Preserve New York Grants - 2003

At its August meeting, the Preserve New York Grant Program panel selected 11 projects in 10 counties for support totaling $92,450. Preserve New York is a partnership grant program of the Preservation League of New York State and the New York State Council on the Arts. With the announcement of the 2003 awards, the total support provided by Preserve New York since its launch in 1993 is $863,226 to 150 not-for-profit groups and municipalities in support of their important local initiatives.

CAYUGA COUNTY

Foundation Historical Association, Auburn

Grant of $8,000 toward the cost of a historic structure report for the Seward House property near downtown Auburn. The c.1816 brick house, with c. 1847 and 1860s additions, and its stone carriage houses are associated with three generations of the Seward family. The report will address restoration and interpretation of the house to reflect the leadership roles that Statesman William Seward and his wife Frances played in the moral justice issues of the 19th century and their achievements, along with their son, William Jr., at national, state and local levels. The report for this National Historic Landmark will be prepared by Crawford and Stearns, Architects and Preservation Planners of Syracuse, with assistance from Foundation staff and volunteers.

COLUMBIA COUNTY

Shaker Museum and Library, Old Chatham

Grant of $7,500 for a cultural resource survey consisting of archeological investigations as part of the planning and development of stabilization work required for the Great Stone Barn and the Wash House on the former North Family Shaker site. Located in the Town of New Lebanon, The Mount Lebanon site was occupied from 1785 to 1947, and served as the central administrative community for all other Shaker settlements in the United States. Karen S. Hartgen, RPA, and Scott D. Stull, PhD of the Albany firm Hartgen Archeological Associates will undertake the project. The organization plans to adapt the stone barn, severely damaged by fire in the 1970s, for the new museum site, and use the c. 1845 Wash House as a museum and education center.

KINGS COUNTY

Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project, LDC, Brooklyn

Grant of $7,250 towards a cultural resource survey of the Myrtle/Wallabout area located adjacent to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The documentation by consultant Andrew Dolkart of New York City will focus on a 24-block area of commercial, industrial and residential properties including a number of 19th-century wood-frame houses. One of the first residential developments in Brooklyn, the neighborhood became more industrial later in the nineteenth century. The staff of Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project (MARP) and area residents plan to use the survey in their efforts to designate the area as an historic district. The project is an outgrowth of MARP’s successful efforts to strengthen the commercial corridor along Myrtle Avenue.

NEW YORK COUNTY

Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, New York

Grant of $8,000 toward the cost of preparing a survey of approximately 400 buildings in the South Village of Manhattan. The 35-block area contains a wealth of architecturally and historically significant buildings and sites constructed between the 1820s and 1930s associated with the immigrant experience, bohemian and artistic achievements (especially in music) and counter-cultural movements. The project will be prepared by Andrew Dolkart of New York City and will incorporate field survey and research previously completed by interns. The project results will be used to raise awareness of this significant neighborhood and to secure landmark designations at the local, state and national levels.

SCHOHARIE AND OTSEGO COUNTIES

Town of Sharon and SHARE IT

Grant of $12,500 toward the cost of completing a survey of five towns and two villages participating in the SHARE IT program, a New York State Quality Communities initiative. SHARE IT stands for “Save Historic Assets and Renew Economies by Inviting Tourism,” and is designed to encourage inter-municipal cooperation among the communities in closest proximity to Cooperstown and is many tourist attractions. The project will be completed by consultant Jessie Ravage of Cooperstown and will provide documentation on the residences, farmsteads, religious properties and public buildings that characterize this outstanding rural region. The project also supports the area’s U.S. Route 20 planning and promotion initiatives.

SUFFOLK COUNTY

Long Island Traditions, Inc., Towns of Islip and Brookhaven

Grant of $5,000 for a cultural resources survey of maritime heritage sites along a 20-mile section of Long Island’s southern shore. Results of the survey will inform the management plan of the South Shore Estuary Reserve Council at a time of growing development pressures and the decline of the region’s maritime industries. Along with the project consultant, Long Island Traditions, the Council will use the survey to develop a “bayway” trail and interpretive materials to promote the area’s resources.

Sag Harbor Whaling and Historical Museum, Sag Harbor

Grant of $9,500 for an historic structure report for the c.1845 Benjamin Huntting II House. The house once served as the summer home of Mrs. Russell Sage (Olivia Slocum Sage) and, today, separate areas of the building are used by the Museum and the local Masonic Temple. The late-Greek Revival design, which incorporates highly ornamental wood and plaster work, is attributed to Minard LaFever, a prominent American architect. The investigation will be carried out by Zachary Studenroth, executive director of the Sag Harbor Whaling and Historical Museum, and Croxton Collaborative Architects of New York City. The project partners’ work will establish a plan for the restoration and re- interpretation of the historic home and will attempt to confirm LaFever’s direct involvement with the design of the structure.

TOMPKINS COUNTY

Downtown Business Partnership, Ithaca

Grant of $7,200 toward the cost of preparing a National Register of Historic Places nomination for a historic district in downtown Ithaca. The project will provide documentation on approximately 80 commercial and public buildings constructed between 1818 to 1949 including examples designed by some of the region’s leading architects. The nomination will be completed by Jessie Ravage of Cooperstown and will be used to support economic development activities in Ithaca’s Business Improvement District.

ULSTER COUNTY

Town of Saugerties

Grant of $15,000 toward the cost of an architectural survey of approximately 500 buildings in the Town’s 18 hamlets and other rural sites. Consultant Christina Plattner of Durham will lead a local committee to document resources associated with the Hudson River heritage, early railroads, industrial and agricultural economies and specific building types such as stone houses. The survey will be used to assess resources that may be designated as landmarks and historic districts in the future.

Historical Society of Shawangunk and Gardiner, Town of Wallkill

Grant of $7,500 towards the cost of an historic structure report for the Society’s headquarters, the Andries Dubois House. The property was purchased by the society from the Du Bois family who, except for a brief period in the early 1900s, were the owners since the building’s construction in the late 18th century. The report will document the evolution of the building, barely altered during the 20th century, and will provide a plan for its restoration and interpretation. The Society had previously secured an Environmental Protection Fund grant for the stabilization of the house, and plans to open the building as a local history museum. The report will be produced by the Albany firm of John G. Waite Associates, Architects.

WASHINGTON COUNTY

Historic Salem Courthouse Preservation Association, Salem

Grant of $5,000 toward the cost of a historic structure report for the Old Washington County Courthouse and Jail Complex located in a National Register of Historic Places historic district in the Village of Salem. The 1869 Courthouse was designed by noted architect Marcus F. Cummings of Troy; the jail is a 1906 addition. Between 1993 and 2003, all county functions relocated to Fort Edward, leaving the complex vacant. The report, to be prepared by John G. Waite Associates, Architects of Albany, will guide the restoration and reuse of this landmark.