Preserve New York Grants - 2023 — Preservation League of NYS

The Preservation League of NYS and their program partners at the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) are thrilled to announce the 2023 Preserve New York grant recipients. At its 2023 meeting, an independent panel selected 19 applicants in 17 counties to receive support totaling $279,936. Each grant supports important arts and cultural initiatives, as well as economic development related to our state’s arts and cultural heritage. With the announcement of the 2023 awards, support provided by Preserve New York since its launch in 1993 totals more than $3.7 million to 529 projects statewide.

Preserve New York is a regrant partnership between the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the Preservation League, made possible with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation has generously provided additional funds to support nonprofit projects in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

“This year’s Preserve New York grant cycle was one of the most competitive in the program’s history,” said Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League of NYS. “The 19 projects funded truly rose to the top and represent a great cross-section of historic resources found across the state. From a Shaker Washhouse upstate to the Little Caribbean neighborhood in Brooklyn, each project helps tell the story of New York’s rich history.”

SCROLL TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS YEAR’S PNY RECIPIENTS, OR JUMP TO A SPECIFIC project:

Albany County

Shaker Heritage Society, $20,000
1858 Shaker Washhouse Historic Structure Report

“We are so excited and honored to receive this Preserve New York Grant,” said Shaker Heritage Executive Director Johanna Batman. “This study is an essential first step towards undertaking a critical capital project and will further allow us to test out a creative new partnership model for rehabilitation of all the surviving buildings at America’s First Shaker Settlement.”

Through adaptive reuse of structures on the Church Family site, Shaker Heritage Society is working to create a vibrant center for education, arts, commerce, and community. Historic rehabilitation will provide a path towards greater cultural relevancy and institutional sustainability. All rehabilitation efforts will be guided by the communal values and entrepreneurial spirit of the Shakers. In partnership with the Northeastern Woodworkers Association (NWA), SHS has hired Thaler Reilly Wilson Architects to complete a Historic Structure Report for the Shaker Washhouse. The organization aspires to adapt the structure into a new woodworking education center and potentially add sensitive new construction within the footprint of the demolished Shaker Cannery. When complete, the education center will house woodworking shops, classrooms, and a resource library. This facility will both preserve the structure and greatly expand the capacity of both organizations to offer hands-on, skills-based instruction in traditional American crafts. The Historic Structure Report funded through this Preserve New York grant will guide this process. The League has been honored to support Shaker Heritage through past grants and inclusion on the League’s Seven to Save list in 2018.

Cattaraugus County

Leon Historical Society, $6720
Historical Church Condition Report

The former Leon United Methodist Church was built in 1836 in the Gothic Revival style. Now serving as the museum of the Leon Historical Society, the building is an important location on New York’s Amish Trail and houses many important historical documents. Consultant Clinton Brown Company Architecture, PC will complete a Condition Report that will lay he groundwork for future rehabilitation projects.

Chautauqua County

Patterson Library, $16,000
Patterson Library Condition Report

"We are pleased and honored to be chosen for a Preserve New York Grant," said Patterson Library Director, Megan Hegna. "So many historic public libraries have been abandoned in order to modernize services. Unfortunately, in many cases new buildings are a more efficient use of limited funds. The people of Westfield, previous library directors, and trustees have all prioritized this unique facility to preserve as much of its elegance as possible while still offering top-notch services."

The historic Patterson Library has been a functioning library, serving residents and visitors of the Town of Westfield and Chautauqua County continually since the building's opening in 1908. Today, the library is open six days per week and has a steady flow of patrons who visit to seek books and other reference materials and to attend regular and special programming for both adults and children. This Preserve New York Grant will help fund a building conditions report to assess and identify existing and future maintenance and replacement issues.

The Conditions Report will include HVAC components, electrical, plumbing, interior plaster walls, and window & roof condition. Working alongside Flynn Battaglia of Buffalo, NY, the Library and Board of Trustees will use the report to make well-informed decisions to maintain and restore this beautiful structure, and its historic details, for generations to come.

Essex County

The Fort Ticonderoga Association, $18,800
Fort Ticonderoga Condition Report

“Fort Ticonderoga is exceedingly grateful to the Preservation League of New York State for their vital support to study the existing conditions of the historic walls,” said Beth L. Hill, Fort Ticonderoga President and CEO. “This project is a critical first step in determining future preservation and restoration initiatives to ensure the structure remains for generations to come.”

Fort Ticonderoga will commission John G. Waite Associates, historic preservation architects, to undertake the conditions study on the historic fort walls. The study will include:

A description of existing conditions.
A recommendation section outlining repairs that are required to preserve the walls. These recommendations will be prioritized.
Measured drawings using rectified photography. The drawings will include a roof plan and exterior wall elevations. These will serve as the basis for construction drawings for the stabilization and restoration of the walls.

Franklin County

Harrietstown, $13,600
Harrietstown Hall Condition Report

“Our goal with this study is to develop a strategic plan that will ensure the long-term viability of the Town Hall and explore ways we can become more energy efficient,” said Jordanna Mallach, Harrietstown Supervisor.

The Building Condition Report funded by this Preserve New York grant is the first step in the Town’s plan to take care of this community treasure in a structured, fiscally responsible manner. The Town is working with Landmark Consulting LLC to complete the report, which will be used to prioritize focus areas over the next year, five years, ten years, and beyond. The Harrietstown Town Hall occupies a prominent corner in the village of Saranac Lake, a popular destination within the Adirondack Park. The Town Hall hosts many community observances throughout the year and is home to several organizations in addition to the Town. A well thought-out, strategic plan for the Town Hall will be a service to the community for years to come.

Greene County

Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society, $20,008
Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Condition Report

“We are very grateful to the Preservation League of New York State for this grant which will help the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society become shovel-ready to restore and preserve our historic lighthouse for the next century,” said Kristin Gamble, President of the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society. “Aside from the beacon, the Preservation Society is solely responsible for maintaining the lighthouse and seeks additional support to preserve this iconic structure.”

The Preservation League has been thrilled to support HALPS in their efforts to restore the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse, including earlier Preserve New York and Technical Assistance Grants, as well as including the Lighthouse on the 2020-2021 Seven to Save list of endangered historic places. Built in 1872, the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse sites in the middle of the Hudson River, making it especially susceptible to erosion and deterioration – nearly 150 years of weather, tides, ice floes, and

larger and faster river traffic have taken a serious toll on the Lighthouse’s infrastructure, both its building and underwater foundation of 200 wooden pilings. Without strategic action, the Lighthouse is in very real danger of collapsing. HALPS takes their stewardship of this National Historic Landmark very seriously, and this report will help guide their work moving forward.

Livingston County

Village of Nunda, $12,980
Village of Nunda Cultural Resource Survey

“We are excited and honored to receive this grant from the Preservation League and NYSCA,” said Village of Nunda Mayor Jack Morgan. “The Village of Nunda has a rich and interesting history whose story is told in her many historic buildings and other cultural resources. This grant will enable us to preserve that story for future generations.”

A 2020 Preserve New York grant from the League funded an earlier Cultural Resource Survey of the Town and Village of Nunda. That survey identified a potential historic district boundary for the Village. This 2023 grant will allow the Village of Nunda to hire the Landmark Society of Western New York to develop a National Register of Historic Places historic district nomination for the Village.

Madison County

Oneida Community Mansion House, Inc., $18,940
OCMH Cultural Landscape Report

“We are so grateful to the Preservation League of New York State for this funding.” said Christine Hall O’Neil, Executive Director, Oneida Community Mansion House. “As part of our long-term commitment to preserving this National Historic Landmark, we are excited to undertake a Cultural Landscape report to better understand our preservation needs, expand our interpretation, and increase accessibility to the Mansion House for years to come.”

OCMH will work with a Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture to create a Cultural Landscape Report that will enable the Mansion House to further its historic preservation efforts, expand and diversify its interpretation, and make key improvements to accessibility. This report will dig deeply into the history of the landscape that the utopian Oneida Community inhabited to better understand its significance and the many changes that it underwent over centuries.

Monroe County

Connected Communities (fiduciary for Beechwood Neighborhood Coalition), $20,000
Beechwood Neighborhood, Rochester, NY, Cultural Resource Survey

Nassau County

Long Beach Historical & Preservation Society, $7,876
LBHPS Museum Condition Report

“We are so very grateful to the Preservation League of NYS and program partners for awarding us this grant,” said Mary Byrnes, Board Trustee. “This assessment will inform our Board of Directors with a comprehensive plan and approach to prioritizing the work needed and allocation of restoration funds to enable us to continue to serve our community for many years to come, as we have done for the past 25 years.”

LBHPS was founded in 1980 by the City of Long Beach’s local historian, and longtime resident, Roberta Fiore. In 1997, LBHPS purchased one of the original homes of Long Beach to serve as a museum, a repository for our archival materials, and a venue for educational lectures and programs. LBHPS disseminates and encourages greater knowledge of the history of Long Beach and its environs.

The historic house that serves as the organization’s museum was built in 1909. The house has many original features, such as hybrid light fixtures (gas or electric), wood ceiling beams, coffered ceilings, original inlaid wood flooring, embossed radiators, several stained-glass windows, Lincrustra wall coverings, and a hot saltwater spigot in the tub. It was one of the first private houses built in Long Beach. Also on the property is a three-room building, built prior to 1914, which served as a garage and chauffeur’s quarters.

The museum house is in urgent need of repairs, suffering from rotting window and door frames, exterior water damage, a collapsing balcony, roof damage, warping floors, and other structural issues. The professional Buildings Condition Report funded by this Preserve New York grant will identify all repair and restoration concerns to ensure preservation of this historical landmark building. This assessment will provide the LBHPS Board of Directors with a comprehensive plan and approach to prioritizing the work needed and potential costs. The Report will be completed by Joel Snodgrass, Principal of Steward Preservation Services LLC.

New York County

Historic Districts Council, $16,000
Little Caribbean Cultural Resource Survey

Frampton Tolbert, Executive Director of Historic Districts Council stated, “HDC is thrilled to receive a 2023 Preserve New York grant for a Cultural Resource Survey of the Little Caribbean community, a preservation priority for HDC and our Six to Celebrate partner, I AM CARIBBEING. This support will help us achieve our goal of documenting the rich history and identify significant sites in the community, working closely with I AM CARIBBEING and consultant Sophonie Milande Joseph.”

The Little Caribbean Cultural Resource Survey will include a Multiple Property Documentation establishing the significant themes and criteria for significance for sites in the Little Caribbean community in Flatbush, Brooklyn, to bring awareness and preservation to this area that is rich in history and culture, especially for diverse communities of the Caribbean diaspora. Work with HDC and the consultants within this phase include research on the history and significance of the Little Caribbean neighborhood and community, establishment of registration requirements and major themes for properties that may be nominated in the future, an initial list of significant buildings and sites proposed for inclusion, and a robust community outreach and crowdsourcing campaign to identify additional sites of significance for preservation and commemoration.

Orange County

The Fullerton, $12,000
Re-Examining Newburgh’s East End Historic District Boundaries: A Cultural Resource Survey

“The Fullerton strongly believes that the cultural resource survey conducted by Marissa Marvelli will identify important architectural, historical, and social narratives associated with underrepresented communities,” said Fullerton President Naomi Hersson-Ringskog. “This survey will lay the groundwork to address issues of justice, diversity, and inclusion within the community and preservation field, and potentially in the future, advance the preservation of neighborhoods that will qualify for Historic Tax Credits.”

Last updated in 1985, the Newburgh East End Historic District (EEHD) is historically and architecturally significant as an intact concentration of historic buildings and sites that chronicle the City of Newburgh’s development from its early-18th century settlement period through the 1930s – a 200+year period of population growth and economic expansion. Yet, the current historic district map shows uneven borders running through visually cohesive neighborhoods, raising questions of how they were drawn.

This cultural resource survey will re-examine those boundaries. The focus area is East of Robinson Avenue and South of Downing Park at Third Street. There are 529 buildings and 1 structure (Mill Street Bridge over Quassaick Creek) spread across 33 blocks. This area is in an eligible census tract for the New York State Historic Tax Credit Program. With many of the residents and homeowners being low-income, the possibility of providing those residents with incentives like Historic Tax Credits will make home maintenance much more affordable.

This survey responds to the growing scrutiny that preservationists must reconsider whose narratives are represented and whose are missing. In the case of Newburgh, the social history of many of those who literally built and shaped the city are little reflected in the current EEHD nomination text. This survey is one step towards enhancing the quality of life for all in Newburgh. The future possibility of building inclusive networks and expanding available resources that come with designating an area a historic district can encourage restoration and renovations of individual homes. This in turn helps stabilize neighborhood corridors, add more local job opportunities, increase land values, decrease crime, and stimulate community pride of our common heritage in Newburgh.

Otsego County

Otsego Land Trust, $14,780
Brookwood Point Conservation Area Condition Report

“We are delighted to be partnering with the Preservation League of New York State to address the weathering of historic features at Brookwood Point,” said Gregory Farmer, Executive Director at Otsego Land Trust. “Brookwood Point is our flagship property, the most visible and most accessible of our six public properties.”

Brookwood Point’s historic gardens, stone walls, lake and hillside views, and Arts-and-Crafts-style Garden House make it a wonderful place to gather and celebrate. The historic Garden House, the Ice House, the Pump House, the stone walls, and the three fountains are more than a century old and show the effects of weathering and winter storms. The analysis and report will support fundraising for capital repairs. The study will also consider how to improve public amenities while maintaining the “secret garden” atmosphere.

Otsego Land Trust will use the findings from this structural analysis and condition reports to understand the scope of repair and restoration on the key features of the property. The detailed professional analysis, conducted by Crawford & Stearns / Architects and Preservation Planners, PLLC and Forbes Engineering, will lay the groundwork for future stabilization and repair.

Suffolk County

Art & Nature Group, Inc. dba The Center for Environmental Education and Discovery (CEED), $10,632
The Washington Lodge Condition Report

“This generous funding will help launch our restoration and renovation of the Washington Lodge, a building that has had a special place in this community for almost 150 years,” said Sally Wellinger, CEED Executive Director. “This building conditions report will help create a blueprint to guide us forward.”

Through a long-term lease with the Town of Brookhaven, CEED acts as a steward of the historic Washington Lodge, which they plan to rehabilitate to provide a space for their varied programming that intertwines nature, art, culture, and history. Joel Snodgrass, Principal of Steward Preservation Services LLC, will complete the Building Condition Report funded through this Preserve New York grant. This report is a necessary first step that will inform a more detailed Historic Structure Report. This planning work is in support of the organization’s vision to create a welcoming space for people to come together while preserving the historic nature of the Washington Lodge.

Wainscott Heritage Project, $14,400
Wainscott Cultural Resource Survey

“We are overjoyed to receive this funding that enables us to undertake a Cultural Resource Survey of Wainscott, a project that is critical to the preservation of our historic hamlet,” said Esperanza León, a member of the Wainscott Heritage Project board of directors. “Our organization was founded with the mission to preserve the history and cultural character of Wainscott by protecting its historic structures and significant viewsheds, and we have understood from the start that a survey was an essential first step.”

The Wainscott Reconnaissance Survey will be carried out by Sarah Kautz Consulting Corp. (SKCC), the preservation consultant selected by Wainscott Heritage Project. A reconnaissance survey is the first step towards identifying historic properties and understanding their significance within local, state and/or national historic contexts. Its purpose is to establish basic historic and/or architectural contexts associated with the development and physical character of an area. SKCC will focus on identifying previously undocumented periods and types of resources to better understand the evolution of Wainscott’s built environment up to about 50 years ago, especially the impacts of suburbanization during the early/mid-20th century. The final report will include a selected inventory of historic properties accompanied by maps and photographs, as well as historic and/or architectural contexts and recommendations for further study. Recommendations might include potential updates to existing State/National Registers of Historic Places nominations, or Intensive-Level Surveys to seek evaluations of eligibility for the State/National Registers from the State Historic Preservation Office.

In addition to documenting roughly 150 properties and developing historic contexts for their significance in accordance with the criteria for the State/National Registers of Historic Places, SKCC will help raise public awareness and support for this project by conducting two public meetings to gather input from local stakeholders, as well as two public meetings to present findings and next steps. The consultant will also assess the potential for use of financial incentives for property owners, including State/Federal Historic Tax credits and preservation easements from the Community Preservation Fund of the Town of East Hampton.

Ulster County

The Center for Photography at Woodstock, $14,000
G. W. Van Slyke and Horton Cigar Factory Condition Report

“This grant comes at a perfect moment for us,” stated Brian Wallis, Executive Director of the Center for Photography at Woodstock. “It will help CPW achieve its goal of a healthy, energy-smart cultural facility that will be a downtown anchor for the City of Kingston, and a significant art center for the Hudson Valley. We are grateful to the Preservation League and NYSCA for their leadership on sustainability in the arts.”

"Climate change is real, and we are already experiencing its effects with more and more frequent extreme weather wreaking havoc on our communities,” stated Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. “With this grant, the CPW can now incorporate clean energy into the renovation of their new headquarters in Kingston. I am thrilled to support CPW as one of Ulster County's leading future-forward nonprofits, and I thank the Preservation League and NYSCA for their ongoing commitment to funding for a green future.”

The G.W. Van Slyke & Horton cigar factory building was constructed in 1907, one of many factories making up Kingston’s robust industrial corridor. The area is now regarded as Kingston’s Midtown Arts District, and CPW has plans to turn the 40,000-square-foot, 4-story commercial building into a museum and cultural center. CPW has contracted with consultant Scott Dutton of Dutton Architecture to complete the Study in advance of future rehabilitation work.

Village of New Paltz, $14,000
The Ann Oliver House Condition Report

“The Margaret Wade-Lewis Center is excited to begin the work of revitalizing the Ann Oliver House. This grant will allow MWLC to begin that process,” said Esi Lewis, esq., founder of the Margaret Wade-Lewis Center. “We are grateful to the volunteers who serve on MWLC board and committees and the Village of New Paltz. Without their efforts and support this would not have been possible. We look forward to the day we can welcome and serve the community at the Ann Oliver House, future home of the Margaret Wade-Lewis Center.”

The Ann Oliver house was built in 1885 by Jakob Wynkoop, an Ulster County resident, Civil War veteran, and master carpenter. It is named in honor of Ann Oliver, who was the Civil War widow of Richard Oliver (US Colored Troops, 20th regiment) and who lived there until her death in 1904. It is one of the only remaining structures of a 19th-century, thriving, free Black community. Its restoration will give New Paltz and the surrounding communities a dedicated space to recognize the African American history in the region, and a place to nurture communities in the present. The Ann Oliver House is a physical testament to the meaningful and significant Black presence in New Paltz. The Condition Report will guide a historically sensitive rehabilitation by identifying needed building repairs and alterations that will preserve historical features of the house, including the updating of electric, plumbing and HVAC systems without distracting from, but sustaining the existing structure and stabilizing it. MWLC will work with Robert Gabalski of Lothrop Associates Architects DPC to complete the Report.

Warren County

Silver Bay YMCA, $11,200
Fisher Gymnasium Condition Report

The Fisher Gymnasium at Silver Bay on Lake George was constructed in 1917 and is an excellent example of Adirondack Style architecture. Built to house two gymnasiums, a lounge with a massive fireplace and locker rooms, the building was beautifully designed to accommodate the Summer Training Institute but was not insulated for use in the non-summer months. Silver Bay is planning to renovate the Fisher Gymnasium for year-round use as a community wellness center for area residents and visitors — part of a larger $1 million HUD-funded project. This grant from the Preservation League will ensure a thorough conditions assessment, completed by consultant Elise Johnson-Schmidt, Architect, PC, will help guide this capital work moving forward.

Silver Bay YMCA is a steward to 62 buildings, 32 of which are contributing properties in the National Register-listed Silver Bay Historic District. Preservation is a key component of the organization’s overall mission, and recommendations from the conditions assessment would allow the work to maintain the historic integrity while making the building more functional for current needs.

Westchester County

Historic Hudson Valley, $18,000
Washington Irving's Sunnyside Condition Report

“We are tremendously grateful for this important funding from the Preservation League of NYS,” said Peter Pockriss, Historic Hudson Valley’s Chief Operating Officer. “The condition report is a vital first step in planning for the long-term preservation of Sunnyside and ensuring that the National Historic Landmark can continue to welcome thousands of visitors each year.”

Historic Hudson Valley (HHV) will contract with Walter Sedovic Architects to develop a comprehensive report on the condition of Irving’s Cottage and other key structures at Washington Irving’s Sunnyside. This will be the first comprehensive look at the site’s preservation needs since it opened to the public as a historic house museum in 1945. Based on the findings of this report, HHV will be able to develop a long-term plan to address preservation and restoration needs, safety, accessibility, and climate resilience to best position the site for generations to come.

Sunnyside, a National Historic Landmark in Irvington, New York, was author Washington Irving’s home from 1835 until his death in 1859. Historic Hudson Valley owns and preserves the site and offers tours and special events that explore Irving’s life, writings, and cultural legacy, as well as the lives of his family members and domestic workers.

Since 1993, Preserve New York has been providing funds to municipalities and nonprofit organizations that need technical, professional assistance to guide a variety of preservation projects. The building condition reports, cultural landscape reports, and cultural resource surveys funded through this program lead to positive outcomes across New York’s 62 counties.

“The breadth of these projects across our state will safeguard the rich and diverse history of New York for generations to come,” said Mara Manus, Executive Director of NYSCA. “We applaud the Preservation League of New York State for this critical preservation program. From all of us at NYSCA, a hearty congratulations to the grantees and our gratitude for the essential work you do.”

“The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation is delighted to have partnered once again with the Preservation League of New York State to support preservation projects on Long Island. These awards prepare our stewards to professionally assess the needs of future renovation and restoration of their historic site, thus saving them as educational tools for future generations,” said Kathryn M. Curran, Executive Director of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation.

About the New York State Council on the Arts

The mission of the New York State Council on the Arts is to foster and advance the full breadth of New York State’s arts, culture, and creativity for all. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, the Council on the Arts will award $127 million in FY 2024. The Council on the Arts further advances New York's creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources. Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Council is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit www.arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA's Facebook page, Twitter @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts

Preserve New York Grants - 2023