Officers Club Museum

The Officers Club

A Polish Academic Information Center Exhibit

at Fort Niagara State Park

Decisions Regarding the Officers Club
by

FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT - issued April 29, 1999

Presented below are those portions of the document that dealt most immediatly with the Officers Club

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

E. PROPOSED ACTION (page 9)

The proposed action is the adaptive reuse of four buildings within Fort Niagara State Park. The adaptive reuses recommended for each of the buildings are:

Building	Category of Use	Types of Uses
Officers Club	Museum/Conference Center	Museum, Art exhibits Community Center Small conferences
Commandant's House	Bed and Breakfast	Lodging, Small meeting rooms
Barracks Building	Inn	Lodging, Conferences Pool and Health Club Restaurant, Shops
Post Theater	Theater	Conference Space Community Evens

The concession license calls for an investment by Construction Services of Niagara, Inc., of no less than $4.8 million dollars in the Barracks, Commandant's House, and the Post Theater. The rehabilitated buildings will remain the property of the State throughout the term of the concession license; and they will be managed by Construction Services of Niagara, Inc. under the general direction of the NYSOPRHP as permitted in the concession license.

NYSOPRHP has approved the request of Construction Services of Niagara, Inc. to remove the Officers Club from its concession license with the agency. NYSOPRHP has met with the Old Fort Niagara Association (OFN), with which it has contracted for many years with respect to the care and interpretation and use of historic resources in Fort Niagara State Park, to discuss future programming for the Officers Club. NYSOPRHP and OFN have agreed to amend their contract and place the Officers Club within OFN's area of responsibility. In addition, NYSOPRHP and OFN have agreed to an interpretive theme (reflected later in this document) for the Officers Club. Finally, NYSOPRHP and OFN have agreed that OFN will reach out to all interested parties, including not-for-profit organizations and the general public who are interested in using the facilities at the Officers Club within the context of the interpretive theme. The murals within the Officers Club will be restored, protected and interpreted as part of this interpretive program. NYSOPRHP will begin restoration of the Murals during the summer of 1999.

COMMENTS AND RESPONSES (page 12) Substantive Changes Contained in the FEIS

Agreement with Old Fort Niagara Association: The Agency will amend its agreement with the Old Fort Niagara Association (OFNA) to place the Officers Club under the OFNA area of responsibility.

The purpose of the Officers Club at Fort Niagara State Park shall be to preserve and interpret the history of Fort Niagara in a manner complimentary to historic resources at Old Fort Niagara and in Fort Niagara State Park. Special emphasis will be placed on the World War One and World War Two periods and the history of the post from 1871-1963. Within this broad framework, the Officers Club may:

house interpretive exhibits related directly to the history of New Fort Niagara, the post used by the U.S. Army between 1871 and 1963;
house interpretive exhibits related directly to the Officers Club, its uses, architecture and artwork;
exhibit study collections of materials related directly to the history of Fort Niagara from prehistoric times to present;
serve as venue for interpretive activities such as guided tours, lectures, and other educational programs that explore the history and significance of the Fort, the Officers Club and its murals, and related features, events and personages; and
be available for special events, lectures, educational programs, films, meetings and other community gatherings.
IV. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING

D. DESCRIPTION OF BUILDINGS PROPOSED FOR ADAPTIVE REUSE AREA (page 44-5)
1. Officers Club
This building was constructed in 1938 after the original Officers Club burnt to the ground. Four murals were added to its interior between 1939 and 1946. The building is an attractive two-story brick building with white trim located near the Niagara River. A central entryway opens into a large vestibule, beyond which is the former ballroom where two of the murals on opposite walls are located. The mural on the east gable was painted by German POW Ernst Wile in 1945 and 1946 and is entitled "American History". On the opposite gable wall is a mural called "Cantigny" which depicts the victory of the 28th Infantry Regiment over the Germans in Cantigny, France in 1918. It was painted in 1939 by African-American artist Hubert H. Crawford. The other two murals are located in the basement of the building. On the north end, in the old Officers mess is a mural done by Polish-American artist Eugene M. Dyczkowski in 1938 called "Defending Forts". This mural has seven panels which illustrate the history of weaponry from the middle ages to 1940. The forth mural, located in the Missile Room (formerly the Bar and Grill) at the south end of the basement was painted by Tom Loftin Johnson, an art instructor at West Point, and is entitled "The U.S. at War" (Dickinson, 1998; Webster, 1998).
The Murals were examined by State Parks paintings conservator Joyce Zucker on April 29, 1998. The four murals were found to be generally in good condition. All of the murals were found to be grimy and the two murals in the ballroom have suffered from some minor water damage from past roof and flashing problems. Work required and cost to restore each of the murals was estimated. Cost estimates for documentation, cleaning and restoration of the four murals range from approximately $57,000 to 72,000 (Zucker, 1998) (See Appendix B).

The Officers Club has been used as office space by various entities over the years. NYSOPRHP used this building for its Artpark administrative offices for several years during the 1980s. The Park Manager's office was located at the Officers club during renovation of the park maintenance center. NYSDOT also temporarily rented office space in the building during a road construction project. The building is currently used as a Sub-station for the NYS Park Police and for storage of various Regional materials and records.

Staff of the Bureau of Historic Sites prepared a Condition Assessment Report (OPRHP, 1999). This report stated the building is generally in good condition and is a "solid and reasonably intact building that retains a great deal of its historic character." Some of the components that were identified for repair, replacement or additional assessment were: 1. The slate roof, 2. Underground drainage system, 3. exterior woodwork, and 4. Boiler and distribution piping. Long range needs were 1. Rebuilding of front exterior stairway, 2. Ventilation and 3. Conduct an energy performance audit.

V. ALTERNATIVES

D. ADAPTIVE REUSE ALTERNATIVES (pages 48-9)
1. Officers Club (page 40-1)

a. Conference Center

The larger spaces available in this building would allow for meeting rooms to be located on the first and lower floors. However, significant reworking of the second floor would be required for this occupancy to provide the room sizes required.

b. Conference Center/Offices

The lower floors could be utilized as indicated above, with the second floor being offices. This would reduce the amount of reworking of interior walls. However, all of the second floor doors and walls will need to be modified in order to provide a rated fire exit corridor.

c. Restaurant/Inn

The building was originally used as the officers dining facility, as well as their housing. For this reason many of the spaces presently laid out in the building could retrofitted into dining areas and rooms for overnight stays. There is also an existing kitchen area located in the lower level of the building.

During the public information/scoping meeting in March 1998, concern was expressed that a restaurant in this building could adversely impact the historic murals. Restoration and preservation of the historic value of the murals is recommended in the study of the murals conducted by Dr. Sally Webster, Professor of American Art at Lehman College and the Graduate Center of CUNY. A copy of the executive summary from this report and that of a report by NYSOPRHP Painting Conservator, Joyce Zucker, regarding the current condition of the murals are included in Appendix B. The location of suitable parking and traffic flow is another concern with this alternative.

d. Community Center/Art Gallery

The present building has a number of rooms that could be used as classrooms or meeting rooms, however, new handicapped access, as well as new accessible restrooms would be required. Additionally, the park location is not central to any community which needs a community center. The size of the building is larger than required for such a function and a community center would not generate sufficient funds to support its maintenance and operations. The existing smaller rooms are prohibitive to typical displays in an Art Gallery. Most existing interior walls would need to be removed and humidity and temperature controls would need to be added.

e. Museum/Conference Center

Several organizations and individuals have recommended that the Officers Club be re-used as a Museum which focuses on the murals and history. Other proposed uses which could be accommodated into a museum facility include art exhibitions, conferences, community events, and offices. This type of multi-use facility would allow the restoration and protection of the building and the murals as well as interpretation of the murals. This alternative would also provide the greatest public access to the building and the murals.

f. Conclusions

All of the options will require structural changes to comply with handicap access and emergency egress codes. The addition of an air conditioning system to the facility would provide comfort to the patrons but would require additional changes to the structure. These schemes not only allow for the reuse of the building and respect the historic value of the structure, they also allow funds to be generated for its maintenance. It was thought that schemes a-d would reduce public access to this building, including the significant murals.

The option of using this building for a Museum/Conference Center was chosen as the best alternative use. This option would increase public access, allow for the murals to be restored and protected, and maintain the historic value of the building. Structural changes in the building would still be necessary to comply with state codes, but the need for air conditioning and the reworking of other mechanical systems would be greatly reduced. The Officers Club will not continue to be a part of the concession license between NYSOPRHP and Construction Services of Niagara, Inc. It is anticipated that future rehabilitation and management of this building will be accomplished by the NYSOPRHP, through its contract with O.F.N.A.

VI. PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE

A. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSAL AS A UNIT

. . .
The preferred reuse alternative selected for the Officers Club is a Museum/Conference Center. A Bed & Breakfast facility with Small Meeting Rooms was chosen to be the new preferred use for the Commandant's House. The Barracks Building will be used as an Inn with related support facilities. The Post Theater will be renovated and updated into a more modem multi-use theater.
The implementation of the preferred alternative for each building will be achieved in one of two ways. For renovation and reuse of the Officers Club, OPRHP anticipates working with a not-forprofit partner, the Old Fort Niagara Association. The three remaining buildings will be renovated for reuse by means of the public/private partnership concession license between Construction Services of Niagara, Inc. and NYSOPRHP. B. BUILDING BY BUILDING DESCRIPTION
1. Officers Club (pages 55-6)
The preferred alternative for the Officers Club is reuse as a Museum/Conference Center. This will be a multi-use facility available for museum and art exhibit activities, office, small conference and meeting uses. The building will also be made available for various community activities.

The Officers Club, at the request of Construction Services of Niagara, Inc., is being removed from the concession license with State Parks. NYSOPRHP has met with the Old Fort Niagara Association (OFN), with whom it has contracted for many years with respect to the care and interpretation and use of historic resources in Fort Niagara State Park, to discuss future programming for the Officers Club. NYSOPRHP and OFN have agreed to amend their contract and place the Officers Club within OFN's area of responsibility. In addition, NYSOPRHP and OFN have agreed to an interpretive theme (reflected later in this document) for the Officers Club. Finally, NYSOPRHP and OFN have agreed that OFN will reach out to all interested parties, including not-for-profit organizations and the general public who are interested in using the facilities at the Officers Club within the context of the interpretive theme. The murals within the Officers Club will be restored, protected and interpreted as part of this interpretive program. NYSOPRHP will begin restoration of the Murals during the summer of 1999.

NYSOPRHP has determined that the interpretive framework for the Officers Club at Fort Niagara State Park shall be to preserve and interpret the history of Fort Niagara in a manner complimentary to historic resources at Old Fort Niagara and in Fort Niagara State Park. Special emphasis will be placed on the World War One and World War Two period and the history of the post from 1871-1963. Within this broad framework, the Officers Club may:

house interpretive exhibits related directly to the history of New Fort Niagara, the post used by the U.S. Army between 1871 and 1963
house interpretive exhibits related directly to the Officers Club, its uses, architecture and artwork.
exhibit study collections of materials related directly to the history of Fort Niagara from prehistoric times to the present.
serve as a venue for interpretive activities such as guided tours, lectures, and other educational programs that explore the history and significance of the Fort, the Officers Club and its murals, and related features, events and personages.
be available for special events, lectures, educational programs, films, meetings and other community gatherings.

The use of the Officers Club as a museum/Conference Center may require renovation and rehabilitation. All interior and exterior modifications will be done in consultation with the Historic Preservation Field Services Bureau of NYSOPRHP and will be consistent with the Secretary of the Interiors Standards. OPRHP has allocated the necessary funds to conserve the four murals in the Officers Club, under the direction and supervision of the Bureau of Historic Sites and its painting conservator, Joyce Zucker. Present plans call for treatment of the two murals in the ballroom in 1999, possibly between June and October. Final details and schedules will be completed in the next few months. The public will be notified when this work commences.

XIII. COMMENTS AND RESPONSES

OFFICER'S CLUB

Comment: Mechanism for Officers Club Protection and Use. There were several statements of support for removal of the Officers Club from the contract with Construction Services of Niagara, Inc. and the assumption of responsibility by OPRHP for protection and use of the building. There were suggestions that OPRHP work closely with a not-for-profit entity such as the Old Fort Niagara Association or a Friends Group for the building's use and protection. There was a specific recommendation that a Task Force or not-for-profit Board of Trustees be created to study acceptable reuse options and approaches to operation. Some interest groups volunteered to participate on the Task Force such as the Town of Porter Historical Society. The Officers Club Museum Coalition (OCMC) offered to assist OPRHP in this effort by forming a Friends Group similar to the Friends of Ganondagon.

Response: At the present time, day to day maintenance and security of the Officers Club rests with the management of Fort Niagara State Park and the Niagara Fronteir Region. NYSOPRHP has met with the Old Fort Niagara Association (OFN), with whom it has contracted for many years with respect to the care and interpretation and use of historic resources in Fort Niagara State Park, to discuss future programming for the Officers Club. NYSOPRHP and OFN have agreed to amend their contract and place the Officers Club within OFN's area of responsibility. In addition, NYSOPRHP and OFN have agreed to an interpretive theme (reflected elsewhere in this document) for the Officers Club. Finally, NYSOPRHP and OFN have agreed that OFN will reach out to all interested parties, including not-for-profit organizations and the general public who are interested in using the facilities at the Officers Club within the context of the interpretive theme. The murals within the Officers Club will be restored, protected and interpreted as part of this interpretive program. NYSOPRHP will begin restoration of the Murals during the summer of 1999.

Comment: Museum/Conference Center Use. There was considerable support for this proposed use which was specified in the DEIS. There was also a call for a specific plan for its use and operation.

Response: Museum use is certainly a compatible adaptive re-use for this building. Aside from ADA compliance, which must be addressed in any scenario, the spatial layout of the building lends itself to exhibition, educational program and associated uses. It is anticipated that the ballroom will always remain an open, largely unobstructed space available for exhibits, lectures, musical and other special programs. In this manner, the ballroom and perhaps other rooms can serve as community meeting spaces and perhaps accommodate conferences as well, depending on group size and related considerations.

Comment: Focus of Interpretation Programming. There were several suggestions regarding elements that could be incorporated into an interpretive theme for the building. These included POW history and description of military life and role of these facilities in the period they were set in. It was also felt that the building was a piece of the overall history of Fort Niagara State Park and could work in a complementary way with the programs of Old Fort Niagara. The OCMC provided detailed recommendations.

Response: The purpose of the Officers Club at Fort Niagara State Park shall be to preserve and interpret the history of Fort Niagara in a manner complimentary to historic resources at Old Fort Niagara and in Fort Niagara State Park. Special emphasis will be placed on the World War One and World War Two period and the history of the post from 1871-1963. Within this broad framework, the Officers Club may:

house interpretive exhibits related directly to the history of New Fort Niagara, the post used by the U.S. Army between 1871 and 1963;

house interpretive exhibits related directly to the Officers Club, its uses, architecture and artwork;

exhibit study collections of materials related directly to the history of Fort Niagara from prehistoric times to the present;

serve as a venue for interpretive activities such as guided tours, lectures, and other educational programs that explore the history and significance of the Fort, the Officers Club and its murals, and related features, events and personages; and

be available for special events, lectures, educational programs, films, meetings and other community gatherings.

Comment: There were several comments that the Officers Club should be wholly operated by New York State as a historic site and Museum. The concern was that if it was given over to a not-for-profit organization there would be a severe shortage of funding and the facility would never reach its full potential.

Response: It is generally agreed that the Officers club will be preserved and used to help interpret the history and significance of Fort Niagara, with a focus on the period 1871 to 1963 when the post was used by the United States Army. The Club's architecture, including the four ca. 1940-45 murals, will be respected in any adaptive reuse of this building.

It is not possible, at this time, to state categorically by what means the Officers Club will be developed and managed to fulfill these educational and interpretive objectives. OPRHP has formed a number of successful partnerships to facilitate the development and operation of OPRHP-owned resources throughout New York State and an excellent local example is its relationship with the Old Fort Niagara Association. OPRHP will consult with OFNA and other groups and organizations which are interested in the future of the Officers Club, such as the Officers Club Museum Coalition and the Town of Porter Historical Society. At the present time OPRHP does not have the resources to develop the Officers Club as an interpretive facility or museum for Fort Niagara State Park, necessitating some form of partnership with the not for profit sector for this purpose.

Comment: There was a suggestion that the developer provide a contribution of 100 to 200 thousand dollars toward the Officers Club project.

Response: The Officers Club will be removed from the concession license with Construction Services of Niagara, Inc. There is no requirement for the developer to participate in any specific way with regard to the Officers Club, its rehabilitation or interpretive planning.

OFFICERS CLUB SITE MAP

FORT NIAGARA STATE PARK OLD FORT NIAGARA

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