April 26, 2012 – The following was released by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation:
BOSTON— April 26, 2012—The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is seeking outside parties interested in the opportunity to rehabilitate, reuse and maintain the Schooner Ernestina—the official ship of the Commonwealth. Through DCR’s Historic Curatorship Program, outside parties rehabilitate and maintain a historic property in return for a long-term lease. This is a unique opportunity to write the next chapter in the long and rich history of this national treasure.
“The Historic Curatorship Program demonstrates an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to preserving the history and culture of our park system,” said DCR Commissioner Edward M. Lambert, Jr. “By securing the long term preservation and maintenance of these historic resources, the partnership is a true win-win.”
DCR is not calling for formal proposals at this time, but is issuing a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) to present the property and program to the general public, gauge general interest in the potential opportunity and collect information to guide the development of a formal Request for Proposals.
Responses to the RFP are due on Wednesday, July 25, 2012 by 5 p.m. An “open boat” will give respondents the opportunity to view the property, and is scheduled for June 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the schooner at the New Bedford State Pier. Parties interested in attending the open house should contact HCP.Requests@state.ma.us.
Schooner Ernestina, formerly known as the Effie M.Morrissey, was built in 1894 at the James and Tarr Shipyard for the Gloucester fleet and fished the Grand Banks until the 1920s. Purchased in 1926 by Canadian Captain Bob Bartlett, she sailed the arctic, collecting specimens for scientific institutions such as the Smithsonian and American Museum of Natural History. She broke wooden maritime records when she sailed to within 600 miles of the North Pole, and was later drafted into service during World War II. Saved from deterioration by Captain Henrique Mendes in 1948, Ernestina became a Cape Verdean packet ship and carried immigrants to the U.S. under the power of sail. Returned to the US in 1982 as a gift from the newly independent Cape Verdean people, she sailed as an educational vessel until 2005.
The RFEI describes the submission requirements and provides information on the property and the program, including a copy of a recent report which documents the ship’s current conditions and provides rehabilitation recommendations and cost estimates. Responses to the RFEI should briefly describe the respondent’s proposed reuse concept, experience and feasibility plan. Respondents will be added to the mailing list in anticipation of the release of a formal Request for Proposals.
Established in 1994, the Historic Curatorship Program matches some of the Commonwealth's significant historic resources with outside partners interested in providing rehabilitating and maintenance services in exchange for a long-term lease. Since the program’s inception, over $14 million in private funds has been leveraged toward the preservation of some of the state’s unused but significant historic properties. The program has become a national model, inspiring other government entities to add this innovative public-private partnership to their preservation toolbox.
To date, seventeen properties have been rehabilitated under the program, from the mountains of Berkshire County to the urban streets of Dorchester, from the banks of the Merrimack River in Lowell to the forests of Foxboro. Current uses for the properties include single-family homes, artist lofts, nonprofit groups, and events and lodging facilities. While the Ernestina is a very different kind of resource than the others in the program, the principles are the same – Curators are able to leverage their own ‘sweat equity’ or often that of volunteers towards preservation and management work.