This posts is the fourth in a series of posts examining the awards approved by the Regional Economic Development Councils (REDC) from the perspective of the Path through History. In this post, we turn to the awards by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation as part of the Heritage Areas System (HAS).

This is for projects to acquire, preserve, rehabilitate or restore lands, waters or structures, identified in the approved management plans for Heritage Areas designated under sections 33.03 and 33.05 of the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law, and for structural assessments or planning for such projects. Some of the funding is substantial.

Capital: Albany County
Applicant: Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, Inc.
Project Title: Matton Shipyard Adaptive Reuse Project
Description: The Erie Canalway Heritage Fund (ECHF) will develop a feasibility plan for the
Matton Shipyard to develop a strategy for preservation and use of existing structures and waterfront, including one building used as ECHF headquarters; identify a flood protection strategy; and assess the feasibility of a multi-agency use of the site. The Matton Shipyard, established in 1916, is a rare surviving example of an early 20th century civilian ship building and repair facility.
Amount $238,642

Capital: Albany County
Applicant: Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region, Inc.
Project Title: Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence Restoration
Description: To help the construction of historically accurate front and rear first
floor, kitchen/dining area, stairways and entrances and the placement of a lift located at the Myers residence. Issues to be addressed include safety, construction job creation, increased audience diversity, sustainability of the historic site, and community revitalization.
Amount: $60,500

Capital: Columbia County
Applicant: Shaker Museum and Library
Project Title: Mount Lebanon Shaker Great Stone Barn Preservation and Tourism Development
Description: The proposed project for the iconic Great Stone Barn at Mount Lebanon, the world’s most important Shaker historic site, will be used to reconstruct the ground level flooring, known as the Stable Floor, to permit public access to a monumental 5,200 square-foot open-air space to host museum visitors, tours, special events and programming and make the building accessible for Heritage Tourism.
Amount: $500,000

Capital: Columbia County
Applicant: Friends of Taconic State Park
Project Title: Copake Iron Works Furnace Cornerstones Stabilization
Description: To re-build the four cornerstones of the 19th century blast furnace at Copake Iron Works. The cornerstones will be fabricated to replicate the original cornerstones which were removed after a 1938 hurricane.
Amount: $50,000

Central: Onondaga County
Applicant: George Rebecca Barnes Foundation
Project Title: Facility Upgrades
Description: To restore the roof system and decorative elements of the historic Barnes Hiscock Mansion located at 930 James Street, Syracuse.
Amount: $300,000

Finger Lakes: Monroe County
Applicant: George Eastman House
Project Title: Restoration of the Historic East Porch and Colonnade
Description To restore the mansion’s east porch and colonnade so that it can be reopened to the public.
Amount: $500,000

Finger Lakes: Ontario County
Applicant: Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion
Project Title: 1903 Conservatory Complex Rehabilitation
Description: The restoration of the 13-building conservatory complex including a complete rehabilitation of the most central and largest of the buildings, the Palm House.
Amount: $70,000

Long Island: Nassau County
Applicant: Christeen Oyster Sloop Preservation Corporation
Project Title: Construction of the Ida May replica oyster dredge
Description: “To preserve Oyster Bay’s maritime heritage by involving the community in traditional boatbuilding,” the Corporation will complete the construction of a replica of the Ida May; a wooden mechanized oyster dredge (powerboat) that played an important role in the history and evolution of aquaculture in Oyster Bay during the 20th century. Once the Ida May is launched, WaterFront Center will take the public out on the water for marine and maritime education and recreation.
Amount: $173,451

Long Island: Suffolk County
Applicant Montauk Historical Society
Project Title 1838 Keepers Quarters Stabilization
Description The historic structure will be restored and utilized as a multi-purpose space to accommodate a wide range of much needed expanded uses to host a variety of needs not currently met and contribute to local economic enhancement via tourism and support of local business.
Amount: $249,743

Mid-Hudson: Orange County
Applicant: Palisades Parks Conservancy Inc.
Project Title: Restoring the Tower of Victory
Description: To restore the Tower of Victory at Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site to its original appearance.
Amount: $500,000

Mid-Hudson: Ulster County
Applicant: D&H Canal Historical Society
Project Title: Depuy Canal House Acquisition
Description To help purchase the 1797 Depuy Canal House in High Falls.
Amount: $500,000

Mid-Hudson: Westchester County
Applicant: Jay Heritage Center
Project Title: Restoration of Historic Jay Gardens
Description: Grant funding will be used to rehabilitate 1.5 acres of historic stone walled gardens.
Amount: $500,000

Mohawk: Montgomery
Applicant: City of Amsterdam
Project Title: City Hall Restoration
Description: Repairs to Amsterdam City Hall (Sanford Mansion) to preserve the building façade and fabric of this over 145-year-old structure listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places.
Amount: $224,625

Mohawk: Oneida County
Applicant: Tabernacle Baptist Church of Utica
Project Title: Tabernacle Baptist Church Masonry and Tower Restoration Project
Description: To stabilize, rehabilitate and restore the National Register of Historic Places-listed building in the heart of Utica.
Amount: $373,590

New York: Queens
Applicant: New Life Fellowship Church
Project Title: New Life Fellowship Church Restoration
Description:To repair failing infrastructure, masonry, and window systems in the historic 1923- 24 building in Elmhurst so the church can continue to offer its broad range of charitable, social, and educational services as a community space for a range of unaffiliated non-profits and small businesses.
Amount: $500,000

North Country: Essex County
Applicant: Town of Westport
Project Title: Community Center Renovation Project
Description: To renovate the National Register of Historic Places-listed Town Hall and Community Building and to restore key historic elements.
Amount: $500,000

Southern Tier: Chemung County
Applicant: Near Westside Neighborhood Association, Inc.
Project Title: Richardson – Kennedy House Preservation Project
Description: To stabilize and rehabilitate the exterior envelope of the 1870 Second Empire building in the Near Westside Historic District of Elmira, which was designated an endangered ‘Seven to Save’ district by the NYS Preservation League in 2008.
Amount: $333,910

Southern Tier: Chenango County
Applicant: Save the Sherburne Inn Restoration Project Inc.
Project Title: Save the Sherburne Inn Restoration Project Inc.
Description: The restoration of the historic Sherburne Inn to serve the Village and Town of Sherburne, the Southern Tier and Central New York by providing a historical attraction for tourists, travelers, business people, and local residents. The Inn will support farm-to-table agriculture with a collaborative vision that involves local farmers, businesses, and universities.
Amount: $500,000

Western: Erie County
Applicant: Trinity Church
Project Title: Antique Window Protection and Visibility Project
Description: Trinity Church in Buffalo is internationally renowned for its collection of
architecturally-significant stained glass windows, including the largest collection in the world of LaFarge and Tiffany windows in one place. This project aims to remove the existing, decades old, exterior coverings, replacing them with vented, aluminum framed, lexan storm windows. The clear lexan windows will increase exterior visibility, drawing visitors inside.
Amount: $193,590

Western: Erie County
Applicant: Blessed Trinity Catholic Church
Project Title: Restoration of a Community Anchor and Tourism Product
Description: To restore a quality tourism product through major repairs. The building is renowned as one of the finest examples of Lombard Romanesque architecture in the US. Restoration will complement other construction projects in the Fillmore-Leroy neighborhood. Restoration will employ local craftsmen and contribute to the burgeoning heritage tourism movement in the Buffalo-Niagara region.
Amount: $329,643

These awards reveal that for the history community, NYSOPRHP is the place to go for serious money involving bricks-and-mortar capital spending. There is nothing particularly new in this observation. What has changed in the process of application. There has been a consolidation of the funding process for multiple state agencies. Regional meetings have been held to explain the new process. I have attended some of the REDC meetings in the Mid-Hudson region as has the Jay Heritage Center in Westchester which was the recipient of a $500,000 award. History sites in need of serious capital funding need to be aware not only of NYSOPRHP as a source but the new process in place for obtaining such awards.

These awards may provide some insight and guidance for future applications for historical sites in the 2015 funding cycle. I suspect that the word “tourism” appears in the descriptions of some of these awards because of the new emphasis on job creation in the funding process and the awareness that “tourism” is key jargon term in obtaining funds. In the next post, we turn to how Empire State Development Marketing New York has been awarding its funding as the new program in the state as part of Cuomo’s push on tourism.