Announcing the 2020 Excellence Award Winners
We are thrilled to announce this year’s Excellence in Historic Preservation Award winners! The nine projects honored this year are strikingly different, but one thing that links them all is the connection they have to their respective communities. It reminds us that preservation is about people as much as it is about buildings. Good preservation takes care of our built environment, but it also takes care of our cities, towns, and neighbors. Considering the year we’ve all had, it’s a nice change of pace to celebrate these successes – and remember how our field of historic preservation can bring us all together, even when we are far apart.
Through a variety of programs that reach communities across the state, the League’s goal has always been to preserve our historic buildings, districts, and landscapes to build a better New York, one community at a time. Our Award winners represent the great variety of ways that preservation can be used to serve that goal. This year’s nominations were particularly strong – so much so that the jury was compelled to award nine projects instead of the usual eight.
We are honored to recognize the people who are using historic preservation to build stronger neighborhoods, create local jobs, provide affordable housing, open our eyes to overlooked history, and save the places that are special to all of us.
You can find all the posts about this year’s Award winners here.
River House Project | Hudson, Columbia County
Photo of a room on the first floor of the River House, showing just a few of the original wood windows that were restored. Credit: James Autery
River House Project occupies a 19,000-square foot former elementary school in the Hudson Historic District. Built in 1903, the school closed in the 1960s and sat vacant for much of the next several decades. Melissa Auf der Maur and Tony Stone took ownership of the building in 2015 and embarked on an extensive restoration to bring the site back to active use. The League was happy to be a resource back when the River House Project was first getting underway – we encouraged using historic tax credits – and we are delighted to see what a complete and impeccable transformation has occurred thanks to the people behind this preservation success story. River House is now home to an energy efficient creative coworking space focused on film, media, and innovation.
Fire Watchtower at Marcus Garvey Park | Harlem, New York County
Photo of the Fire Watchtower and the slope of the hill in Marcus Garvey Park. Credit: Alexander Severin
The Fire Watchtower in Marcus Garvey Park has been watching over its community in Harlem since 1856. When the tower was decommissioned in the 1870s, the community rallied to save it from demolition. Now the last of its kind in NYC, and rare surviving example of early American cast iron frame construction, it is a truly unique site. According to its National Register nomination, “the significance of the Watchtower … lies in its role as an historic engineering and technological landmark.” After decades of deferred maintenance, Harlem residents rallied to protect the tower from demolition again. In collaboration with several city agencies, the team at Thornton Tomasetti did a wonderful job preserving the watchtower’s historic character while making modern adjustments that will keep it standing tall for years to come.
Henry Street Settlement — Dale Jones Burch Neighborhood Center | Lower East Side, New York County
A wide shot of the Dale Jones Burch Neighborhood Center, showing the other historic buildings owned and operated by Henry Street Settlement to its left. Credit: Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP, Max Touhey
The Napoleon LeBrun-designed firehouse on Henry Street has been transformed by the nonprofit Henry Street Settlement into their Dale Jones Burch Neighborhood Center. The FDNY vacated the building in 2001, and it remained vacant until Henry Street was able to take ownership in 2017. They now provide essential services to Lower East Side residents, returning this building to community service.
Ethel T. Chamberlain House | Syracuse, Onondaga County
The front facade of 664 W. Onondaga Street after its restoration. Credit: Don Cochran
The nonprofit Housing Visions seeks to be a catalyst for positive change through their work as a developer, general contractor, and property manager. With the Ethel T. Chamberlain house, they transformed an abandoned former apartment building into the Salvation Army's Women's Shelter, which provides much needed permanent housing and on-site support staff. Vacant since 1990, the site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. Through their restoration, they made sure to respect the building’s historic features while modernizing and designing for sustainability whenever possible (a solar array was installed on the roof, for example).
Restoration and Adaptive Reuse of Building 207 | Fort Totten, Queens County
Photo showing the exterior northwest corner of Building 207 after restoration. Credit: L-Ines Studio
Building 207 was built in 1905. It is one of 80 purpose-built structures to house officers and soldiers, and one of over 100 buildings located within the 136-acre Fort Totten Park historic district. The building had been vacant since 1969, before the Center For the Women of New York negotiated with the NYC Parks Department to turn it into their new headquarters in 2002. Page Ayres Cowley Architecture, the firm that led the restoration work, did a remarkable job adapting this site for modern everyday use.
The Architecture of Downtown Troy: An Illustrated History by Diana S. Waite | Troy, Rensselaer County
The front cover of The Architecture of Downtown Troy: An Illustrated History by Diana S. Waite. Published by SUNY Press in September 2019.
Author Diana S. Waite’s The Architecture of Downtown Troy delves into the stories behind the facades that make up downtown Troy. The book features a combination of archival and contemporary photography by Gary David Gold. In nominating this book, SUNY Press included a quote from Carl Elefante, the 2018 President of The American Institute of Architects that said this book “paints a picture of the evolution of a historic town that provides valuable lessons for building the world of tomorrow.” Indeed, we believe readers are able to discover the importance of preservation in shaping an important American city, discovering its past and how that past has been brought into the present.
Cropsey Farm Barn Restoration & Rehabilitation | New City, Rockland County
Photo showing the red barn and bunkhouse from above after restoration. Credit: Dan Murdoch
This barn rehabilitation demonstrates a dedication to preserving New York’s agricultural heritage. In 2006, Rockland County partnered with the Town of Clarkstown to take ownership of the Cropsey Property in order to preserve it as open space, with the county owning 61% and the Town owning 31%. The local Community Supported Agriculture association is now the primary user of the rehabilitated 1796 Dutch barn, with the Rockland Farm Alliance growing and selling organic produce on the property. The barn and bunkhouse, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places, underwent considerable rehabilitation to bring the site back to active use.
Restoration of the Yaddo Mansion | Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County
Photo showing the east side of the Yaddo Mansion after restoration. Credit: Elizabeth Haynes Photography
Yaddo is a federally designated National Historic Landmark that has welcomed artists of all disciplines from all over the world since 1926. Their world-renowned artist residency hosts over 200 artists every year. After years of deferred maintenance, Lacey Thaler Reilly Wilson led a restoration project focused on restoring the building envelope and replacing certain mechanical systems. With the completion of this detailed restoration, Yaddo will be able to host the nation’s best artists for another 100 years.
Rehabilitation of Dr. Ferguson's Office | Glens Falls | Warren County
The front facade of Dr. Ferguson’s Office after its restoration.
The former office of Dr. James Ferguson was built in 1870 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1984. The Second Empire-style building is “the only structure of its type and remaining in Glens Falls,” as noted in its National Register nomination. After years of neglect and abandonment, the City of Glens Falls had received bids for demolition. At the eleventh hour, Darren and Lisa Tracy came forward with an offer to purchase it. The Tracys purchased the site from the city for just $1 – and then proceeded to invest significant time and resources to restore it. The rehabilitated building now houses apartments and adds to the character of the streetscape. It is a wonderful example of a small project having a big impact – and the power of individuals to have a positive impact on their communities.
The 2020 Excellence in Historic Preservation Awards were made possible by the Arthur F. And Alice E. Adams Charitable Foundation.
Additional support provided by:
Lothrop Associates LLP
Robert A. Gabalski, AIA, Partner &
Alex Stojkovic, Architectural Designer
By highlighting the best preservation projects in New York State, the League recognizes the dedication and skill of the advocates, architects, and craftspeople that make preservation happen. These awards also serve as case studies for neighborhood revitalization, adaptive reuse, building restoration, and architectural excellence.