Excellence in Historic Preservation Awards - 2006
The 2006 Excellence in Historic Preservation Award were presented at the Preservation League’s Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony at the Princeton Club of New York on Thursday, May 18.
“Excellence in Preservation Awards are our principal means of honoring the preservation community and educating the public about the important contribution that historic preservation projects make to our quality of life throughout New York State,” said League President Jay DiLorenzo. “Each year, we are impressed by the number and variety of laudable projects, and this year was no exception.”
Harmony Mills, Cohoes, Albany County
Constructed soon after the Civil War, the Harmony Mills complex utilized the water flow from the Cohoes Falls to produce the power to operate the mills. After many years of success, the 20th century brought changes in power technology and labor practices, and the mills were closed down. Vacancy, neglect and a pervading sense of hopelessness had long been associated with the mills. The entire site which includes Mill #3 is on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The present owner acquired the complex and began work to convert Mill #3 into an apartment complex, The Lofts at Harmony Mills.
“The Harmony Mills project has been used to illustrate how historic buildings can be renovated using the New York State Building Code,” said Peter Seidner of the Clover Group, Architects and Planners. “More than 300 code officials toured the site and asked questions as part of New York State Building Officials council code seminars, then brought what they had learned back to all parts of the state. The Preservation League’s award will bring even more attention to this project, and encourage investment in similar buildings.”
The Reverend J. Edward Nash House, Buffalo, Erie County
The Rev. J. Edward Nash House stands today as one of the few remaining landmarks of Buffalo’s 20th century significance in local and national history across racial lines. The house at 36 Nash Street, in particular, has a very special place in the story of the African American community in Buffalo. It was from this house that Reverend Nash, early in the twentieth century, led and helped orchestrate some of the foremost civil rights causes of Buffalo and the nation. The five year process of saving, landmarking and restoring this simple, vernacular two-family house is a model demonstration of a joint public/private effort to save an ordinary building where extraordinary lives and events played out.
“The restoration of the Nash House is the first instance of a serious restoration effort in Buffalo’s East Side community, adjacent to downtown” said Theodore Lownie of Hamilton Houston Lownie Architects. “It has jump-started preservation efforts in the nearby Michigan Street Baptist Church, where Rev. Nash was pastor, and at the Colored Musicians Club.”
The Greene County Industrial Development Agency
Recognizing the value of historic architecture to the landscape of Greene County, the Greene County IDA last year identified 11 historic buildings – from the grand former Coxsackie School to a commercial row once slated for demolition in downtown Catskill – and made them the focus of a polished marketing program to attract appropriate owners and tenants.
“With $50,000 of IDA funds and assistance from a $25,000 grant from the Governor’s Office of Small Cities, we set out to identify properties that would appeal to up-and-coming high-tech firms, who would crave the ‘cool space’ of a former opera house, Gothic church or 19th century storefront,” said Dan Frank, Chairman of the Greene IDA Board of Directors. “Ultimately, the buildings speak for themselves – but this marketing package is unique in its focus on adaptive use, and for making historic preservation part of economic development.”
According to Frank Stabile, Jr., Chairman of the Greene County Legislature, “The message here is that Greene County values its past and is committed to preserving our historic assets while moving aggressively toward the future. We are very appreciative of this honor and proud of our IDA and its leadership with this unique effort.”
256-262 State Street, Carthage, Jefferson County
In 2003, the Village of Carthage found itself in a position not unlike that of many other small towns in rural New York. Its once vibrant downtown was in a state of decline with businesses moving out or giving up in the face of competition from regional “big box” stores. Upper story spaces had gone unused for generations, and a disastrous fire had destroyed nearly one quarter of its National Register Historic District.
“Carthage, however, is fortunate to have a number of enlightened, dedicated citizens who were not willing to let the community dry up and blow away” said Randall T. Crawford of Crawford & Stearns, Architects and Preservation Planners, the project architect. “Two adjacent but separate vacant historic buildings were combined under a single ownership and rehabilitated to provide 20 one- and two-bedroom units of affordable housing on the upper floors and 7,800 square feet of retail space on the first floor. This award demonstrates the commitment of the Preservation League to promoting upper floor residential development as a means to downtown revitalization, and we’re glad that this project serves as a compelling example.”
Weeksville Heritage Center, Brooklyn, Kings County
The Hunterfly Road Houses are the only surviving remnants of Weeksville, a free African American community in Brooklyn. The buildings restorations represent several periods from the 1860s to 1930, and are being interpreted as African-American house museums. Constructed shortly after the Civil War, the group of four wood-frame houses (one of which is a reconstruction) is located in the Crown Heights neighborhood.
“Three of the houses face mid-block, and show the location of a no-longer extant native-American path, subsequently a Dutch route known as Hunterfly Road,” said Pamela Jerome of Wank Adams Slavin Associates LLP (WASA), who prepared the project’s master plan. “The siting, massing and materials of these buildings are rare examples of their type and age in New York City, as most such structures have been demolished in New York’s never-ending redevelopment of itself.”
According to Pamela Green, Executive Director of the Weeksville Heritage Center, “The restoration of the Hunterfly Road Houses was envisioned for years by the Society for the Preservation of Weeksville and Bedford Stuyvesant History.”
Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, Kings County
Designed in 1908 by New York’s premier theatre architects, Henry B. Herts and Hugh Tallant, the building originally contained a 2,100-seat opera house, a 1,400-seat music hall and ballroom, as well as lecture, meeting, and office space. The brick and terra cotta façade became more colorful as it climbed upward, with lions’ heads, medallions, and moldings awash in vivid shades of blue, green and ochre. The project sought to correct deteriorated building elements and restore the landmarked exterior.
“BAM and its environs have undergone significant changes in the past 50 years,” said Hugh Hardy, Principal, H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture. “Reconstruction and restoration of this building make the area more vibrant and distinctive. BAM now stands in complete and colorful authority, announcing a major cultural institution on Lafayette Avenue.”
Henry McCartney, former Executive Director of the Landmark Society of Western New York, Monroe County
“As Executive Director of the Landmark Society of Western New York, Henry has been a true leader, bringing best practices from other regions and states to their nine-county service area,” said Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League. “During nearly 22 years at the helm, he continued to explore new avenues to preserve, interpret and promote the Empire State’s cultural, historic and natural resources.”
Mr. McCartney contributed significantly to the historic preservation of the City of Rochester, raising public awareness of and appreciation for its architectural gems and beautiful parks. He successfully highlighted homes and buildings, bringing numerous people to the city for a variety of tours each year. Under his leadership, the Landmark Society published seven books (with an eighth slated for release in June); saved the National Historic Landmark Roycroft Inn in East Aurora; and began well-regarded educational programs about historic preservation.
“I’m grateful to have been part of the historic preservation movement for 35 years, as I know of no other movement that can equal our impact on the livability and vitality of the cities and villages of New York State,” said Mr. McCartney. “I am honored and humbled by this award from the Preservation League, and thankful for the colleagues and volunteers who’ve helped me so much and made this award possible.”
Restoration of 90 West Street, New York, New York County
90 West Street, a Cass Gilbert-designed building, has elements that make it not only rare among skyscrapers, but extraordinary even among the modern marvels of New York City. Commissioned in 1905, it remained a functioning office building until its ruin in the events of 9/11. The mere fact of its survival, only 100 yards from the Trade Center, is a testament to Gilbert’s efforts to construct the safest building of his day.
“For almost 100 years, 90 West Street has been a proud part of New York City’s rich architectural heritage,” said Peter Levenson, R.A., of the Kibel Companies. “It was almost lost on September11, but after three years of planning and reconstruction, it has been meticulously restored as residential condominiums. This building is a survivor, and is an important step in the renaissance of the World Trade Center site.”
Historic Front Street, New York, New York County
In April, 2003, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission passed a unanimous and unprecedented vote approving a redevelopment plan for 14 properties in the South Street Seaport. Just one block south of the Brooklyn Bridge, the plan encompassed eleven historic but woefully neglected buildings and three empty lots lining a cobblestone block. Over two and a half years, Historic Front Street has been redeveloped into 95 rental apartments and 13 ground floor retail spaces.
“By anchoring a residential community in the Seaport’s northern blocks, Historic Front Street helps build the livable core of Lower Manhattan” said Richard Cook of Cook + Fox Architects. “With a vision of historically-minded stewardship, the project revives both the past and an entire neighborhood. We are delighted to receive this recognition from the League.”
MTA-Metro North Railroad Station Restoration, Yonkers, Westchester County.
Designed by Warren and Wetmore, the architects of Grand Central Terminal, Yonkers Station boasts high quality features and materials, but both the station and the surrounding area had fallen on hard times. Not only has Yonkers Station been restored to its traditional role as gateway to Yonkers from New York City and beyond, it now provides direct access to the Hudson River waterfront, and a beautifully landscaped public park that replaced a bus layover lot as a part of the project.
“Over 1,000 travelers pass through this station daily and enjoy the fruits of the restoration effort,” said Mari Miceli, Deputy Director, Facilities Engineering, Metro-North Railroad Company. “Metro-North is pleased that this project, with its extensive scope and profound impact on the local quality of life, has been selected for this prestigious award.”
The Preservation League Statewide Awards Program is funded by a generous grant from the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation of Miami, Florida.
By leading a statewide preservation movement, sharing information and expertise and raising a unified voice, the Preservation League of New York State promotes historic preservation as a tool to revitalize our neighborhoods and communities, honor our heritage and enrich our lives.