Attachment_17_2017_LOWE_Foundation_Doc_Email_Size.pdf

Foundation Document Lowell National Historical Park Massachusetts September 2017

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

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FEEDER GATEHOUSE

Moody Street Feeder

(underground water tunnel)

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TREMONT GATEHOUSE

AND POWER HOUSE

PAWTUCKET

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GUARD LOCKS

FRANCIS GATE

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DAM

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WTUCKET FALLS

Lowell Public Art Collection site

Trolley route and stop

Lowell National Historical Park buildings

Other selected historic building

Canal building, dam, or lock

Preservation District Boundary Park Boundary

Canalway and Riverwalk

Park

0.1 Kilometer 0.2 0.3

0.1 Mile 0.2 0.3

North

Industria l Canyon

Boott Cotton Mills Museum and Tsongas Industrial

History Center

Visitor Center

Kirk Street Agents House

Park Headquarters

River Transformed Exhibit

Mill Girls and Immigrants Exhibit

Mogan Cultural Center

Kerouac Park

Boarding House Park

Lu cy

L ar co m

P ar k

Maintenance Facility

LAWRENCE

MILLS

BOOTT MILLS

MASSACHUSETTS

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Contents Mission of the National Park Service 1

Introduction 2

Part 1: Core Components 3

Brief Description of the Park 3 Park Purpose 5 Park Significance 6 Fundamental Resources and Values 7 Interpretive Themes 10

Part 2: Dynamic Components 11

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments 11 Assessment of Planning and Data Needs 11

Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values 11

Identification of Key Issues and Associated Planning and Data Needs 33

Planning and Data Needs 35

Photo Credits 42

Part 3: Contributors 42

Lowell National Historical Park 42 NPS Northeast Region 42 Other NPS Staff 42

Appendixes 43

Appendix A: Enabling Legislation and Legislative Acts for Lowell National Historical Park 43

Appendix B: Inventory of Administrative Commitments 59 Appendix C: Past and Ongoing Park Planning and

Data Collection Efforts 62 iv

The arrowhead was authorized as the official National Park Service emblem by the Secretary of the Interior on July 20, 1951. The sequoia tree and bison represent vegetation and wildlife, the mountains and water represent scenic and recreational values, and the arrowhead represents historical and archeological values.

Lowell National Historical Park

Mission of the National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The National Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.

The NPS core values are a framework in which the National Park Service accomplishes its mission. They express the manner in which, both individually and collectively, the National Park Service pursues its mission. The NPS core values are:

· Shared stewardship: We share a commitment to resource stewardship with the global preservation community.

· Excellence: We strive continually to learn and improve so that we may achieve the highest ideals of public service.

· Integrity: We deal honestly and fairly with the public and one another.

· Tradition: We are proud of it; we learn from it; we are not bound by it.

· Respect: We embrace each other’s differences so that we may enrich the well-being of everyone.

The National Park Service is a bureau within the Department of the Interior. While numerous national park system units were created prior to 1916, it was not until August 25, 1916, that President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act formally establishing the National Park Service.

The national park system continues to grow and comprises more than 400 park units covering more than 84 million acres in every state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These units include, but are not limited to, national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House. The variety and diversity of park units throughout the nation require a strong commitment to resource stewardship and management to ensure both the protection and enjoyment of these resources for future generations.

Introduction Every unit of the national park system will have a foundational document to provide basic guidance for planning and management decisions—a foundation for planning and management. The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park as well as the park’s purpose, significance, fundamental resources and values, and interpretive themes. The foundation document also includes special mandates and administrative commitments, an assessment of planning and data needs that identifies planning issues, planning products to be developed, and the associated studies and data required for park planning. Along with the core components, the assessment provides a focus for park planning activities and establishes a baseline from which planning documents are developed.

A primary benefit of developing a foundation document is the opportunity to integrate and coordinate all kinds and levels of planning from a single, shared understanding of what is most important about the park. The process of developing a foundation document begins with gathering and integrating information about the park. Next, this information is refined and focused to determine what the most important attributes of the park are. The process of preparing a foundation document aids park managers, staff, and the public in identifying and clearly stating in one document the essential information that is necessary for park management to consider when determining future planning efforts, outlining key planning issues, and protecting resources and values that are integral to park purpose and identity.

While not included in this document, a park atlas is also part of a foundation project.

The atlas is a series of maps compiled from available geographic information system (GIS) data on natural and cultural resources, visitor use patterns, facilities, and other topics. It serves as a GIS-based support tool for planning and park operations. The atlas is published as a (hard copy) paper product and as geospatial data for use in a web mapping environment. The park atlas for Lowell National Historical Park can be accessed online at:

http://insideparkatlas.nps.gov/.

Part 1: Core Components The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park, park purpose, significance statements, fundamental resources and values, and interpretive themes.

These components are core because they typically do not change over time. Core components are expected to be used in future planning and management efforts.

Brief Description of the Park Growth and change have long dominated the American system of values. Industry flourished in 19th-century America as major technological advancements in transportation, power production, and industrial manufacturing facilitated a fundamental shift from rural farm-based communities to a modern urban-industrial society. Lowell, Massachusetts, 30 miles northwest of Boston, was founded in 1822 as a seminal planned industrial city and became one of the most significant textile producing centers in the country. The city of Lowell is not, as is sometimes claimed, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in America. Most of the developments associated with this phenomenon in the nation’s history had their origins elsewhere. But, it was in Lowell that these developments converged in a way and on a scale that made them revolutionary.

Lowell served as America’s model industrial city during the first half of the 19th century, offering the hope that the country would profit socially as well as economically by adopting industrialism as a way of life. The early Lowell system was distinguished by state-of-the-art technology, engineers, and inventors who worked in its waterpower system, monumental mill architecture, enormous production capabilities, rational city planning, a dependence on cotton grown by enslaved peoples, and, most of all, by its much-heralded workforce of Yankee “mill girls.” As industry grew in New England, Lowell’s factories aged and became less competitive with newer industrial cities. Profits fell, working conditions deteriorated, and wages were cut. The “mill girls” became disillusioned with the system and were replaced by a succession of immigrant groups eager to find work at any price. As crowded tenements took the place of Lowell’s well-regulated system of boardinghouses, Lowell became an industrial city similar to others in New England.

Competition within the textile industry increased continually throughout the 19th century. Eventually, the combination of a cheaper, less unionized workforce;

newer, more efficient factories and machinery; cheaper real estate; and lower taxes persuaded the textile industry to move south. Eight of Lowell’s original 10 textile firms closed their doors for good during the 1920s, and the remaining two closed in the 1950s. The city fell into a long depression that lasted through the 1960s. Gradually, over the course of 50 years, businesses shut down, real estate prices fell, and unemployment rose.

By the 1970s, one could stand almost anywhere in downtown Lowell and see blight and decay that had resulted from decades of deindustrialization.

Established on June 5, 1978, Lowell National Historical Park represented an innovative partner-driven management concept between federal, state, and local governments, the private sector, and the local community. This management concept grew out of the Model Cities program and had no direct precedent in the national park system. Components of this concept include the preservation of important historic resources, the rehabilitation of historic structures for adaptive reuse, and the interpretation of social, ethnic, cultural, and technological themes. Through this approach, the park and its partners work collaboratively as a vehicle for economic progress in the community and encourage creative and cooperative programs to support the preservation and interpretation of Lowell’s historic and cultural resources. Almost all 5.3 million square feet of historic mill buildings in downtown Lowell have been successfully rehabilitated as a result of this partnership, and, once again, Lowell has become a model for urban development. The city’s revitalization has capitalized on its working-class immigrant culture and the pride of its citizens, as well as extensive cooperation among local, state, and federal agencies and the private sector. Lowell National Historical Park is inextricably linked to the history, culture, and physical form of the city itself.

Today visitors weave in and out of past and present in this living monument to the Industrial Revolution and its legacies. Although the area within the park boundary is 142 acres and the larger Lowell Historic Preservation District encompasses 583 acres, only 19 acres are in federal ownership. The physical resources protected by the park include the original 5.6-mile power canal system, a nationally recognized engineering marvel; major cotton textile mill complexes; diverse museum collections; and intact 19th-century streetscapes of commercial and residential structures. In addition to the industrial artifacts, Lowell retains much of its rich cultural heritage, as reflected in the ethnic diversity and preserved traditions of its citizens.

Visitors can immerse themselves fully in the landscape and culture of the city. All of the senses are engaged, whether by the roar of the looms in the weave room, the cold damp in the granite lock chambers as boats lock through, the plucking of banjo strings reverberating from Boarding House Park, the movement of the trolley as it travels along its tracks, the delicious aroma of foods wafting out from one of the cultural festivals, or the sea of massive red brick mill buildings dominating the city landscape. The diverse resources protected by the park encourage visitors to explore how industry has and continues to influence technology, environment, socioeconomics, and politics in cities and economies across the world. Although the character and physical roots of Lowell lie in the Industrial Revolution, the city and its people are ever evolving. Their dynamic human stories extend far beyond the park’s borders to illustrate industrialization and its legacies on a global scale.

Park Purpose The purpose statement identifies the specific reason(s) for establishment of a particular park. The purpose statement for Lowell National Historical Park was drafted through a careful analysis of its enabling legislation and the legislative history that influenced its development.

The park was established when the enabling legislation adopted by Congress was signed into law on June 5, 1978 (see appendix A for enabling legislation and legislative acts). The purpose statement lays the foundation for understanding what is most important about the park.

LoweLL NatioNaL HistoricaL Park preserves and interprets the historic structures and stories of the Industrial Revolution and its legacies in Lowell, serving as a catalyst for revitalization of the city’s physical and economic environment and promoting cultural heritage and community programming.

Park Significance Significance statements express why a park’s resources and values are important enough to merit designation as a unit of the national park system. These statements are linked to the purpose of Lowell National Historical Park, and are supported by data, research, and consensus. Statements of significance describe the distinctive nature of the park and why an area is important within a global, national, regional, and systemwide context. They focus on the most important resources and values that will assist in park planning and management.

The following significance statements have been identified for Lowell National Historical Park.

(Please note that the sequence of the statements does not reflect the level of significance.)

· Lowell’s (economic) success was based in innovation, from manufacturing technology and processes, to new business models, to city planning designed to benefit both industry and the worker. Unique industrial concepts were implemented and demonstrated at a massive scale at the Lowell mills, which served as a model for textile production and industrial cities.

· A very large proportion of original buildings, structures, and urban landscapes have survived in Lowell’s park and preservation district and now are recognized as important historical artifacts. These include the entire 5.6-mile power canal system with its sophisticated dams, locks, and gatehouses, 7 of the original 10 mill complexes, and significant examples of early housing types, institutions, and transportation facilities.

· The Lowell canal system is nationally recognized as one of the most impressive civil and mechanical engineering achievements of the 19th century because of its grand scale and technological complexity, and is the site of origin for the famed “Francis” turbine. The canal system, used as both a transportation corridor and power source, facilitated the growth of the industrial city.

· Lowell National Historical Park preserves and interprets the stories and heritage of the people of Lowell, including the early female workforce (aka “mill girls”) and those who came from across the globe seeking opportunities. Today, Lowell’s residents continue to shape the culture of the city and contribute to its revitalization.

· The collaboration between Lowell National Historical Park and its partners has resulted in the rehabilitation of almost all of the 5.3 million square feet of historic mill space and hundreds of additional buildings in the downtown historic district. This effort continues to serve as a successful example of leveraging public-private partnerships for economic development through historic preservation.

· Lowell National Historical Park embraces partnerships as an integral approach to accomplishing park and community goals. Lowell National Historical Park serves as a model for leveraging collaborative public-private partnerships and community engagement.

Fundamental Resources and Values Fundamental resources and values (FRVs) are those features, systems, processes, experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, smells, or other attributes determined to warrant primary consideration during planning and management processes because they are essential to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance. Fundamental resources and values are closely related to a park’s legislative purpose and are more specific than significance statements.

Fundamental resources and values help focus planning and management efforts on what is truly significant about the park. One of the most important responsibilities of NPS managers is to ensure the conservation and public enjoyment of those qualities that are essential (fundamental) to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance. If fundamental resources and values are allowed to deteriorate, the park purpose and/or significance could be jeopardized.

The following fundamental resources and values have been identified for Lowell National Historical Park:

· Water Power System / Canal System. The Lowell National Historical Park boundary includes 9.6 miles of major riverbanks and all 5.6 miles of historic canals in Lowell, all of which comprise the waterpower system that harnessed waters of the Merrimack River to power the city’s mills. In fact, the Merrimack River and its natural attributes dictated the location of the city itself. The water power and canal system includes the Pawtucket, Merrimack, Hamilton, Western, Eastern, Lowell, and Northern Canals and canal banks, as well as several associated locks, gatehouses and dams, and Pawtucket Falls. This system, which still operates as a source of hydroelectric power, provides an opportunity to interpret both the historic significance of water in industry, as well as the engineering of a waterpower system. Public access has been expanded over the years to support these interpretive opportunities, including creation of a pedestrian canalway and riverwalk and the development of related exhibits and programs such as the Suffolk Mill Turbine Exhibit.

· Boott Cotton Mills Complex. This complex is architecturally and historically the most significant mill site in the city, and the only one with buildings owned and managed by the National Park Service. The millyard was constructed and then adapted over a 100-year period by the Boott Cotton Mills company, one of the 10 major textile corporations in Lowell. Of the city’s original millyards, the Boott Cotton Mills complex is the most intact example of Lowell’s historic mill complexes. Changes in technology and production capability influenced the development and appearance of the millyard over time. Its clock tower, completed about 1865, survives today as one of the most distinctive architectural monuments in Lowell and has become a symbol of the park.

Today, the restored mill complex houses the park’s Boott Cotton Mills Museum, the Tsongas Industrial History Center, and several NPS Northeast Region offices.

· Immersive Experience. Lowell National Historical Park provides a variety of hands-on interpretive and educational opportunities that allow visitors to immerse themselves in Lowell’s industrial past. Key park experiences include exhibits that feature a working turbine and weave room, as well as boat tours of the canal system and rides through the park on historic replica trolleys, which are among the most popular and unique experiences in the park. The Tsongas Industrial History Center, a partnership between Lowell National Historical Park and the University of Massachusetts Lowell Graduate School of Education, is a hands-on center where students can learn about the American Industrial Revolution through interactive activities such as weaving, working on an assembly line, creating canal systems and testing water wheels, and measuring water quality.

· Cultural Heritage and Arts Programming. Immigration and cultural expression were a part of Lowell’s story from the beginning—from the Yankee “mill girls” who flocked to the city in search of economic independence to the Irish, French-Canadians, Greeks, Poles, Portuguese, and other ethnic groups that came in search of the American Dream. This cultural heritage, its evolution over time, and its impacts on the cultural character of Lowell today are expressed through programming and exhibitions at the park, including the Mill Girls &Immigrant Exhibit at the Patrick J. Mogan Cultural Center, the Lowell Folk Festival, and the Lowell Summer Music Series. Cultural heritage and arts events are among the most well known and best attended at the park, and feature a range of activities that appeal to local and nonlocal visitors alike.

· Historic Urban Industrial Landscape. Lowell is often recognized as one of America’s most significant industrial cities, and, as such, the assemblage of buildings, structures, and public spaces that comprise its historic urban industrial landscape are critical to telling the story of the mills and the Industrial Revolution in America.

Lowell was an innovative mill town where the focus was on both industry and the worker, and it includes not only extensive mill space and supporting structures but also boardinghouses, churches, and parks. Although the landscape is central to the story of Lowell, many of the buildings, structures, and greenscapes are owned and managed by other entities. Lowell National Historical Park works with the community and partner organizations as well as private owners and developers to ensure continued preservation of the historic urban industrial landscape, including mill buildings and smokestacks. This collaborative preservation effort is fundamental and will continue to be a central focus for Lowell National Historical Park into the future.

· Partnerships. Since its establishment Lowell National Historical Park has embraced partnerships as an integral tool for accomplishing park and community goals.

Partnerships with entities such as the City of Lowell, the state, and community organizations have allowed the leverage of funds for historic preservation and supported the economic growth of the city. These partners have been critical to meeting the mission of the park, assisting with interpretation, education, and resource stewardship. Through strong, mutually beneficial relationships with its partners, the park has not only succeeded but thrives as a model for community cooperation in the National Park Service.

· Museum Collections. The museum collections at Lowell National Historical Park contain more than one-half million artifacts and historical documents, spanning from the early 19th century to the present. These objects and documents provide a tangible link to the Industrial Revolution in Lowell and its enduring legacies.

Interpretive Themes Interpretive themes are often described as the key stories or concepts that visitors should understand after visiting a park—they define the most important ideas or concepts communicated to visitors about a park unit. Themes are derived from, and should reflect, park purpose, significance, resources, and values. The set of interpretive themes is complete when it provides the structure necessary for park staff to develop opportunities for visitors to explore and relate to all park significance statements and fundamental resources and values.

Interpretive themes are an organizational tool that reveal and clarify meaning, concepts, contexts, and values represented by park resources. Sound themes are accurate and reflect current scholarship and science. They encourage exploration of the context in which events or natural processes occurred and the effects of those events and processes. Interpretive themes go beyond a mere description of the event or process to foster multiple opportunities to experience and consider the park and its resources. These themes help explain why a park story is relevant to people who may otherwise be unaware of connections they have to an event, time, or place associated with the park.

The following interpretive themes have been identified for Lowell National Historical Park:

· The creation of the Waltham-Lowell system helped to change the nature and meaning of work by revolutionizing labor relations in the United States and transforming gender, racial, and ethnic identities ultimately leading to socioeconomic opportunity and inequity.

· The accumulation of capital led to new investment opportunities in the United States centered on industrialization. Innovations in large-scale production systems in Lowell affected society in social, political, and economic ways and became a model for the future.

· Through innovations in textile production, transportation, waterpower, and canal engineering, Lowell became a premier industrial city and helped propel the United States into a new industrial age. Cycles of innovation and technological development shaped, and continue to shape, the city and Lowell’s influence on the world.

· The commodification and use of abundant natural resources in Lowell, as part of a global Industrial Revolution, changed human relationships with the environment and modernized societies throughout the world but resulted in environmental damage that presents challenges today.

· Lowell is a microcosm of the historical and contemporary shifting of cultural identities and tensions brought about by broader social changes such as industrialization, urbanization, and globalization.

· From its earliest days as a planned industrial city, through boom and bust economic cycles to today’s historic preservation renaissance, Lowell’s urban landscape has evolved and now serves as a model of development and revitalization.

Part 2: Dynamic Components The dynamic components of a foundation document include special mandates and administrative commitments and an assessment of planning and data needs. These components are dynamic because they will change over time. New special mandates can be established and new administrative commitments made. As conditions and trends of fundamental resources and values change over time, the analysis of planning and data needs will need to be revisited and revised, along with key issues. Therefore, this part of the foundation document will be updated accordingly.

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments Many management decisions for a park unit are directed or influenced by special mandates and administrative commitments with other federal agencies, state and local governments, utility companies, partnering organizations, and other entities. Special mandates are requirements specific to a park that must be fulfilled. Mandates can be expressed in enabling legislation, in separate legislation following the establishment of the park, or through a judicial process.

They may expand on park purpose or introduce elements unrelated to the purpose of the park. Administrative commitments are, in general, agreements that have been reached through formal, documented processes, often through memorandums of agreement. Examples include easements, rights-of-way, arrangements for emergency service responses, etc.

Special mandates and administrative commitments can support, in many cases, a network of partnerships that help fulfill the objectives of the park and facilitate working relationships with other organizations. They are an essential component of managing and planning for Lowell National Historical Park.

No special mandates have been identified for Lowell National Historical Park. For more information about the existing administrative commitments, please see appendix B.

Assessment of Planning and Data Needs Once the core components of part 1 of the foundation document have been identified, it is important to gather and evaluate existing information about the park’s fundamental resources and values, and develop a full assessment of the park’s planning and data needs. The assessment of planning and data needs section presents planning issues, the planning projects that will address these issues, and the associated information requirements for planning, such as resource inventories and data collection, including GIS data.

There are three sections in the assessment of planning and data needs:

1. analysis of fundamental resources and values

2. identification of key issues and associated planning and data needs

3. identification of planning and data needs (including spatial mapping activities or GIS maps)

The analysis of fundamental resources and values and identification of key issues leads up to and supports the identification of planning and data collection needs.

Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values The fundamental resource or value analysis table includes current conditions, potential threats and opportunities, planning and data needs, and selected laws and NPS policies related to management of the identified resource or value.

Fundamental Resource or Value

Water Power System / Canal System

Related Significance Statements

• Lowell’s (economic) success was based in innovation, from manufacturing technology and processes, to new business models, to city planning designed to benefit both industry and the worker Unique industrial concepts were implemented and demonstrated at a massive scale at the Lowell mills, which served as a model for textile production and industrial cities

• A very large proportion of original buildings, structures, and urban landscapes have survived in Lowell’s park and preservation district and now are recognized as important historical artifacts These include the entire 5 6-mile power canal system with its sophisticated dams, locks, and gatehouses, 7 of the original 10 mill complexes, and significant examples of early housing types, institutions, and transportation facilities

• The Lowell canal system is nationally recognized as one of the most impressive civil and mechanical engineering achievements of the 19th century because of its grand scale and technological complexity, and is the site of origin for the famed “Francis” turbine The canal system, used as both a transportation corridor and power source, facilitated the growth of the industrial city

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• The canal system is in fairly good condition overall

• The canal system actively generates power and houses high-voltage submarine cables

• All canals are within the park boundary The canal system comprises roughly half of the overall park acreage

• Elements of the canal system are owned and operated by a variety of entities that are responsible for the overall condition of the system The canal walls and floor and waterpower equipment are owned by Enel Green Power, whereas the buildings and gatehouses, with the exception of the Moody Street Feeder Gatehouse, are owned by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation

• The park has easements associated with properties owned by the state and hydropower company, such as the gatehouses, canal walls, and much of the canal margins These easements enable the park to create walkways, install railings, support trolley tracks, and perform related maintenance

• The public walkways along the canal are in fairly good condition

• Water flow through the canal affects the overall condition of the canal infrastructure, including walls that support NPS-owned assets (e g , walkways, trolley, Boott Mill)

• There are 52 interpretive waysides As areas are added to the park, additional waysides will be needed

Trends

• Use of the canalway system is increasing as additional disparate segments are connected

• Visitation to the canalway system is increasing as community efforts to bring new events to the canalway increase

• Use of the canalway system will increase as downtown development continues

• Activation of a new canal lighting system by the City of Lowell has increased attention to the canalway If proposals by the public to expand the lighting system are implemented, visitation could increase

Fundamental Resource or Value

Water Power System / Canal System

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• There is a negative public response to trash in and around the canal system The cleanup of debris remains a challenge due to the active power generation function and subsequent limitations on access authorized by Enel Green Power

• Some perceive the canalways to be unsafe, particularly at night, and poor lighting is often identified as a concern

• Gatehouses are sometimes broken into and vandalized

• Clear lines of jurisdictional law enforcement authority have not been defined for much of the canal’s resources (see key issue on “Jurisdictional Challenges”)

• Lack of maintenance of the canal walls, which are not owned by the National Park Service, can threaten the stability of canal walkways and the trolley system, much of which runs adjacent to the canalway

• Vegetation growing along the canal walls can cause structural deterioration over time and poses an ongoing maintenance challenge, especially as NPS staff levels decrease

• The park is monitoring environmental containment efforts to manage the lasting effects of prior industrial uses along the canal These effects are most prominent along the Upper Pawtucket Canal adjacent to the former location of a coal/gas plant

• Water flow and levels are controlled by Enel Green Power Fluctuating water levels directly affect public access, historic structures, the natural environment, and the overall visitor experience (e g , presence of visible debris)

• Modernization of the historic dam, approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, has changed a system used for more than 200 years The effects of the new crestgate system on water levels in the canal system, and on the scenic wonder of the falls over the dam, remain to be seen

Opportunities

• Continue dialogue with Enel Green Power on how it could work with the park and its partners to allow for increased public use and/or interpretation

• Work with independent volunteer groups to clean up the canal system

• Expand recreational access through walkways along all of the canal system

• Explore new recreational opportunities through increased use of surface water, such as kayaking and paddle boating and ice skating in the winter

• Expand signage along walkways, which could increase visitation

• Consider offering science-based programming along the canals This programming could include expanded discussions about the tradeoffs between industrial uses and the environment and the effects of climate change

• Collaborate with community partners on an anti-litter campaign to discourage littering along and in the canalway

• Engage the community in discussions related to safety along the canals Explore opportunities to install LED lighting along canalways as that technology improves

• Install additional lighting and retrofit existing lighting to LED to reduce energy footprint Additional lighting would probably attract visitors and improve public perception of threats to safety

• Advocate for an overlook at Pawtucket Falls within the preservation district

• Advocate for completion of the final section of the canalway along the Upper Pawtucket Canal

Fundamental Resource or Value

Water Power System / Canal System

Data and/or GIS Needs

• Visitor surveys

• Visitor counts

• Population survey

• GIS data for jurisdictional inventory and cooperative management

• Customized high-water study

• Mapping of List of Classified Structures data related to the canal system

• Wayfinding study

• List of roles and responsibilities related to maintenance, leasing agreements, special events, and jurisdiction

• Administrative history

• Historic resource study

Planning Needs

• Updated Downtown Lowell Historic District Design Review Standards (in collaboration with Lowell Historic Board)

• Lighting plan for canalways

• Comprehensive interpretive and education plan

• Planning for adaptation to climate change

• Accessibility self-evaluation and transition plan

• Preservation advocacy and funding strategy

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV

• Clean Air Act (42 USC 7401 et seq )

• Clean Water Act (33 USC 1251-1387, 33 USC 1151)

• Historic Sites Act of 1935 (54 USC 320101 et seq )

• National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 USC 4321)

• National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (54 USC 300101 et seq )

• Secretarial Order 3289, “Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change on America’s Water, Land, and Other Natural and Cultural Resources”

NPS Policy-level Guidance (NPS Management Policies 2006 and Director’s Orders)

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 1) “General Management Concepts”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 1 4) “Partnerships”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 7 2) “Weather and Climate”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 7) “Interpretation and Education”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 8) “Use of the Parks”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 9) “Park Facilities”

• Director’s Policy Memorandum 12-02, “Applying National Park Service Management Policies in the Context of Climate Change”

• Director’s Policy Memorandum 15-01, “Addressing Climate Change and Natural Hazards for Facilities”

Fundamental Resource or Value

Boott Cotton Mills Complex

Related Significance Statements

• Lowell’s (economic) success was based in innovation, from manufacturing technology and processes, to new business models, to city planning designed to benefit both industry and the worker Unique industrial concepts were implemented and demonstrated at a massive scale at the Lowell mills, which served as a model for textile production and industrial cities

• A very large proportion of original buildings, structures, and urban landscapes have survived in Lowell’s park and preservation district and now are recognized as important historical artifacts These include the entire 5 6-mile power canal system with its sophisticated dams, locks, and gatehouses, 7 of the original 10 mill complexes, and significant examples of early housing types, institutions, and transportation facilities

• The collaboration between Lowell National Historical Park and its partners has resulted in the rehabilitation of almost all of the 5 3 million square feet of historic mill space and hundreds of additional buildings in the downtown historic district This effort continues to serve as a successful example of leveraging public-private partnerships for economic development through historic preservation

• Lowell National Historical Park embraces partnerships as an integral approach to accomplishing park and community goals Lowell National Historical Park serves as a model for leveraging collaborative public-private partnerships and community engagement

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• The Boott Cotton Mills complex is five stories tall and 810,000 square feet, of which

Lowell National Historical Park owns, operates, and maintains 125,000 square feet in Mill No 6 and the Counting House The rest of the complex is privately owned residential and office space It is completely rehabilitated and in excellent condition

• Mill No 6 and the Counting House were fully renovated in the late 1980s and are fully occupied by the Boott Cotton Mills Museum; the Tsongas Industrial History Center; park interpretation, education, and curation functions; and NPS Northeast Region offices

• Although the park-owned buildings are structurally in good condition, some underwater foundation columns need repair

• Lighting in the Boott complex courtyard is inadequate

• Although 1991 exhibits in the Boott Cotton Mills Museum are in good physical condition, most are aging, dated, and outmoded in terms of current museum “best practices ”

• Despite its importance to the park, most of the complex is owned by nonpark entities

• Facilities within the NPS Boott Mills buildings, including elevators and restrooms, are aging

• Solar-electric and solar hot-water systems have been installed on the roof of Mill No 6

• Replacement of windows and upgrading of lighting are underway at Mill No 6

Trends

• Visitation levels remain generally stable

• Use of the Boott Cotton Mills complex has been increasing since redevelopment was completed

• The national trend of decreasing museum audiences is occurring at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum

• The park has received funding to address fire code infrastructure, stabilization, and window replacement for Mill No 6 and the Counting House

Fundamental Resource or Value

Boott Cotton Mills Complex

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• There are safety concerns related to inadequate lighting, and lighting in the complex needs to be redesigned

• NPS-owned buildings lack strong physical security Open public access limits ability to implement certain security measures

• Safety issues associated with Mill No 6 include fire code compliance, assembly use of the 4th and 5th floors, and emergency egress

• Aging mechanical infrastructure creates issues with the heating and cooling of Mill No 6, which compromises visitor experience and employee satisfaction and productivity

• The distance between the Boott Mills and the visitor center can be a barrier to visitors when there is no trolley available There is no adjacent free parking at Boott Mills, unlike at the visitor center

• Confusion regarding ownership and maintenance responsibilities results in challenges associated with maintaining the common area in the courtyard

• Unregulated vehicle parking in the upper courtyards affects the historical scene and the visitor experience

• Institutional knowledge associated with the history of preservation at Boott Cotton Mills and the operation of the weave room is being lost (see key issue on “Loss of Specialized Skills and Knowledge”)

• The Boott Cotton Mill is located in a 100-year floodplain Increased storm frequency and intensity due to climate change could result in rising groundwater levels, flooding, and erosion

Opportunities

• Continue to connect local residents and visitors to the Boott Cotton Mills complex by offering traditional and community-based programming

• Develop educational opportunities related to Enel Green Power’s active power production station across from the Boott Cotton Mills Museum

• Improve visitor experiences and perceptions by improving signage and directing visitors to the river

• Continue to rotate and update exhibits and expand interpretive offerings For example, guided tours and/or headphones could provide information in a variety of languages for nonnative English speakers Such efforts could be undertaken in conjunction with partners

• Consider adding additional information technology infrastructure, such as Wi-Fi, throughout the complex

• Expand use of green energy to offset areas with high-energy usage

• Continue to maximize energy conservation throughout the park

• Explore newer wayfinding and interpretive technologies to connect visitors to the Boott Cotton Mills complex and museum

• Research and document ownership and maintenance/enforcement responsibilities in the courtyard and institute monthly partner/tenant meetings to explore common issues and solutions

• Enforce parking restrictions within the upper courtyard

• Identify critical staff positions and engage in succession planning to bring on new staff timed to overlap with departing staff

Fundamental Resource or Value

Boott Cotton Mills Complex

Data and/or GIS Needs

• Energy consumption study

• Wayfinding study

• Front-end evaluation for exhibits

• Assessment of security and access

• Oral history project on development/preservation

• Study to determine information technology needs

• Visitor surveys

• Population survey

• List of roles and responsibilities related to maintenance, leasing agreements, special events, and jurisdiction

• List of partners

• Administrative history

• Jurisdictional inventory (update)

Planning Needs

• Comprehensive interpretive and education plan

• Exhibit plan for Mill Girls & Immigrant Exhibit and Boott Cotton Mills Museum

• Security plan

• Wayfinding/sign plan

• Comprehensive management and maintenance plan

• Information technology network analysis and implementation plan

• Energy reduction strategy

• Accessibility self-evaluation and transition plan

• Comprehensive fire and emergency evacuation plans for buildings

• Integrated pest management plan

• Planning for adaptation to climate change

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV

• Antiquities Act of 1906 (54 USC 320301-320303, 34 Stat 225)

• Archeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (54 USC 312502 et seq )

• Historic Sites Act of 1935 (54 USC 320101 et seq )

• Museum Properties Management Act of 1955, as amended (54 USC 102501-102504)

• National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (54 USC 300101 et seq )

• Executive Order 11593, “Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment”

• “Protection of Historic Properties” (36 CFR 800)

• Secretarial Order 3289, “Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change on America’s Water, Land, and Other Natural and Cultural Resources”

NPS Policy-level Guidance (NPS Management Policies 2006 and Director’s Orders)

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 5) “Cultural Resource Management”

• Director’s Order 24: NPS Museum Collections Management

• Director’s Order 28: Cultural Resource Management

• NPS Museum Handbook, parts I, II, and III

• The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation

• Director’s Policy Memorandum 14-02, “Climate Change and Stewardship of Cultural Resources”

Fundamental Resource or Value

Immersive Experience

Related Significance Statements

• A very large proportion of original buildings, structures, and urban landscapes have survived in Lowell’s park and preservation district and now are recognized as important historical artifacts These include the entire 5 6-mile power canal system with its sophisticated dams, locks, and gatehouses, 7 of the original 10 mill complexes, and significant examples of early housing types, institutions, and transportation facilities

• The Lowell canal system is nationally recognized as one of the most impressive civil and mechanical engineering achievements of the 19th century because of its grand scale and technological complexity, and is the site of origin for the famed “Francis” turbine The canal system, used as both a transportation corridor and power source, facilitated the growth of the industrial city

• Lowell National Historical Park preserves and interprets the stories and heritage of the people of Lowell, including the early female workforce (aka “mill girls”) and those who came from across the globe seeking opportunities Today, Lowell’s residents continue to shape the culture of the city and contribute to its revitalization

• The collaboration between Lowell National Historical Park and its partners has resulted in the rehabilitation of almost all of the 5 3 million square feet of historic mill space and hundreds of additional buildings in the downtown historic district This effort continues to serve as a successful example of leveraging public-private partnerships for economic development through historic preservation

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• A wide variety of well-received, full-sensory experiences are offered at the park, including canal boat tours, Lowell Folk Festival, Tsongas Industrial History Center programs, weave room, and Lowell Summer Music Series

• The Tsongas Industrial History Center provides popular programs targeted at providing students with curriculum-based, place-based immersive experiences

• Overall, visitors report consistently high levels of satisfaction with immersive experiences at the park

• Existing signage does not provide consistent or adequate direction to visitors navigating to and through the park

• Educational offerings at the Tsongas Industrial History Center continue to be responsive to changing curriculum standards

Trends

• Visitation by different grade levels varies at the Tsongas Industrial History Center because of changing curriculums and educational standards For example, visitation by fourth grade classes has increased because of the current framework for social studies education, whereas visitation by eighth grade classes has decreased because the topic of industrialization is now addressed in the high school curriculum

• Visitation for external partner-led/coordinated programs is increasing

• The need for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics educational programs is increasing

• The park’s immersive experiences meet the needs of 21st-century learners who desire more engaging, free-choice, and self-directed learning environments

Fundamental Resource or Value

Immersive Experience

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• Immersive experiences are generally staff intensive, requiring more personnel with specialized skills than other interpretive experiences Thus, these experiences can be difficult to sustain as employees retire and staff levels decrease

• Immersive experiences have high operating costs and require ongoing infrastructure improvements and maintenance

• Hiring uniquely skilled employees (e g , trolley operators and maintenance staff, weavers and loom fixers, museum curators, educators, bilingual interpreters) can be challenging

• Immersive experiences require attention to safety and…