About NMH Northfield

Future Use of Northfield Campus: Questions and Answers

April 5, 2005

What does NMH mean when it says it is committed to stewardship of the Northfield campus?
Stewardship involves the careful and responsible management of property entrusted to our care, and the board of trustees understands fully the importance and impact of its stewardship role. Its overall responsibility is to the mission and stability of Northfield Mount Hermon School, assuring by effort and action that the school will thrive. An important part of this responsibility is finding alternative uses for the Northfield campus that ideally are compatible with our mission and heritage, while allowing growth in new directions. One initiative of the Northfield Stewardship Committee is to commission an architectural and landscape history of each campus; these studies will enhance our archives and guide our planning as well as be available for the enjoyment of the NMH family.

The board is open to lease, joint venture, or sale of the property. Additionally, the board explicitly states a special interest in careful stewardship of our founder Dwight Moody’s Birthplace, the Moody Homestead, Round Top, and the Auditorium. Every effort will be made to keep the campus whole and to preserve these legacy buildings. As potential users come forward, we will negotiate with them the exact form in which our stewardship interest will be realized.

What are the next steps in finding future uses for the Northfield campus?
In mid-April a brochure will be sent to college presidents and secondary school heads in New England and New York as well as educational associations; religious institutions; a wide range of real estate brokers, investment bankers, and foundation officials with whom we are familiar; and all parties who have expressed interest in the campus. The brochure will also be posted on the LandVest and Northfield Mount Hermon websites.

Prior to the mailing, a letter and this set of Q&A’s will be sent to the alumni body, parents, and friends of NMH. A letter is being sent to all residents of Northfield, Gill, and Bernardston. The selectboard members of each town will learn in detail of the process. Once the brochures are mailed, press releases will be issued.

In the weeks and months following this launch of a more wide-ranging search for new users, meetings, tours, and informational sessions will be held with potential users and other interested parties. We will continue to keep all constituencies informed. The NMH website is a good way to read the latest information.

What is in the brochure you have produced and are sending to interested users?
The brochure is a six-page tri-fold presentation of the campus through pictures and text. It is intended as an introduction for possible users, and describes the property and buildings, the history of the schools, and the initiatives the trustees are taking to find possible alternative uses.

Your materials refer to “lease, joint venture, or sale” of the campus. What do you mean?
A lease is similar to a rental agreement in which NMH, as owner, charges a fair value to a tenant. Both parties agree on the details of maintenance, services, utilities, etc.

A joint venture would be an active partnership between NMH and another party or parties in which each would have specific contributions, areas of responsibility, and prominence.

A sale of the campus would cede ownership to another entity. NMH prefers to retain ownership of the legacy buildings. However, there are potentially other ways to ensure proper protection and stewardship that we might explore, e.g., in partnership with the town of Northfield and a future user.

Will the campus be split up?
We are seeking a single educational user as our first priority, but we are also interested in the possibility of a consortium of users to fully occupy the campus. Any combination of uses will be carefully worked out with the interested parties as well as local interests.

Is it realistic to protect and preserve the legacy properties?
There are many ways to address our stewardship interests, depending on the chosen future uses of the campus. Easements, covenants, and continued ownership could maintain our stewardship interest in the properties we identify.

How will the Northfield School legacy, including its unique role in women’s education, be preserved?
One initiative of the Northfield Stewardship Committee is to commission an architectural and landscape history of each campus; these studies will enhance our archives and guide our planning as well as be available for the enjoyment of the NMH family. The Northfield School legacy is an integral part of NMH today and will continue to inform our way of life, our traditions, and our mission.

How long will this effort last? What will follow? Is there a “drop-dead” date?
It is difficult to predict when a user or group of compatible users may come together. Over the coming months we will expand our search beyond educational users in the Northeast as interest and necessity dictate. No “drop-dead” date has been set.

What about occupancy and carrying costs for the campus during this process?
This September NMH will be located primarily on the Mount Hermon campus, and we can consider making some Northfield buildings available for other uses. Recognizing the uniqueness of the property and the time it will take to find the correct match, we have built maintenance costs into our budget for several years to come. We are currently investigating short-term interim uses for parts of the campus for the next few years.

How will the names associated with the Northfield campus be honored at Mount Hermon?
This is very much on our minds. In addition to the Northfield Stewardship Committee, both the Buildings and Grounds Committee and the Development and Alumni Relations Committee of the board of trustees are involved in these discussions. They and other trustees will jointly address this issue in the coming months. Conversations have been going forward with many of the living major donors.

How have you worked with the town of Northfield and other local communities?
Throughout we have included the towns in all communications. Individual conversations with town leaders and meetings of larger capacity have been held. A letter with details of our plans will go to all residents of Northfield, Gill, and Bernardston.

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