the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and the Heritage Corridor.
In addition, a volunteer member of the current historical commission provides in-school programs about the history of Hopedale.
Appended: A postcard (promotional mailing) for a handbook which all educators in Hopedale, MA receive listing educational opportunities for in-school programs and field trips.
Category 2 / Protecting
2.1 A local government body such as a board or commission, charged with leading historic preservation activities.
The Town of Hopedale has a 7-member historical commission. It is a volunteer board, created by town ordinance, which leads historic preservation activities in the town. The board is made up of interested citizens and subject (history, architecture, folklore) experts. The board meets regularly and is charged, among its duties,with advising residents and other town agencies on preservation issues. Current initiatives include grant writing for the Red Shop project.
2.2 Adopted a community-wide historic preservation plan.
The Town of Hopedale has a current comprehensive plan was adopted in the early 1990s as mandated by Massachusetts state law. The document contains a section relating to use and preservation of historic and cultural resources. The plan was developed after extensive consultation with many constituencies, including residents interested in and committed to the preservation of the town’s historic and archeological resources. Additionally, the town acknowledges the guidelines of the regional management plan developed and adopted by the Heritage Corridor which includes historic and cultural sites in Hopedale. The town is currently updating its mater plan, as well.
Category 3 / Promoting
3.1 A local heritage tourism program or activity, or active participation in a regional program, with such promotional material as a walking/ driving trail or tour itinerary, map of historic resources, etc.
The Town of Hopedale promotes awareness of its historic assets and promotes heritage tourism though its Self-Guided Walking Tour. This self-guided walking tour highlighting how Hopedale's beginnings as a utopian community in the mid-19th century shaped its destiny is one of a series consisting of 27 similar publications distributed throughout the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. The primary mission of the interpretive narrative is to tell previously untold stories about the community's past, present and future by highlighting the local people, places and events. With more than 20,000 copies in distribution to date, the brochure also successfully fulfills a secondary mission to reach heretofore untapped audiences giving them an opportunity to explore and enjoy the communities which form the Heritage Corridor. This brochure is particularly appealing to area residents, drawing them to discover more about the neighborhood in which they live and historic places in their hometown. Visitors find that the self-guided format gives them the option to explore and travel at their own pace, selecting sites that relate to their own tastes, interests and budget. Most importantly, the brochure combines a simplified map with an easy-to-follow tour itinerary for a short enjoyable stroll, especially suitable and safe for families with children of all ages, to seven sites in Hopedale that underscore the great textile empire and lifestyle created by the Draper family. A unique feature of this publication is the section titled "Along The Way" which appears on the back panel. The list of things to see and do nearby inspires even casual explorers to seek more information about the historic and cultural heritage of Hopedale while enticing them to visit other interesting historic sites and fun attractions. Updated as needed, this self-guided walking tour brochure continues in print and in circulation. Widely available year-round for free to residents and visitors to Hopedale, it is on display at the River Bend Farm Visitor Center in Uxbridge, at museums, libraries, hotels, and at other attractions throughout the town and the Heritage Corridor region. It is also available by mail through the Heritage Corridor Office located in Woonsocket, RI.
The initial project consisted of a partnership between community writers, local graphic artists,the Rhode Island Historical Society's Education Department and Graphics Library and the National Park Service Rangers of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor and their project administrators. Several community organizations, such as the Hopedale Historical Society, the Hopedale Public Library, the Blackstone Chamber of Commerce, the Massachusetts State Historic Commission, and individual community residents supported the production of this walking tour of Hopedale by providing information, interviews, volunteer assistance, research materials, and graphic images in addition to volunteering advice and commentary on its content and accuracy. Funding is provided by the Heritage Corridor under its Interpretive Program.
Appended: brochure sample plus miscellaneous other publications/ material currently
in circulation to promote use of and appreciation of historic assets Hopedale, MA.
Appended: Letters of Recommendation to support nomination for Hopedale, MA.
Appended: CD of captioned images of Hopedale, MA.
NB: One of 24 Preserve America applications prepared by AR that were submitted and approved in 2004.
