State hospital memorial sought
Fred Contrada
The Republican
NORTHAMPTON - The committee charged with coming up for proposals to memorialize Northampton State Hospital have done that part of the job. Tonight they will meet to begin the next phase: Carrying out and paying for the projects.
Formed in June 2006, the Memorialization Committee has held a number of meetings, including two "listening sessions" to solicit ideas from the public on how to honor one of Northampton's hallmark institutions and the people who were treated there.
Originally called the Northampton Lunatic Hospital, the facility opened in 1856. For more than a century, the hospital was a village unto itself, with its own farm, piggery and bowling alley. Many workers lived on the premises and moved from building to building through underground tunnels.
With deinstitutionalization in the 1990s, Northampton State Hospital gradually closed down as its patients moved to community-based homes. The state ultimately transferred the property to the city, which formed a partnership with MassDevelopment Corp. to create a mix of commercial, industrial and residential space called the Village at Hospital Hill.
Last year, Old Main, the architectural centerpiece of the hospital campus, was demolished to make way for housing. Two former nurses' quarters have been restored and renovated as apartments. Financing delays have held up work on the south side of the campus, which will house a new industrial park and commercial center.
Among the Memorialization Committee's main recommendations is a proposal to restore the fountain that was once located in front of Old Main. Joseph Blumenthal , one of the committee members, said the Department of Public Works has been storing the fountain. The committee estimates it will cost $15,000 to $25,000 to restore the fountain.
"We have some idea what has to be done to make it presentable again," Blumenthal said. "Getting it to work is a bigger project."
The committee has also suggested a collaboration with Historic Northampton, which has a $10,000 grant from the Massachusetts Humanities Foundation to create and install 50 historic markers throughout the city. The committee would like to keep the markers at the hospital separate from the others, which will bear the names of sponsors.
Another project sparked by public input is the creation of a 100-page book that will include the writings of former patients. The Historical Commission has expressed interest in producing the book, according to the committee reports. A run of 300 would cost an estimated $2,400.
Other ideas include a Web site featuring archival materials from the hospital and a permanent exhibit about the hospital that would be displayed in the Haskell Building, which is still operated by the Department of Mental Health on the campus.
Senior Housing Planner Margaret L. Keller, who coordinates the Memorialization Committee for the city, said there are questions to be answered about how the projects will be implemented and who will take charge of the efforts. The committee report suggests fund-raising and Community Preservation Act money as two possible sources of revenue.
"We're just going to sit down together and figure out how to proceed and if there are enough people to take these and run with them," Keller said. "We'll pursue as many projects as comprehensively as possible."
Formed in June 2006, the Memorialization Committee has held a number of meetings, including two "listening sessions" to solicit ideas from the public on how to honor one of Northampton's hallmark institutions and the people who were treated there.
Originally called the Northampton Lunatic Hospital, the facility opened in 1856. For more than a century, the hospital was a village unto itself, with its own farm, piggery and bowling alley. Many workers lived on the premises and moved from building to building through underground tunnels.
With deinstitutionalization in the 1990s, Northampton State Hospital gradually closed down as its patients moved to community-based homes. The state ultimately transferred the property to the city, which formed a partnership with MassDevelopment Corp. to create a mix of commercial, industrial and residential space called the Village at Hospital Hill.
Last year, Old Main, the architectural centerpiece of the hospital campus, was demolished to make way for housing. Two former nurses' quarters have been restored and renovated as apartments. Financing delays have held up work on the south side of the campus, which will house a new industrial park and commercial center.
Among the Memorialization Committee's main recommendations is a proposal to restore the fountain that was once located in front of Old Main. Joseph Blumenthal , one of the committee members, said the Department of Public Works has been storing the fountain. The committee estimates it will cost $15,000 to $25,000 to restore the fountain.
"We have some idea what has to be done to make it presentable again," Blumenthal said. "Getting it to work is a bigger project."
The committee has also suggested a collaboration with Historic Northampton, which has a $10,000 grant from the Massachusetts Humanities Foundation to create and install 50 historic markers throughout the city. The committee would like to keep the markers at the hospital separate from the others, which will bear the names of sponsors.
Another project sparked by public input is the creation of a 100-page book that will include the writings of former patients. The Historical Commission has expressed interest in producing the book, according to the committee reports. A run of 300 would cost an estimated $2,400.
Other ideas include a Web site featuring archival materials from the hospital and a permanent exhibit about the hospital that would be displayed in the Haskell Building, which is still operated by the Department of Mental Health on the campus.
Senior Housing Planner Margaret L. Keller, who coordinates the Memorialization Committee for the city, said there are questions to be answered about how the projects will be implemented and who will take charge of the efforts. The committee report suggests fund-raising and Community Preservation Act money as two possible sources of revenue.
"We're just going to sit down together and figure out how to proceed and if there are enough people to take these and run with them," Keller said. "We'll pursue as many projects as comprehensively as possible."
This article was
written by Fred Contrada
and published by The Republican
on Wednesday, September 26