2016 Winter Landmarks by The Landmark Society of Western New York

LANDMARKS WINTER 2016: VOLUME LIV, NUMBER IV

THE LANDMARK SOCIETY OF WESTERN NEW YORK

WWW.LANDMARKSOCIETY.ORG

The 2016 Preservation Awards Sunday, November 13th

Cover: Masons from Heaster Building Restoration brush on the first of eight coats of lime-wash to restore the original exterior finish of the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse (1822) in Rochester. Project Architects: Bero Architecture PLLC. Photographer: Sheridan Vincent © 2016. This magazine is the official publication of The Landmark Society of Western New York, Inc. Publication is assisted with income from Marion Moore Whitbeck Fund and public funds from Monroe County and from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The mission of The Landmark Society of Western New York, Inc. is to protect the unique architectural heritage of our region and promote preservation and planning practices that foster healthy, livable and sustainable communities. Landmarks is published quarterly by The Landmark Society of Western New York, Inc.

CONTENTS 12-13

2016 Preservation Awards

4-11

Projects & Places Preservation Scorecard

Interns Document Rochester’s Historic Resources Five To Revive

New Grant Recipient

WHERE THE #&@% AM I?™

ADDRESS

Writers & Landmarks NRHP New Listings St. Joseph’s Park

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PHONE / FAX P: (585) 546-7029 F: (585) 546-4788

Events Jubilee Celebration

Travel Tours 2017

info@landmarksociety.org

WEB

We are proud to announce winners of this year’s 2016 Preservation Awards, and hope you’ll join us on November 13th to honor them.

Preservation Scorecard

133 South Fitzhugh Street, Rochester, New York 14608

Feature

Save the Dates!

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14 16 18

Travel Tour NOLA

www.landmarksociety.org

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People Member Profile

Wayne Goodman Appointment The Landmark Society of Western New York is supported, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

The YUP-date Member Profile

Membership Info

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE PRESIDENT Jeffrey Pollock VICE PRESIDENTS Preservation Tom Castelein

Development Mary Z. Nicosia

Education & Properties Mimi Freund Tilton

Finance & Treasurer Jim Marasco

SECRETARY Grant Holcomb AT LARGE JoAnn Beck Glenn Kellogg Delores Radney John Billone Jr. Bleu Cease Drew Costanza Jean France Sandra Frankel Andy Germanow Kate Karl Jerry Ludwig Lee Lundback

Bill Moehle Carol S. Mullin Louis P. Nau Ed Olinger Jason Roberts Richard Sarkis Marjorie Searl Jeffrey Skuse Burt Speer Bill Sullivan Beth Teall Stacey VanDenburgh

HONORARY TRUSTEES William Balderston John Bero A. Vincent Buzard Christopher Clarke John C. Clark III John W. Clarke Frank Crego Susan Crego Jean Czerkas Jim Durfee William Edwards George Gotcsik Fran Gotcsik Judie Griffin Frank S. Grosso Thomas Hargrave Art Holtzman James Knauf, Jr.

Marianne Koller Paul Nunes Andy Olenick Sherri Olenick Ann B. Parks Richard Reisem Jon Schumacher Marion Simon John Thoman Joanne VanZandt Sterling Weaver Houghton D. Wetherald Henry W. Williams Jr. Arlene Wright Vanderlinde Mr. James Yarrington Mr. Craig Zicari

STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Wayne Goodman DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS Cindy Boyer ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF PRESERVATION Larry Francer HORTICULTURIST Beverly Gibson COMMUNITY RELATIONS ASSOCIATE Carolyn Haygood DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Andrew Lambrix

MEMBERSHIP & DIGITAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Tyler Lucero ARCHITECTURAL RESEARCH COORDINATOR Cynthia Howk PROPERTIES TECHNICIAN Quentin McGee PRESERVATION PLANNER Caitlin Meives STONE-TOLAN TOUR GUIDE Judith Trabert

From the Director Providing recognition for a job well done is an important part of what we do at The Landmark Society of Western New York. In this issue of Landmarks, we call attention to some of western New York’s best preservation success stories with the listing of our Annual Preservation Awards. While it is a difficult undertaking to research, deliberate and come to consensus on which projects to select each year, the good news is that we have been fortunate to have so many quality projects to consider. We constantly strive to advocate for a better use of our heritage, and the awards in this issue demonstrate that preservation is certainly alive in western New York. Not only does The Landmark Society strive to acknowledge the buildings, the history and the craftsmanship behind these projects, it is important to remember that even more significant are the people who make these projects possible. Behind every preserved home, commercial building or historic landscape are people who make a series of decisions that lead to a preserved resource. Let us never forget that preservation is a choice, and part of our role is to demonstrate why preservation is the correct choice. This year’s award recipients represent a variety of projects and various facets of historic preservation. They encompass concepts like heritage, design, restoration, adaptive use, craftsmanship and responsible stewardship. We congratulate and thank all of the people who have made these projects come to fruition. And, I would like to thank our dedicated and committed Awards Committee members who painstakingly consider criteria in making the selections. They are a professional and passionate group who takes their responsibility seriously. Please join us at 3 pm Sunday afternoon, November 13th at Rochester

City Hall to hear more information about each award and to meet those behind the projects. It is always a festive event, held in an astonishingly beautiful historic space. While the nature of awards is to recognize ongoing or completed projects, much of The Landmark Society’s work centers on being the catalyst that initiates projects. One method we use to ignite interest is our annual Five to Revive list. This list calls attention to preservation needs, but also communicates those needs as latent potential. Our organization promotes the listings and works to develop strategies that seek to overcome challenges. Our Five to Revive Committee has formed a unique and relevant list that sheds light on some of our most pressing issues— and some of our most opportunistic possibilities. Please consider a generous gift to this year’s annual fund; membership dues only provide a portion of our operating costs. A successful annual fund is critical to maintain our current level of service. And, as we close out 2016, I hope you will join us at this year’s Annual Jubilee, which will take place Sunday evening of November 4th at Harro East Ballroom in Rochester. This party is always an appropriate venue to celebrate our collective work that all of you make possible. Thank you so very much for your loyal and continued support of our organization’s work. All the best,

Wayne Goodman Executive Director

LANDMARKS | WINTER 2016

Projects & Places

PRESERVATION SCORECARD

Keeping score? We are—here’s the latest on several preservation issues around the region.

by Caitlin Meives

TOO CLOSE TO CALL SAFE Former Town Hall Orangeville, Wyoming Co.

SAFE Former Park Bakery & Arsenau House 24 & 30 Church St., Lyons, Wayne Co. In our last issue, we reported that Wayne County had expressed interest in demolishing these two vacant buildings in downtown Lyons but, after a public outcry, had offered to put them up for public auction. The buildings were subsequently purchased at auction by two separate buyers. According to local reports, the new owners have already begun making repairs and planning new uses for the buildings.

Originally constructed in 1852 as a Baptist Church, this building served as the Town Hall from 1912 until the 1950s. Since that time, the façade of the building was removed and the building converted into storage. Although the building suffers from deferred maintenance and has experienced significant alterations to its façade and the removal of most of the interior finishes, it is one of the only remaining historic public buildings in the Town. The Town of Orangeville is currently examining options for funding and reuse.

The Landmark Society of Western New York ||landmarksociety.org landmarksociety.org

Riviera Theater 4 Center St., Geneseo, Livingston Co. Celebrating its 101st birthday, the Riviera Theater in Geneseo has been renovated as a multi-purpose performing arts center. Closed in the 1990s, the movie theater sat vacant for over 20 years when local developers Don Livingston and Jim Sullivan purchased the property in 2013. Tied up in estate issues after its previous owner died, the theater had fallen into disrepair. With the help of a state grant, renovations were completed and the 132seat theater reopened in 2015, once again a center for movie screenings, concerts, lectures, dinners and banquets.

Keeping score in your community? Let us know if there’s an at-risk or recently saved building near you. Email Caitlin at cmeives@ landmarksociety.org.

Interns Document Rochester’s Historic Resources by John Southern

hen I was selected by The Landmark Society of Western New York to take part in Rochester’s first comprehensive Historic Resources Survey in thirty years, I was both honored and elated. As a graduate student of Historic Preservation Planning, I welcomed the opportunity to gain more exposure to surveying and documenting historic buildings in the field. However, it turns out that the most rewarding aspects of this job have been the human interactions that take place out in the field as well as in the office. Everyone at the office-level of the survey has treated us with so much respect and courtesy, while making us feel that we are all part of one unified team. Additionally, all of us on the survey have had great experiences meeting the owners and tenants of Rochester’s historic homes, and have been treated to many delightful impromptu tours of these buildings. Virtually every time these folks have warily approached us (often mistaking us for tax assessors), they have been invariably pleased to discover we were with The Landmark Society. Judging by many sidewalk chats with homeowners, it’s clear that the reputation of The Landmark Society is highly favorable wherever our fieldwork has taken us. The 2016 leg of the operation surveyed approximately 19,000 buildings in the southeast quadrant of Rochester. The range of the survey will eventually cover all four quadrants of the city over a projected four-year timeframe. This project is funded by the City of Rochester and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. Survey data is collected using a vantage point from the public right-of way (sidewalk or street) where members of the survey team gain information on properties and record it on tablets. To collect, record and transmit data obtained in the field, each tablet employs an app known as CRIS (Cultural Resource

Top to Bottom, Left to Right – Luke Nicosia, John Southern, Brad Huber, Susan Wylie, Tyler Lucero, Greg Heinrich.

Information System) Trekker. CRIS Trekker is a newly developed program employed by the State of New York that operates on smart devices using the Android or IOS platforms, and—true to its name—CRIS Trekker is designed for gathering data while mobile. CRIS Trekker's primary function is to record, transmit, organize and archive data as related to historic buildings, sites and structures from a mobile perspective. In CRIS Trekker each property is recorded on a digital form, utilizing approximately twenty points of informative criteria, including photographs and GPS coordinates that are recorded in the form of a specific touch-and-select point on a satellite map. Professionally speaking, the key strength of our team has undoubtedly been its diversity of backgrounds. For example, Tyler Lucero is a geologist and teacher, Luke Nicosia is a history buff and competitive athlete, while Greg Heinrich is a student of architecture and geography. Additionally, Susan Wylie is pursuing a Master of Architecture degree at the Rochester Institute of Technology and Brad Huber serves as the president of his neighborhood association and has a strong background in preservation and urban planning. When combined with my own skillsets of historic preservation and cultural anthropology, the six of

us have made a formidable team. What Tyler, Luke, Greg, Susan and Brad have all brought to the table is their visceral geographic knowledge of—and deep affection for—their hometown, which has been indispensable to the success of the survey. To them, I have offered my graduate-level understanding of historic architectural style and anatomy as well as the law as it pertains to historic preservation planning. I’ve also approached the survey from an observant/participant theoretical perspective that is native to cultural anthropology, and applied it to my interactions with property owners to gain a relativistic viewpoint of the culture that resides in the southeast quadrant. Although I was hired as Lead Intern for this survey, I quickly realized that there wouldn’t be much need for excessive directing or oversight of my fellow team members. All involved have been so insightful, civil and proactive. Hence, the organization and execution of various survey agendas and activities have been incredibly effective. It should be noted here that I had never set foot in Rochester before I interviewed for the survey position. Thus, I can honestly say that it has been an honor and a treat to become familiar with both the buildings of this city and the people who live in them on a block-by-block basis. It has also been a pleasure becoming acquainted with all at The Landmark Society of Western New York. Through the eyes of so many good people who are involved in the advocacy and preservation of its historic built environment, I can see that Rochester’s future looks very bright indeed. John Southern is a Master of Arts candidate at Cornell University’s Historic Preservation Planning Program.

LANDMARKS | WINTER 2016

Projects & Places

2016 FIVE TO REVIVE by Larry Francer and Cynthia Howk

he heart of preservation is community revitalization. In 2013, we launched the Five to Revive program, a list that calls attention to five properties in western New York that are in need of investment. Whether buildings, landscapes or structures, they are significant historic properties whose rehabilitations can become catalytic projects for the neighborhoods and communities that surround them. Each year, these five properties become priority projects for Landmark Society staff and programs as we work collaboratively with owners, municipal officials and developers to facilitate investment and foster rehabilitation. The ultimate goal is to return these important historic resources to a place of prominence in their respective

â?ś Photo courtesy of Richard Margolis

communities, as economic and social assets that spark even more investment and revitalization. Most of our 2015 Five to Revive properties have moved closer to that goal. The Cattaraugus County Memorial and Historical Building has had a bumpy ride but with the hard work of a local advocacy group, Citizens Advocating Memorial Preservation (CAMP), things are looking brighter. The County is examining options for selling the property while our staff works with CAMP to explore options for future uses. The Former Wollensak Optical Company is on the market. The Main St. East/ North Clinton Avenue Retail District will soon be listed in the National Register of Historic Places, providing developers access to the historic tax credit programs.

Our partner on the Lockwood-Alhart Cobblestone House and Retail Plaza, NeighborWorks Rochester, has acquired funding to design a welcoming public space in front of the building. This should be the first step in making the Cobblestone a friendlier environment for the neighborhood. We are working with two of the poster children for Fraternal Meeting Halls, the Grange Hall in Huron and the Carter Memorial G.A.R. Hall in Nunda, to assist with repairs and ideas for creative programming. The Huron Grange Hall also received funding from our Preservation Grant Fund to plan repairs, some of which were completed this summer.

Traditional Trades To rehabilitate a historic building correctly, you need a professional trained in the appropriate skills, such as carpentry, masonry, stained/decorative glass, painting, roof repair, metalwork and window restoration. While there are veteran practitioners of the traditional trades in our region, many of them are approaching retirement. Without a new generation of craftspeople to take over, we are approaching a crisis level of diminishing resources and knowledge to care for our historic resources. Rehabilitation of historic buildings has increased exponentially during the past several decades, providing employment opportunities for craftspeople who are trained in these specific skills. Other communities have developed trade schools and preservation skills programs to begin addressing the problem. This impending crisis represents an opportunity to provide marketable skills and employment to young men and women here in western New York as well.

Former Rochester Brewing Company complex 42 Cliff Street | City of Rochester, Monroe County With a dramatic site overlooking the Genesee River gorge, the former Rochester Brewing Company buildings comprise the only surviving 19th century brewery complex in the city. Located one block east of Lake Avenue, the original brewery complex included nearly a dozen buildings. In 1985, a massive fire destroyed the northern half of this complex. Today, the distinctive Italianate-style office and south brewery buildings survive, offering a major redevelopment opportunity in this unique location.

â?ˇ Photo courtesy of Richard Margolis

The Landmark Society of Western New York | landmarksociety.org

❸ Photo courtesy of Ann Burlingham

Downtown Perry Block of Commercial Buildings Main Street | Village of Perry, Wyoming County

At the northern gateway to the village business district, this distinctive block of historic commercial buildings on Main Street has great potential for redevelopment. It includes some of the oldest commercial buildings in Wyoming County, featuring brick, stone and frame construction. Despite their location, these buildings have been vacant or underutilized for decades. In recent years, Perry has experienced a resurgence, with an engaged citizenry and adaptive use projects that have transformed vacant buildings into economic assets. Today, renewed interest in these underutilized Main Street buildings signals an opportunity to rehabilitate one of the village’s most important commercial blocks.

Dove Block

459 Exchange Street | City of Geneva, Ontario County Located in the heart of Geneva’s downtown, the Dove Block is one of that community’s most distinctive commercial buildings. Built in 1878, the threestory structure was erected by W.G. Dove, a successful contractor and brick manufacturer. The building originally housed an auditorium, roller-skating rink and drill hall, with retail businesses on the first floor. In the 1930s, W.G. Dove’s son, Arthur—considered America’s first abstract expressionist artist—resided on the third floor, where he painted some of his most famous works. A group of Geneva citizens has formed “The Dove Block Restoration Group” with plans to purchase and rehabilitate the building, which has been vacant for more than a dozen years.

❺ Photo courtesy of Richard Margolis

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Lake Ontario State Parkway Monroe and Orleans Counties Officially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, this 35mile parkway along the southern shore of Lake Ontario is one of only two state parkways built in western New York. Constructed beginning in the late 1940s, it is a segment of a much longer parkway originally planned by Franklin D. Roosevelt to connect Fort Niagara to the Thousand Islands. The Lake Ontario State Parkway is architecturally significant as a designed historic landscape in the tradition of earlier parkways in New York State, featuring a picturesque curving route, rustic stone bridges and buildings and park-like landscaping, offering scenic views of Lake Ontario and the surrounding countryside. A part of the Great Lakes Seaway Trail National Scenic Byway, the Parkway is an important transportation corridor in the region. Decreased government funding, however, has curtailed necessary repairs to the western section of this historic roadway and jeopardized its continued use.

LANDMARKS | WINTER 2016

Projects & Places

New Grant Recipient by Caitlin Meives

n our most recent round of applications, the Preservation Grant Fund committee awarded $1000 to the Greece Historical Society. The Historical Society will be conducting a cultural resources survey to inventory and document the works of the late architect, James Johnson. Johnson was an innovative architect who gave Rochester and the western New York region some of its most distinct structures. The project will also lay the groundwork for these structures to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Launched in September, 2012, The Landmark Society's Preservation Grant Fund program offers funds for preliminary design and planning studies to help make positive improvements to at-risk buildings. The program was initially funded through a bequest from Elizabeth (Libby) Stewart. Libby was a longtime Landmark Society staff member who was dedicated to the revitalization of neighborhoods and historic structures. The Preservation Grant Fund provides initial “start-up” funding to assist in saving historic resources. The grant will not pay for any “bricks and mortar” work. Only pre-construction services are eligible for funding. Specific use of funds is flexible. Examples of eligible projects include: • code compliance studies • construction estimates • visual project renderings • measured drawings • cost comparisons

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Greece, N.Y., one of the innovative structures designed by James Johnson.

WHERE THE #&@% AM I?

™

LUX Lounge! by Larry Francer

ux Lounge is one of the newest members of our coaster program and probably one of the most colorful. Lux owner Karrie Laughton has a joie de vivre that is reflective of the South Wedge neighborhood that has embraced this establishment. “Who are you calling an establishment,” rings in my ears, as I write it. Lux is anything but establishment and everything about inclusive. Their website roars, “At Lux, EVERYONE IS WELCOME! We don't care about the color of your skin or your hair. We don’t care if you are gay, straight, (or both). . . . We just want you to be kind, open minded,

non-thieving, good people. All you haters can stay at home.” Karrie told me how excited she was to join the network of bars celebrating their history, “I love learning more about my building and all the souls that have been here before me. This is a great concept and I hope all the Rochester bars that are in historic buildings join.” The history of Lux Lounge actually ties into another Landmark inititative, The LGBTQ Landmarks Survey. It was the original home of Snake Sisters, a popular lesbian bar of the 1980s.

The Ladies of Lux!

The Landmark Society of Western New York | landmarksociety.org

Writers & Landmarks The Wadsworth Library by Kyle Semmel

There are things you know when you’re a kid, and there are things you don’t. What I knew was that the dusty old smell of books was as glorious to me as the fragrance rising from the lilacs that bloomed in our yard each spring. I could’ve sat for hours rifling through the crinkly books, crackling the pages in my fingers, sniffing the pulpy paper. To this day, the plastic sleeves that libraries wrap around books call up instant associations of Wadsworth. I would plop down in the kids’ section, sometimes reading, sometimes letting my eyes and mind wander. The Wadsworth Library is a long, rectangular space reminiscent of a courthouse, complete with a second-floor reading room that overlooks the main hall. Occasionally I would pretend there were men and women seated up there watching a court proceeding below, re-enacting, say, a scene in To Kill a Mockingbird; other times I might just stroll among the sturdy oak shelves, running my fingers along book spines. I loved how the wooden floor creaked like a rusty-hinged door when you walked across it, sending reverberations up your legs and echoes

Illustration by Mark Payton

hen I was a kid, the Wadsworth Library in Geneseo was a place of magic for me. I grew up in the town of York, just across the Genesee River, and it was a treat whenever Mom packed me and my siblings into the car and hauled us all to Geneseo and the library.

through the stacks. But the best part, the absolute best, was the crazy statue that greets visitors: a centaur about to get his head lopped off by an ax-wielding man. To a kid with an active imagination, that’s just brilliant. What I didn’t know then, what I learned only recently—thanks to a brief conversation with a librarian and the brochure he handed to me—is that the Wadsworth Library was built in 1867 in an “Italianate style … in the exact proportions of the famous Parthenon in Athens.” Similarly, I had no idea that the statue that so captivated my imagination was called “Theseus Slaying the Centaur Bianor” and was an original bronze by Antoine-Louis Barye (1796-1875)—one of only three castings of its kind in the world, the others being at the Louvre and the Met.

The Wadsworth Library has delighted— and enlightened—generations of Livingston County residents, providing succor to readers. Since 1977, it has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In this age of digitization, of e-books and electronic games, the Wadsworth Library is a stark reminder of the enduring impact of books.

Kyle Semmel, a writer and literary translator, is the executive director of Writers & Books. His forthcoming translation (as K.E. Semmel) is The Hermit by Thomas Rydahl.

LANDMARKS | WINTER 2016

Projects & Places

Orator F. Woodward Cottage, Silver Lake, NY

New Listings in the National Register of Historic Places W

estern New York has thousands of properties eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places— and yours might be one of them! There are distinct benefits such as grants to repair not-for-profit and religious buildings, as well as the NYS Homeowner’s Rehabilitation Tax Credit program. Here are the properties in our region that have been recently listed in the National Register of Historic Places: Brockport Cemetery, High Street, Village of Brockport, Monroe Co. Park Avenue-State Street Historic District, Village of Brockport, Monroe Co. Austin R. Conant House, 30 West Ave., Village of Fairport, Monroe Co. Reed-Hulburt House, 106 Hulburt Rd., Village of Fairport, Monroe Co. Canandaigua Historic District Boundary Amendment, City of Canandaigua, Ontario Co. St. Francis De Sales Parish, 130 Exchange St., City of Geneva, Ontario Co. Holley Village Historic District, Village of Holley, Orleans Co. Stevens-Sommerfeldt House, 5482 Holley-Byron Rd., Town of Clarendon, Orleans Co. Barna C. Roup House, 38 Borden Ave., Village of Perry, Wyoming Co. Orator F. Woodward Cottage, 3931 Thompson Ave., Silver Lake, Town of Castile, Wyoming Co. Interested in getting your property listed in the National Register and taking advantage of its benefits and financial programs? Contact Caitlin Meives (cmeives@landmarksociety.org) or Cynthia Howk (chowk@landmarksociety.org). We’d be glad to help you!

The Landmark Society of Western New York | landmarksociety.org

ST. JOSEPH’S PARK An Urban Paradise by Larry Francer

ver the past few years, we have shared with you stories about the transformation of St. Joseph’s Park. It has truly been a labor of love. As the third season of improvements and events is coming to an end and we prepare to close St Joe’s for the winter, we felt a short history of the site and a shout out to some of our newest partners was in order. St. Joseph’s Park is located inside the remains of what was the city’s oldest Catholic church, destroyed on October 18, 1974 by a fire. The Redemptorist Fathers, along with the German immigrants of the early 1800s, purchased the site and spent over three years building the main body of the church. It soon became the mother church of nine other German parishes. Over the decades, the church became known as the “Oasis of Grace.” In the years following the destructive fire, determined citizens and institutions felt that the distinctive tower was an irreplaceable feature of the Rochester landscape and searched for someone to take ownership of the building so a reuse could be found for it.

The Landmark Society agreed to take it on. Thanks to many partners, St. Joseph’s Park opened in 1980 with renovation designed by Handler/Grosso Architects. However, the park was locked in the early 1990s due to lack of funding for upkeep. George Eastman was quoted as saying, “It’s as much a part of Rochester as—as cameras! It’s a landmark! A public service that must be preserved.” With these words in mind and in association with The Landmark Society’s 75th Anniversary initiatives, we brought new partners to the table to restore the glow to this hidden gem. In 2012, with partners including the Community Foundation and the Davenport Hatch Foundation we were able to reopen the gates of St. Joseph’s Park. During the past four years, there has been extensive masonry work by Tim Wheeler of TSW Masonry. This past summer, we had industrial strung lighting installed and donated by local firefighter John Joseph. New benches were designed and donated by Seth Eshelman & Brandon Colaprete of Staach, on a frame

Rochester Venture Adventure. Photo courtesy of Rachel Waller.

Photo courtesy of Ross Weddings.

created by Nick Carleton of Weld Works, both local Rochester companies. These new additions had a huge impact on the St. Joe’s experience. Programming of the space, led by Jenna Knauf and Maureen Higgins of Bella & Co., has been key to its success, as well. Their guidance and commitment has made St. Joseph’s Park one of the hottest spots for bridal photos and ceremonies. All the folks at The Yards have created an event like no other in the Spectral Carnival now in its third incarnation during October. And the second season of Sunset Concerts confirmed that St. Joseph’s Park is a magical venue for music. With the help of the City of Rochester and Rochester Downtown Development Corp, we were able to establish a Food Truck Zone right in front of the park and need to thank Lizzie Clapp of Le Petit Poutine for believing in the space and adding it to her schedule. As we move forward we will need all these partners and more to help keep St. Joseph’s Park safe and inviting to the entire Rochester community. And a final thanks to Officer Rob Wilson and his colleagues at Rochester Police Department for working with us to that end.

LANDMARKS | WINTER 2016

Events

The 2016 Preservation Awards Join us for the Awards Ceremony

Sunday, November 13th at 3 pm Rochester’s historic City Hall 30 Church Street by Cynthia Howk Lights! Camera! Action! Yes—it’s time again for The Landmark Society’s Annual Awards Ceremony. The Awards are given to individuals and organizations in our nine-county area that have made outstanding efforts in the preservation of their homes, public buildings, historic properties, and landscapes. We are proud to announce the following winners of this year’s 2016 Preservation Awards, and hope you’ll join us on November 13th to honor them and hear a brief presentation on each award. You’ll find more details on each project on our website. Award of Merit

The Award of Merit is for the sympathetic rehabilitation of an historic building or structure in our nine-county region completed within the past two years.

Michelsen Apartments

Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse

Mills III Apartments

Barber Conable Award

The Barber Conable Award recognizes a large-scale rehabilitation of an historic building in our region completed within the past two years.

Skalny Building: Bivona Child Advocacy Center

Michelsen Apartments and Mills III Apartments (M + M) 182 Avenue D and 281 Mill Street, city of Rochester. Listed in the State and National Registers of Historic Places, these two properties were rehabilitated using the Federal Investment Tax Credit program. The $18.5 million rehabilitation of these former industrial properties created a total of 59 affordable, one- and twobedroom apartments. The Michelsen Apartments were designed by Barkstrom and LaCroix, with Rich Lindner, lead architect, while Mills III was designed by Glasgow Simmons Architecture LLP, with Jason Simmons as lead architect.

Button Loft Apartments

Holy Trinity Catholic Church

The Landmark Society of Western New York | landmarksociety.org

Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse 70 Lighthouse Street, city of Rochester For restoration of America’s oldest lighthouse on Lake Ontario, which is owned by Monroe County and managed by the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse Historical Society. Bero Architecture PLLC, project designer, in coordination with the National Park Service. Skalny Building: Bivona Child Advocacy Center 1 Mt. Hope Avenue, city of Rochester The former “Old Stone Warehouse” has been sensitively rehabilitated to house the Bivona Child Advocacy Center. The building is listed in the State and National Registers of Historic Place and was rehabilitated using the Federal Tax Credit program. Architect Saralinda Hooker was the consultant. Button Loft Apartments 340 Rutgers Street, city of Rochester Former M.B. Shantz Button Company factory, renovated as 39 loft apartments. Owned by DHD Ventures and designed by Passero Associates, architects, this revitalized building was rehabilitated using the Federal Tax Credit program. Holy Trinity Catholic Church 1460 Ridge Road, town of Webster, Monroe Co. For major rehabilitation efforts of the 1901 church. Bero Architecture, PLLC was project architect, working with contractors Kurt Catalano, CSTM Corporation, George Easton, Easton Specialties, and Valerie O’Hara, Pike Stained Glass.

Stewardship Award

Completion of a major rehabilitation of the 1908 church. This $400,000 project included a grant from the Sacred Sites program. The project was coordinated by Bero Architecture, PLLC with Catenary Construction (masonry), Pike Stained Glass Studio, and Southside Pre-Cast of Buffalo, contractors.

Historic Landscape Award

St. James Episcopal Church

The Historic Landscape Award recognizes and encourages the preservation, restoration and stewardship of historically significant landscapes in our ninecounty region. Hurd Orchards 17260 Ridge Road, town of Murray, Orleans Co.

Bill Farmer

St. James Episcopal Church 405 East Main Street, city of Batavia, Genesee Co.

For ongoing care and preservation of a 200-year-old historic fruit and flower farm by seven generations of the Hurd family.

Historic Home Award

The Historic Home Award is given to owners of private residences for their continued care of and commitment to the preservation of an architecturally significant house over a minimum of seven years. 2 Seneca Parkway Rochester, New York Owners: Nicholas & Alice Zumbulyadis

Hurd Orchards

For ongoing care and restoration of their 1911 residence in Rochester’s Maplewood neighborhood. The owners are among the first in our region to take advantage of the New York State Homeowner’s Tax Credit program for the rehabilitation of National Register listed houses.

Paul Malo Award for Community Preservation Advocacy Arlene Wright Vanderlinde & Leo Dodd Historic Brighton

Arlene Wright Vanderlinde and the late Leo Dodd are two individuals whose commitment to the Brighton community has resulted in a wider awareness of and appreciation for its history and built environment. The collective work of these two dedicated individuals has increased the visibility of historic preservation in Brighton.

Special Achievement Award

The Special Achievement Award recognizes accomplishments that have occurred over a lengthy period of time. Thomas X. Grasso, President, Canal Society of New York and Commissioner, Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor For over three decades, Pittsford resident Tom Grasso has committed his time and talent to the promotion and redevelopment of the historic Erie Canal in New York State. He is considered a statewide leader in the preservation and revitalization efforts for the canal.

2 Seneca Parkway creative programming has drawn an entirely new —and younger—generation of advocates into local preservation activities. Rochester Garden Club Rochester, New York Celebrating its centennial in 2016, the Rochester Garden Club has spear-headed major landscape initiatives in the greater Rochester area for over 100 years, focusing on a wide range of public gardens and landscapes.

Craftsman Award

Special Citation

Jim Turner—custom architectural millwork and restoration specialist Honeoye Falls Millwork Village of Honeoye Falls

Bradley Huber Irondequoit, New York

With an impressive range of woodworking and millwork projects, Jim Turner is a veteran craftsman whose artistry has enhanced historic buildings from New York State to Mississippi. Clients have included homeowners, churches, commercial properties, educational institutions, and historic sites.

A Special Citation provides recognition for projects that do not fit into other categories or recognizes outstanding individual or group accomplishments in the field of historic preservation.

An enthusiastic preservation planning and neighborhood advocate, Bradley Huber brings exceptional talent and dedication to his many community activities, including the Winona Woods Neighborhood Association and The Landmark Society’s “Young Urban Preservationists (YUP’s),” whose

LANDMARKS | WINTER 2016

Events

2016 Jubilee Celebration

Celebrating Preservation 50 NYS Presented by First Niagara and RBC Wealth Management by Carolyn Haygood

Sunday, December 4th, 2016 Preservation Reflection & Special Awards 5:00 p.m - 6:00 p.m (free) Jubilee 6:00 p.m - 9:00 p.m. (ticketed event)

n May 2016 The Landmark Society’s Statewide Preservation Conference in Albany and Troy focused on celebrating past achievements and planning for the future of historic preservation in New York State. Preservation 50 is a nationwide effort to celebrate and assure historic preservation’s future in America. We thought it fitting to continue this effort as the organization approaches its 80th Anniversary in 2017. This year’s annual Jubilee “Celebrating Preservation 50 NYS” will take place at the elegant Georgian Revivalstyle Historic Harro East Ballroom, a Rochester New York landmark facility located at 155 North Chestnut Street. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Harro East, named

after developers Harry and Rosemarie Caufield, is the conversion of the Triangle Community Center at 400 Andrews Street. The TCC was designed by architect Sigmund Firestone and was built in the 1930s as the home of the Jewish Young Men’s and Women’s Association. The Rochester Jewish community started a fund drive to construct this unique social and recreational facility. After 11 months of hard work and $2.5 million of their own money, the Caufield’s opened the doors in December 1987 to what we know as today the Harro East Athletic Club and Ballroom. The evening will commence at 5 p.m. with a free “Reflections on Preservation” presentation, outlining the past year’s accomplishments, as well as what is on the horizon entering into our 80th Anniversary year and some special award presentations. The celebratory party begins at 6 p.m. where you will experience musical entertainment, silent auction, delicious hors d’oeuvres, fabulous sweet treats, complimentary wine and beer sponsored by Constellation Brands Inc. and North American Breweries, as well as a cash bar.

Photo courtesy David Jones

The evening’s music entertainment will feature Rochester’s own Sunset Concert Musicians and Disc Jockey, Jerry Falzone. Founded in 2014 by Emlyn Johnson and Jessica King, Sunset Concerts is an annual chamber music series celebrating the artistic vibrancy of Rochester. In the past two seasons, Sunset Concerts has partnered with The Landmark Society of

The Landmark Society of Western New York | landmarksociety.org

Western New York to perform outdoors at several beloved Rochester landmarks, namely St. Joseph's Park, Ellwanger Garden, and the Stone-Tolan House. Sunset Concerts aims to provide summer performance opportunities to young professionals affiliated with Eastman School of Music, while presenting Rochester audiences with top quality concerts of classical music old and new, all free of charge. A select group of Sunset Concerts musicians looks forward to making their winter debut at The Landmark Society's Jubilee. Jerry Falzone has indeed had a life in music. Jerry traveled throughout the US and Canada playing music in bars, night clubs, small theaters, anywhere that would have him and his band Pearl. But, you can’t stay on the road forever, so his

Musical entertainment will be provided by Sunset Concert Musicians and Disc Jockey, Jerry Falzone.

next stint was that of talent agent, helping musicians find work and helping nightclubs throughout the Eastern US find bands. Then it was on to songwriting that allowed him to work with artists like Debbie Randyn and Mason Tyler, as writer and as a producer for both of their debut albums. So whether it is writing it, playing other people’s

Photo courtesy David Jones

Jubilee Sponsors TITLE SPONSORS

Edgemere

recordings as a DJ, playing his songs on a barstool to an intimate crowd, promoting shows every week at Fandango at The Tango or recognizing the sheer brilliance of what we have around us and in our shared history as a member of the Board of Directors of The Rochester Music Hall of Fame, Jerry Falzone’s life in music is a thing to be shared and enjoyed. Don’t miss this special event to celebrate Landmark Society’s past and future success. Tickets go on sale online November 1st; only $45 to the most exciting social event on the winter calendar. Advance ticket sales only; tickets will not be sold at the door. Make sure you wear your dancing shoes and come prepared to bid on an assortment of irresistible auction items!

✂

Real Estate Development Consulting

Grant Holcomb

Lee and Staffan Lundback

Custom plywood & lumber crating, pallets & more Family owned since 1948

The Nominating Committee, chaired by Trustee Jason Roberts, recommends the following individuals for election:

New Trustees: (To serve for three years) Lauren Gallina, Gerald Gamm, Randy Morgenstern, Glen Skalny and Karen Wolf Renewing Trustees: (To serve for three years) JoAnn Beck, Bleu Cease, Jean France, Bill Moehle and Mary Nicosia Retiring Trustees: Many thanks for your years of dedicated service. Drew Costanza, Sandy Frankel, Andy Germanow, Lee Lundback, Carol Mullin, Ed Olinger, Beth Teall and Mimi Tilton

Cannot attend? Please mail Proxy form to: The Landmark Society of Western New York 133 South Fitzhugh Street Rochester, New York 14608

Proxy The undersigned member of The Landmark Society of Western New York, Inc., does hereby make, constitute, and appoint Board President Jeffrey Pollock, the true and lawful attorney or attorneys, proxy or proxies of the undersigned, with full power of substitution for and on behalf of the undersigned to vote at the Annual Meeting of said Society to be held at Harro East Theatre & Ballroom, 155 N. Chestnut Street, Rochester, New York on December 4th, 2016. Date ___________________, 2016 Signature __________________________________________________

LANDMARKS | WINTER 2016

Events

Travel Tours 2017 An Insider’s Guide to New Orleans Plus an exclusive side trip to St. Francisville, LA May 18–23, 2017

id you know that The Landmark Society’s Associate Director of Preservation, Larry Francer, has been to New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA) over a dozen times? Many of those have been during Mardi Gras but Larry assures us that the best way to enjoy the authentic New Orleans is when there is NOT a big party festival in town. So along with Executive Director, Wayne Goodman, Larry and our travel consultant, Jerome Herron, will introduce you to the preservationists, musicians and artists they’ve become friends with and give you a rare, personal view of the city they have grown to love. They’ve chosen the historic Le Richelieu hotel for its perfect location and beautiful salt water pool. Le Richelieu is one of the few privately owned hotels left in the French Quarter. Situated on the edge of the Quarter and just blocks away from the Faubourg Marigny district, this hotel holds a myriad of exciting spots within an easy walk. Frenchman Street with its jazz clubs; the galleries, boutiques and antique

shops of Royal Street; the bargains at the French Market; Jackson Square, not to mention Bourbon Street, are all at your fingertips. Most rooms have balconies and the hotel has a restaurant and bar adjacent to the pool. Relaxing by the pool with a refreshing cocktail will surely become part of your daily NOLA experience. A partnership with the Preservation Resource Center will treat you to an Architecture Tour designed just for our group. You’ll get the lay of the land and view the different neighborhoods of NOLA in a bus tour with commentary from our preservation colleagues. Additional walking tours throughout the stay will take you to the Bywater, Marigny and Garden Districts. We’ll also be traveling on the streetcars and taking in the sights from this unique form of travel—from Audubon Park to Canal Street. Highlights include a special welcome reception at the Pierre Coulon Guest House by the proprietor and local

Photo courtesy Mary-Ellen Bertram Photography.

preservationist, Stephen Folkes; a jazz cruise on the Creole Queen; the Big Shot seating at Preservation Hall; lunch at the New Orleans School of Cooking; jazz brunch at the Commander’s Palace and more. A very special stop will be dinner and the best traditional New Orleans jazz at the iconic Palm Court. This will include a private tour of their recording studio, led by Larry and Jerome’s dear friends, Kathy and Lars Edegran. If the stars are aligned you met get a dance with Nina Buck and a song by Larry. St. Francisville is a historic community just past Baton Rouge that boasts one of Jerome’s favorite spots, the Myrtles Plantation, an 18th century antebellum home called “One of America’s Most Haunted Homes.” We’ll have lunch and a tour at the Myrtle’s, as well as a tour of the Rosedown Plantation then enjoy the quaint downtown with a recent restoration of a 1950s motel, historic synagogue, historic homes and Grandmother’s Buttons, a wonderful shop in an old bank. Member double occupancy $2,799 Nonmember double occupancy $3,099 Single supplement $499

Hansom cab on Royal Street. Photo courtesy Mary-Ellen Bertram Photography.

The Landmark Society of Western New York | landmarksociety.org

Registration is now open! Visit our website to download the application or call (585) 546-7029 x 11.

The Adirondacks Great Camps Experience Plus two “once-a-year” opportunities! September 14–17, 2017

Next September we look forward to offering you an exceptional travel experience. We will be immersed in the Adirondack Great Camps Experience, as we tour, dine and sleep in this uniquely American architectural style. best national watercolorists featured and the Annual Antiques Show at the Adirondack Museum. Dealers from across the country will bring items that would be at home in the Adirondacks—or perhaps your house. We’ll also be among the first to experience the Museum’s brand new exhibit hall, opening in 2017. We’ll cap off our tour with a luncheon cruise on Raquette Lake, enjoying historic narration as we view many cottages and compounds only accessible by water.

Photo courtesy of Great Camp Sagamore

hat is a Great Camp? A grandiose family compound of buildings, built in the Adirondack Mountains at the turn of the 19th to 20th century. Designed as a “rustic” retreat for wealthy families, they were intended to give the feeling of roughing it without ever being actually uncomfortable. Expertly crafted of wood, stone and other indigenous materials, their style was influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement and Swiss chalet inspired designs. The “camps” are comprised of multiple buildings, designed to move guests outdoors whenever possible. Sleep in one building, dine in another, and enjoy evening recreation in a third.

Preserve, you may be housed in the main lodge, Wigwam Cottage, or the barksheathed conference building; all with comfortable beds and cozy Adirondack blankets. You’ll have the run of the camp, enjoying the same fireplaces, lounge rooms, furnishings—and bowling alley— the Vanderbilts enjoyed. We’ll dine on hearty fare prepared by professional staff in the glorious dining room (where the tables are stained to match the camp’s maple syrup—Mrs. Vanderbilt thought of everything!) There will be free time to enjoy boating, a short hike, a game of croquet—or simply lounging in the traditional Adirondack chairs on the porch.

We will stay three nights at Great Camp Sagamore, built by W.W. Durant but owned and influenced by the Alfred Vanderbilt family from 1901 to 1954. A stay at Sagamore is unlike any other. Situated on a private lake and surrounded by 27 acres of the Adirondack Forest

When we’re not enjoying Sagamore, we’ll be visiting some pretty spectacular sites, including other Great Camps not normally available to the public. The “once a year” events? The Adirondack National Watercolor Show at View Gallery in Old Forge, with some of the

Please note: due to limited accommodations at Great Camp Sagamore, group size for this special excursion will be smaller than our usual tours. Don’t wait to reserve, and get your first choice of accommodation type! Member double occupancy w/private bath $1,449 Member double occupancy w/shared bath $1,349 Member single occupancy with shared bath $1,400 Nonmembers please add $45 per person for membership. What’s included: All meals from Thursday lunch through Sunday lunch, transportation, admissions, gratuities, tours, full use of Great Camp Sagamore facilities, and company of The Landmark Society executive director and staff escort. Registration is now open! Visit our website to download the application or call (585) 546-7029 x 11.

LANDMARKS | WINTER 2016

Events

Save the Dates! Preservation Conference: April 6–8, 2017 While we loved taking our Conference east to the Capital Region, we’re glad to let our longtime western New York attendees know that in 2017, the New York Statewide Preservation Conference will once again return to the city of Rochester. We’ll be centered around downtown’s East Main Street, with our Conference headquarters at the Sibley Building. We’re currently accepting proposals for sessions—visit our website at www.landmarksociety.org/ conference to submit your idea! The 2017 NY Statewide Preservation are underway. Conference is a Renovations partnership of The WinnDevelopment is Landmark Society of Western transforming The Sibley New Building into the centerpiece York, Preservation Buffalo Niagara, of a revitalized Downtown. the PreservationTheSibleyBuilding.com League of New York State, and the New York State of Find us on Facebook Office Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Walk the Walk:

Encounters with Rochester’s African-American Ancestors Coming in February 2017 For Student performance information contact Cindy Boyer cboyer@landmarksociety.org Visit our website in January for information on the FREE public performance

The Landmark Society of Western New York | landmarksociety.org

People

Member Profile Bradley Huber by Caitlin Meives Bradley Huber is a busy and passionate guy. He’s a teacher for the Rochester City School District, president of the Winona Woods Neighborhood Association, on the steering committee of the Young Urban Preservationists, and a member of the Planning Board in the Town of Irondequoit. He also recently finished singlehandedly rehabbing his historic bungalow in Irondequoit and will be receiving the Special Citation award from The Landmark Society.

: Your widely followed home rehab blog, Itty Bitty Bungalow has drawn attention from the likes of This Old House. What inspired you to start chronicling your home repair projects for all the world to see? Fixing up a house by yourself, you don’t really get to share the experience with others. Blogging helped me share my trials and tribulations as well as chronicle the adventure. Additionally, I certainly didn’t know what I was doing. The blog wasn’t so much about DIY as it was about what I was doing and then crowdsourcing feedback from a wide variety of people. I also developed “internet friendships” with other bloggers going through similar projects with similar constraints. Together we’re trying to do the work ourselves, learn from common experiences and share while also trying to be respectful of the period and style of our respective houses.

: Did you have a guiding philosophy as you embarked on your home rehab?

Do it myself, do it in a way that I can learn from it, and do it in a way that I can afford it. Everything I did was for the first time, so something as simple as changing a faucet, putting in a new light fixture— everything took a lot longer than it should have. The biggest takeaway was that there are do-it-yourself projects; there are do-it-with-friends projects; and there are hire-someone-else-to-do-it projects. The trick is knowing which are which.

: Was there ever a moment in the course of rehabbing your house when you thought you’d gotten in way over your head?

With every project, there’s a point of no return where you’ve destroyed whatever you had, there’s no going back and you have to figure it out. That was the scariest part. You’re trying to do it cheap but now you’ve destroyed what you did have. If you screw up and need to call someone in, it’s going to end up costing even more. When there’s no tile in the bathroom and you need to take a shower, you just have to keep going until you figure it out.

I think that kids just have to see the connections. The built environment that many students live in today has incredible ramifications on their lives and what they choose to do, what they can do. I don’t know that many kids understand why things are the way they are today. Why students live in a certain style of housing; why those housing styles developed in certain neighborhoods; why certain communities are walkable and others aren’t; and how that all impacts their lives today.

: How long have you been involved with the YUPs? What made you want to join? I’ve been involved since just about the beginning, for two years. I got involved because, outside my “internet friends,” no one really understood what I was doing. Trying to have the conversation about why I’m spending the time and effort to do things a particular way started to get exhausting. Preservation is a passion of mine and I wanted to surround myself with people who shared that purpose.

: You’re a teacher—how do you think we can make preservation relevant to kids? Why should they care about old buildings?

: How did you get interested in preservation?

This Old House. We used to watch This Old House as a family during breakfast on the weekend. I also have this unenviable penchant for the underdog. It can be so much more painful to support the underdog but I guess that’s part of the allure for me. Some people root for the Bills, I’m a preservationist, pick your poison.

LANDMARKS LANDMARKS| |WINTER WINTER 2016

: What does preservation mean to you?

It means community. Working to protect important spaces can’t be done by one person. In order to be successful you have to engage in a process where you take in the ideas of many people and work to determine what is important as a group. When the ideas of preservation are translated to a community—when people care deeply about something because it represents part of their collective identity—that’s when real change happens.

: Tell us about starting your neighborhood association in Winona Woods. What we did in Winona Woods was a really fresh perspective on an old idea. Starting a neighborhood association in the suburbs was difficult. The infrastructure was not there in the same way as it is in areas where neighborhood associations are more common. In a city, for example, there’s more public space, tighter street grids, and usually slightly more entrenched identity.

When we got together for initial meetings, we had a conversation that focused around what we love about our neighborhood as we worked to discover who we were. When people started throwing out ideas they gave feedback about physical attributes. Now that we’ve been running for about three-anda-half years, when we have a similar conversation, people still love the trees, the old houses and walkability, but now they also say other intangible qualities that they didn’t say before, things that as a community we created together like the neighborhood picnic, closer relationships with neighbors, knowing that there is somebody who is always looking out for them. I’m sure those things existed before the association but we’ve augmented that and created a platform to promote those ideals and invite more people into the fold.

: You’ve more or less put your blog to rest. What’s next?

did a phenomenal job putting into words something I think more people need to take to heart. Sometimes, preservationists are thought of as the “No” people. “No you can’t do that,” “No, that’s ugly,” “Do what I say,” etc. We need to change that reputation. We need to be focusing on the “Yes”—“Yes, you can do that,” “Yes, that’s a great choice,” “Yes, you did a good job.” “Yes” and “Thank You.” We also need to consider promoting preservation positively and developing relationships with a variety of organizations and diverse groups of people. In doing so, we need to further the idea that preservation is not just an aesthetic, that there are real and related impacts on economics, social equity, walkability, environmental stewardship. These ideas are the next frontier of preservation and we need to find a way to articulate them better. It needs to be done with the gentle nudge.

The gentle nudge. So, [Buffalo Young Preservationist] Dana Saylor wrote a blog post about the “gentle nudge.” I think she

Set your sights on …

The Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse 70 Lighthouse Street • Rochester, ny 14612-4710

Corn Hill

Holiday Tour of Homes 12.3.2016 10am.1pm.4pm

America’s oldest surviving lighthouse on Lake Ontario, alight with history since 1822 OPEN MAY THROUGH NOVEMBER • Climb the Tower for a panoramic view of Rochester’s harbor • Explore the Keeper’s Dwelling and step back in time • Learn the rich history of maritime life on the Great Lakes For hours, admission fees and directions, go to: www.geneseelighthouse.org or call 585-621-6179 Like Us on Facebook

Tickets $25 at www.cornhillholidaytourofhomes.com or call 585.262.3142

The Landmark Society of Western New York | landmarksociety.org

Wayne Goodman Appointed to New York State Historic Preservation Review Board

andmark Society Executive Director Wayne Goodman has been appointed to the New York State Historic Preservation Review Board. According to law, each state must have a historic preservation review board with a majority of its members being professionals in the fields of history, archeology, architecture and/or architectural history. The Review Board advises and makes recommendations to the State Historic Preservation Officer on preservation programs and activities, including State and National Registers nominations and statewide planning efforts. Board members come from all regions of the state. Their knowledge of local preservation issues and projects contributes greatly to the effectiveness of their work, particularly when reviewing the many National Register nominations presented at each meeting.

its relevance and impact. I look forward to working with my preservation colleagues from across New York State to better preserve and promote our heritage.” Board meetings take place quarterly in various communities around the state and are sometimes combined with public informational workshops. September’s board meeting was held in Canandaigua, at Sonnenberg Mansion and Gardens State Historic Park.

“I am excited to begin my tenure on the New York State Historic Preservation Review Board,” Wayne remarked. “This is an excellent opportunity for The Landmark Society to expand

Landmark Staff Retirements Norma Jean Hildreth & Sharon Pratt

he end of the summer also brought the end of two stellar Landmark Society staff members’ careers. Our friend, co-worker and much appreciated Membership Associate Norma Jean Hildreth completed over 24 years of dedicated service at the end of August. She began Norma Jean Hildreth her journey at The Landmark Society in 1992 under the supervision of Executive Director, Henry McCartney. Her contributions were important part of the organizations’ success. Over the years Norma Jean processed direct mailings and renewal letters, merchandise fulfillment, event ticket sales support, compiled annual report financial data, assisted with the planning for the upper level membership events and always pitched in at all of our events. The list could go on and on, but we would be

remiss if we left out one that all the staff would attest to, which are her “Martha Stewart” culinary talents, especially the sweet treats! Norma Jean and her husband Bob are parents of four sons, Mike, Doug, Andy and Jody and are the proud grandparents of seven and great-grandparents of five. She is a member of the Browncroft Community Church where she has played the piano for the evening fellowship service for 20-plus years. She also volunteers every Friday morning at the Asbury Church dining center where she serves breakfast to the less fortunate. Although we will miss her dearly we are happy she will have quality time to spend with family and friends, gardening and doing all the things she loves. In September we bid farewell to Education Associate Sharon Pratt. Sharon served in this capacity for over ten years. Her major responsibilities included scheduling and coordinating tours at the

Stone-Tolan House Historic Site, leading the docents in planning and preparing for the tours. This was actually Sharon’s second retirement from Landmark Society. Sharon Pratt Prior to this position she was our office receptionist. Her first “retirement” lasted about a year before her passion for local history encouraged her to return for the education staff position. Sharon will be spending more time with her husband, their two sons, three grandchildren—and a full slate of leadership volunteer responsibilities for the Webster Museum, the Historic Epworth Hall at Silver Lake and more. Sharon and Norma Jean had a positive impact on all that they served through Landmark Society, and all of us who had the privilege of working with them.

LANDMARKS | WINTER 2016

People

The YUP-date by Caitlin Meives

P U Y

ate summer and fall have been a busy time for the YUPs, as we focus our efforts on long term planning and a number of pop-up events. As a relatively young group (we formed in March, 2014), we’re always looking to add to our ranks and engage all those latent preservationists that we know are hiding out there. So in August we held an open steering committee meeting and invited anyone who was interested to join us. Over 30 young preservationists joined us.

spots into temporary public parks. Here in Rochester, where we have an overabundance of surface lots and parking garages, we took over an empty and unused lot in downtown Rochester. Led by YUP steering committee members, Sara Jenks and Carolyn Levine, as well as Dan Speciale of Reconnect Rochester, we transformed this space into a dynamic urban environment—with yoga, food trucks, art installations, lawn games, and more.

On September 16, we participated in our second PARK(ing) Day takeover. PARK(ing) Day is an annual worldwide event where artists, designers and citizens transform metered parking

As we go to print, we’re looking forward to our third meetup of the Rust Belt Coalition of Young Preservationists, this time in Cincinnati, Ohio. We’re also putting the final touches on an

www.landmarksociety.org/yup

! event that we’re really excited about. In partnership with Celebrate City Living, RocCity Coalition, Rochester Downtown Development Corporation, Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency, and the City of Rochester’s Daniel Rose Fellowship project, we’re hosting a pop-up party on East Main Street in downtown Rochester. There will be art installations, tactical urbanism, food and drink, dance/music demos, recreation activities, Books by Bike, and more, culminating in a DJ’d dance party and high-powered projection of historic Rochester. Stay tuned for photos in the next issue of Landmarks!

www.facebook.com/YoungUrbanPreservationists

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@YoungUrbanPres

Over 30 Years of Painting Rochester’s Finest Houses and Vacation Homes

INSPIRING DESIGN. ROOTED IN HISTORY.

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Join on our website at landmarksociety.org/giving or give us a call at (585)546-7029 x 16 and we’ll be glad to send you membership forms or sign you up on the spot. LANDMARKS | WINTER 2016

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