Gratz Grant - CiviCure for The Wood Block building

In March, 2015, the Preservation League of New York State made a $6,300 grant to CiviCure, a nonprofit organization whose mission is the “revitalization of the Hoosick economy through active stewardship of our rich heritage and rural environs and the art inspired by them.” The grant to CiviCure will support the cost of structural and code analyses of the Wood Block building.

Otto Schwarz, Erin Tobin, Barbara Sussman, Gary Sussman & Liza Rodriguez

The grant is the fourth made from the Donald Stephen Gratz Preservation Services Fund of the Preservation League of New York State.

The Wood Block is a three-story brick building, built in 1878 as the office headquarters for the Walter A. Wood Mowing and Reaping Machine Manufactory. The Wood Block is within the Hoosick Falls National Register Historic District at the corner of Main and John Streets.

The Wood Block has two large music halls on the third floor, used by choral and other musical groups. After the Wood Manufactory ceased operations, the performance spaces continued to serve Hoosick Falls as a public theater.

Currently, the Wood Block has offices occupying the three first floor storefronts, while the upper two floors have remained vacant for over 30 years. CiviCure would like to renew the third floor performance spaces for live performances, public gatherings, and special events and find a compatible use for the vacant second floor space.

Ryan Biggs/Clark Davis Engineering and TAP, Inc. completed the structural and code reports, respectively.