Excellence Award Spotlight: Steve Jordan
As a writer, preservation consultant, educator, and window restoration expert, Steve Jordan has contributed to the preservation of countless resources in western New York over the last 30 years. As a nationally recognized expert in wood window restoration, his reach extends well beyond New York State.
When 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.”
“I have personally known Steve for 12 years,” said Caitlin Meives, Director of Preservation at The Landmark Society of Western New York. “From my first days at Landmark, Steve has been a supportive colleague and friend, always willing to answer a technical question, tag along on a site visit (even though he wasn’t getting paid to do so) or give me advice on my own old house. As a multi-talented craftsperson and an educator who shares his vast knowledge and passion for preservation with anyone who asks, I can’t think of a preservationist more deserving of this recognition.”
Steve Jordan began his career in upstate New York after completing a Masters in Preservation Planning at Cornell University in 1990. He worked as the Rehab Advisor for the Landmark Society of Western New York from 1991-1996. During that time, he advised homeowners on the repair and maintenance of older homes; supervised the maintenance of five Landmark Society properties; and wrote Rehab Rochester: A Sensible Guide for Old-House Maintenance, Repair, and Rehabilitation, an award-winning publication that is still used by homeowners in Rochester today. As he transitions to "retirement," Steve is currently working on a revised edition of Rehab Rochester.
Pictured: Steve Jordan leading a window glazing workshop (left) and a wood window seminar (right).
Steve also spent his career as an architectural conservator and preservation specialist for Bero Architecture, PLLC, a firm specializing in historic preservation, and as a contributing editor to Old House Journal for 17 years. Since 2002, he has run his own business repairing and restoring historic and original wood windows and serving as an old-house consultant, helping homeowners prioritize repairs and maintenance. He has restored thousands of windows, most in ordinary homes built between 1830 and 1960. He has also worked on significant historic sites, providing window repair services, consulting, graining and marbling, and condition reports, including at the Susan B. Anthony House, the George Eastman House, two Frank Lloyd Wright-designed properties in the region, and many more.
His books, The Window Sash Bible: A Guide to Maintaining and Restoring Old Wood Windows and Storm Windows: A Comprehensive Guide to Wood, Wood Combination, Aluminum, and Interior Storm Windows are indispensable resources, highly regarded in the window restoration and preservation communities throughout the nation.
Steve is particularly committed to a preservation cause that is near and dear to both the Preservation League and The Landmark Society—promoting training opportunities in the traditional trades. He has hosted countless workshops, passing his expertise on and mentoring anyone who wishes to learn. He has likewise developed meaningful relationships with fellow tradespeople throughout his career, championing and promoting the work of fellow window restorers. For Steve, it has never been about jealously guarding his hard-earned trade secrets. Instead, he's motivated by a drive to preserve historic fabric and support those who are trying to do the same, whether they're a DIY homeowner, a preservation organization, or a fellow craftsperson.
“Steve Jordan is a pillar of the Rochester community, but his significance in the field of historic preservation goes so much further,” said Preservation League President Jay DiLorenzo. “His dedication to the traditional trades, his work as a window restorer, and the books he has written to share his decades of expertise will leave a large and lasting impact in Western New York and beyond.”
Since 1984, the League's annual Excellence Awards program has allowed us to shine a light on the people who are using historic preservation to make all our lives better —through exemplary restoration projects, indispensable publications, individual action, and organizational distinction.
For more about all of this year’s winners, please click here.