SOW_MEMY_HFR.doc

Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument

SCOPE OF WORK

HISTORIC FURNISHING PLAN

Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home

PMIS #317661

Background

Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument was established as a national monument on December 10, 2020 following its authorization in 2019 under the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. Prior to this designation, the site was designated a National Historic Landmark, preserving the home of civil rights activist Medgar Evers and his wife, Myrlie Evers. Located in Jackson, Mississippi, on 2332 Margaret Walker Alexander Dr., the house was purchased by the Evers new in 1956 and remained their home until Evers’ assassination in 1963.

Medgar Evers was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s. Following the ruling of Brown v. Board of Education, Evers challenged the segregation of nearby University of Mississippi applying to attend law school there. He was also a leader in fighting for voting rights and ending segregation. Evers was assassinated in the early morning of June 12, 1963, while standing in his driveway after returning home from a meeting.

Following his murder, Myrlie Evers retained ownership of the home but moved to California, continuing the civil rights work begun by her husband. The house served as rental property until it was donated by Mrs. Evers in 1993 to Tougaloo College. Tougaloo repaired and stabilized the property and restored its appearance to that of the Evers residency in 2013.

As a new NPS unit, the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument does not have an existing Historic Furnishing Report. Currently, there are fewer than 10 original items in the home. Most of the furnishings are sets purchased by the company that filmed “The Ghosts of Mississippi,” a 1997 film covering the trial of Evers assassinator. The period of focus for the document will be the years of the Evers’ occupation of the home, 1956-1963.

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to prepare a new Historic Furnishing Plan (HFP) for the home of Medgar and Myrlie Evers, documenting the historic occupants and interior furnishings for all periods and recommending a new furnishing plan for the interior of the home.

Scope of Work

Independently, not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor(s) will conduct research and prepare a Historic Furnishing Plan for Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument, located in Jackson, Mississippi.

NPS anticipates awarding a single contract but reserves the right to make multiple awards.

I. Research

· Sources: The Contractor shall identify and locate records pertaining to the history and use of the house and interior appearance of all spaces over time. Sources will include but are not limited to those listed in Attachment 1.

· Travel: Research trips will include, but not be limited to the following:

Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument houses the collections and much of the documentary sources relating to the house. Advance arrangements for research trips must be made with the site's superintendent, due to limited availability of research workspace.

· Interviews: The Contractor shall identify, and as needed conduct taped interviews with

NPS employees and relevant members of the public who can provide additional information regarding the development of the furnishing plan and collections. Myrlie Evers-William is still alive and the Evers’ daughter, Reena Evers, is very involved with the new park. In addition, at least one neighbor who lived next to the Evers home at the time of his assassination is still present. Their input, as well as other community members’ input is a critical link in the homelife and furnishings of the Evers’ home from 1956-1963. Contractor is responsible for all such interviews. The need for such interviews should be cited in the proposal.

II. Product: Historic Furnishings Plan The Historic Furnishings Plan shall contain historical data and furnishings plans for the home. The final approved HFR shall contain all sections as described below, including Table of Contents, Acknowledgements, Management Summary, NPS Administrative Background, Historical Data, Furnishings Plan, Illustrations, Appendices and Bibliography. As part of the NPS Administrative Background section, an evaluation of the significance and appropriateness of the current furnishings shall also be included. Each section will include footnotes; the format for citation of park research and administrative records will be established prior to submission of first draft. All citations and formatting will be according to Chicago Manual of Style. The contractor will be responsible for all sections of the HFR. All progress reports and drafts shall be paginated and include numbered lines along left margin for easy reference by reviewers.

The approved final manuscript shall be printed and bound in a manner similar to sample HFP; reproduction services should be equal or exceed those outlined in Attachment 2. Thirty copies (30) of the printed final and bound report shall be provided, as well as the original manuscript. The entire report shall also be submitted on an appropriate CD in a pdf format and in Microsoft Word format (use version that is current NPS standard). All research notes made during production of this HFP shall be turned over to the NPS, appropriately organized and identified in a binder. Research notes must include photocopies of all original material cited in footnotes, referenced to appropriate footnote. All rights to these notes and the HFR shall be the property of the National Park Service.

The HFP shall contain the following sections and be prepared according to the following guidelines:

VOLUME/PART I: ADMINISTRATIVE BACKGROUND AND HISTORICAL DATA

A. FRONT MATTER

· Table of Contents

· Acknowledgments

· List of Illustrations

· Management Summary

This section offers park management, curatorial and interpretive staff a synopsis of the report to help focus issues for consideration during review and approval, particularly any implications for site management in implementing the furnishings plan. It should briefly address: the level of interior documentation that exists for the site; summarize the plans for restoring the furnishings to a selected period and the basis for those plans such as the deed of transfer, General Management Plan, Comprehensive Interpretive Plan, etc.; identify significant changes recommended for the current furnishings, furnishings arrangement, interior finishes and other architectural features; identify any associated media called for in the furnishings plan; explain how visitors will access the site (i.e. by guided tour, self-guided tour, or other); explain how implementation of the furnishings plan is related to restoration of the house; and identify any architectural modifications required for implementation.

B. MAIN TEXT MATTER

· NPS Administrative Background; Site and Furnishings Significance

This section explains the management background of the structure and provides the context for the current planning effort. It should briefly address: the establishment of the site, the history of use by the NPS; and list other research and planning documents pertaining to the structure, including but not limited to the Master Plan, Comprehensive Interpretive Plan, the Historic Structure Report, the Cultural Landscape Report, the Collection Management Plan, National Register of Historic Places Nomination, and other relevant documents.

Site Significance This section should summarize the integrity and significance of the site, citing the National Register of Historic Places Nomination and any other relevant documentation. In particular, summarize the integrity and significance of the interior spaces, including finishes and architectural features.

Significance and Evaluation of Historic Furnishings This section shall evaluate the significance of the current furnishings with regards to the National Register and other criteria. Include information relating to: 1) documented use within the structure; 2) association with historical figures living in the house; 3) local, regional and national significance; and 4) the inherent value of the collections as examples of American decorative and fine arts, often attributed to important artists and craftsmen. In cases where the furnishings are associated with the structure and represent significant contributing features, information in this section may be used to prepare an addenda to the existing National Register documentation. In addition to historic furnishings, site-associated archeological collections and historic documentary resources (archival material) should be cited.

An evaluation of the appropriateness of current furnishings and recommendations regarding acquisition and deaccession shall be included.

(See Attachment 5 for a sample section outlining site and furnishings significance)

Historical Data

This section contains the complete history of the interior spaces, their appearance and how they were used over time. This section forms the documentary basis for the furnishings plan and provides a resource manual for interpretive tours, as well as for developing other interpretive media. Contractor(s) shall provide these sections for the period of historical occupancy and the period of NPS management for the entire house, including all rooms [or portions of the house to be included]. This section shall include complete footnotes, bibliography, appendices and illustrations.

Overview of Construction Using the Historic Structures Report (HSR) if available and other relevant documents, summarize the history of the structure (and its context within the larger property if appropriate), providing sufficient detail to serve as a basis for understanding the historical occupancy, and furnishings sections to follow.

Analysis of Historical Occupancy This section should describe the overall use of the house historically and provide an understanding of how it functioned. Define periods of historical occupancy (often delineated by acquisition of the land and initial construction, changes in ownership, primary occupants, major structural changes, etc.), and the period of NPS management. Often, periods of historical occupancy have also been defined in the HSR; these should be reviewed and used or revised as appropriate. Under each period of occupancy, include appropriate subject headings such as: Family Life, Holidays, patterns of daily life, seasonal changes, domestic staff, famous visitors, the war years, etc.

This section shall also treat the building's occupants, including household or other staff, as fully as possible, including biographical information, dates of occupancy, and information about the occupants’ lives and activities in the structure and at the site.

History of Furnishings and Evidence of Room Use If a clear pattern of major interior changes and furnishing campaigns can be established, introduce this section with an overview of furnishings to serve as a basis for the room by room analysis to follow.

For each room or space, describe the interior appearance over time as fully as possible, including the contents and their arrangement, when and where items were acquired and disposed of, where produced, and any known repairs or other kinds of work to the furnishings. Include interior finishes and lighting fixtures as described in the HSR; if this information is not otherwise available, as much detail as possible should be included within this report. Although not technically interior spaces, include porches on other outdoor areas which served as significant seasonal living areas.

If extensive evidence is available, use the subject headings history of room use, architectural evidence (including wallpaper and paint), and furnishings to organize the material.

Documentation

At the end of each room discussion, list chronologically, all documentary and graphic references found. If the reference is included in the appendices, cite page number; otherwise the relevant portion of the reference should be transcribed in full.

Use the following format:

Year, Month, day. Abbreviated bibliographic citation. Reference.

Examples:

1) 1847, November 3. John Smith to John Smith, Sr. (NYS Library, Smith Collection, Box 1, Folder 7) “...Father, I fear there is no way of reducing our expenses at present. Most of the first-floor rooms are completed but the second floor will require complete reworking as well."

2) 1855, December 18. Inventory, pp. 10-15.

3) Ca. 1910. Photographs (2) by Bilder and Sons. (N-Y Historical Society, Smith Collection, Cat. No. 332.2, 332.7 ) Figures 53-54.

4) Ca 1980. Photographs (4) by NPS. (John Smith NHS, Photos 90.1.4,5,8,9). Not included.

5) 1992, Morgan, Smith House HFR, Appendix E. Paint Analysis, p. 18: "... No evidence of pre-1974 wall finishes were identified in the parlor."

C. BACK MATTER

Illustrations

After reviewing requests by the contractor, NPS will provide reproduction photographs for historic photographs or other illustration in NPS collections. Contractor is responsible for cost of reproduction of all images from other sources. All illustrations should be labeled with captions which identify the specific location and date of the images, where published (if published), and describe why they are included in the furnishing report and provide a citation identifying where the original can be found. Illustrations should be numbered 1 through n; this number should be used when referring to illustration in text and plan sections. A full list of illustrations with caption will be included following the table of contents.

Appendices

This section should include copies of relevant primary documentation, including but not limited to estate inventories, wills, insurance records, written descriptions, and other substantial evidence.

Bibliography

Include bibliography of all sources used during the research.

Sources and Outcomes

List all repositories and sources (interviewees) consulted, and outcomes, even if results were negative.

VOLUME/ PART II: IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

A. Furnishings Plan

The purpose of this section is to guide furnishings installation, and to provide a permanent record of object placement for park staff.

Introduction

Identify and provide rational for the selected period of restoration.

Interpretive Objectives

Following consultation with park staff, address the interpretive objectives of the furnished spaces, referencing the overall interpretive objectives of the site. Include guidelines for personal services interpretation, with recommendations for specific interpretive messages that can be conveyed in the furnished spaces.

Operating Plan

In consultation with park staff, cite hours and seasons of operation, how visitors access the site (i.e., through self-guided, fixed-point interpretation or other), staffing needs for interpretation and historic housekeeping, and a visitor circulation pattern. Also identify existing barriers and any barrier needs in this section.

B. Recommended Furnishings and Working Drawings

List of Furnishings Using a table format, a room-by-room list of all objects will be provided, including, but not limited to the following information: catalog or inventory number; object name; brief description; documentary evidence; whether the object needs to be acquired; whether conservation treatment or reproduction furnishing is required; and location within room. If reproductions are recommended, information regarding sources and estimated cost of reproductions should be provided. Objects should be listed consistently, for example, starting at the entrance, and working clockwise around the room.

For sample formats, see Attachment 3.

Working Drawings These drawings are a graphic depiction of the furnishings plan and provide a pictorial reference for the list of furnishings. The quantity and type of drawings needed (floor plans, perspectives, elevations) will be determined by the complexity of the plan. To reduce cost, whenever possible NPS will provide existing drawings for modification.

III. Delivery/Performance Period

All work specified herein shall be completed no later eighteen months from date of award in accordance with the following schedule:

· Consultation with park management and staff and IR2 Museum and Archival Services Branch, IR2 Regional Office staff: no later than one month from date of award.

· Completion and submission of research plan: no later than two months from award. NPS review period not to exceed two weeks.

· Completion and submission of two research progress reports. During this phase, research should focus on preparing Volume/Part I of the Report. Progress reports should include the following:

· Report 1: Submission no later than four months from award. NPS review period not to exceed 1 month.

· Provide a review of research findings to date, identifying key issues that have emerged. Establish format for citations, particularly for park records and files. Provide any completed sections for review.

· Report 2: Submission no later than six months from award. NPS review period not to exceed 1 month.

· Provide a review of continued research findings, and the results of room studies and interviews to date. Explore preliminary conclusions. Provide completed sections to date including a minimum of two completed room studies under subheads, Evidence of Room Use and History of the Furnishings and Documentary and Graphic References. Provide proposed Table of Contents and format for List of Furnishings. At this time, the number of illustrations and number and type of working drawings should be agreed to.

· Completion and submission of first draft, Volume/Part I, no later than eight months from award. NPS review period not to exceed 1 month.

· The first draft submission should include the NPS Administrative Background and Historical Data sections, and if appropriate, the List of Furnishings without the recommended action. Following park review, the contractor will meet with park staff and other appropriate subject matter specialists to review the historical data and present his/her recommendations for the most appropriate treatment option and period to be presented. Particular attention will be given to the integrity and significance of existing furnishings, available documentation and the period of restoration recommended for the historic structure, site, and cultural landscape. The final treatment option and period of restoration will be agreed upon either at this meeting or, if further research is required, soon thereafter.

· Completion and submission of second draft HFR, including all sections, Volumes/Parts and II, no later than twelve months from award. NPS review not to exceed 1 month.

· Completion and submission of final draft HFR: no later than sixteen months from award.

· Printing of final draft and submission of all copies, disks, etc.: no later than eighteen months from award.

IV.

Contracting Officer's Technical Representative

The person herein named is designated as the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) for the purpose of this contract:

Elanor, Sonderman, PhD Staff Curator, Interior Region 2 Museum and Archival Services

Southeast Regional Office

Atlanta Federal Center

1924 Building

100 Alabama St. S.W.

Other key personnel for the Government are:

Shelby Smith, CA Staff Curator, Interior Region 2 Museum and Archival Services Southeast Regional Office Atlanta Federal Center

1924 Building

100 Alabama St. S.W.

Atlanta, Georgia 30303

Keena Graham

Superintendent

Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument

U.S. Department of Interior, Region 2 | South Atlantic-Gulf 100 Alabama Street, SW Atlanta, GA 30303 V.

Travel

The Contractor(s) shall be responsible for all travel required under this contract. The cost for such travel will be included in the firm fixed contract price.

VI.

Payment Schedule

The Contractor(s) shall be paid the firm fixed price of the contract in accordance with the following schedule:

a. Upon completion and submission of first research progress report: (15%)

b. Upon completion and submission of second research progress report: (15%)

c. Upon submission of first draft of HFR: (40%)

d. Upon submission and acceptance of final plan and all copies: (30%)

Attachment 1: Preliminary List of Research Resources

Tougaloo College – Archives and Special Collections Mississippi Department of Archives and History

FBI Archives

Attachment 2: Reproductions Services

The Contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, equipment, and services to provide the reproduction services and other associated functions as outlined below:

1. Reproduction services will be performed as follows:

a. Text will be duplicated on #60 Offset White, printed black, double-sided.

b. Cover (front) will be of #65 Cover White, printed black. No text inside the front cover. Final cover design and content to be determined. Front cover will have appropriate illustration, title, and credit U.S. Department of the Interior/National Park Service.

c. Binding for each of the [30] reports will be with white wire stitch brand WIRE-O. If final report exceeds approximately 200 sheets, two volumes should be used dividing Part I and II of the report. Binding will be sized before actual holes are punched to allow for appropriately sized binding. Binding procedures such as holes punched too large or Wire-O binding too large for the job will not be accepted.

When preparing to bind, place the back page on top of the cover page before punching holes and binding. Once bound, flip the top cover over. The opening of the binding is now inside the last page of the Report and pages are now less likely to be pulled out.

Note: When using a correctly bound sample report, flip the back cover over on top of the front cover. One should be able to see the binding opening inside the last page of the report. If one flips the cover back over, the binding is hidden inside the Report. Binding is requested this way so when turning pages from right to left, no pages are pulled loose.

2. Illustrations and Room Plans, including but not limited to photographs, floor plans, room/wall plans, perspective renderings. Contractor to supply originals of all illustrations, except those to be supplied by NPS. Photographs and prints will be reproduced in such a manner that the quality is not diminished or forfeited, therefore, no xeroxing of photographs will be accepted. Reproductions to be CLC 500 Canon color laser copies or equivalent for all reports.

TIME FOR COMPLETION

Blueprints will be required for proofing. A blue-line proof is necessary to examine the quality of photographs and the placement of artwork. Once the blue-line proof has been approved by the COTR, the contractor can proceed with the printing on copies requested.

Delivery Date:

Blue line proofs, 2 weeks from receipt of order

Final copies, four weeks

All services and work performed shall be subject to inspection and acceptance by the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) at any time during performance. If the services, work, or materials being furnished do not meet the required standards and specifications agreed to, the Government reserves the rights to have the work redone or performed elsewhere, charging this Contractor with costs involved. The contractor shall be responsible for any lost or damaged material including artwork or photographs. The contractor shall be responsible for shipping, proper packing and marking of shipment.

All completed work, as well as the printers' dummy, original artwork or line negatives, and photographs, will be returned directly to the COR.

Attachment 3: Sample table formats for List of Furnishings Based on criteria described above, the contractor is encouraged to develop a table format that best suits the individual project. Following are two samples.

Sample A:

This format provides a quick reference for the location of individual items at specific dates and is most useful when there is extensive documentary and photographic information. When appropriate, it is the preferred format because it can be used, without the recommended action, to help determine period of restoration. The documented location dates present evidence from specific estate inventories, insurance lists, and interior photographic series taken historically and by NPS.

Room Name and Number (use HABS drawing numbers if available)

location documented locations

1870 1897 1910 1960

Finish alligatored, consider conservation treatment retain;

prepare conservation proposal and treatment

Desk Lamp, Lily Pad pattern w/ silver overlay, Tiffany and Co., ca. 1900

Sample B:

This format is simpler and works best if there is limited original furnishings and/or documentary evidence.

Room Name and Number (use HABS drawing numbers if available)

Scalamandre or Schumacher

$28-80,000

Attachment 4: Contract Evaluation Criteria

1.

Knowledge of American decorative arts and material culture, 1950s - early 1960s: 40%

2.

Experience in researching using primary source materials and writing reports dealing with the historic furnishings as demonstrated by a resume, including references, that describe offeror's work in this area, and samples of publications or reports, especially evidence of preparation of historic furnishing plans and reports: 30%

3.

Knowledge of American Cultural History, especially 1950s – early 1960s: 10%-20%

4. Experience in researching the American Civil Rights Movement, the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi using primary source materials, as well as writing and publishing reports, articles, publications, on the topic. 10%-20%

Attachment 5: Sample, Site, and furnishings significance (Longfellow NHS)

I.

Summary of National Register Statement of Significance, including Criteria and Areas

A.

Established Areas of Site Significance

In 1962, Longfellow National Historic Site was designated a National Historic Landmark and, in 1966, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register recognizes the property as nationally significant in three areas: literature, architecture, and military.

Using current National Register criteria for evaluation, the site meets Criterion A: Event; Criterion B: Person; and Criterion C: Design/Construction. The site is associated with George Washington (1775-76, when it served as his headquarters), and with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow throughout his most active years as a poet.

Occupied by John Vassall (occupancy 1759-74), a Tory who abandoned his home, and by Andrew Craigie (occupancy 1791-1835), the first Apothecary General of the American Army, the property’s association with Longfellow began in 1837.

Longfellow initially rented rooms from Elizabeth Craigie, Andrew’s widow, but owned the property beginning in 1844, shortly after his marriage. There Longfellow lived and wrote until his death in 1882. Longfellow is a major literary symbol of his era. Extraordinarily popular in his lifetime, he is known to Americans for such poems as “The Courtship of Miles Standish,” “Evangeline,” and “Hiawatha.”

The house is also one of the foremost examples of New England High Georgian architecture and meets Criterion C. Built in 1759 by John Vassall, Jr., it was expanded by Andrew Craigie in 1791. The property also includes a carriage house, with some Greek Revival detailing dating to 1844, which is an integral part of the historic scene.

Although not cited in the existing statement of significance, the “noteworthy interior features” are noted in the nomination (Section 7) as follows:

The first-floor rooms have splendid fireplace compositions set against fully paneled walls. The overmantels of three chimneys are composed of a single well-proportioned panel framed by moldings with crossettes (rectangular enlargements at the corners), a solution replacing the Early Georgian raised panels and bolection moldings. The drawing room [room 109] overmantel is flanked by broad pilasters and crowned by a broken pediment; the chimney breast is flanked by deep, paneled recesses covered with elliptical arches.

B.

Potential New Area of Site Significance

In addition to the areas of significance discussed above, the NPS has determined that Longfellow NHS meets Criterion A: Event, as a significant icon of the Colonial Revival movement in the United States. (See Marie Carden and Thomas Denenberg, Longfellow National Historic Site: Historical Overview and Evaluation of Significance [(Boston:) National Park Service, July 1996].) The NPS noted in its determination:

As Longfellow idealized the American past in his poetry, his home became an even more broadly recognized representation of that past. Images of the house were pervasive in the late 19th century…the house, being closely associated with both Washington and Longfellow, became a design prototype after Longfellow’s death. The first known replica, Gladisfen, in Newcastle, ME, was constructed in 1883. … The most remarkable of the replicas are the mail-order reproductions that were available through Sears, Roebuck and Company from 1918 through at least 1927.

The site’s significance to the Colonial Revival movement extends to the landscape. (See final review draft, “Longfellow National Historic Site Cultural Landscape Report, Vol. II: Analysis of Significance and Integrity,” May 1997, Shary Page Berg, ASLA, Landscapes Preservation Planning and Design, pp. III, 5-6.)

Roughly between 1890 and 1930…the Longfellow Property as a whole became an important icon or symbol of the Colonial Revival movement while the landscape became a nationally known example of the Colonial Revival style, a conscious effort to recreate colonial era motifs in the garden forms of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Longfellow property, with the added benefits of actual Colonial remnants and direct association with key historic figures, was the quintessential Colonial Revival landscape.

C.

Areas of Site Significance Considered and Rejected

1.

Criterion C: Design/Construction; Area of Significance: Art – Colonial Revival Interior Design

The Longfellow historic furnished interiors embody distinctive traits of the Colonial Revival as a style of furnishing. During the residency of Henry Longfellow, the house interiors evolved in a way that may best be characterized as early or nascent Colonial Revival. His eclectic Victorian furnishings included antiques, a hallmark of Colonial Revival furnishings. In preserving major elements of her father’s furnishings while replacing or removing other Victorian objects, Longfellow’s daughter, Alice M. Longfellow, furnished the Longfellow House in a fashion quite typical of Colonial Revival interiors. Her architect cousin, Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Jr., made Colonial Revival changes to the family home which contributed substantially to the alterations Alice Longfellow made.

Although both Henry and Alice Longfellow’s interiors employed elements of the Colonial Revival style, neither created interiors that were primarily Colonial Revival in design.

2.

Criterion B: Person/Alice Longfellow; Area of Significance: Conservation – Early Historic Preservation Efforts

Alice Longfellow’s preservation efforts, as embodied in the Longfellow House, are good examples of the state of the historic house preservation movement in the first quarter of the 20th century. This includes the time the Longfellow’s oldest daughter, Alice M. Longfellow, lived in the home, working with her siblings and other family members to establish the Longfellow House Trust. The formation of the Trust along with Alice Longfellow’s participation in the growing historic preservation movement (Mt. Vernon, SPNEA) helped shape the history and appearance of the Longfellow house interiors as she memorialized her father and the colonial history of the building.

Alice Longfellow’s preservation activities reflect those of her peers – other well-educated, financially independent women at the turn of the century. To date, research has not indicated that her activities were of special importance.

D.

Collections as a Feature of the Site

1.

Established Areas of Site Significance

Criterion B: Person--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

National Significance

As the home and workspace of the internationally recognized American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the interiors of the house are of great significance. Longfellow’s home and its furnishings mirror his poetry, as his poetry both fueled and reflected the emerging national literature and nascent Colonial Revival furnishings of America. Longfellow’s personal tastes are represented in the furnishings, artwork, objects, and papers of the house.

The National Register statement of significance for Longfellow NHS notes the importance of the interior furnishings. It states that “the Longfellow House, as shown today (1980) presents an interior aspect that stems from the last period of Henry Longfellow’s life.” Specifically described are the furnishings of the poet’s study, in which most of his popular pieces were written. His personal library, although enlarged by his descendants, remains on the shelves throughout the house, as do several objects, spatial configurations, and views, which inspired and/or were the subjects of some of his works. Recent analysis of the house furnishings confirms that though changes were subsequently made by Longfellow’s descendants, the study, library, parlor, and entry hall are still largely intact.

The statement of significance notes that “other rooms in the house are likewise furnished with Longfellow pieces which, with the memorabilia, pictures and other details of decoration that stem from the last century, are set against a background of good Georgian staircasing paneling and chimney pieces [from] a hundred years earlier.”

The statement of significance particularly references “the large collection of painting, sculpture, decorative arts, library and manuscript materials.” They are described as “significant works of art, having been fabricated by some of America’s and Europe’s leading artists and craftsmen. …part of the house furnishings during the occupancy of Henry W. and Alice Longfellow (from 1837 to 1928) and, as such, [they] are a valuable index to the taste of both the family and the time.”

The collection as a whole possesses a high degree of integrity, particularly in relation to location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. The integrity of the collection has been evaluated, as noted above, in the recent Historic Furnishings Report and other site research.

2.

Potential New Area of Site Significance

Criterion A: Event—The Colonial Revival Movement in the United States

National Significance

The Longfellow historic furnished interior included antiques, a hallmark of Colonial Revival furnishings. At mid-century Longfellow’s popular poem “The Old Clock on the Stairs: (1843) helped inspire Edward Lamson Henry’s eponymous painting (1868) depicting a Georgian hallway in Philadelphia with a tall case clock on the stair landing. Henry’s painting received broad acclaim from the crowds at the 1876 Centennial. Just two years later in 1878, Henry Longfellow placed a newly-purchased antique Dutch tall case clock on his formal entry hall stairway. In so doing, the poet embraced a deliberate and self-conscious Colonial Revival Style. The image of Longfellow’s post-1878 entry hall was popularly distributed both nationally and internationally on post cards and other printed views of the hall, making it something of an icon of the Colonial Revival interior.

II.

Additional Areas of Significance for Site Collections

A. Criterion C: Design/ Construction

Area of Significance: Art – Victorian Interior Design

The extent of original furnishings present in the house collections is remarkably outstanding for the 1840s-1880s. The eclectic Victorian furnishings include Rococo Revival, Gothic Revival and Elizabethan Revival styles, and furniture and furnishings made by regionally and nationally significant makers such as George Archibald, Abraham Kimball and James Paul. There are only a handful of historic houses from this period (Old Manse, Castle Tucker) that are as well-documented and retain such a high proportion of their original furnishings as the Longfellow House. This alone makes the site an invaluable resource for the light it sheds on Victorian interiors. Further, Henry Longfellow (with credit to his wife Frances Appleton Longfellow and her family, for her eye and financial resources) amassed a significant collection of art which was used to furnish the home. The site’s paintings collection features works of Victorian-era artists such as Albert Bierstadt, Eugene and Jean Baptiste Isabey, and the 17th-century Dutch painter Daniel de Blieck. This concentration of high-end art in a Victorian-era domestic setting with the documentation to present it as it was displayed in Henry Longfellow’s lifetime is unparalleled.

B. Criterion C: Design/Construction

Area of Significance: Art – Asian Art and Early American Collection of Asian Art

The Japanese collections at Longfellow National Historic Site reflect generations of interest in Asian art, culture and literature. Portions of the Longfellow House’s extensive Japanese collections are on exhibit today, giving a glimpse of the importance of Asian art to one prominent 19th-century family. The Longfellows’ Japanese collections are significant because of their provenance and context.

Charles Longfellow, Henry and Frances Appleton Longfellow’s oldest son, collected a wide range of ceramics, textiles, paintings and bronzes during his 20-month sojourn in Japan, from June 1871 until March 1873, shipping more than twenty crates of furnishings and decorative arts home to his family in Cambridge. A year after his return, Charles and his cousin Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Jr., decorated his sitting room in the Longfellow House with many of his finds, covering the ceiling with Japanese fans and displaying prints and furniture in the room.

The Longfellow House’s Japanese collections reflect transformations in both Japanese and American culture. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Japanese culture became increasingly westernized. In turn, late-19th-century Americans’ lives were transformed by the increased availability of Japanese imports, travel, and participation with Asian economies. A “Japan craze” spread through Boston and beyond in the 1870s-1890s.

C. Criterion C: Design/Construction

Area of Significance: Art – Arts and Crafts Collections

Local Significance

The museum collections reveal Alice Longfellow’s keen interest in the Arts and Crafts movement, as reflected in books, pottery, jewelry, lighting fixtures, wallpapers and furniture throughout the house. Alice’s cousin Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Jr., (1854-1934) was one of the founding members of the Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston. “Wade” worked with Alice Longfellow to make some 20th-century improvements to the house, while maintaining the house’s historic setting. These changes included architectural additions, both on the interior and exterior.

D. Criterion A: Event or Movement

Area of Significance: Literature – Library of a 19th-Century Family

State Significance

The book collection of the Longfellow family (1840s-1880s) is potentially significant. Beyond the value of the library of the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the library of this family of readers may constitute an important resource, as it represents the literary choices and taste of Fanny and Henry Longfellow and their family and by extension other prominent, well-educated Americans of the era.

E. Criterion D: Information Potential

Areas of Research Potential

The collections include 19th- and 20th-century furnishings, personal effects, and papers of a prominent extended family (Longfellows, Appletons, Danas and Allstons). The research value of these collections is outstanding. This is partly because of the quantity and relative completeness of furnishings from the late-19th century, but it is also because the three-dimensional collections are so fully complemented by remarkable archival resources both within Longfellow NHS and at other repositories. For the 19th-century collections this constitutes an extraordinarily rare survival of material culture. Research in the Longfellow collections could add significantly to our understanding of:

· History of art patronage – Nineteenth-century art patronage (through the study of Henry Longfellow’s, Fanny Appleton Longfellow’s, Nathan Appleton’s, and Thomas Gold Appleton’s acquisitions)

· Influences upon Henry Longfellow’s writing (through the study of the poet’s library)

· Nineteenth-century childhood (through the study of a number of sub-collections: the art, ephemera, toy and clothing portion of the textile collection)

· Historic interiors preservation and presentation (through the study of the changes made in historic furnishings by the second- and third-generation Longfellow family members as they strove to maintain their family home as a memorial and a museum)

· The Longfellow archives, both manuscript and photographic, which support and document the three-dimensional collections, can also illuminate other social history themes such as:

· 19th-century domestic life, including domestic workers

· 19th-century medicine

· 19th-century religion

· mid-19th-century education

· 19th- and 20th-century women’s history.

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HFP Scope—pg. 1