Earlier this week, we celebrated our 2023 Excellence in Historic Preservation Awardees with our first in-person Awards ceremony since 2019. It was a sold out crowd, with winners coming from all over the state and other supporters joining us to honor their great work. As League President Jay DiLorenzo said during his opening remarks, winners of the Excellence Award always inspire us — and I think everyone left Monday night’s event feeling that same inspiration.
Read MoreLet’s take a look at the anatomy of an Excellence Award-winning project. The Nash Lofts in Buffalo was treated as a single rehabilitation project, but the building is actually comprised of 4 separate structures that were cobbled together over the years. Years of vacancy and damage made this a difficult project — the complicated nature of the building made it even more so. The team who decided to tackle the project did a remarkable job bringing this anchor property back to active use.
Read MoreBent’s is an anchor building in the Village of Medina’s Main Street Historic District. By 2010, the performance space had not been used for decades and the building was fully vacant and in imminent danger of collapsing. In 2016, local developer Roger Hungerford’s Talis Equity purchased the property from the nonprofit Orleans Renaissance Group Inc. Hungerford, who had grown up in Medina, had a vision to give Bent's new life.
Read More“I’m very proud that the League has selected to honor Bridge to Crafts Careers with the Excellence in Historic Preservation Award,” said Ann Cuss, Regional Director of North America at World Monuments Fund (WMF), who oversees the program. “B2CC offers something incredibly unique and valuable: a paid opportunity for young people to get hands-on experience in craft skills. This award is a testament to the hard work of our partners and interns over the years.”
Read MoreIn 2018, the Kingston City Land Bank was formed to return long-vacant tax-foreclosed properties to the tax rolls. In a city with a relatively low foreclosure rate, rising property values, and a pressing need for affordable housing, rehabbing single-family homes into affordable first-time homeownership opportunities quickly became a top priority. Through their focus on preserving and restoring rather than modernizing and flipping, the KCLB has been creating a new model for how affordable housing can be produced and what it looks like. Their mission is to foster an equitable community where vacant or distressed properties are transformed into community assets that improve the quality of life for Kingston residents, stabilize and enhance neighborhoods, and create new pathways for social and economic development. The League was thrilled to recognize their work this year with an Excellence in Historic Preservation Award, and wanted to take the opportunity to learn more about what makes their model so successful. Board Chair Daniel Kanter (and resident interior designer!) was kind enough to answer a few questions for us.
Read MoreAfter her historic Owego home flooded in 2011, Julie Nucci embarked on a years-long project to elevate her house. It is the first National Register-listed home in NYS elevated for flood mitigation and is included in the Secretary’s Guidelines on Flood Adaptation for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. Since then, she has worked tirelessly to advocate for people and communities impacted by climate change by promoting resiliency and disaster preparedness. She recently formed J. Nucci Consulting, LLC and is working with the National Hazard Mitigation Association and FEMA on engagement and resilience strategies for under-served communities. Many historic communities are located along waterways, from coastal cities to canalside towns. And many of those places, across the state and country, are under-served – just like her Village of Owego, NY. As one of our 2023 Excellence in Historic Preservation Award winners, we wanted to find out more about how she thinks about preservation and why it matters.
Read MoreThe First National Bank of Olean and the adjacent former Siegel’s Shoes building have been revitalized to provide much-needed high-quality housing, office, and commercial space in downtown Olean. Vacant for more than two decades, the city’s Urban Renewal Agency worked hard to find a path forward, which included historic district designation to allow for the use of Historic Tax Credits. The rehabilitation of these historic spaces was led by preservation architect Elise Johnson-Schmidt and developer Savarino Companies. Elise was gracious enough to answer a few questions about her work on this Award-winning project.
Read MoreClaudette Brady has been a staunch advocate for her Brooklyn community for decades. Spearheading the campaign for historic district designation of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Claudette rallied her neighbors and made historic preservation meaningful for the people of the neighborhood. In the years since that successful campaign, Claudette has continued advocating for historic preservation, uplifting the history of traditionally underrepresented people, and centering them in the conversation about what we preserve and for whom.
Read More“The 2023 Excellence Award winners span the state, from Olean to Brooklyn,” said Preservation League President Jay DiLorenzo. “They represent how historic preservation addresses critical issues, from climate action to affordable housing, from spurring economic development to uplifting underrepresented histories. We are honored to recognize the incredible work each Award winner has done for their communities and beyond”
Read MoreOn Monday, November 7, we were thrilled to announce the winners of the 2022 Excellence in Historic Preservation Awards live on Zoom. If you missed it live, or just feel like watching again, here’s a recording of the full program.
Read More“The response from the community was incredible,” said Cochecton Pump House Co-Owner Dave Lieber. “We had so many compliments from all ages. It was as popular with the Instagram crowd as it was with the octogenarian. It quickly became a place to meet and see a show, it created jobs, and lifted other local businesses.”
Read More“We are thrilled that the East Harlem South / El Barrio Reconnaissance-Level Historic Resource Survey has been recognized by the Preservation League with this award,” said Chris Cirillo, Executive Director/President of Ascendant Neighborhood Development (AND) and Member of Landmark East Harlem (LEH), which co-sponsored the project. “The extraordinary work of our preservation consultant, Marissa Marvelli, has raised the bar on historic resources surveys. Focusing on culture and community, the survey prioritizes people over buildings.”
Read MoreWhen asked what he hopes his legacy will be, Steve Jordan said, “I hope my legacy will be of someone dedicated to historic preservation and its ability to lift and highlight worthy neighborhoods, districts, and properties for the betterment and education of future citizens. I hope my legacy endures through my books, magazine, and journal articles written over 40 years. And I hope I’ve passed a few skills to others who will carry on a preservation trade tradition.”
Read More“We are honored to have the diligent and collaborative efforts of our client and the project team so recognized,” said Christopher Brandt, project architect with Bero Architecture. “It is a rare privilege to have guided the rejuvenation of such a unique and beloved building that has meant so much to so many Rochesterians over the decades.”
Read More“Edgemere is honored to be recognized for its commitment to preserving important historic landmarks,” said Charlie Oster, Partner of Edgemere Development. “Every building has a story as unique as the people who will eventually live there.”
Read More“We are very grateful to receive this award from the Preservation League of New York State in recognition of an exceptional team effort to initiate this project and bring it to completion,” said Rev. Andrew Durbidge, Rector of St Luke & St Matthew. “This parish church has existed on this site since 1841. The building represents the hard work and faithful contributions of many parishioners over these many years. It is a magnificent building and a tribute to past parishioners’ faithfulness in God. We carry on their legacy in caring for this landmark in Clinton Hill, to benefit future parishioners and the local community.”
Read More“The Pavilion restoration project saved a national treasure while expanding Fort Ticonderoga's capacity as a major cultural destination,” said Beth L. Hill, Fort Ticonderoga President and CEO. “The completed Pavilion includes expanded visitor amenities, conference center and private rental capacity, and new educational and exhibition space.”
Read More“This project has meant so much to Springville,” said Martin Timm, Springville Center for the Arts Board President. “This award celebrates the many years our team, along with so many dedicated volunteers, have contributed to preserving this piece of our history.”
Read More“What once seemed like a lost treasure has become a wonderful community asset,” said Guy Garnsey, President of Howland Stone Store Museum and project manager. “The vision of those who conceived the building’s restoration and the enormous volunteer effort in management and construction labor has been extraordinary.”
Read More“Flynn Battaglia Architects has been very proud to be a part of this important community effort,” said Nancy Redeye, Senior Project Manager at Flynn Battaglia. “A small town, cultural asset has been brought back to life after 14 years of committed efforts by Gowanda’s Historic Hollywood Theater organization and the preservation design team, to provide continued use by the Southern Tier region, as its founder originally intended almost 100 years ago.”
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