|
|
|
Where we were:
In September 1996, historic Peirce Mill in Rock Creek Park was idle.
In fact the water wheel and internal wooden machinery had not moved since
it broke down in April 1993. The owner of the mill, the National
Park Service, had budgeted funds for repairs but other projects had higher
priority and repairs were put off from year to year. In the meantime,
rot continued to attack the waterwheel shaft and, outside, the dry water
wheel warped and cracked. Visitation to the mill dropped off since
the compelling atmosphere of an operating mill – the hum of the wooden
gears meshing and the millstones turning and the smell of freshly ground
flour – was no longer there to attract interested visitors. A local
resident wrote to the Washington Post lamenting the condition of the mill
and the lack of attention to its restoration. The letter, published
in the Post Outlook section on September 1, 1996, caught the eye of a former
National Park Service volunteer at the mill, Richard Abbott, who
like the writer regretted the fact that nothing was being done to restore
the mill. It was apparent to him that Federal funds were not likely
to become available in the foreseeable future and that the value of the
mill as an educational and cultural resource would continue to decline
unless something were done. In response, he wrote an article about
the mill which appeared in the Post Outlook section on September 29, 1996.
It was a call for action from the community to form a volunteer organization
dedicated to restoring the mill. Some 60 persons called to express
interest in joining that effort, and in December a non-profit organization,
The Friends of Pierce Mill, was formed.
Where we are:
Two years have passed since the Friends organization was created and
much has happened:
• An agreement was negotiated in July 1997 with Rock Creek Park, National
Park Service, which specifies how and on what basis the Friends will cooperate
with the NPS in a partnership approach to the restoration of Peirce Mill.
• Approximately $60,000 has been raised by a combination of cash grants
from foundations, individuals, the National Park Service, and membership
dues, plus in-kind donations of wood, printing services, and volunteer
labor.
• Technical studies by expert consultants have been sponsored by the
Friends to prepare plans and cost estimates for restoration of the milling
machinery and the water wheel, to survey the elevations and water flow
in Rock Creek, and to make an assessment of the condition of the mill structure.
• We now have 83 members on the rolls, and many of these are taking
an active role in the multiple activities of the Friends, including historical
research and documentation, developing a technical plan for restoration
of the building, milling machinery and water supply to the mill with the
help of expert consultants, and interpreting the mill to visitors.
• Members of the Friends are currently preparing a draft Historic Structures
Report for Peirce Mill which will incorporate the various studies referred
to above and make recommendations for how the restoration process will
be carried out and at what cost.
• Actual restoration work on the mill began in November 1998 with a
workshop on the repair of windows in the mill. The ten persons who
participated and paid a $75 fee to the Friends, form the nucleus of a group
of volunteers who will begin repairing all 20 windows in the mill over
the next 1 to 2 years.
• A consultant was retained to prepare a plan for a fund-raising campaign
to be undertaken by the Friends beginning in Spring 1999.
Where we're going:
Culminating the efforts of our volunteers over the past two years,
the Friends plan in January/February 1999 to assemble all the elements
of the Historic Structures Report and to organize a workshop with NPS officials
to discuss its findings. This document, once agreed upon, will serve
both to guide the actual restoration work and to provide potential donors
with essential information on the scope and cost of the project.
With the completion and approval of the report, and based on a plan prepared by our financial consultant, we plan to launch a major fund-raising campaign in the Spring of 1999. Our intention is to raise approximately $500,000, which we hope will be matched by a like sum by Department of the Interior /National Park Service budgeted funds. The initial event would be a kick-off gathering to which we will invite 15 to 20 influential people in the Washington area who will constitute an advisory board to assist with contacting prospective foundation, corporate and individual donors. This campaign will engage the attention of key members of our board of directors but will also draw on contacts and ideas from the entire membership. Donations will be sought for specific elements of the restoration, depending on the interests of donors.
To maintain the interest and involvement of members during the fund-raising campaign, we plan to continue window restoration work, which requires very little money. Once funds become available, repairs to the mill structure can begin, again using volunteer labor to the maximum extent. These repairs consist mainly of replacing some floor joists and supporting columns and laying new flooring. We plan to train additional interpreters to work at the mill and to be able to explain to visitors how the restoration process will be carried out. Another team of volunteers is developing plans for school and youth group visits to the mill during this period and after restoration is complete. Finally, our historic research team will begin drafting scholarly papers on the history of the mill and the Peirce family, leading eventually to the preparation of exhibits at the mill which should greatly increase visitor interest.
The vision of the Friends of Peirce Mill is that three years from now,
say the beginning of the year 2003, Peirce Mill will once again be operating
in an historically accurate manner, powered by water from Rock Creek, with
visitors able to observe the wooden machinery and millstones turning to
convert grain to flour as it was done in the 19th century. Together
with new exhibits mounted in the building, Peirce Mill will be a living
museum of the early industrial history of the Washington D.C. area and
a marvelous educational resource for visitors of all ages.