The Countryside Exchange
A PROGRAM OF GLYNWOOD CENTER
The West Point Foundry Preserve
The Countryside Exchange brings together international teams of volunteer professionals to work with communities on their most important issues. The Exchange is a catalyst. It uses a visit by an objective team of “outsiders” to identify a wide range of potential solutions, create diverse coalitions, spur the emergence of new leaders and inspire collaborative action. The community also benefits from new ideas, networks and information that it can use to help shape its future.
Since 1987, more than 110 communities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan have hosted a Countryside Exchange. Over 800 professionals from England, Scotland, Wales, the United States, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia have participated as team members.
Table of Contents
The Countryside Exchange
West Point Foundry Preserve Description
Issues for the West Point Foundry Exchange
Exchange Itinerary
Exchange Team Members
The Exchange Team Report
SWOT Analysis
Goals for the West Point Foundry Preserve
Issue One: Management of the Preserve
Issue Two: Strengthening the Physical and
Programmatic Connections Between the
Preserve, the
Village of Cold Spring and the Hudson Valley
Conclusion
Glynwood Center Thanks You
Appendix A: The Future of the West Point Foundry
Preserve
Appendix B: A Concept for the West Point Foundry
Preserve
How Does the Exchange Work?
Communities wanting to participate in a Countryside Exchange must show that there is a depth of interest within the community about the issues selected for the Exchange and that there is existing leadership and a representative cross section of community members willing to participate in the process. Communities must also demonstrate a commitment to developing an implementation strategy after the Exchange.
The Exchange Team
Each Exchange team is international and interdisciplinary in its makeup and consists of six to eight professionals with expertise related to the issues identified for the Exchange.
The team spends a very intense week in the community meeting with residents, officials and organizations. The week culminates with the team presenting its observations and ideas at a public forum. A summary report is also published to assist the community with implementation.
Implementation
After the Exchange, the team report is distributed throughout the community as a first step toward developing an implementation strategy.
A New Model for the Exchange
In 2003, Glynwood Center adapted the format for the Countryside Exchange and developed a model that is shorter in duration, enabling a community or organization to conduct a focused examination of a narrower set of issues within a smaller geographic area.
An international team consisting of three to four senior level professionals who have extensive expertise with the issue identified for the Exchange spend two days in the community meeting with residents, officials and organizations. On the third day the team presents their recommendations at a community forum.
In February 2004, Scenic Hudson Land Trust, Inc. approached Glynwood Center to use the new Exchange model to conduct a Countryside Exchange focusing on the West Point Foundry Preserve in Cold Spring, NY. After acquiring the Preserve in 1996, Scenic Hudson spent a considerable amount of time learning about the natural and historical resources contained on site. Meetings were conducted with the residents of Cold Spring and elected officials to gain their input as to how the site should be developed. Based on this input, Scenic Hudson hired a consulting firm to develop a general concept for the site that included small, medium and large scale development options. While the community felt the medium option would be best, there was no clear indication that what was being proposed was in fact the best way to proceed with the Preserve.
Scenic Hudson then decided a more in-depth understanding of all facets of the site was needed in order that important historical, archaeological and ecological resources were not lost or damaged. In 2001, Scenic Hudson established a partnership with Michigan Technological University. Through Michigan Tech’s Graduate Studies in Industrial Archaeology, a comprehensive archaeological and historical study of the site was undertaken.
Extensive research conducted by Michigan Tech made clear to Scenic Hudson the need to revisit and explore other issues relevant to the Preserve. The Countryside Exchange was seen as a way to provide assistance in refining the management plan for the Preserve and stimulating discussions about how the Preserve could be positioned as an educational and recreational resource for the Cold Spring community, Hudson Valley region and the nation.
An international team consisting of four senior level professionals with expertise in industrial archaeology and cultural tourism spent three days touring the Preserve, meeting with the major stakeholders and preparing their presentation.
Scenic Hudson Land Trust, Inc. will distribute the West Point Foundry Preserve team report to the members of the Scenic Hudson board of directors and use the team’s recommendations to help guide the work of Scenic Hudson staff and board members in creating a plan for the development of the Preserve.
THE WEST POINT FOUNDRY PRESERVE DESCRIPTION top of page
The West Point Foundry Preserve is an 87-acre property located in the Village of Cold Spring, New York on the eastern bank of the Hudson River opposite the West Point Military Academy. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of the important role it played in industrialization at local, regional, national and international levels, it is one of four national armories established after the War of 1812. The Foundry received numerous government contracts to produce cannons, shot and shell. During the Civil War the Foundry manufactured much of the Union Army’s artillery including the famous Parrott gun, a refined rifled cannon developed by the Foundry’s Superintendent, William Parrott.
The Foundry operated from 1818 to 1912, manufacturing a wide array of weaponry and ordinance, stem engines, water wheels, iron clad sailing ships, architectural elements, domestic stoves and ovens, and other cast iron products that were marketed throughout the United States and abroad. The Foundry’s original owners were among the first industrialists to employ “vertically integrated” production, where they controlled every aspect of manufacture from extracting raw ore to marketing their finished products.
The Foundry employed hundreds of workers from throughout the United States and Europe which led to the incorporation of Cold Spring and Nelsonville, early examples of “company” towns.
Issues for the West Point Foundry Preserve Countryside Exchange top of page
The issues selected by Scenic Hudson for consideration by the team included:
Issue One:
What are the appropriate next steps that Scenic Hudson should take to develop a master plan for the West Point Foundry Preserve? The master plan is intended to guide the development and management of the preserve, striking a careful balance between protecting the site’s historic and natural landscape and reshaping it to meet the needs of the local community and visitors. Specifically,
a) What short- and long-term action steps need to be taken to:
· develop the preserve as an educational and recreational resource for the local and regional communities and for students, scholars and visitors from around the world; and
· protect the site’s historical, archaeological and ecological resources?
b) What is an achievable time line for implementing each step?
Issue Two:
How can Scenic Hudson strengthen the physical and programmatic connections between the Preserve, the Village of Cold Spring and the Hudson Valley region?
· How can Scenic Hudson promote/interpret the historical, archaeological and ecological resources of the preserve and its significance to the Cold Spring community, Hudson Valley region and the nation?
· What recreational opportunities exist at the preserve that can be enhanced to encourage use of the preserve without disturbing its historical, archaeological and ecological resources?
THREE DAYS FROM THE WEST POINT FOUNDRY PRESERVE EXCHANGE top of page
Sunday, September 19
4:00 p.m.
Walking Tour of West Point Foundry Preserve and Historic District
Monday, September 20
9:00 a.m. History and Archaeology of West Point Foundry Preserve
10:45 a.m.
The Role of 1865 Office Building for the Future of the West Point Foundry
Preserve
1:30 p.m. Tour of 1865 Office Building
3:00 p.m.
Tour of Archaeology work conducted by Michigan Tech
Tuesday, September 21
9:00 a.m. Tour of Foundry Cove Marsh
11:00 a.m. Management of West Point Foundry Preserve in the Hudson Valley
2:30 p.m. West Point Foundry Preserve and the Hudson River
3:30 p.m. West Point Foundry Preserve in the Hudson River Valley
THE WEST POINT FOUNDRY PRESERVE EXCHANGE TEAM top of page
Dr. Wolfgang Ebert lives in Geldern, Germany and is the founder of the KulturBuero (Culture Management Company), which has carried out numerous industrial archeological projects for institutions and initiatives throughout Europe. Included in these projects are the “Route of Industrial Heritage in the Ruhr” and “ERIH – The European Route of Industrial Heritage”.
From
Peter Liebhold from Washington, DC, is a curator at the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History, Division of the History of Technology. His areas of research and interest include the culture of work, management practice, methods and motivations of technological change, immigration and work imagery.
Exhibitions include America on the Move (a 20,000 sq. ft. transportation exhibition); Between a Rock and a Hard Place: A History of American Sweatshops, 1820 – Present; Images of Steel, 1860-1994; and Who’s In Charge: Workers and Managers in the United States.
Peter has published in Technology and Culture, Invention and Technology and The Public Historian (where his article, Experiences from the Front Line won the G. Wesley Johnson Prize).
Vance Packard, Jr. from Thornhurst, PA, retired in 1997 from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) after nearly thirty years of work in archaeology, historic preservation and museum/historic site management. Trained as an anthropologist, during his early career he worked on prehistoric American Indian sites. In the years leading up to the American Bicentennial, Vance directed excavations at Valley Forge, Washington Crossing and Curtin Village, an iron plantation near Bellefonte, to provide information for the architects who were planning major restorations. The work at Curtin led to his becoming one of the founders of the Society for Industrial Archaeology.
In 1979, Vance became the Director of Drake Well Museum in Titusville. Realizing that static industrial exhibits were incomprehensible to many visitors, he created a number of full scale operating outdoor exhibits. In 1985, he became the Director of PHMC’s Western Region, which allowed him to advocate industrial themes and exhibits in the region. In 1989, Vance was given responsibility for all of the PHMC’s industrial sites and worked on major expansions and restorations of the sites.
John Rodger is the Project Director for the Blaenavon Project in South Wales. Blaenavon is a small working class town of 6,000 persons which grew after the Ironworks opened in 1787. The town has since suffered from physical, social and economic decline due to the demise of the coal and steel industries.
The Blaenavon Ironworks is the best preserved industrial site of its type and period in the world. The major visitor attraction at Blaenavon is Big Pit - The National Mining Museum of Wales, which attracts 110,000 visitors per year. Two former school buildings (1815 – 1850) are being refurbished as the Blaenavon World Heritage Centre. This will be the first of its type in the UK. Blaenavon is not a project in isolation. It is seen as a gateway to the wider industrial heritage of Wales. Blaenavon is also a partner in the European Route of industrial Heritage (ERIH).
In December 2000 the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. John was instrumental in achieving WHS status and building a strong partnership of interests to protect the landscape and use WHS status as a catalyst for attracting funding and investment. In January 2001 he was included in the Queen’s New Year’s Honors List “for services to Industrial Heritage in South Wales”.
TEAM REPORT top of page
This written report is compiled from the final presentation given by the team at Boscobel on Wednesday, September 22, 2004.
THE COLD SPRING EXPERIENCE
I have seen all of the important World Heritage sites and this is one of them. Dr. Wolfgang Ebert, President, The German Society for Industrial Archaeology
The West Point Foundry Preserve has a special feeling and spirit that is unique and is worthy of developing as a World Heritage site for the benefit of local residents and visitors to the region.
Scenic Hudson has done well in preserving the site and has taken the first steps in making it accessible to the general public. However, there is now both an opportunity and a need to move the site forward by building on the many positive efforts currently underway to develop an identity for the Hudson Valley and by taking advantage of the involvement of the political and philanthropic communities. To do this there must be a clear vision which everyone can take possession of, especially the local Cold Spring community.
SWOT Analysis top of page
A SWOT analysis of the West Point Foundry Preserve has identified the current Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats for the Preserve. This is cognitive a process that can assist in making informed and thoughtful decisions.
Strengths:
· Scenic Hudson is a powerful and experienced organization that has secure ownership of the Preserve.
· The site is a significant cultural and natural resource that potentially can be linked to regional efforts to develop and promote tourism in the Hudson Valley.
· The Preserve is situated in a great regional location on the banks of the Hudson River.
· The site can contribute to a sustainable economy for Cold Spring and the Hudson Valley region and further develop the existing tourism economic base in Cold Spring.
· There is good access to the Village by rail, river, and highway.
Weaknesses:
· Local vehicle parking and access to the site is poor and a problem.
· Local awareness and appreciation of the site is limited. Willingness to get behind the project is not universal.
· Archaeology alone cannot sustain the site.
· There is insufficient project dynamic to move efforts forward. The project needs energizing and new dynamics.
· There is a lack of comprehensible structural remains.
· There are mixed messages about the site (Super Fund clean up; archeological site; birds and biology).
· The site requires substantial immediate investment.
· It will be difficult to achieve a self sustaining business plan for cultural tourism.
· There are many other heritage competitors in the region. Need to prioritize importance of sites.
· There is a lack of utilities and visitor amenities.
Opportunities:
· Opportunity for substantial involvement in the site by local residents.
· May improve Village parking and access to the site.
· Potential to create a unique experience different from other regional sites, making it a key site in the Hudson River Valley experience.
· Could enhance tourism in Cold Spring by extending tourist visitation throughout the week and seasonally and potentially increase job opportunities for local residents.
· Potential to connect the site to town and Valley heritage trails that are being developed.
· Potential for increased recreational and educational activities on the site.
Threats:
· May disturb the Cold Spring status quo.
· Will increase traffic congestion with more cars and buses.
· It will be difficult to achieve financial sustainability for the Preserve.
· There will be an ongoing threat to the archaeological resources resulting from natural growth, erosion and increased use by visitors.
· Development of the Preserve could detract from the tranquility of the site.
Goals for the West Point Foundry Preserve top of page
In developing a concept for moving the West Point Foundry Preserve forward it is necessary to first establish a set of goals for the project. These goals need to include:
1. Linking the West Point Foundry Preserve to the wider tourism efforts in the Hudson Valley. It will be very important that the project is part of the efforts currently underway to bring people to the region.
2. Using new technology to enhance the site. Museums can be more than pictures and exhibits. They need to be more like opera that engages people’s emotions and senses.
3. Creating a multi-layered experience. The Preserve is about more than archaeology. The plan for the site needs to provide something for everyone, from the dog walkers to University professors. It will be important to highlight other aspects of the site such as the people who worked at the Foundry and lived in Cold Spring, the Super Fund clean-up, birding and plant life.
4. Presenting the industrial history of the site and the impact of human activity on the environment in an innovative way. People of all ages need to experience the history of the site in ways that are meaningful to them.
5. Demonstrating the exceptional biological diversity of the Hudson River Valley and the Foundry Cove Marsh.
6. Maximizing life-long learning opportunities. A curriculum needs to be developed for the site that spans all age groups from children to older adults.
7. Creating an economically sustainable project. It will be important to develop a plan that can be supported by income generated from tourism and local events and does not require significant ongoing investment in maintaining the Preserve.
8. Identifying and attracting diverse markets. The marketing of the site is critically important. There must be answers to the questions, “Who are we trying to reach? How will we get them here?”
9. Securing community involvement. It is essential that the community be involved in developing and promoting the plan for the site.
RECOMMENDED
ACTIONS FOR ADVANCING THE WEST POINT FOUNDRY PRESERVE
Issue One – Management of the Preserve top of page
History has shown that in most instances when there are no concrete outcomes within the first ten years of a project, the project is more likely to fail. This project is already eight years old. A plan for the Preserve must be developed with achievable timelines and the most important elements of the plan implemented immediately.
· Empower a full-time project director/champion for the project and locate the office at the site. To complete a project the size and complexity of the West Point Foundry Preserve requires a full-time, dedicated project director. This person must be a strong advocate who has a passion for the project and is dedicated solely to working with the community and other partners to drive the project forward as a successful enterprise. This person must also be given the authority to make decisions and manage the budget for the project.
A project team with expertise in marketing, business management, education, historical interpretation, conservation and archaeology must also be established to work with the project director.
· Initiate feasibility studies and a master plan that include: Concept Development; Business Plan; Educational Strategy; Management Strategy; Archaeological Plan; Marketing Strategy; and an Archive Strategy. These studies must be completed to determine how to proceed at the site and what it will cost to carry out the plan. Once the feasibility studies are completed an outline of a plan for the site with goals and actions can be designed.
· Establish a mechanism for including community residents and other organizations to work with Scenic Hudson in moving the project forward.
· Seek partners to assist with the development and operation of the site. Invite the Putnam County Historical Society to move their West Point Foundry exhibition to the site and give the Historical Society all responsibility for the presentation of the history at the Preserve. Consider inviting the Audubon Society to relocate or create another natural area access to Constitution Marsh.
Issue Two - Strengthening the Physical and Programmatic Connections between the Preserve, the Village of Cold Spring and the Hudson Valley Region top of page
The West Point Foundry Preserve is a very unique site that is almost exclusively trails and walkways with minimal buildings and amenities in the area. Plans for the site must capture the “spirit of the place” and allow visitors the opportunity to commune with nature.
· Balance the ecology of the site and the restoration currently underway. Efforts need to be made to maintain the wooded areas while stabilizing the archaeological remains. It will be helpful to clean-up the outline of the tramways and sharpen the edges of the Foundry buildings. However, there is no need to do a full restoration of the buildings. Ruins can be more evocative and allow visitors to have a more enjoyable experience imagining what the buildings looked like originally.
· Consider establishing a new architectural structure located on the river that can serve as a Gateway/Reception Center at the entrance of the Preserve. The structure should be slightly elevated so that it can be seen from a distance and offer visitors views of the river and the Preserve. This building can provide visitors with an orientation to the site and include special areas for paintings, sculptures and large photos depicting the history of the Preserve. Local artists and art museums such as the Guggenheim and Dia should be used to link the presentation of the heritage of the site to different types of artistic presentations. The Center should also include public spaces, an information desk and visitor amenities such as public rest rooms and a food service.
· Create a “Magic Circle” in a clearing of the woods in front of the 1865 Office Building that can be used for performances and events hosted by the local community. This can also help to build interest and participation by the residents in the project. The Circle will need to have seating, possibly bleacher style, and some kind of architectural structure like a tent or canopy shelter over the stage area. Floodlights on the facade of the office building could provide adequate illumination for evening performances. There also needs to be a more formal pavement in the area that is harder than the vegetation in the surrounding area.
· Develop imaginative and evocative trails with clean dry walkways through the trees that connect the site to the Village and other trails in the area. Interpretation stations along the trails can provide views of the site and explanations about what is located on the trail. New sound and light technology also needs to be incorporated to create a unique experience for visitors. Artistic light installations are being used in other industrial sites in Europe with great success. They help to evoke the memories and feelings people have about the site.
· Develop a Cold Spring Heritage Trail that provides linkages from the Village to the Preserve and includes historic markers. Interpreting the site is not about artifacts all the time. It is about telling the story of the 1,500 people who worked at the Foundry and who were responsible for doing something very significant for the development of the country. Consider purchasing a worker’s house for preservation and for use as an interpretation exhibition of the social life in the Village. Purchasing the house owned by Kemble’s nephew should also be considered and the gardens restored as Historic Gardens open to the public.
A Walking Tour Guide can include a worker’s house, the schoolroom, the infirmary, churches, graveyard, Main Street commercial buildings, etc., and feature some of the social history of the town. The Cold Spring Heritage Trail must also connect the Foundry to other heritage sites in the Hudson Valley region.
· Encourage the development of an Archaeological Laboratory that can be used for interactive teaching of the various relevant subjects – archaeology, biology, etc. Develop educational partnerships with the local school system and other organizations to develop the curriculum for the various subjects. The Laboratory can also be used to store the tools used at the site as well as provide office space for staff.
· Create better access to the site and adequate visitor parking even if it means instituting a one-way traffic system. Increased access via Kemble Avenue and Main Street may not be possible. Consider providing access from Haul Road and additional parking for the Preserve as well as the Village by establishing a car park on the former battery site.
Conclusion top of page
The West Point Foundry Preserve is a significant historical landmark that merits designation as a World Heritage site. However, if this project is to succeed, time is of the essence. Scenic Hudson must immediately consider inaugurating a new project dynamic that energizes current activities at the site and broadens the focus to include the culture, history and ecology of the place.
A champion for the Preserve must be on site immediately. This person will need to be given the authority and resources necessary to build partnerships with local, regional, national and international organizations that can provide assistance in creatively interpreting, promoting and supporting the Preserve. Having a dedicated project director on site may also help to improve Scenic Hudson’s relationships with the Cold Spring community by having this person available to work with local elected officials and residents to garner their input in creating a sustainable vision for the Preserve, one that will directly benefit the community and Hudson Valley region.
The long-term advantages of making an investment in the West Point Foundry Preserve far outweigh any of the challenges that may face Scenic Hudson. It is time now to go forward.
Glynwood Center Thanks You top of page
Glynwood Center and the members of the West Point Foundry Preserve Countryside Exchange Team would like to express their sincere thanks to the Board and staff of Scenic Hudson Land Trust, Inc., the staff of Michigan Technological University, Graduate Studies in Industrial Archaeology and the residents of Cold Spring for their remarkable hospitality and support. Many individuals gave generously of their valuable time to educate the team about the Preserve and its issues. The preparation, hard work and generosity not only made the time in the community a pleasant one, it also helped the team to work together effectively in sharing ideas and experiences and in drafting the Team Presentation.
Appendix A top of page
This part of the Team Report was submitted by Vance Packard a few weeks after the Exchange was completed. All of the team members have received copies of the information. It was not included as part of the final report since members of the team did not have an opportunity to discuss the information and agree on any changes to the document.
The Future of the West Point Foundry Preserve:
What the site should look like in the future and how it can best be interpreted to the visitor. Submitted by Vance Packard
There are many examples of well preserved and interpreted archaeological sites in Mexico, Central America, Greece and India to name just a few where the visitor can get an impression of what the site was like. The list of sites in regions that experience frost lines deeper than 12 inches and annual rain fall of greater than 40 inches however, is quite small. The challenge for Scenic Hudson is to come up with a strategy that will provide the visitor with a real impression of the archaeological site and the industry that created it, without spending enormous sums for construction and maintenance.
We tend to think of archaeological sites as being relatively stable but in fact the modification or degradation continues even without the intervention of man. At Cold Spring the major natural forces are trees, water, frost and gravity. Any plan for the interpretation of the site must take these into consideration.
At the present time, there are only a few features on the site that are recognizable by industrial archaeologists and hardly any that the average visitor can understand. Only the vast layer of brick and cut stone tell the visitor that there must have been something fairly large on the site. As the archaeological excavations continue they should be planned with an end product in mind other than just a report on what they learned.
Archaeological Research
The historical and archaeological research that has been done provides us with a good enough picture of what the site looked like in the late nineteenth century to allow us to develop a strategy of how to proceed. Given the problems with frost and vegetation, the reconstruction of even parts of buildings is impractical. It is, however, possible to give the visitor an accurate impression of the complexity of the site by reconstructing the open spaces. Simply removing the debris and vegetation from them will restore order to the site. It should also serve to constrain the flow and progress of visitors around the site. This will require some archaeological supervision to define the limits of the open spaces, but most of the work could be done with small machines and unskilled labor. It would probably make the most sense to start with the central tramway and then the lateral spaces between the buildings. Where it appears to be appropriate some of the material removed from the open spaces could be used to better define the edges of the buildings.
Tree Removal
The program of selective tree removal should continue to address those trees that threaten the archeological remains and be expanded to include some trees in the former open spaces. While the Hudson Valley was nearly devoid of vegetation historically, it is neither practical nor desirable to return to that state. Some thought should be given to favoring slow growing species over fast growing ones.
Site Interpretation
Currently, most of the interpretation of the site is done by guides on the open days, and while this has been fairly successful it is not a practical approach for the future. A Visitors Center, when built, would provide a good orientation for the visitor, but some sort of additional on site interpretation will be needed. This could be as simple as historic photographs and maps with you are here arrows. In some locations the few historic interior photos could be mounted at the location of the camera that took them. Preserving the machinery foundations is going to be a real challenge given the climate, but should be possible if they can be given some protection in the winter. You cannot and probably should not try to interpret and protect everything. Visitors will not be able to understand the importance of the work done at the site while walking the trails. For that they should go to the Foundry Museum or Visitor Center.
Water Management
Managing the water on the site will be another problem that will in all likelihood get worse rather than better. A plan should be developed to manage storm water and get it into the creek with minimal impact on the site. To the extent that this can be done utilizing the historic water power system it would also be helpful to the interpretation of the site. You would not remove any water from the stream at the top of the site but rather direct surface water into the small reservoir below the blast furnace and out the tail race of the water wheel that powered the boring mill. This will require some repair work to the reservoir for it to work.
Someone needs to go around the perimeter of the site in, or just after, a heavy rain and identify all external sources of surface runoff so that a complete water management plan can be developed. If it is necessary to install additional drains they should be run in the former streets and alleys. In a site with as long and complex a history as this one all excavations should be at least monitored by the archaeologists and some may warrant testing beforehand.
In conclusion, I believe the visitor’s experience will be more like visiting a public garden than an historic site. Visitors will come away with an impression of the site as a ruin, largely returning to a natural state. If they stop and look at the minimal site interpretation they will be able to compare the present with the past.
Appendix B top of page
A Concept for the West Point Foundry Preserve
§ Gateway Building
§ The “Magic Circle”
§ Imaginative and Evocative Trails
§ The Open Laboratory
§ An Overall Concept
©2005 Glynwood Center