Captain Forbes House Museum

THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO STABILIZE A 1883 CARRIAGE HOUSE BY ISAIAH ROGERS AND A C. 1880 STABLE BY PEABODYAND STEARNS. THIS IS PHASE 1 OF A LARGER PROJECT TO MODERNIZE AND REUSE THESE BUILDINGS FOR ASSEMBLY SPACE,MEETING SPACE AND MUSEUM OFFICES. DURING THIS STABILIZATION PHASE, THE ACTIVITIES FOR BOTH BUILDINGS WILL BE: SETUP STAGING AND DISPOSAL, ADD AND OR REPLACE CONCRETE FOOTINGS, DEEP POINT FOUNDATION WALLS, REPOINT CHIMNEY, ADDTUBE COLUMNS TO NORTH FOUNDATION WALL, INSTALL METAL HANGERS, CHANNELS AND RODS AT FLOOR FRAMING, REPAIR ANDREINFORCE THE STRUCTURE, REPAIR FLUSH BOARD SIDING AS NEEDED, REPAIR EXTERIOR DAMAGED WOOD TRIM, REPLACE SLATEROOF AND ALL FLASHINGS ON CARRIAGE HOUSE, REPLACE CHIMNEY FLASHING, REPLACE GUTTERS AND DOWNSPOUTS WITH COPPERPROFILES, PROVIDE VAPOR BARRIERS IN CRAWL SPACES, RESTORE ALL WINDOWS AND SLIDING DOOR ON CARRIAGE HOUSE,INSTALL NEW EXTERIOR DOOR ON STABLE, PROVIDE NEW EXTERIOR STORM WINDOWS, DIG TRENCH FOR UPGRADED ELECTRICALSERVICE, AND DESIGN AND INSTALL SIGNAGE ACKNOWLEDGING FUNDERS. PERFORMANCE GOALS ARE BASED ON WORK ACTIVITIESAND RELATE TO THE TIMELINE. IT IS EXPECTED THAT ALL WORK WILL BE COMPLETED ON TIME AND ON BUDGET ACCORDING TOTHE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR S GUIDELINES. THE PROJECT WILL BEGIN ON OR ABOUT OCT.15, 2024 AND END ON OR ABOUTJAN. 31, 2026. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE OUTCOME WILL BE THAT ALL WORK IS COMPLETED ON TIME AND ON BUDGET INKEEPING WITH HIGH QUALITY PRESERVATION WORK. THE COMMUNITY IS WELL-INFORMED ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND EAGERLY AWAITSITS COMPLETION. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AN EVENT SPACE BURNED DOWN AND SINCE THEN, THERE IS LITTLE SPACE FOR FAMILYCELEBRATIONS, MEETING SPACE FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS OR SPACE FOR PERFORMANCE GROUPS. THROUGH TOURS OF THEBUILDINGS, GATHERINGS IN THE HOMES OF NEIGHBORS AND OTHER SUPPORTERS, THE MUSEUM HAS ANSWERED QUESTIONS ANDADDRESSED CONCERNS. MORE LOCAL SUPPORT IS DEMONSTRATED BY THE RECEIPT OF A COMMUNITY PRESERVATION GRANT, SEVERALSTATE GRANTS AND A STATE APPROPRIATION SECURED BY REP. WILLIAM DRISCOLL.TRACKING

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY AND THE MILTON SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND PREVENTION COALITION, THE FORBES HOUSE MUSEUM WILL DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT, AND EVALUATE PROGRAMS FOR AN EXHIBIT EXPLORING THE FORBES FAMILY’S INVOLVEMENT IN THE 19TH CENTURY OPIUM TRADE AND ITS RELATION TO TODAY’S OPIOID EPIDEMIC. PROGRAMS WILL BE DESIGNED FOR ADULTS, SCHOOL GROUPS, AND TEACHERS IN CONSULTATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDING CHINESE SCHOLARS, LOCAL CHINESE RESIDENTS AND RECENT IMMIGRANTS, AND EXPERTS DEALING WITH THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC IN MASSACHUSETTS. PARTICIPANTS WILL GAIN AN IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING OF THE HISTORY OF ADDICTION AND THE CHINESE PERSPECTIVE ON THE OPIUM TRADE, AS WELL AS AN APPRECIATION FOR CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY AND ACTION.

THE FORBES HOUSE MUSEUM WILL ESTABLISH GREATER INTELLECTUAL AND PHYSICAL CONTROL OVER ITS COLLECTIONS AS RECOMMENDED BY ITS PARTICIPATION IN THE COLLECTIONS ASSESSMENT FOR PRESERVATION (CAP) PROGRAM. THE MUSEUM WILL WORK WITH A CURATOR AND A PROJECT ARCHIVIST TO COORDINATE THE PROJECT TO COMPLETE THE PROCESSING OF OBJECTS INCLUDING FURNITURE, CLOTHING ITEMS, HOUSEHOLD WARES, AND ARCHIVAL MATERIALS. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE INVENTORYING, CATALOGING, PHOTOGRAPHING, AND DIGITIZING EACH ITEM; PURCHASING SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS FOR REHOUSING AND RESHELVING; AND RECONCILING MISSING ITEMS. THE CURATOR AND PROJECT ARCHIVIST WILL ALSO PROVIDE TRAINING WORKSHOPS ON OBJECT HANDLING AND DATA ENTRY FOR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS. COMPLETING THIS PROJECT WILL IMPROVE THE MUSEUM’S OVERALL COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT, WHILE INCREASING THE USE OF COLLECTIONS AND PUBLIC ACCESS THROUGH THEIR USE IN TOURS, PROGRAMS, AND EXHIBITIONS.

THE FORBES HOUSE MUSEUM WILL UNDERTAKE A COLLECTIONS STEWARDSHIP AND PUBLIC ACCESS PROJECT TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL AND INTELLECTUAL CONTROL OVER ITS COLLECTIONS AND PROVIDE MORE PUBLIC ACCESS TO THEM. BETTER ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS WILL ALLOW FOR BETTER STORAGE OF THE COLLECTION. THE PROJECT TEAM WILL INVENTORY AND NUMBER OBJECTS AND ARTIFACTS SO THAT THEY CAN BE MORE EASILY TRACKED AND CREATE A A COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT PLAN. THE MUSEUM WILL ALSO DEVELOP TRAINING MODULES ON COLLECTIONS CARE AND CONDUCT A TRAINING WORKSHOP FOR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS.

THE BUSINESS OF ADDICTION: THE ECONOMIC AND MORAL COMPLEXITIES OF THE OPIUM TRADE [THIS PROJECT IS AN EXHIBITIONS PLANNING GRANT THAT WILL EXPLORE THE HISTORY OF THE 19TH C. OPIUM TRADE AND THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE FORBES FAMILY. THE PURPOSE OF THE EXHIBIT IS TO EXAMINE THE MORAL COMPLEXITIES FACED BY THE FORBES IN LIGHT OF TODAY'S SOCIAL ISSUES LIKE INEQUALITY AND RACISM AND HOW THEY IMPACT OUR RELATIONS WITH CHINA TODAY. THE CAPTAIN ROBERT BENNET FORBES HOUSE MUSEUM REQUESTS $40,000 TO SUPPORT THIS PLANNING EFFORT.]

THE FORBES HOUSE MUSEUM IN MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS, WILL COLLABORATE WITH THE MILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, THE MILTON SUBSTANCE ABUSE COALITION, AND THE OPIOID PROJECT TO PRESENT A WORKSHOP AND ART AND STORYTELLING INSTALLATION AT THE LIBRARY. RECOGNIZING THAT THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC HAS WORSENED SINCE THE ONSET OF COVID-19, THE WORKSHOP WILL INCLUDE FIRST RESPONDERS AND PEOPLE WITH A HISTORY OF SUBSTANCE MISUSE. THE PROJECT WILL BE LED BY VISUAL ARTISTS WHO HAVE HELPED PEOPLE RECOVER FROM ADDICTION AND TRAUMA, DESTIGMATIZED ADDICTION, AND FOSTERED CIVIC DISCOURSE. THE PROJECT WILL CORRESPOND TO AN EXHIBITION ON THE FORBES FAMILY'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE 19TH CENTURY OPIUM TRADE AND ITS LONG-TERM IMPACT ON TODAY'S EPIDEMIC.

SHADING LIGHT, PROTECTING COLLECTIONS [THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS QUESTIONS ABOUT LIGHT LEVELS IN THE FORBES HOUSE BY MONITORING AND RECORDING THOSE LEVELS FOR ONE YEAR. TO MITIGATE DAMAGE WHILE LIGHT LEVELS ARE STUDIED, UV FILTERS WILL BE INSTALLED ON WINDOWS AND DOORS WHERE OBJECTS AND ARCHIVES ARE STORED AND/OR DISPLAYED. THIS IS THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP IN A MASSIVE COLLECTIONS PROJECT, FUNDED THAT IMLS, THAT BUILDS ON A CAP ASSESSMENT COMPLETED IN 2019 BY CONSERVATOR BARBARA MAGNUM.]