Project Information

Bid Title

Historic Cemeteries Gravestone and Monument Conservation Project

Issuing Agency

City of Northampton

Location

Massachusetts

Published Date

Dec 16, 2025

Closing Date

Jan 22, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Bid Title:	Historic Cemeteries Gravestone and Monument Conservation Project
Category:	All Departments
Status:	Open

Description: The City of Northampton, Massachusetts owns and maintains several historic cemeteries located in separate areas of the city, and two of the cemeteries, West Farms and Park Street, are the focus of this Invitation to Bid. West Farms Cemetery, laid out in 1788, accommodated the families of late 18th century settlers in the west part of the city. Park Street Cemetery, established in 1825, served the Village of Florence, a subsection of Northampton, located to the north and west. City crews have maintained the trees, paths, and lawns in both cemeteries, however many of the monuments and grave markers are tilted, have fallen, or are broken. In 2018, the city contracted with a professional conservator to begin the process of treating the most hazardous stones –17 at West Farms and 44 at Park Street. In 2026, the city intends to continue this effort by conserving the remaining at-risk (unstable) and tilted markers. In 2017, the city worked with a team of consultants to prepare a Preservation Master Plan for the two cemeteries. The planning process included thorough assessments of the cemeteries’ monuments and markers, identification of all the markers in need of repair and proposed treatments and priorities for conservation. The plan keyed the damaged markers to cemetery maps. As previously noted, the most hazardous stones (“Priority 1”) were conserved in 2018. Remaining to be treated are 82 at-risk (or “unstable”) markers (“Priority 2”) and 42 tilted markers (“Priority 3”) This project aims to conserve a total of 124 markers in the two cemeteries. Please see Section Two of the Invitation for Bid for precise methods for treating these markers appear in Section Two of this Invitation for Bids , and the condition assessments of each cemetery are included in the Preservation Master Plan. Publication Date/Time: 12/16/2025 12:00 AM Closing Date/Time: 1/22/2026 2:00 PM Related Documents: Northampton Cemeteries Conservation-IFB 2025.12.16

Attachment Preview

INVITATION for BIDS

PROJECT MANUAL

for the

HISTORIC CEMETERIES

GRAVESTONE and MONUMENT

CONSERVATION PROJECT

December 16, 2025

sponsored by the

City of Northampton

Office of Planning and Sustainability

210 Main Street – City Hall

Northampton, Massachusetts 01060

413-587-1263

SECTION ONE

INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS

A. General Project Information

The City of Northampton, Massachusetts owns and maintains several historic cemeteries

located in separate areas of the city, and two of the cemeteries, West Farms and Park

Street, are the focus of this Invitation to Bid. West Farms Cemetery, laid out in 1788,

accommodated the families of late 18th century settlers in the west part of the city. Park

Street Cemetery, established in 1825, served the Village of Florence, a subsection of

Northampton, located to the north and west. City crews have maintained the trees, paths,

and lawns in both cemeteries, however many of the monuments and grave markers are

tilted, have fallen, or are broken. In 2018, the city contracted with a professional

conservator to begin the process of treating the most hazardous stones –17 at West Farms

and 44 at Park Street. In 2026, the city intends to continue this effort by conserving the

remaining at-risk (unstable) and tilted markers.

In 2017, the city worked with a team of consultants to prepare a Preservation Master

Plan for the two cemeteries. The planning process included thorough assessments of the

cemeteries’ monuments and markers, identification of all the markers in need of repair

and proposed treatments and priorities for conservation. The plan keyed the damaged

markers to cemetery maps. As previously noted, the most hazardous stones (“Priority 1”)

were conserved in 2018. Remaining to be treated are 82 at-risk (or “unstable”) markers

(“Priority 2”) and 42 tilted markers (“Priority 3”) This project aims to conserve a total of

124 markers in the two cemeteries. Precise methods for treating these markers appear in

Section Two of this Invitation for Bids, and in the condition assessments of each

cemetery are included in the Preservation Master Plan.

B. Timeline

Conservation work may begin once the City has selected a qualified conservator and both

parties have signed a contract. All conservation treatment must be completed by

December 31, 2026 as follows:

Base Bid (42 Priority 2 markers at West Farms Cemetery and 40 Priority 2 markers at

Park Street Cemetery)

Alternate Bid (30 Priority 3 markers at West Farms Cemetery and 12 Priority 3 markers

at Park Street Cemetery) – no later than December 31, 2026

Conservators must complete work between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday

through Friday.

C. Project Funding

Project Manual

Historic Cemeteries Gravestone & Monument Conservation Project, Northampton, MA

Page 1

Funding for this project has been provided by the City of Northampton Department of

Public Works. The City has established a fee not to exceed $100,000 for the project.

D. Minimum Qualifications of Contractor

1. All proposers must demonstrate that they fulfill the following minimum criteria:

a. At least 10 years experience and a proven track record of high quality,

professional work in the conservation of historic headstones, footstones, and

monuments constructed of slate, granite, marble, sandstone and zinc.

b. Membership in the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and

Artistic Works (AIC).

c. Documented experience working with Massachusetts municipal governments

in the conservation of historic gravestones and monuments, in historic burying

grounds.

d. Familiarity with the Massachusetts General Laws regarding burials and the

rules and regulations for gravestone repair/reproduction and for removing

tombs, graves, and memorials for repair, as well as the Massachusetts

Historical Commission’s rules and regulations regarding the conservation of

historic markers.

e. Proof of Insurance provided below

E. Bid Submission Requirements

1. The City of Northampton invites firms having capabilities for this work to submit

three (3) hard copies of their bid and one electronic copy as a PDF file (by email,

CD, or thumb drive) to:

Sarah LaValley

Northampton Office of Planning and

Sustainability

210 Main Street

Northampton MA, 01060

slavalley@northamptonma.gov

2. Submittal Date and Time. Bids must be received no later than 2:00 PM, January 22,

2026.

Late or incomplete bids will be rejected.

3. Contents of Bids. All bids must include, at a minimum, the following:

a. Resume(s) of professional(s) to be providing conservation services;

b. Description of relevant conservation experience including:

• A list of municipalities and cemeteries in Massachusetts where the Bidder

has completed conservation services; and

Project Manual

Historic Cemeteries Gravestone & Monument Conservation Project, Northampton, MA

Page 2

• Sample documentation (completed treatment forms) for conservation of

slate, sandstone, marble, zinc and granite markers.

c. Names, titles, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of three current or recent

clients for whom the Bidder provided (or is providing) similar services.

d. General Liability and Workers’ Compensation Insurance certificates.

e. Completed tax compliance, affirmative action, and non-collusion

certifications.

f. Price Proposal (Section Four of this Invitation for Bids).

4. Bid Rejection. The City of Northampton has the right to reject any and all bids if

is in the best interest of the City to do so.

5. Award of Contract. A contract will be awarded within 30 days of the final bid

submission date.

6. Bidder Questions. Bidder questions may directed to:

slavalley@northamptonma.gov

7. Withdrawals or Corrected Bids. Prior to opening, a bidder may correct, modify or

withdraw his/her bid by making the request in writing prior to the final date and

time for bid submission. All corrections and modifications must be delivered to

the address and the contact listed in Item 1 above.

8. Bid Evaluation Criteria. The City of Northampton will evaluate bids based on:

a. the “Minimum Qualifications of Contractor” outlined in Section E (above;

b. the quality of the bidder’s resume(s),

c. the extent of relevant conservation experience,

d. three (3) professional references that can provide comment on the bidder’s

quality of work, reliability, expertise and overall performance in similar

preservation/conservation projects, and

e. price.

9. Fixed Fee. The services performed by the bidder shall be considered a lump sum

contract. Prices quoted by the bidder shall in be all-inclusive, with cost of labor,

materials, and all expenses (travel, lodging, phone, fax, etc.) factored into the total

bid price.

Project Manual

Historic Cemeteries Gravestone & Monument Conservation Project, Northampton, MA

Page 3

SECTION TWO

SCOPE OF WORK & CONSERVATION SPECIFICATIONS

A. The repairs and conservation efforts for the West Farms and Park Street Cemeteries

include a base bid and two alternate bids, as follows:

1. Base Bid: includes a total of 82 markers classified as classified as Priority 2-Unstable

and requiring treatment by a conservation professional listed in Attachment A of this

Project Manual (42 markers at West Farms and 40 at Park Street).

2. Alternate Bid: includes a total of 42 markers classified as Priority 3-Tilted and

requiring treatment by a conservation professional listed in Attachment B of this

Project Manual (30 markers at West Farms and 12 at Park Street).

The assessment and risk rating of all the markers can be found and defined in the

Gravestone Conditions Assessment sections of the following report: Preservation

Master Plan for West Farms and Park Street Cemeteries, 2017. Copies of this

document, along with cemetery maps locating each marker by number, may be

viewed and downloaded from the City of Northampton Department of Public Works

website:

http://northamptonma.gov/1800/West-Farms-Cemetery

http://northamptonma.gov/1798/Park-Street-Cemetery

Assessments appear in the “Appendices” files, and maps appear in the “Map” files

within each of the above listed links.

B. All work should be accomplished in accordance with the Code of Ethics and Standards of

the Practice of the American Institute for the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works

(AIC).

C. Conservators will be required to consult Preservation Master Plan for West Farms and

Park Street Cemeteries, for gravestone and monument condition assessments, maps,

photographs, and for guidelines as to suggested repairs based on risk assessment/condition

(refer to the links listed above).

D. All work by the Conservator will be documented with an inventory form for each

marker/monument for which services are performed. All forms must be dated, and

include, at a minimum, the name of deceased, date of death, marker type, stone carver (if

applicable), material (stone and base), inscriptions and a description of the carvings. All

conservation procedures performed will be described on the form. Before and afterblack

and white photographs of the item to be conserved will be required. This completed

documentation will be presented in the form of a completed “report” (3 ring binder, each

individual form and photos preserved in plastic sleeves) becomes the property of the City

of Northampton

Project Manual

Historic Cemeteries Gravestone & Monument Conservation Project, Northampton, MA

Page 4

Commodity Codes

• NAICS 236220Commercial and Institutional Building Construction
• NAICS 238990All Other Specialty Trade Contractors

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