For information on the project itself, click here.
Can CPA funds be used for private projects?
How much CPA money are you requesting?
Is the Historical Society paying for any of this project?
Will the fireplace need ongoing maintenance paid for by additional CPA funds?
Didn’t the Historical Society say they wouldn’t ask for CPA funding?
Did the Historical Society sell F. Holland Day’s “The Seven Last Words” to the MFA? What happened to the money?
The schools are underfunded and could use this money. Could this money be put toward school or other town costs instead of a CPA project?
How does the public benefit from the project?
How often is the Day House open to the public?
Can CPA funds be used for private projects?
The Community Preservation Act does not prohibit the use of CPA funds for projects on privately owned property. However, the Anti-aid Amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution DOES prohibit the use of public funds by private entities for private purposes. But it is possible in some situations to grant public money to private organizations, including CPA funds, if the expenditure of public funds is used to advance a public purpose. A variety of federal and state programs provide historic preservation grants to private non-profit organizations, and the acquisition of a historic preservation restriction typically serves the public purpose.
Examples:
CPA funds may be able to fund a project on private property, but only if the project is advancing a public purpose, such as the municipality acquiring a deed restriction, providing public access to the property where there was none before, or some other public benefit recommended by town counsel.
- The CPC may require a historic preservation restriction on private properties to satisfy the Anti-aid Amendment. Should the private entity sell the building, the deed restriction transfers to the new owner, protecting the public investment in the property.
- A project may also require a written agreement that guarantees public access to a building.
- The written agreement may also ensure that any investment would be repaid should the private building be sold within a certain period of time.
Although the agreement between the CPC and the Norwood Historical Society has not been finalized, we have agreed to place a historic deed restriction on the property and to maintain at least the level of public access that we currently provide. We have also agreed to repay the CPA funds if the Society sells the Day house within 10 years (we have no plans to ever sell the Day house).
Dozens of communities across the Commonwealth have granted CPA funds to privately owned historical society buildings and projects, including in neighboring Canton. You can read about some of the Canton projects here, here, and here, or search the CPA project database for more examples.
How much CPA money are you requesting?
We are requesting $25, 925 in CPA funding for the project.
Is the Historical Society paying for any of this project?
There are additional costs that are not included in the $25,925 CPA request. It’s hard to know exactly how much the total cost will be until the project is underway, but we anticipate spending close to $6000 in Society funds on the project. That figure could increase if more tiles are broken during removal, and the restoration team could run into other unforeseen problems requiring additional money. The Historical Society is committed to paying all the additional costs to complete the project.
Will the fireplace need ongoing maintenance paid for by additional CPA funds?
A: The new fireplace surround needs no specific maintenance since the decorative panel will be more stable than the original construction. General maintenance of the Day House has been well covered by an endowment account established by the Society in 2013. Since 2016 we have combined investment earnings with grants from state agencies and private donations to make critical repairs to roofing and the building envelope, including major masonry and window repairs. Careful use of endowment earnings also allowed us to replace the furnace and upgrade security to meet insurance requirements. In 2021-22 we were able to make the major improvements of an accessible entrance and add ADA-accessible public restrooms on the ground floor thanks to a Mass Cultural Council facilities grant.
Didn’t the Historical Society say they wouldn’t ask for CPA funding?
Yes. When the CPA was first passed in Norwood in 2016, our Board of Directors voted not to request CPA funding. At that time, there were differing opinions on how the CPA funding restrictions might be implemented. Some said that to satisfy the public access requirement, the Society would have to turn over complete control of the Day House to the Town of Norwood. Our Board of Directors and members voted not to request CPA funds under those conditions. In the years since we have seen CPA funding successfully used in many other communities to preserve privately owned historical society assets, and none of the towns involved took control of the assets. In speaking with the CPC coordinator last year, we learned that the restrictions that might be placed on CPA funding were reasonable, and we decided to move forward with a funding request.
Did the Historical Society sell F. Holland Day’s “The Seven Last Words” to the MFA? What happened to the money?
Yes, in December of 2013, the Historical Society sold an original print of F Holland Day’s masterpiece, “The Seven Last Words”, along with the crown of thorns he wore in the photos, for more than $1 million. The NHS Board of Directors voted at that time to invest that money, and not to touch the principal, restricting our spending to any earnings made from the investments. This provides us with an ongoing revenue source. We can vote to use the earnings each year, or bank those earnings for several years until they are needed for a larger project. This system has allowed us to spend over $460,000 over the past 5 years for repairs, upgrades and improvements to the house while maintaining the principal amount.
We spent $320,000 for the repair or replacement of exterior masonry, repairs to the stucco exterior of the house, partial roofing replacement, repairs to the leaded glass windows, new gutters, repairs to exterior woodwork, exterior paint, asbestos removal, pest control, interior electrical repairs and upgrades, a new alarm system, and a new furnace. We also received $10,000 in grants and $10,000 in donations to help complete those projects.
We also made major accessibility improvements in 2021 to improve public access to the house, including the construction of an entrance ramp and ADA-accessible ground-floor restrooms. We spent $90,000 of our funds on those improvements and received a matching $90,000 grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund, a program of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, administered through a collaborative arrangement between MassDevelopment and the Mass Cultural Council. We also received $5,000 in donations toward the project.
The schools are underfunded and could use this money. Could this money be put toward school or other town costs instead of a CPA project?
No. Community preservation monies are raised locally through a surcharge of not more than 3% (Norwood voted for 1%) of the tax levy against real property. If this or any other CPA request is denied, the money stays in the CPA fund, but does not ever become available for school or town purposes.
How does the public benefit from the project?
Although the Day House is not a town-owned property, our project furthers CPA goals to preserve historical architecture. Listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1977, the F Holland Day House has long been recognized for its unique architectural design, as well as its association with the innovative photographer and publisher Fred Holland Day. The interior fixtures of the Day House are largely intact, including extensive mahogany paneling, ornate molding, and sculpted elements, and nine distinct fireplaces that feature imported marbles and decorative tiles. All of these features are in excellent condition, save the Delft Tiles of the Blue Room fireplace, which we seek to restore.
The 1891-93 remodeling of the Day House was developed through a collaboration of Lewis and Anna Day with their son Fred Day and the renowned Boston architect J. William Beal. The key elements of the interior design were inspired by Fred’s travels across Europe, and various elements were imported and/or custom made, including the Delft tiles, which were shipped from the Netherlands in 1890. No other building in Norwood has such refinements, and the Delft fireplace is a unique feature of the house as well as a key example of Fred Holland Day’s independent aesthetics and strong religious faith. The fireplace contributes to a public understanding of Norwood life in the 1890s, when elite families profited from local industries.
As a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and sharing local history, the Norwood Historical Society is regularly open to the public for events and house tours, and gives private tours upon request. In the past year, we have had more than 500 visitors to the Day House, without charge, including elementary and high school class tours. The Blue Room is a key part of our tours, as it houses Norwood’s first lending library. Our goal is to continue to maintain the historic treasure we call home, the F Holland Day house, for the future generations of Norwood.
How often is the Day House open to the public?
The Historical Society opens the house multiple times during the year for talks, exhibits, and guided tours. We also give private tours to the public upon request. To help make our events more accessible to the public, all of our programming has been free of charge since the pandemic (although donations are always appreciated),
We also host various programs from the Norwood Public Schools. In the fall, students from Norwood High School’s Intro to Photography course tour the house and take photographs they use to create a piece of art. The photographic art is put on display at the Day House in the “Interpretations of F. Holland Day” exhibit. One of the highlights of the Holiday season is an annual performance by the Norwood High School Madrigals, who give incredible renditions of traditional holiday songs. And each year in June, third-grade students from various Norwood schools receive a guided tour of the Day House to help them learn about Norwood’s history and the Day family.
We have had discussions about expanding our programming to include additional fine arts and music programs from the public schools, and hope to make it happen next year. We are also in discussions with the Norwood Recreation Department to hold classes at the Day House, possibly as soon as this fall.
We wish the Day House was open more often. We are a small volunteer group. The only thing preventing us from opening the house more for tours or holding more events is a lack of volunteers. If you would like to volunteer, please reach out to us.
Got more questions? Contact us on our social media accounts, or email us at info@norwoodhistoricalsociety.org