Borderland appears on dubious Top 10 list

By Vicki-Ann Downing, Enterprise staff writer
EASTON — Leaks and mold damaging the historic mansion at Borderland State Park have earned it a spot on the Preservation Massachusetts list of the “10 Most Endangered Historic Resources.”
Borderland is not alone.
One of the enduring symbols of the nation's founding is also threatened by official neglect, according to the group — Plymouth Rock.
In fact, Preservation Massachusetts has placed the entire 450,000-acre state park system on its annual list of 10 most endangered historic places.
The statewide, non-profit, historic preservation group compiles the list each year to call public attention to properties it believes are neglected.
The group calls Borderland its “poster child,” said Erin Kelly, a spokeswoman for Preservation Massachusetts. But it also pointed out the damage done to Plymouth Rock, which has been lifted, relocated, cracked, chiseled and chipped.
Plymouth Rock, where the Pilgrims are said to have landed, sits on the waterfront under a columned portico built in 1921.
Tiles from the ceiling inside the dome began falling off more than a year ago, and the Department of Conservation and Recreation placed a net under the ceiling to catch any others that might fall. It's still there.
“It's not exactly putting your best foot forward for a national monument,” said Paul Cripps, executive director of the Plymouth County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
In Easton, the town's Historical Commission nominated Borderland for the list.
“We chose Borderland because the mansion is just falling apart,” said Melanie Deware, historical commission chairwoman. “The staff does a good job in maintaining the trails. It's the buildings that are of prime concern.”
Borderland's 1,570 acres became part of the state park system in 1971. The property includes a three-story, 20-room, stone mansion built in 1910 by Oakes Ames, a Harvard botanist, and his wife, Blanche, an artist.
Tours are offered of the mansion, which houses Ames' botanical collections, his wife's paintings and the papers of Ames' father, former Gov. Oliver Ames.
The state Department of Conservation and Recreation, which manages the state parks, does not have enough money to maintain the mansion, said William Hocking of Foxboro, chairman of the Borderland Advisory Council.
“The entire DCR is way underfunded,” said Hocking. “The mansion is really a museum, and they don't have the funds to properly maintain it.”
Hocking said the private non-profit Friends of Borderland organization “has poured thousands and thousands into the mansion,” including painting walls and restoring paintings and furnishings.
The Ames family donated plantings for outside the mansion as well.
But repairs are needed to the windows, roof and drainage system, Hocking said. The mansion, made of stone on a concrete foundation, needs repointing.
“It's expensive, but it's a beautiful building,” Hocking said. “It would cost millions to build something like it today.”
Staffing at the state park is also a problem, Hocking said, even though park attendance remains consistently high. There are now three full-time, year-round employees, down from seven.
Volunteers help maintain the walking trails and paths, Hocking said.
Deware said Borderland is a community resource, used for weddings, war re-enactments and summer concerts.
In addition to Borderland, Preservation Massachusetts chose two other examples of neglect in the state park system, Plymouth Rock and the schooner Ernestina, which is dry-docked in New Bedford.
Jim Igoe, president of Preservation Massachusetts, said the lack of maintenance of state parks is “an embarrassment.”
“Borderland is yet another sad example of a wonderful cultural, natural and historic resource that has not been allowed to reach its full potential,” Igoe said.
“There is a community that is actively trying to keep this park alive and preserve wonderful artifacts within the Ames mansion,” Igoe said. “Their efforts should not be in vain or fall victim to budget cuts and lack of funding.”
Since 1993, more than 100 historic sites have been named to Preservation Massachusetts' endangered list. Fewer than a dozen have been lost, the group said.
Julie Jette of the Patriot Ledger contributed to this report.