Preserve New York Grants - 2018
At its 2018 meeting, the Preserve New York grant panel selected 31 applicants in 20 counties to receive support totaling $251,616. Many of these grants will lead to historic district designation or expansion, allowing property owners to take advantage of New York State and Federal Historic Tax Credits. With the announcement of the 2018 awards, support provided by Preserve New York since its launch in 1993 totals more than $2.6 million to 407 projects statewide.
Grants are listed below by county.
Albany County
Albany County Historical Association - $9,600
Ten Broeck Mansion Historic Structure Report
The Federal Style Ten Broeck Mansion was built between 1797-98 for Abraham Ten Broeck and his wife Elizabeth Van Rensselaer, with additions in 1850 and 1888. The Albany County Historical Association (ACHA) uses the mansion for collections storage, tours, programming, and special events, and in 2017 welcomed some 3,000 people. Since completing an existing condition report in 2015, ACHA has undertaken significant work on the building and intends to continue routine maintenance. However, additional research is needed to tell the story of the enslaved people who lived and worked at the mansion. A $9,600 Preserve New York Grant will support the cost of an updated and expanded Historic Structure Report to be completed by Walter Wheeler of Troy. This work will support ACHA’s continued collaboration with neighborhood organizations to tell a more complete story of the Ten Broeck Mansion.
Shaker Heritage Society - $10,000
Watervliet Shaker National Historic District Review & Update
The Watervliet Shaker Historic District is the site of the first Shaker community in the United States and a spiritual revival that began in 1836. This movement spread across the country and led to an explosion of spiritual and artistic activity that continues its influence today. The district is more than 776 acres and twenty Shaker structures remain on the property. Proposed construction of 135 apartment units and a soccer complex and deterioration of historic Shaker buildings have placed the district at risk – which is why the district was added to the Preservation League’s 2018-19 Seven to Save list. A $10,000 Preserve New York grant will enable the Shaker Heritage Society to hire Jessie Ravage of Cooperstown to review the boundaries of the district and update the State and National Register designation, with a goal of securing National Historic Landmark status.
Broome County
Nanticoke Valley Historical Society of Maine NY - $5,682
Norton Wagon Shops Building Condition Report
The Norton Wagon Shops date from 1840 and the site is an example of an early cottage industry in a rural setting. The shops stayed in the Norton family until 1920 and were used to manufacture wagons, carriages, and sleighs. The Nanticoke Valley Historical Society of Maine NY took ownership of the buildings in 1978 and has been working to maintain and preserve them ever since. Situated next to Nanticoke Creek, the property is prone to flooding. Moisture has degraded some of the support beams, and the roofs have been replaced. A $5,682 Preserve New York Grant will enable the historical society to hire Chianis and Anderson Architects of Binghamton to create a Building Condition Report of the Norton Wagon Shops and develop a plan for preservation and maintenance.
Cayuga County
Aurora Masonic Center - $11,914
Scipio Masonic Lodge No. 110 Historic Structure Report
The Scipio Masonic Lodge No. 110 was built in 1819 by Jacop Hovey. The Grand Master and Governor DeWitt Clinton laid the cornerstone for this building. In 2004, the Board of Regents granted a charter to the Aurora Masonic Center Historical Society. Their goal is to preserve and maintain the historic lodge building and educate the public about the history of Aurora and Freemasonry. The society took ownership of Masonic Lodge 110 in 2010, and five years later completed a condition report, resulting in a preservation plan. An $11,914 Preserve New York grant will enable the Aurora Masonic Center to hire Crawford & Stearns Architects and Preservation Planners of Syracuse to complete a Historic Structure Report of the Lodge to inform plans for restoration of the façade, exterior siding, and the historic Lodge room on the second floor.
Chautauqua County
Jamestown Renaissance Corporation - $9,228
Forest Heights District Intensive Level Survey
Jamestown’s Forest Heights neighborhood retains a number of buildings associated with local luminaries, including former Governor Reuben E. Fenton. The neighborhood boasts a mix of Greek Revival, Colonial Revival, Queen Anne and vernacular residences, but in recent years, many have fallen prey to disinvestment, deferred maintenance, insensitive rental conversion and demolition. Some neighborhood residents have improved their homes with help from the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation’s matching grant programs, but access to historic tax credits will help homeowners protect their investments. A $9,228 Preserve New York grant will enable the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation to hire Bero Architecture PLLC of Rochester to complete an Intensive Level Survey of the Forest Heights Neighborhood. The survey will help to determine eligibility for a nomination to the State and National Register of Historic Places which, if successful, would expand the availability of historic tax credits for approved repairs to older buildings.
Chemung County
Elmira College - $2,800
Mark Twain Study Historic Structure Report
The Mark Twain Study was erected in 1874 by Twain’s sister-in-law, while Twain and his family spent their summers at Quarry Farm in Elmira. Originally, the study building was situated about 100 yards away from the main house, in a grove of trees on a small hill. Here he wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889) and many other works. The study is now on the campus of Elmira College and while well maintained, would benefit from a Historic Structure Report. A $2,800 Preserve New York grant will enable the Center for Mark Twain Studies at Elmira College to hire Johnson-Schmidt Associates, Architects of Corning to complete a report including a current condition analysis, history of the structure, treatment and work recommendations, potential estimates of project costs, extensive photographic documentation, and measured drawings.
Dutchess County
Dutchess County Art Association d/b/a Barrett Art Center - $15,650
Barrett Art Center Historic Structure Report Phase II
The Dutchess County Art Association (DCAA) was formed in 1935 by Works Progress Administration artist Thomas Weeks Barrett, Jr. to provide a professional society for regional artists, and to foster public appreciation of the arts. In 1974, Barrett’s sister willed the family’s 1840s Greek Revival townhouse to the organization to “contribute to the appreciation and understanding of art.” Today, at the Barrett Art Center (BAC), DCAA provides dynamic public programming, art classes, and research materials to the community. Two previous grants from the League have supported the cost of a condition assessment of the roof and Phase I of a Historic Structure Report. Now, a $15,650 Preserve New York grant will enable the Barrett Art Center to hire Marilyn Kaplan to complete Phase II of the Historic Structure Report. These three reports will inform preservation, maintenance and interpretation of the building for future years to come.
Jefferson County
Thousand Island Park Landmark Society - $9,000
Thousand Island Park Intensive Level Survey
Thousand Island Park is a community in Jefferson County with 350 cottages, five public buildings (a Tabernacle, library, hotel, pavilion, and chapel) and public green space on the St. Lawrence River. The park is rooted in the revival meetings of the Second Great Awakening and was founded by Methodists in 1875. Five late 19th and early 20th century cottage architectural styles are prevalent in the park, and while much of the architecture and community has been maintained, fire is a constant threat and has destroyed several important resources. The Thousand Island Park Landmark Society first surveyed and documented the community in 1982 resulting in listing on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Now, additional resources are eligible for inclusion in the historic district such as public spaces and boathouses. A $9,000 Preserve New York grant will enable the Society to complete an updated State and National Register of Historic Places designation form and foster appreciation for this charming historic community.
Livingston County
Caledonia Library - $2,680
Caledonia Library Building Condition Report
The Caledonia Library building was built in 1826 as a post office, later served as a bank, and then an apothecary. Converted to a library in 1873, it has served the community as such ever since. The Library Association is committed to conserving the structure and the library resources. Administrators are planning a library expansion to increase the capacity for service but wish to respect the building’s integrity. This expansion will modernize the library and provide community resources, make the building handicapped accessible, create a community meeting room, modern restrooms, enhance technology and expand its holdings of books and other media. This project will make library the cornerstone of the community, as originally envisioned. A $2,680 Preserve New York Grant will enable the Caledonia Library to hire Bero Architecture of Rochester to complete a Building Condition Report to lay the groundwork for repairs and expansion.
Village of Avon - $10,000
Village of Avon Reconnaissance Level Survey
The rural village of Avon is located near Western New York’s historic railroad corridors and Routes 5 and 20. The village center is an oval public green, ringed by a mix of 19th and 20th century residential, commercial, and public buildings. Avon once had a thriving hotel and spa trade with attractions like the National Register-listed Avon Inn, standardbred horse track and sulfur springs, but many historic resources are now threatened by vacancy and disrepair. Village officials would like to take advantage of the full range of financial incentives for historic preservation, and a $10,000 Preserve New York grant will enable them to hire Bero Architecture PLLC of Rochester to complete a Reconnaissance Level Survey. The survey will help to determine eligibility for a nomination to the State and National Register of Historic Places for one or more districts in the Village which, if successful, would expand the availability of historic tax credits for approved repairs to older buildings.=
Monroe County
Genesee Country Village & Museum - $7,560
Genesee Country Village & Museum Intensive Level Survey
The Genesee Country Village & Museum (GCVM) is a 20th century collection of historic buildings ranging in age from c. 1797-1884. Created in the 1960s by collecting and relocating historic structures for preservation and interpretation, the Museum now celebrates the architecture and cultural history of the Genesee Valley and is a model for other living history museums. Museum staff are dedicated to preserving and maintaining the structures, but harsh weather and foundation settling threaten the integrity of the campus. A $7,560 grant will enable the GCVM to hire Blake Held of Honeoye Falls to complete an Intensive Level Survey of the museum campus to document the current state and significance of its historic resources and plan for restoration. The outcome of the survey could result in the Museum pursuing a nomination to the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
Visual Studies Workshop - $2,400
Visual Studies Workshop/Former Women’s College at University of Rochester
Building Condition Report
The Visual Studies Workshop (VSW) headquarters was built in 1913 on the University of Rochester campus as part of the women’s college. VSW is an urban arts organization that welcomes the public for exhibitions, film screenings, art events and other cultural programs since 1978. For the past ten years, the organization has made strides in correcting problems caused by decades of deferred maintenance, repairing portions of the original slate roof, removing potentially hazardous material, and updating the HVAC systems. A $2,400 Preserve New York grant will enable the Visual Studies Workshop to hire Bero Architecture PLLC of Rochester to complete an updated Building Condition Report. This report will complement a similar report completed by Bero in 2005 and help VSW prepare a five-year plan to fort the building’s maintenance and preservation program.
City of Rochester - $5,500
City of Rochester Northwest Quadrant Reconnaissance Level Survey
The City of Rochester’s northwest quadrant boasts a distinctive mix of late 19th and early 20th century residential and business buildings, religious, industrial and educational resources. It is also home to the Eastman Kodak Company industrial campus and the Charlotte neighborhood along the shore of Lake Ontario. Manufacturing jobs have disappeared along with many residents, resulting in concentrated poverty and vacancy, deferred maintenance, and absentee landlords. The City completed a historic resources survey in 1986 and has updated some data to prepare several National Register nominations including the Maplewood Historic District Expansion, funded in part with a previous Preserve New York grant. A $5,500 Preserve New York grant will enable the City of Rochester to hire the Landmark Society of Western New York to complete the third and final phase of updating the original 1986 citywide survey, determine the significance of remaining historic resources in Rochester and lay the groundwork for additional National Register Historic Districts.
Nassau County
North Shore Land Alliance - $9,750
Schmidlapp Humes Estate Cultural Landscape Report
The Schmidlapp Humes property in Mill Neck was once part of a historic borderline between the Dutch and English colonies in the 1650s. The property includes a 1740 home and an 1810 tavern as well as meadows, hillsides, wooded areas, and landscape features including a 1960 Japanese Stroll Garden. In 2015, the property was acquired by the North Shore Land Alliance, founded to protect important natural spaces on Long Island’s north shore but also invested in preservation of significant historic properties. A $9,750 Preserve New York grant will enable the Alliance to hire Heritage Landscapes to complete a Cultural Landscape Report of the 28-acre property. The group will use this report to supplement their conservation plans and educational programming while guarding against further losses and changes to the natural landscape and historic structures.
Village of Rockville Centre - $11,200
Village of Rockville Centre Reconnaissance Level Survey
In Nassau County, the village of Rockville Centre’s history is illustrated by its architectural variety. Queen Anne Victorian and Tudor Revival style homes surround an elegant and walkable village center. Just forty-five minutes from Penn Station, it offers young families a way to enjoy quiet village life with an easy commute to New York City. Many of the existing historic homes in town were built on large parcels of land. Historic homes are vulnerable to developers who purchase and raze them, then build multiple new homes on the lots. An $11,200 Preserve New York grant will enable the village to hire Nancy Solomon of Port Washington to complete a Reconnaissance Level Survey of the historic properties in Rockville Centre and complement efforts by the Mayor to create a Task Force for Historic Preservation.
New York County
Renee & Chaim Gross Foundation - $12,000
526 LaGuardia Place (Renee & Chaim Gross Foundation) Building Condition Report
The Renee & Chaim Gross Foundation is headquartered at 526 LaGuardia Place in Manhattan. Designed by Joseph Dunn in 1873, the building has a storefront on the ground floor and lofts on the upper floors, and once served as Chaim Gross’s sculpture studio. Well-known in the Modern Art community for his large wooden sculptures, Gross worked alongside other Modernists such as Arthur Malsin and Don Reiman to alter the building to suit his needs. The building now houses his sculpture and tool collection, including African art and artifacts, paintings, books, and furniture. In 2017, the Foundation completed significant preservation work when water infiltration threatened the skylight in the sculptor’s studio, which revealed the need for careful evaluation of the entire building. A $12,000 Preserve New York grant will enable the Foundation to hire Jan Hird Pokorny Associates of New York City to complete a Building Condition Report, develop maintenance procedures and uncover other building issues before they cause damage.
Ontario County
Ontario County Historical Society - $8,740
Historic Sites Relating to Women’s Suffrage in Central New York
Reconnaissance Level Survey
The Ontario County Historical Society is dedicated to protecting and promoting the history of the county and surrounding areas. Research in an eight-county area in Central New York (Cayuga, Monroe, Onondaga, Oswego, Seneca, Tompkins, and Wayne) points to historic sites linked to the national and statewide Women’s Suffrage movement has begun, but more documentation is necessary. An $8,740 Preserve New York grant will allow the Ontario County Historical Society to sponsor the research of Dr. Judith Wellman of Oswego to further study sites in the battle for women’s rights, including those with historic structures that illustrate their stories. The goal is to add to the National Votes for Women Trail (organized by the National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites), historic marker designations, local preservation planning efforts, and nominations to the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
Village of Naples - $8,800
Village of Naples & Environs Reconnaissance Level Survey
The village of Naples is often referred to as the “Switzerland of America” because of its scenic beauty and charming buildings. Located at the southern end of Canandaigua Lake, it has been a popular tourist destination in the Finger Lakes since the early 20th century. More than half of the town’s buildings date to before 1929. As the community launches plans to develop a public wastewater treatment facility to prepare for the future, officials also want to recognize the past. An $8,800 Preserve New York grant will enable the village to hire the Landmark Society of Western New York to complete a Reconnaissance Level Survey of the village and its environs. The joint effort between the village and the town of Naples will document existing historic resources and lay the groundwork for nominations to the State and National Register of Historic Places.
Town of Canandaigua - $8,192
Reconnaissance Level Survey of Historic & Cultural Resources in the Town of Canandaigua
The town of Canandaigua boasts a wealth of historic resources including rural farmsteads, school buildings, cemeteries, lakefront homes, camps and cottages. The town also includes the hamlet of Cheshire, a modest but well-preserved enclave of historic homes, commercial and institutional structures. Residential building types range from late 18th and early 19th centuries and mid-century modern to Finger Lakes vacation properties, from vernacular to sophisticated. Recent population growth has led to subdivision of open spaces and farmlands, especially those near or with views of Canandaigua Lake. Residents and town officials are concerned about changes to the character of the area and threats to natural and historic resources. An $8,192 Preserve New York grant will enable the Town of Canandaigua to hire Bero Architecture of Rochester to complete a Reconnaissance Level Survey of historic resources in Canandaigua to inform an open space preservation plan and preserve historic resources by deterring insensitive development.
Town of Manchester - $5,500
Hamlet of Port Gibson Reconnaissance Level Survey
Manchester recently completed a Comprehensive Plan and is developing preservation plans for several different areas of town. One area of interest is the rail corridor and the Lehigh Valley Railroad Roundhouse, a Preservation League 2018-19 Seven to Save designee. This renewed focus on preservation and strategic planning has led to preservation efforts in all areas of the town, including the modest hamlet of Port Gibson. A $5,500 Preserve New York grant will enable the town to hire the Landmark Society of Western New York to complete a Reconnaissance Level Survey of the hamlet. Several historic resources in Port Gibson are individually listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, but survey and documentation of the remaining structures. will raise awareness of the importance of historic preservation as a way to boost tourism and economic revitalization efforts.
Putnam County
Tompkins Corners Cultural Center - $9,600
Tompkins Corners Cultural Center Building Condition Report
The Tompkins Corners Cultural Center (TCCC) is located in the former Tompkins Corners Methodist Church, built in 1891 and designed by architect Robert Barker of Mahopac Mines. The building replaced a smaller church on the property and still retains original blue and gold stained glass windows, steeple and exterior cladding as well as rare interior hand stenciling. The Cultural Center took over the building in 2015 and has made great strides in renovating portions of the building. Volunteers and professional contractors have completed work inside the structure, but the building has never had a thorough inspection by an architectural firm or preservation professional. A $9,600 Preserve New York grant will enable the Tompkins Corners Cultural Center to hire Stephen Tilly Architects of Dobbs Ferry to complete a comprehensive Building Condition Report of the church building to inform a preservation and maintenance plan for the structure.
Queens County
Greater Ridgewood Restoration Corporation - $8,000
Ridgewood Extension Neighborhood Reconnaissance Level Survey
In the early 20th century, the Ridgewood section of Queens was home to working-class German immigrants. The neighborhood retains historic rowhouses, model tenements, and mixed-use structures with commercial spaces on the ground floors and unaltered residential units on the upper floors. The nonprofit Greater Ridgewood Restoration Corporation blends historic preservation into its mission of community and neighborhood service, and works to ensure a safe and comfortable Ridgewood for all. The neighborhood is under threat by speculators and developers who buy buildings, force residents to leave, and dramatically alter their character. An $8,000 Preserve New York grant will enable the Greater Ridgewood Restoration Corporation to hire Christopher Brazee of Troy to create a Reconnaissance Level Survey of the neighborhood. Previous surveys divided Ridgewood into very small historic districts, but a new survey could merge or enlarge these districts, offering more protection for the neighborhood’s historic charm.
Rockland County
Village of Pomona - $5,200
Pomona Cultural Center (Pig Knoll Schoolhouse) Building Condition Report
The Pomona Cultural Center, once known as the Pig Knoll Schoolhouse, was designed in 1914-15 by New York architect Walter Robb Wilder. The building is symmetrical and constructed of Rockland’s abundant glacial fieldstone. Since becoming the Pomona Cultural Center in 1951 it has become one of the Village’s premier historic resources and presents art and cultural events that are widely attended and loved by the community. Village officials are committed to maintenance and repair of this important historic building but are concerned about encroaching development. A $5,200 Preserve New York grant will enable the Village of Pomona to hire Lacey Thaler Reilly Wilson Architecture & Preservation of Albany to complete a comprehensive Building Condition Report to help the Village discover any issues that must be mitigated while planning for the future.
Schenectady County
Schenectady County Historical Society - $10,000
Brouwer-Rosa Historic Structure Report
The Brouwer House is one of the oldest houses in Schenectady, dating to c. 1730 but likely with even earlier roots. The building was donated to the Schenectady County Historical Society in 2016. The society operates several historic buildings in Schenectady and Rotterdam Junction and works to preserve and promote the history of the area through exhibitions, public programming and events. The Brouwer House is in the Stockade Historic District and is the only house in the district open to the public. A brief structural report indicates that the Brouwer House is stable, but architectural history documentation is required to better understand the home’s history and significance. A $10,000 Preserve New York grant will enable the society to hire Lacey Thaler Reilly Wilson Architecture & Preservation of Albany to complete a Historic Structure Report to inform an interpretive program to foster understanding of the importance of the Stockade Historic District.
Suffolk County
Sylvester Manor Educational Farm - $10,000
Sylvester Manor Burying Ground Cultural Landscape Report
Sylvester Manor on Shelter Island is considered the most intact remnant of a northern plantation and was settled in 1652 by sugar merchant Nathaniel Sylvester. Held by descendants of Sylvester for 362 years, the Manor retains a number of artifacts and archives that tell the story of the site. Many enslaved people lived and worked on the Manor Farm and were interred in the “Burying Ground of the Colored People of the Manor Farm from 1651.” Nestled in a wooded clearing between the forks of the main Manor drive, the burying ground remains in a mostly natural state, with minimal clearing of debris and fallen trees. A $10,000 Preserve New York grant will enable the Sylvester Manor Educational Farm to hire Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects of New York City to create a complete Cultural Landscape Report to better articulate the significance of the burying ground.
Madoo Conservancy - $8,000
Madoo Conservancy Cultural Landscape Report
The Madoo Conservancy maintains and preserves a large public garden in Sagaponack for public enjoyment. The Madoo property also includes several historic structures including a barn that dates to the 1740s and a mid-19th century barn. In 1967, the artist, writer and gardener Robert Dash lived at Madoo and established a formal garden featuring Tudor, High Renaissance, early Greek and Asian influences. The garden, because of its proximity to the ocean, is threatened by coastline erosion, water quality issues, and encroaching development. An $8,000 Preserve New York grant will enable the Madoo Conservancy to hire LaGuardia Design Group of Water Mill to create a Cultural Landscape Report to outline periods of significance and develop a maintenance plan to ensure the public can continue to enjoy this enchanting 2-acre oasis on Long Island’s South Fork.
Commack Union Free School District - $7,620
Marion Carll Farmhouse Building Condition Report
The Marion Carll Farm is the only 18th/19th century period farm complex in the Town of Huntington with a full set of historic structures in a natural and undisturbed setting. The buildings include two large mid-18th century barns, two early carriage barns, an 18th century corn crib, plus silos, a milk house, smoke house, poultry house, well house, privy, wind pump and ice house. The farmhouse retains many of the belongings of the Carll family. The Commack Union Free School District owns the property, but the buildings have been vacant and deteriorating for nearly 20 years. A $7,260 grant will enable the district to hire Steward Preservation Services of Huntington to complete a Building Condition Report of the Marion Carll farmhouse and plan for its preservation. In an area of Long Island where historic buildings and open spaces are increasingly lost to development, this is a remarkable collection of historic resources.
Smithtown Historical Society - $5,800
Obadiah Smith House Building Condition Report
The Smithtown Historical Society (SHS) preserves and maintains the history and culture of Smithtown and the surrounding areas through a museum-like campus of historic buildings that are open to the public for exhibitions and programming. One of these, the Obadiah Smith House, was built ca. 1700 and is an early example of English and Dutch building traditions. The house retains its original beehive oven, one of the only surviving structures of its time. The Obadiah Smith House is threatened by deterioration and severe weather. A $5,800 Preserve New York grant will enable the Smithtown Historical Society to hire Steward Preservation Services of Huntington to complete a comprehensive Building Condition Report to inform the creation of a preservation and maintenance plan, and ensure that the Obadiah Smith House can be enjoyed by visitors for years to come.
Warren County
Town of Horicon - $5,200
Heintzelman Library Building Condition Report
The Heintzelman Library was built in 1906-7 by local craftsmen J. Bennett and A. Jones and is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Its exterior features locally gathered stones and is an excellent example of a vernacular library. The Town of Horicon uses this space as an office for the Town Historian and maintains a public research center. The problems inherent in any aging building have been exacerbated by its location on Brant Lake, which has damaged its foundation and presents challenges for its future use. The town has made interim repairs to the Library over the years but seeks a better understanding of the structure. A $5,200 Preserve New York grant will enable the Town of Horicon to hire Rucinski Hall Architecture of Glens Falls to complete a comprehensive Building Condition Report to develop a preservation and maintenance plan for the future.
Westchester County
Rye Historical Society - $10,000
Knapp House Library & Archive Building Condition Report
The Knapp House Library & Archive Building at the Rye Historical Society is the oldest residential structure in Westchester County and illustrates three building styles used during the pre-colonial era. Construction on the house began in 1667, a sleeping loft was added between 1667-1680, a front room, parlor, and bedroom were added in 1749, and soon after a kitchen and lean-to were added to the back of the building. It retains its distinctive Saltbox shape and unusual fish-scale shingles on the roof. The Rye Historical Society has maintained this property for many years as a library and archive building. A $10,000 Preserve New York grant will enable the Rye Historical Society to hire Stephen Tilly Architects of Dobbs Ferry to complete a comprehensive Building Condition Report of the Knapp House to inform the development of a stewardship and maintenance plan.
Wyoming County
Silver Lake Institute - $6,000
Epworth Hall Building Condition Report
Epworth Hall, built in 1892, was designed by architect Otis Dyer in the Colonial Revival style of an assembly hall. Its open wood beam and frame construction provides excellent natural acoustics. Epworth Hall’s 15-acre site was purchased in 1872 and named the Silver Lake Assembly, which was associated with the Genesee Camp Ground Association and the Methodist Church. Some twenty years ago, a grassroots group acquired Epworth Hall and has been using the building each summer for concerts, lectures, public programs, and their biannual “Chautauqua” conference weekend. In 2017, the group incorporated as a non-denominational nonprofit, The Silver Lake Institute. A $6,000 Building Condition Report will enable the Silver Lake Institute to hire Bero Architecture of Rochester to complete a comprehensive Building Condition Report to provide professional guidance in their ongoing efforts to correct years of deferred maintenance.