Work Begins at Historic Parrott Hall in Geneva, NY
With a general contractor selected and funding in hand, the future looks bright for this Finger Lakes landmark.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Geneva, NY, 12/20/21 — The Parrott Hall Coalition is pleased to announce that Massa Construction has been hired to replace the main roof of Parrott Hall, a necessary first step toward bringing this historic building back to life. They began work on Thursday, December 2.
The Parrott Hall Stabilization and Remediation Project went out to bid in July 2021. After reviewing submissions, Massa Construction was selected and began work in early December. Crawford & Stearns Architects worked with Klepper Hahn & Hyatt to create the stabilization documents thanks to funding from the NYS Environmental Protection Fund (granted to the City of Geneva), J.M. McDonald Foundation Inc., the Preservation League of NYS, The Landmark Society of Western New York, and many individual supporters of the Friends of Parrott Hall. The Friends of Parrott Hall has also received an Endangered Properties Intervention Program Loan from the League as well as a $15,000 grant from the Rochester Area Community Foundation to help fund this project.
On Tuesday, December 14, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the City of Geneva was awarded a $500,000 Environmental Protection Fund grant through Round XI of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative for Phase 2 of rehabilitation work at Parrott Hall. Phase 2 work will focus on repairs to the veranda and interior stair.
The Parrott Hall Coalition (City of Geneva, Friends of Parrott Hall, The Landmark Society, and the Preservation League) has worked toward this point for the last three years. Parrott Hall is one of the League’s 2020-2021 Seven to Save sites, and it has also been included by the Landmark Society of Western New York in their Five to Revive list of endangered historic places. Parrott Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a State Historic Site as well as a City of Geneva designated historic structure.
Parrott Hall dates to the 1850s, when Nehemiah and Louisa Denton — successful agriculturalists at a time when Geneva was the center of agricultural prosperity in New York — first lived in what was then called “Denton Place.” The Dentons sold the mansion and the Old Castle Farm to New York State in 1882 to establish the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station. A century after it was first built, the building was renamed in honor of Percival John Parrott, who served as Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station from 1938-1942.
In the summer of 2019, the City of Geneva finalized a license agreement with the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) to manage Parrott Hall along with the private nonprofit Friends of Parrott Hall. The Preservation League and The Landmark Society joined a memorandum of understanding to their coalition partners stating their support of this preservation initiative. Members of the coalition were granted access to the building in June 2019, and they promptly began working together to assess the building and prioritize emergency repairs. The stabilization efforts that are now getting underway are an integral step toward bringing this historic landmark back to active use.
“Our dedicated Board has been working tirelessly toward this milestone and the outpouring of support from community members, the Coalition, as well as the Rochester Area Community Foundation has been so gratifying,” said Bruce Reisch of the Friends of Parrott Hall. “We’re excited to turn the corner on this project and start the process of bringing this historic treasure back to life.”
“The League has been proud to stand alongside our colleagues to advocate for Parrott Hall over the last three years.” said Preservation League President Jay DiLorenzo. “The Parrott Hall Coalition has been steadfast in their commitment to this historic building, and it is gratifying to see this important stabilization work finally underway.”
“The Landmark Society is excited to see Parrott Hall take another step forward,” said Landmark Society Director of Preservation Caitlin Meives. “We could not have gotten to this point without the dedication of our Coalition partners and the financial support of our funders—a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported this effort thus far.”
“The City of Geneva continues to be a committed partner collaborating with all involved parties to ensure a successful rejuvenation of the building,” said Geneva City Manager Sage Gerling. “We are grateful for OPRHP’s continued investment.”
“Congratulations to the Parrott Hall Coalition for reaching this important milestone,” said NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Deputy Commissioner Daniel Mackay. “We look forward to advancing the work to stabilize and find a new use for this Geneva landmark.”
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About the Preservation League of New York State
Since its founding in 1974, the Preservation League has built a reputation for action and effectiveness. Our goal has been to preserve our historic buildings, districts and landscapes and to build a better New York, one community at a time. The Preservation League of New York State invests in people and projects that champion the essential role of preservation in community revitalization, sustainable economic growth and the protection of our historic buildings and landscapes. We lead advocacy, economic development, and education programs across the state.
Connect with us at preservenys.org, facebook.com/preservenys, twitter.com/preservenys, instagram.com/preservenys, and youtube.com/c/PreservationLeague.
About The Landmark Society
The Landmark Society of Western New York, Inc. is one of the oldest and most active preservation organizations in America, serving nine Western New York counties. Formed in 1937, The Landmark Society continues to protect the unique architectural heritage of our region and promote preservation and planning principles that foster healthy and sustainable communities. The Landmark Society of Western New York is supported, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. For additional information about The Landmark Society, visit landmarksociety.org. Follow us on facebook.com/landmarksociety, twitter.com/landmarksociety, and instagram.com/landmarksociety.
About Friends of Parrott Hall
The Friends of Parrott Hall formed from grassroots efforts to save Parrott Hall and formalized its status as a nonprofit corporation in 2017. The Friends focus on coordination of contractor and consultant activities at Parrott Hall, fundraising for ongoing work, and outreach. Connect with the Friends of Parrott Hall at parrott-hall.org and https://www.facebook.com/ParrottHall/.
Contacts:
Katy Peace, Director of Communications, Preservation League of NYS | kpeace@preservenys.org | 518.462.5658 ext. 17
Caitlin Meives, Director of Preservation, The Landmark Society of Western New York | cmeives@landmarksociety.org | 585.537.5961
Bruce Reisch, Chair, Friends of Parrott Hall | bruce.reisch@friendsofparrotthall.org | 315.521.7691
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