June 28 - The Preservation League and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation presented two free workshops in Newburgh to help people take advantage of New York’s Historic Tax Credits. The workshops were held at Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site and addressed the specific needs of homeowners and commercial property owners. During the workshop, staff from the State Historic Preservation Office reviewed the basic guidelines of the program and answered questions on the application process.
The workshop was presented by the Preservation League of New York State and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Additional support was provided by U. S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney; the City of Newburgh; RUPCO and the Newburgh Community Land Bank.
June 30 - Presented by the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, the Long Island Historian Summit in Roslyn gave historians an opportunity to discuss the challenges, opportunities and experiences they face.
Speakers and moderators included New York State Historian Devin Lander, Assistant Commissioner for Archives and New York State Archivist Thomas J. Ruller, the Suffolk County Historian, and historians from the Town of North Hempstead, Village of Southampton, Town of Brookhaven and Dr. Georgette Grier-Key, President, Board of Trustees of Association of Suffolk County Historical Societies and Trustee of the Preservation League.
July 11 - Preservation of cultural resources is an ongoing challenge. The Preservation League was pleased to partner with the Greater Hudson Heritage Network and the Jay Heritage Center for a workshop to de-mystify the process of applying for historic preservation grants, and to inspire heritage sites to seek funding for prospective preservation projects.
The workshop focused on historic preservation grant funding opportunities, discussed the importance of sound project planning, and reviewed some successful preservation projects. The discussion included the Preservation League and the New York State Council on the Arts’ partnership programs: Preserve New York and the Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) program as well. Missed the workshop? Stay tuned – a webinar will be offered in November and feature a brief overview of funding sources and a case study. For more information visit http://www.greaterhudson.org .
July 14 – The League helped Southern Tier homeowners, commercial property owners, realtors, contractors, and community leaders learn how preservation can play a key role in economic development, community revitalization and smart, sustainable growth. The free workshop was held at the Tioga County Historical Society in Owego and was co-sponsored by Preserve Owego, the Village of Owego, Preservation Association of the Southern Tier, and the Owego Historic Property Owners Association with refreshments provided by Carol's Coffee and Art Bar.
The workshop discussed the benefits of historic preservation with a focus on community revitalization through use of historic preservation incentives. The Preservation League provided information on using Historic Tax Credits to make repairs to properties, with a special focus on repairing, restoring and preserving original windows in historic buildings. Alphonse Pieper, former executive director of Historic Ithaca and owner of Building Preservation Works LLC of Homer, NY conducted a walking tour of the Owego Central Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
July 12 -14 – League staff joined a panel discussion titled “Preservation for Whom” at the Legacy City Preservation Conference in Buffalo. Moderated by Rahwa Ghirmatzion, Executive Director of PUSH, the panel discussed the role of marginalized communities in neighborhood revitalization, and how rebuilding efforts need to strive to be inclusive and non-displacing, using Buffalo and Upstate New York as case studies.
We’ve got more workshops coming up – including 8/9 in Dutchess County and 8/14 in Schoharie County – focused on applying for Technical Assistance Grants, a signature grant program of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the Preservation League. We’ll hope to see you as we travel across New York State – so our past has a future!