Preserving a Place in History

New England is a region steeped in the remarkable history of this country. BETA is fortunate to have significant experience helping our clients restore historical spaces and landmarks for both modern day visitor appreciation as well as compliance regulations. We have an understanding of, and appreciation for, the unique background of each of the sites we work within, and how history can act as inspiration for our planners as they guide the design process.

In the fall of 2014, BETA finished the second phase of a project that has roots going back to the 1500’s – the reconstruction of the Portuguese Discovery Monument at Brenton Point State Park in Newport, Rhode Island. The original monument was modeled after a compass rose in Sagres, Portugal, initially sculpted in the year 1524. It was built in honor of the renowned Portuguese Explorers from the Age of Exploration. Expanded interpretive aspects and design components at the site in Newport enrich the public’s understanding of the reconstructed monument and create a destination for residents and tourists. BETA staff visited the original site in Sagres to gather important and unique information about the thought process behind some of the design elements that are mirrored at the site in Newport.

Moving along in history, BETA is currently involved in a project that has origins in the 1600’s and is the beginning of the American Story. In late 2014, we began the Visioning Process for the Water Street Promenade in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Water Street runs along the harbor and is the location of Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower. BETA is focusing on improving pedestrian connections between the Rock and other attractions, the Harbor and the downtown district as a part of the Town’s preparation for Plymouth 400, an upcoming year-long celebration of Plymouth’s Anniversary in 2020. Plymouth 400 is going to be a national/international event that is expected to draw over 7 million visitors to the area. Our team is considering everything from undergrounding utilities, to significant urban design and landscape architecture, as well as establishing a harbor side promenade. We recognize the halo effect these improvements will have on businesses, visitors and residents to the area during and after the 2020 celebration. The goal is to increase visitor retention; rather than being a destination simply to view the Plymouth Rock, visitors will be provided guidance on how to better navigate the harbor/downtown district and experience many other points of interest (museums, restaurants and historic landmarks).

Another project with history in the 1600’s is in the North Square neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. BETA is working with the City to boost public draw to and enjoyment of the Square with reinforced place making, stormwater management and traffic improvements. The multi-use gathering space will incorporate significant elements of the neighborhood’s history, which has landmarks established in the year 1646. Points of interest that we will preserve and highlight include the Freedom Trail and the former home of Paul Revere, famous for his midnight ride to warn the Patriots that the “British were coming”. In a recent publication by Sasaki entitled “The State of the City Experience,” it is noted that 57% of people will stop to admire buildings that are historic in a city setting. Knowing identification of such historic landmarks is important for visitor retention, the Team’s plan is to implement the interpretive features and signage to ensure that the City and its visitors receive the maximum benefit from the project.

Further along in the timeline is the Battle Green in Lexington, Massachusetts where the opening shots of the Revolutionary War were fired in 1775, shortly after Paul Revere’s ride. BETA is working with the Town to bring the “green” back to the Battle Green by expanding pedestrian circulation in the street corridor and the area surrounding the Green and Minuteman Monument. With the amount of historic occurrences that took place in Lexington, there was concern that too many interpretive panels or wayfinding signs could be confusing to visitors. So while visitors will notice some panels explaining the historic significance of the area, BETA also created “ground graphics” as a subtle means of communicating significant historic importance. For example, bricks and stones built into sidewalks in a graphic pattern will indicate the number of Colonials and British fighters who encountered each other in a battle downtown. BETA’s interdisciplinary team of Landscape Architects and Traffic Engineers coordinated extensive community outreach and also partnered with the Town’s steering committee to develop an integrated plan of improvements that respects the history of the area. The final product will enhance the pedestrian experience and addresses ADA compliance, while meeting the transportation and commercial needs of the area.

Shifting into the 1800’s, Bushnell Park in Hartford, Connecticut is the oldest publicly funded park in the United States – and BETA has been assigned the task of providing the first expansion to the historic park in over 100 years. Conceptualized in 1850, Bushnell Park was born out of a need for open, green space following the Industrial Revolution. BETA has implemented a “road diet” approach and the team is implementing significant roadway, pedestrian, transit, landscaping and traffic signal improvements. A premiere example of Complete Streets, the project (anticipated to be completed in late 2015) will increase access though the downtown area and improve community activity. Already the site of several festivals and music events each year, the goal is that the revitalized park will host many more visitors due to the increased safe access for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles.

Following such profoundly historic projects, our work at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, Rhode Island almost seems modern in comparison. In 1913, a “Comfort Station” was built as a below grade public restroom on Weybosset Street. The original structure was made up of a venting tower and two staircases leading to the restroom facilities. Subsequently, a structure was built to cover the stair opening from inclement weather. In 1978, all but the tower was enclosed in a new structure that was used for tourist information and later a police substation. BETA was hired to simplify traffic circulation patterns, provide traffic calming features, maintain on-street parking and improve pedestrian safety and access to downtown in this area. To accommodate the proposed two-way traffic circulation and to preserve the original historic structure, plans for relocating the tower were developed. The tower was successfully moved, and the original subterranean restroom facility was filled, while the historic streetscape was revived for patrons to the PPAC and visitors of the City to safely enjoy.

We are proud to partner with our clients as they preserve their place in history. BETA’s visioning, design and engineering services allow our clients to celebrate our country’s past while preparing for the future.