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Simply restoring the former Dutch Reformed Church will
not ensure its survival to the next generation.
A key requirement is a plan for the adaptive re-use of the building,
for the organization that will operate the facility, and for a self-sustaining
economic basis that will ensure the building's regular use and maintenance. [ Other Examples of Adaptive Re-Use ]
The Newburgh Preservation Association commissioned a utilization feasibility study
to make recommendations on the building's utilization and the institutional
arrangements needed to assure ongoing, self-sustaining operations
and future preservation. The study is being prepared by Ferrandino and Associates Planners together with Stephen Tilly Architects. The final report was delivered in February 2007.
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The Adaptive Re-Use Plan
addressed the following requirements:
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Everyday functions encouraging daily activity,
ensuring that the building is never unoccupied. |
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Special-event functions to take advantage
of the central space. |
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An organization responsible for administering
daily and special-event programs, and maintaining the building. |
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Offices for the governing organization. |
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A business plan outlining a program of activity,
including income-producing activity, that will sustain the organization's
operation and the building's maintenance as a National Landmark. |
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Physical restoration plans for the main
and basement spaces in support of the activities above, and any needed
new construction. |
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An appropriate name for the building and/or
its governing organization, which conveys the cultural significance
of the structure as well as the nature of its programs. |
Summary of the Feasibility Study
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The Ferrandino-Tilly Adaptive Re-Use study confirms the significance of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC), citing its designation as a National Historic Landmark and one of the 100 Most Endangered Sites listed by the World Monument Fund. The authors also note "its surprising ability to feel more vast than its actual size, and its habit of turning chance visitors into its champions."
Drawing on numerous nearly comparable projects throughout the country ("analogs"), the 2003 Historic Structure Report, and a design "charrette" drawing input from local and regional interested parties, the study outlines three sample prototype utilization scenarios, complete with income and expense projections as well as the architectural implications of each scheme. While no single plan arose as the obvious solution, the overall conclusions suggest the following:
- The building should house an important cultural institution, with a focus on the dissemination of information (rather than, say, collections).
- The building should also be made available for local and regional public purposes, especially as a place of public assembly, yet within constraints appropriate for long-term preservation of the structure.
- The building will likely need to derive revenue from private functions, in order to assure adequate funds for future maintenance at an appropriate level of quality.
In addition, the Study makes the following recommendations:
- An institutional entity should be created - a "DRC Keeper" organization - dedicated exclusively to the tasks of re-use planning, restoration, and eventually the ongoing stewardship of the restored building.
- Partnerships with local and regional institutions should be pursued.
- Planning for restoration and re-use should be conducted in cooperation with other projects affecting the immediate site, such as the Waterfront Redevelopment Project and the new Newburgh campus of SUNY Orange.
- A feasible adaptive re-use plan will require "a battery of uses, multiple, overlapping and complementary."
- The need for multiple supporting uses will require the removal (and safeguarding) of pews from the main level, provisions for handicapped access, and the installation of adaptable infrastructure (electrical, plumbing, heating & air conditioning, sound systems, security, etc.)
The Adaptive Re-Use Study does not prescribe a specific solution. Rather, it gathers in one place the conditions, constraints, and comparisons that will help set realistic expectations for any concrete proposals for a mix of uses and institutional partnerships that include restoration, daily operation, and future preservation.
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Newburgh
"Lyceum" |
In the 19th century, the DRC hosted not only church services but also
civic and cultural activities. In the 1840s, an organization known as
the Newburgh "Lyceum" held meetings in the basement, where local
citizens could hear lectures on history, literature, philosophy, geography,
astronomy, and natural history. For example, on January 7, 1842, the lecture
room of the Dutch Reformed Church hosted a Rev. Vanderveer, whose discourse
"On Laughing," was followed by a lecture by a local doctor "On
Crying." (Benepe, Newburgh Revealed, 1974, p. 27)
In its future life as as a cultural center and place of public assembly,
perhaps an appropriate name would be the Newburgh or Mid-Huson "Lyceum."
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