Dana L. Lyon School
Named to Seven to Save List
Preservation League makes early announcement of Bath property

CONTACTS

Preservation League of New York State Colleen M. Ryan 518-462-5658 x17

The Save-The-Lyon Commission, Inc. Margaret Hogan 607-776-4313 x304

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ALBANY, December 11, 2006 – The Preservation League of New York State has named the Dana L. Lyon School in the Village of Bath, Steuben County to the nonprofit group’s annual list of the Empire State’s most threatened historic resources, Seven to Save.

The Dana L. Lyon School property consists of two historic buildings, the Primary Annex (1900) and the 1923 Addition. The school is a contributing structure in the Liberty Street Historic District, which encompasses 76 buildings in the historic core of the village. The handsome brick structure with stone trim is a key visual element in the residential neighborhood.

The Primary Annex is built on land donated by nineteenth-century lawmaker Ira Davenport with the far-sighted stipulation that it always be used for educational purposes. The property was vacated by the school district in 2002, and sold to a developer with plans to demolish the historic building for a strip mall with an Eckerd Drugstore as the anchor tenant.

“Customarily, we release our Seven to Save list in January, but given the upcoming review of the demolition proposal for the Dana L. Lyon School, we made an exception,” said Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League of New York State. “The threat posed by ‘big box’ drugstores is one that has arisen time after time across the state. Fortunately, The Save-The-Lyon Commission called the situation in Bath to our attention in time for us to give it the statewide visibility it deserves.”

The Save-The-Lyon Commission, Inc. is a grassroots community group that opposes the demolition of the school, and would prefer to see the Primary Annex converted to a center for the arts. “The Dana L. Lyon school is not only centrally located in the Village, but also on the main road to Keuka Lake where tourists flock year round to enjoy the lake and wineries,” said Rosalie Niemczyk, President of The Save-The-Lyon Commission, Inc. “To lose the school to demolition would create a ‘domino effect’ whereby surrounding residences and buildings would succumb to commercial development pressures, effectively destroying the core of the village.”

 According to Clinton E. Brown, AIA, President of Clinton Brown Company Architecture, “School buildings are particularly adaptable to new uses. We believe the concept of re-using this building as an arts center is a good one for several reasons. The proposed use is a good fit with the historic use – that is, as an assembly place for education and culture – and would require little alteration of the existing structure.” Brown, whose firm has worked on nearly a dozen projects involving the adaptive re-use of former schools, also notes that “arts and cultural facilities have a track record of success in attracting desirable out-of-town visitors, as well as serving local residents.”

The Preservation League has seen many former schools put to new and productive uses:

• Niagara Arts & Cultural Center:  The vacant 1924 Niagara Falls High School – once slated for demolition for a strip mall – is now a thriving center for the arts, known as NACC.
• 231 Main Street, Owego: The 1893 school had been converted to offices but was slated for demolition. The building is now providing studio, one-and two-bedroom market rate units.
• Brighter ChoiceCharterSchool, Albany: Under city ownership, the vacant P.S. 10, dating to the 1890s, was to be demolished for a Rite Aid drugstore. After strong opposition, a charter school obtained the building and opened a successful grade school.
• Kibler Senior Housing, Tonawanda: A $9 million conversion turned the vacant 1920s Kibler High School into a residence providing 75 senior apartments.
• DeWitt Mall, Ithaca: In 1971, the former 1913 high school faced demolition for a drive-thru bank. A private developer converted the vacant building to a successful mixed-use commercial and residential project that has stood the test of time.

“What these five projects have in common is that each involved a National Register building facing demolition,” said Tania Werbizky, director of technical and grant programs for the Preservation League. “With the NACC, Owego and Kibler projects, grassroots efforts like the Save-The-Lyon Commission created collaborations and attracted funding to accomplish tangible civic revitalization that many thought was not possible at the start. A similar success could be realized here in Bath.”

Since 1999, publicity surrounding the Seven to Save designation has led to the stabilization of St. Joseph’s Church in Albany, the rehabilitation of the Oswego City Public Library, and prevented the demolition of the Conger Goodyear House on Long Island, along with successes at other locations.

The Preservation League of New York State, founded in 1974, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the protection of New York’s diverse and rich heritage of historic buildings, districts and landscapes. From its headquarters in Albany, it provides a unified voice for historic preservation. By leading a statewide movement and sharing information and expertise, the Preservation League of New York State promotes historic preservation as a tool to revitalize the Empire State’s neighborhoods and communities.

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