Norcross House listed among state's '1,000 great places to see'

Date: 7/19/2010

July 19, 2010.

By Debbie Gardner

Assistant Managing Editor

EAST LONGMEADOW -- It's official. The Norcross House has been selected by Gov. Deval Patrick's special tourism commission as one of the "1,000 Great Places to See in Massachusetts."

State Sen. Gale Candaras announced the milestone for the local historic house through a July 12 press release.

"We're delighted to have it listed anywhere," Friends of Norcross House Vice President Merel Safford said. "This is a step along in getting East Longmeadow put on the map."

Norcross House was among 12,000 places across the state submitted for consideration to the Office of Travel and Tourism by residents. Those nominations were categorized by types of sites: historic; cultural; natural; distinctive. To be considered for inclusion, a location had to be accessible to the public.

"The Norcross House is a terrific addition to the list of great places in Massachusetts," Candaras said in the release. "Not only does the Norcross House represent Western Massachusetts' historical culture, but it also exemplifies East Longmeadow's great work in preserving and publicizing one of the town's notable landmarks."

The Friends of Norcross Center purchased the Victorian house, originally built in the 1880 as a summer home for the family of brownstone quarry owner J. Franklin Norcross, in 2003 and began restorations. In 2008, the group petitioned the town for financial assistance to pay off mortgage and other expenses through the use of Historic Preservation Funds, deeding the property to the town in return for the grant. The town approved the petition with the provision that the Friends develop the house as a cultural center for the town within the next five years.

Safford said work is ongoing both in developing use of the house and in making final restorations to the exterior and barn. Plans include turning the second floor into a historic research center and the barn into an arts center. The first floor is currently available to rent for functions.

Initiated in 2009, the "1,000 Great Places to See In Massachusetts" project was designed to increase awareness of the many hidden gems in the state and boost tourism both among state residents and visitors from outside its borders. Former State Rep. Eric Turkington of Falmoth chaired the special commission, created by legislation approved by Gov. Patrick.

"This list of 1,000 Great Places in Massachusetts celebrates what a truly special place Massachusetts is," Turkington said through a release. "It reminds us how fortunate we are to have such a wealth of heritage, cultural diversity, and natural beauty right in our backyard."

The list of 1000 Great Places will be posted on the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) Web site at www.massvacation.com. Other "Great Places" in Western Mass include Lupa Zoo in Ludlow, Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Hampden, and the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield.