B08_Solicitation_(Attachment_1_-_Scope_of_Work).pdf

SCOPE OF WORK

PREPARE NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK NOMINATION FOR

PIERRE MENARD HOUSE NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK

ELLIS GROVE, RANDOLPH COUNTY, ILLINOIS

I. INTRODUCTION

The National Park Service (NPS), Midwest Regional Office located in Omaha, Nebraska, seeks the preparation of a revised National Historic Landmark (NHL) nomination for the Pierre Menard House, located in Randolph County near Ellis Grove, Illinois. The existing NHL documentation was prepared in 1970 and does not meet current requirements of the NHL program. An updated NHL nomination meeting professional standards and thematic framework, addressing all relevant historic contexts and areas of significance is appropriate for this property.

The NHL nomination shall be completed within thirty-six (36) months of the date of the award.

The work will be accomplished through contract and will consist of the components discussed in the statement of work.

The Pierre Menard House was determined eligible as an NHL by the Secretary of the Interior in April 1970. A press release announcing the house’s eligibility among a class of eighty such properties offered a limited description of the property’s significance. The house was classified under NHL Theme XVI, for its French-Colonial architecture. Its description read, “The Menard House erected about 1802, is a beautiful and largely original example of a large French Colonial ‘raised cottage’ Louisiana-type plantation house. In 1927 the State of Illinois acquired the house and 201 acres of surrounding land to form Fort Kaskaskia State Park. The Menard House has been open to the public as an historic house since that year.” This limited description and the brief assessment remains the official documentation for the property. The 1970 designation focuses solely on the house’s architecture and did not address Menard’s enslavement of others for his personal gain, significant as a representation of slavery in northern states, nor Menard’s role in the early nineteenth century fur trade in the Mississippi River Valley and into the lands recently acquired via the Louisiana Purchase. The goal of this project is to provide a complete NHL nomination that further strengthens and supports the architectural significance and recognizes the significance of the Menard House for its association with northern enslavement and the expansion of the western frontier via the fur trade.

II. DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE

The boundary of the current Pierre Menard House NHL occupies 201 acres on the east side of the Mississippi River in Randolph County, Illinois. This boundary coincides with Kaskaskia State Historic Site, which the Pierre Menard House State Historic Site is part of. The house is situated in the far southwestern corner of the NHL boundary and is fronted by Kaskaskia Road to the west and Shanneetown Trail to the south. Far to the north of the house the NHL is bounded by Kane Hill Road. Coordinates for a more precise quadrangle around the house itself are given in the nomination, creating a discrepancy between the property boundary, its acreage, and the given latitude/longitude coordinates.

The two-and-a-half-story hipped and dormered roof house is two rooms deep. A wide veranda extends across the front (south) and around the west and east ends of the house. This porch provides access to the second-story rooms. The frame house is raised above a high stone basement and consists of one large storage room for Menard’s trade goods.

The stairwell at the center of the front facade leads up to the veranda and the rooms on the second floor, which contains a central hall and seven rooms, including a parlor, dining room, bathroom, and four bedrooms. A large percentage of the house is original fabric and demonstrates the builders’ workmanship. This includes the interior walnut trim, flooring, doors, hardware, most of the window glass, and many of the exterior solid wood shutters. The exterior clapboard siding is original on the front and two sides; the rear has experienced some replacement. The upper floor of the house was never finished, leaving the French trusswork visible. The Pierre Menard House is a minimally altered French Colonial, Louisiana-style raised cottage plantation house, similar to the Homeplace Planation House NHL and the Parlange Plantation House NHL, both of which are in Louisiana. To the rear of the home is a breezeway that connects to the home’s kitchen. Beyond the kitchen to the north is a large two-story, hip-roofed brick building, which was likely the Menard smokehouse. The house, kitchen, and smokehouse are each considered contributing buildings in the existing NHL nomination. That documentation focuses almost entirely on the home itself and with only a passing mention of outbuildings and the surrounding cultural landscape.

III. STATEMENT OF WORK

A. Prepare NHL Nomination

The contractor shall prepare an update to the NHL nomination for the Pierre Menard House that meets current professional standards, as provided in the NHL Bulletin: Guidelines for Preparing National Historic Landmark Nominations (2023). The NHL nomination must clearly describe the national significance of the historic resources within the to-be-revised geographical boundary of the property and define the historic context and areas of significance following NHL guidelines. The nomination shall include an evaluation of the property’s historic integrity, current condition, the contributing or non-contributing status of all associated extant resources, and a comparative analysis with similar nationally significant properties. The researcher’s investigations as to the extent of Menard’s land ownership, use, and its historic integrity will inform to what extent the existing NHL boundary should be adjusted. Because of the age of and the brevity of the previous documentation researchers should consider the effort as the equivalent of starting anew rather than an update.

New documentation is necessary to expand upon the property’s historical significance and clarify the NHL boundary. The contractor shall undertake research and field survey to concretely identify the house’s areas of significance and period of national significance. Research shall also take into consideration archeological testing that has been conducted on the grounds to identify the quarters of those enslaved by Menard. This project will not include new archeological investigations. Existing reports and surveys will inform the historical research. If present, documented archeological resources shall be identified and included in the nomination as contributing or non-contributing to the historical significance of the property.

Current NHL documentation defines the NHL significance of the house solely as “Architecture,” with a period of significance of ca. 1802, coinciding with the year it was believed the house was constructed; further research has suggested that the home was constructed in 1815. The argument for this area of significance should be strengthened.

The updated NHL document shall make the case for the Pierre Menard House’s significance as a site of enslavement in lands north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Enslavement was practiced at the property from 1802 until 1848, when the State of Illinois abolished slavery four years after Menard’s death. The history of enslavement at the property and Menard’s potential political influence in the protection of slavery in Illinois shall be investigated provide an appropriate context regarding northern enslavement.

The contractor should also research, document, and make a compelling argument as to Pierre Menard’s national significance in exploration of the region via his involvement in the early twentieth century fur trade. The inclusion of an additional area of significance will necessitate the evaluation of its period of significance, separate from the home’s architectural significance.

Additional historic contexts and NHL theme studies that may relate to the expanded nomination may include, but are not limited to the following:

- 19th-Century American Architecture, 1784–1880

- The Advance of the Frontier: 1763–1830 o The Lewis and Clark Expedition o Lewis and Clark: Historic Places Commemorating Their Transcontinental

Exploration (1804–1806)

- Westward Expansion and Extension of the National Boundaries to the Pacific, 1830-1898 o The Fur Trade

In updating criteria, period of significance, and boundaries for the nomination, the nomination shall also include a revised thematic framework based on the expanded significance of the property.

Guidance for preparation of the NHL nomination will be provided by NPS, and shall include the following elements:

1. Research

Historical research and field survey will be necessary for this project. The Principal Investigator (PI) shall consult the archives and library of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources – both the Pierre Menard State Historic and the State Historic Preservation Office – in addition to the Illinois State Archives in Springfield, IL. Additional sources, collections, and repositories for additional historic contexts (areas of significance) shall be identified and consulted as part of this project.

2. Statement of national significance

The PI shall apply NHL criteria to the nominated property and identify its period of national significance. The PI shall use clear and concise declarative statements to explain the Pierre Menard House’s national significance and extant related cultural resources for its period of significance. The current documentation identifies the period of significance as ca.1802. The contractor shall evaluate historic documentation to determine a more appropriate period of significance based on the home’s date of construction, major alterations, Menard’s successful fur trading business, and the history of enslavement at the property. This information will be provided on a new nomination form in Section 2, “Significance Data” and explained in Section 5 “Significance Statement and Discussion.”

3. Description of the property

The PI shall provide a description and analysis of the architectural character of the extant resources on the property, including but not limited to the house, kitchen, and smokehouse, along with an analysis of documented archeological resources near the home. The nomination will not include Criterion 6; however, these sites can inform the history related to Criteria 1 and/or 2.

Documentation shall describe the historic resources within the revised boundary including the significant buildings, structures, and ruins on the property, the historic cultural landscape, and all associated resources that contribute to the national significance of the property, as well as any that are non-contributing. Section 6 shall also include an assessment of the property’s condition and historic integrity.

4. Narrative history with well-developed historic contexts

The historical narrative portion of the nomination, provided in Section 5, “Significance Statement and Discussion,” shall expand upon the introductory, summary statement of significance. The fully developed discussion shall apply NHL criteria to the nominated property for its period of significance. Section 5 shall also include a comparative analysis that discusses other relevant NHLs and nationally significant properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places, in comparison with the property being nominated.

5. Bibliography

Major sources shall be provided in a bibliography located in Section 7 of each NHL nomination, “Bibliographical References and Other Documentation.” This will include source materials used in the preparation of the nomination, including relevant research, surveys, and reports dealing with the history of the property, archeological resources, and general background research materials. The format must comply with the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style.

6. Boundary description

A written boundary description and justification shall be provided in Section 4, Geographical Data, along with the Latitude/Longitude coordinates of each of the vertices of historic property boundary. This boundary must be supported by historical documentation provided in the narrative history.

7. Maps

Maps shall be provided with the nomination package, according to directions provided by NPS.

The nomination shall include a map that clearly shows the boundary of the NHL, a site plan that shows all extant resources (excluding any archeological sites), and a base map (or maps) that clearly defines the geographic area where the property is located. Historic maps may be included, as well.

8. Photographs

Current photographs to document the Pierre Menard House (exterior and interior), its setting, and each resource within the property shall be submitted as part of the nomination package, per NRHP/NHL standards and requirements. They shall be prepared and labeled as required. All photographs not used in the final, approved NHL nomination will be considered U.S.

government property and shall be submitted with the final research materials at the completion of the project.

9. Executive Summary

Upon completion of the NHL nomination and acceptance by the NPS, the contractor shall prepare an Executive Summary for the NHL nomination. The NPS requires a summary about the property that identifies the key elements of the NHL nomination and events in the preparation and approval process. The NPS will provide a template for the Executive Summary.

The NPS will review the Executive Summary and it will be revised by the contractor if necessary.

Sample draft Executive Summaries may be found at Spring 2024 NHL Committee Meeting - National Historic Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

B. Present Nomination

In addition to preparing the updated nomination the contractor shall present the NHL nomination to the NHL Committee.

Presentation of the completed NHL nomination to the NHL Committee is a required component of this project. This presentation is an important part of the NHL review process, and it will be scheduled by NHL Program staff when all components of the NHL nomination are completed.

The contractor shall prepare the PowerPoint presentation per guidance provided by NHL Program staff in Washington, D.C. The NPS will provide a template and master slide background for use by the contractor. Selected images and maps from the historic context and nominations may be used. The short presentation, no more than ten minutes in length, shall be made before the committee providing a concise summary of the Pierre Menard House and its https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalhistoriclandmarks/spring-2024-nhl-committee-meeting.htm significance as demonstrated in the NHL documentation.

Upon completion of the presentation, the contractor shall be prepared to answer questions about the NHL documentation from the NHL Committee. The contractor will serve as the subject matter expert on the Pierre Menard House and its associated contexts.

The target date for this presentation is tentatively scheduled for Fall 2027. The exact date and venue for the NHL Committee meeting will be determine by the Washington NHL program.

Recent NHL Committee meetings have been held virtually; however, the possibility of future in-person meetings remain and should be considered in the budget proposal.

C. Final Revisions to NHL documentation

The NHL Committee and National Park System Advisory Board have the prerogative of asking for changes to and revision of NHL documentation presented to them during the approval process. The contractor shall be responsible for revising the nomination according to comments from the NHL Committee and Advisory Board, finalizing the NHL documentation, and re-submitting it to the NPS NHL Program staff in Washington, D.C.

IV. ADDITIONAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

A. General provisions

1. The NHL nomination, Photograph/Figure/Map pages, and Executive Summary must be compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The NPS will provide templates for these.

2. During the period of revision of each draft, the PI shall consult with the NPS Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) to ensure the satisfactory resolution of review comments and submission of a final draft in a timely manner. The PI will keep the COR informed at each step of the project.

3. All draft submissions will require line numbering for editing purposes. Line numbers will be removed from the final draft prior to submission.

4. The NPS reserves the right to require additional, technical reviews, as necessary. All drafts shall be reviewed by the NPS for contract sufficiency and professional quality.

The contractor will be notified when review comments will be transmitted.

5. All data gathered during the course of this study are the property of the United States government. Within 60 days of written acceptance of the NHL documentation, all notes, records, maps, drawings, photographs, negatives, slides, tapes, summaries, and other data acquired during this study will be submitted to the COR at the NPS regional office in Omaha, Nebraska.

B. Project completion

The contractor must begin work on the contract no later than 30 days after the award of the contract.

The project shall be completed within thirty-six (36) months from the date of award.

C. Professional consultation

Within 30 days of the awarding of the contract, the contractor shall attend a meeting via teleconference or videoconference to discuss technical aspects of the contract and to confirm the schedule for the submission of the products described in the Scope of Work.

D. Report standards/format and submission schedule The completed NHL nomination shall adhere to professional guidelines provided by NPS.

Draft and final nominations shall be submitted on the NHL nomination form provided by the NPS, and include the information required in the Section III, above. Photographs, maps, plans, drawings, and text must be clean, clear, and legible. The format must comply with the most recent edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. The use of footnotes is preferred to endnotes.

E. Progress updates

Quarterly progress updates about work completed and progress made during the performance of the research and writing phases of this contract are required. These brief updates shall be sent via email to the appointed Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) on or before March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31 of each year.

F. Project deliverables

The Principal Investigator (PI) shall submit drafts of the NHL nomination at 75 percent, 95 percent, and 100 percent completion. Additional drafts may be required. Drafts shall be submitted according to a schedule agreed upon by both the NPS and the PI. Failure to meet the agreed upon work schedule without satisfactory reasons may result in termination of the contract.

Upon accepted by the NPS NHL program, the PI shall prepare and submit an Executive Summary of the nomination and a PowerPoint presentation for the NHL Committee meeting. Images used in the nomination and presentation shall be submitted separately to the NPS in TIF format and labeled as required. The PI shall make the presentation to the NHL Committee and revise the final NHL nomination if changes are required by the committee and NPS.

Partial payments up to 90 percent of the contract price may be made. Ten percent may be held until the NHL documentation is presented to the NHL Committee and final revisions are made.

G. Disposition of data All data used during the project are the property of the United States government. At the conclusion of research and within 60 days of acceptance of the final draft of the study, all research materials acquired during this project will be submitted to the NPS. All digital images, maps, and other graphics generated for or used in this project shall be submitted to the NPS on CDs, with their formats specified.

H. Contract Modifications

If a modification is anticipated, the Contracting Officer (CO) must be notified as early as possible from when a problem affecting the contractor's ability to meet requirements is suspected.

V. PAYMENT

The PI may be reimbursed after travel, research, and work costs are incurred and following the submission of quarterly progress updates. Invoices for reimbursement costs shall be submitted to the COR for approval prior to uploading in the Invoice Processing Platform. Payment of up to 90 percent of the agreed-upon cost of this project may be made in accordance with the schedule to be developed by the contractor and COR.