Architecture

Landmarks Society of Greater Utica Recognized

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Landmarks Society of Greater Utica President Michael Bosak accepted the John J. and Wilma B. Sinnott 2010 Conservation Award at a brunch held in December at the Hotel Utica. The award, administered by the Utica Zoological Society and presented by the late Mr. and Mrs. Sinnott’s daughters – Allison (of West Winfield) and Deirdre (of New York City) – was established by the Sinnott family nine years ago to recognize organizations and individuals that support the preservation of the Earth’s wildlife and natural resources.

The Landmarks Society was recognized for its extraordinary efforts in preserving community architectural and cultural resources of major importance. The award consists of a plaque and a $500 contribution to further the work of the Landmarks Society.

For more information about The Landmarks Society of Greater Utica, visist them online, call them at 315-732-7376, or e-mail [email protected].

Photo: (l to r): Allison Sinnott- Deirdre Sinnott- Michael Bosak, President of the Landmarks Society and Beth Irons, executive director of the Utica Zoo. Photo provided.

Adirondack Architectural Heritage Camp Santanoni Ski Tour

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Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) will kick-off their 2011 educational series with an interpretive cross-country ski into the 19th-century, Adirondack Great Camp, Camp Santanoni. Participants will learn about the camp’s history and the architectural significance that makes it a National Historic Landmark. The 10-mile round trip ski, along the preserve’s gently sloping historic carriage road, leads us into the majestic wilderness estate. Participants will visit the camp’s three complexes- the Gate Lodge, the Farm, and the Main Camp, the design of architect Robert Robertson.

The tour will be led by AARCH staff and John Friauf, former AARCH Board Member. The group will depart Santanoni Preserve parking area, off Route 28N in the hamlet of Newcomb at 10AM, returning around 3 PM. This is a remote site so participants are encouraged to bring a trail lunch and plenty of hydration. The fee is $20 for members and $30 for non-members. Advance registration is required by calling AARCH at (518) 834-9328.

Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) is the private, non-profit, historic preservation organization for the Adirondack Park region. AARCH works in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Town of Newcomb to preserve and interpret Camp Santanoni.

This tour is one of over fifty events in our annual series highlighting the region’s architectural legacy. For more information on AARCH including membership and a complete 2011 program schedule contact AARCH at (518) 834-9328 or visit their website.

Photo: Recent repairs on part of the extensive covered porches at main camp, Camp Santanoni during winter. Photo courtesy AARCH.

Historic Districts Councils NYC Preservation Priorities

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The Historic Districts Council, New York’s city-wide advocate for historic buildings and neighborhoods, has announced it’s first Six to Celebrate, a list of historic New York City neighborhoods that merit preservation attention. This is New York’s only citywide list of preservation priorities.

The Six were chosen from applications submitted by neighborhood groups around the city on the basis of the architectural and historic merit of the area- the level of threat to the neighborhood- strength and willingness of the local advocates, and where HDC’s citywide preservation perspective and assistance could be the most meaningful. Throughout 2011, HDC will work with these neighborhood partners to set and reach preservation goals through strategic planning, advocacy, outreach, programs and publicity.

“Neighborhoods throughout New York are fighting an unseen struggle to determine their own futures. By bringing these locally-driven neighborhood preservation efforts into the spotlight, HDC hopes to focus New Yorker’s attention on the very real threats that historic communities throughout the city are facing from indiscriminate and inappropriate development.” said Simeon Bankoff, HDC’s Executive Director. “As the first list of its kind in New York, the Six to Celebrate will help raise awareness of local efforts to save neighborhoods on a citywide level.”

Founded in 1971 as a coalition of community groups from New York City’s designated historic districts, the Historic Districts Council has grown to become one of the foremost citywide voices for historic preservation. Serving a network of over 500 neighborhood-based community groups in all five boroughs, HDC strives to protect, preserve and enhance New York City’s historic buildings and neighborhoods through ongoing programs of advocacy, community development and education.

The 2011 Six to Celebrate (in alphabetical order):

Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
The Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood contains an astonishing number of architecturally, historically and culturally significant structures, including rowhouses, mansions, religious buildings, and schools dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Although there are currently two designated historic districts in the area, the vast majority of Bedford Stuyvesant’s architectural splendor is unprotected. The recently-formed Bedford Stuyvesant Society for Historic Preservation, a coalition of concerned neighborhood block associations, and the landmarks committee of Brooklyn Community Board 3 are working to correct that.

The Bowery, Manhattan
One of Manhattan’s oldest thoroughfares, the Bowery, stretching from Cooper Square to Canal Street, has a fascinatingly rich history which has left an equally rich built environment. From a fashionable shopping and residential neighborhood at the end of the 18th century, to bustling center of drygoods, hardware and other specialty stores, to an entertainment mecca and later the notorious “skid row” in the 20th century, the Bowery was always a part of the city’s culture, for better or for worse. In recent years,, the mix of historic structures along the street has been extremely threatened by high-rise hotel development. The Bowery Alliance of Neighbors was formed to help save the remaining historic buildings on the Bowery and to celebrate the avenue’s interesting and important history.

Gowanus, Brooklyn
The Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus nominated the neighborhood surrounding the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. This unique area retains its largely industrial character, with some of the businesses dating back more than 75 years. In recent years, plans for the canal have conflicted with the existing character of the neighborhood and some significant industrial structures have been demolished for out-of-scale, speculative development. However, with the canal’s recent designation as a federal Superfund site, there is now an opportunity to successfully advocate for the preservation of the industrial character of the area and retention of significant structures associated with this history.

Inwood, Manhattan
Inwood, at the very northern tip of Manhattan, combines striking geography of hills and views with notable architecture that includes art-deco apartment building, Tudor Revival houses, and unique elements such as the 215th Street Steps, the Seaman-Drake Arch and the historic Isham Park. Despite this, very little of the neighborhood’s historic buildings are protected or even official acknowledged. The Volunteers for Isham Park is working to identify and protect the neighborhood’s landmarks.

Jackson Heights, Queens
Jackson Heights is New York City’s first planned neighborhood of “garden apartments” and “garden homes”. These airy, light-filled residences, combined with commercial, institutional and recreational buildings, provided an attractive environment for middle-class families to live when it was developed in the early 20th century, and it still does today. The Jackson Heights Beautification Group, established in 1988, is seeking to extend the boundaries of the existing Jackson Heights Historic District, landmarked in 1993, to better reflect and protect the actual historic neighborhood.

Mount Morris Park, Manhattan
The residential area adjacent surrounding Mount Morris Park in Harlem includes elegant rowhouses and larger apartment buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Romanesque Revival, neo-Grec and Queen Anne styles. The longtime civic group, the Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association, is seeking to expand the boundaries of the current city-landmarked Historic District, which does not adequately represent the elegant architect of this Harlem neighborhood.

Historic Albany Issues Albany Endangerd List

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Every five years, the Historic Albany Foundation issues a new Endangered Historic Resource list with an update on past lists. The goal of the Endangered Historic Resource list is to draw attention to well-known buildings, properties, and landmarks that are in need of stabilization, rehabilitation or restoration in the City of Albany.

What follows is this year’s list:

800-812 BROADWAY ? c. 1854, 1858, 1872, 1876-77
ARCHITECT ? JOSIAH ROOT (802-806)
A part of the Broadway-Livingston Historic District, these buildings were once a part of a busy mixed-use corridor on the north end of the city. With the construction of the railroad bridge in the early 20th century, these buildings have
been forgotten and suffer from long deferred maintenance. They now sit mostly vacant with little prospect of rehabilitation. *Eligible for Federal and New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credits

ARGUS PRESS, 1031 BROADWAY ? 1913-17
ARCHITECT ? MARCUS TULLIUS REYNOLDS
This building was constructed on speculation by the Albany Commercial Company, a group of businessmen who hoped to attract more industry to Broadway. The building was home to Argus Litho, successors to the company that began publishing the Albany Argus newspaper in 1813. The massive industrial building has sat vacant for years and has no known plan for rehabilitation.

10 HALL PLACE ? 1860
In 1860, W. H. Carr constructed a three story brick house on the site of 10 Hall Place, but never lived there. Albany stonecutters, Brooksbee and Roland (Brooksby and
Rowland) purchased the house in 1862 to sell it to lumber dealer J. W. Dunham in 1863. During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Hall Place was nearly entirely vacant. Number 10 is the last remaining vacant building. Though the building has been stabilized, it still requires considerable work to become habitable once more. *Eligible for Federal and New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credits

100-112 HOLLAND AVENUE ? 1937-38
BUILDER ? JESSE LEONARD
The houses were designed and built by Jesse Leonard and the Leonard Realty Company from 1937-1938 and are an exemplary example of Tudor style architecture. Throughout his career, Leonard constructed over 200 homes in Albany. Originally single family homes, the buildings have only been vacant for two years, these unique buildings are in need of repairs to be habitable once again and will continue to deteriorate without residents.

558 MADISON AVENUE ? c. 1880
Originally built to be a grocery store, this mixed-use building sits vacant on a busy corner across from Washington Park and just down the street from Albany Medical Center. Though its condition is stable, it is one of few vacant buildings across from the Park. Continued vacancy will only increase the deterioration and will have a negative impact on development around it. Madison Avenue runs the risk of losing a widely visible corner structure. *Eligible for Federal and New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credits

4 MADISON PLACE ? 1872
In August 2005, a fire blazed through 4 and 5 Madison Place, leaving 5 damaged and 4 a facade. Since that time, number 4 remains a challenge with no way to access the rear of the property for construction save through its Elm Street neighbor’s yards. To lose a piece of this nationally recognized row would be tragic. Just one block long, Madison Place is a spectacular example of Gothic Revival rowhouses. Number 4 is no exception. The facade is elegantly simple when compared to the intensity of its Gothic Revival neighbors up the block.

BATH HOUSE NUMBER 2, 90 FOURTH AVENUE ? 1905
Bath House No. 2 represents the only remaining bath house in the City of Albany. Public bath houses were built as a response to the demands of the population and
hygiene practices of the time. Bath House No. 2 is owned and operated by the City of Albany. In the past week, the decision was made to close the Bath House for budgetary purposes. The building already has a long list of repairs needed that if left unattended will contribute to deterioration and a less likely chance of rehabilitation. *Eligible for Federal and New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credits!

KENWOOD, 799 SOUTH PEARL STREET ? 1842-45, 1871
ARCHITECT ? A. J. DAVIS & A. J. DOWNING (1842-45) NICHOLS & BROWN (1871)
The buildings that make up Kenwood are currently vacant. The entire estate is threatened by the possibility of vacancy, inappropriate development, and demolition. Vacancy is a hazard to buildings as they immediately begin to deteriorate. The estate was initially constructed as the summer home, but was converted, in 1859, into the Female Academy and Convent of the Sacred Heart The buildings remaining today incorporate each period of the estate’s history.

SCHOOL 22, 292 SECOND STREET ? 1874
ARCHITECT ? FREDERICK W. BROWN
It was built as an eight room school house for the West Hill neighborhood. School 22 has been vacant for decades and continues to deteriorate every year. Though the building has been sold multiple times to be rehabilitated for a variety of uses, any action, including mothballing has yet to happen. The interior is in very poor condition and will continue to deteriorate unless properly mothballed. Without timely attention, the once beautiful structure will be lost.

PHERSON TERRACE ? 1887-88, 1891
ARCHITECT ? EDWARD OGDEN BUILDER ? ATTILIO PASQUINI
Constructed in two stages, this row of 16 buildings is highly stylized and decoratively designed with alternating details of pressed brick, stone trim, gables,
oriel windows and dormers. The block was most likely named for John McPherson, a gardener, who had previously owned the property. While some are lived in and maintained, the row as a whole has suffered from severe disinvestment and neglect. *Eligible for Federal and New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credits!

For more information about each endangered historic resource including past lists, please see the Historic Albany website.

Rockland County: St. Johns in the Wilderness

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In a quiet corner of Rockland County, just a few miles from downtown Haverstraw, NY, stands St. Johns in the Wilderness Episcopal Church. Today it is a reminder that there was once a small but thriving community there, long since grown over.

Located near present day Lake Welch in Harriman State Park, St. John’s was constructed in 1880 through the patronage of Mrs. Margaret Zimmerman, a wealthy New Yorker, as a memorial to her husband John who had died suddenly while they were honeymooning in Palestine. Mrs. Zimmerman (who never remarried) had a retreat estate in Tuxedo Park and enjoyed hiking throughout the area, ultimately buying the land where St. John’s now stands.

In June of 1880, the cornerstone was laid and named for St. John the Evangelist and on November 23rd of the same year, the church was dedicated and officially opened for services. Three years later, Mrs. Zimmerman and Mrs. Carey, director of this church, founded a parish school for orphaned boys from New York City.

That Much Good Might Be Done: St. John’s-in-the-Wilderness, the Legacy of Ada Bessie Carey and Margaret Furniss Zimmerman, is a historical biography of these two 19th century women who devoted much of their lives operating the school and the chapel for the poor families of the Ramapo Mountains. The book details both their efforts and the history of the church.

The author, Odessa Southern Elliott, was caretaker at St. John’s for 30 years. She collected data locally and from around the world. She obtained the memoirs of Dora Ruth West, Mrs. Carey’s adopted daughter- and Sean Furniss, the great-great-great nephew of Mrs. Zimmerman shared his family research with her.

Copies of the book are available at the Harriman Park Visitor’s Center located between exits 16 and 17 on the Palisades Parkway for $15. For more information, call: 845-786-5003.

Buffalos Central Park: Photography, Architecture

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Proud Buffalonians and Erie County local history and architecture buffs will find a new book, Central Park, Buffalo, New York: A Neighborhood of History and Tradition, a unique glimpse at one of the first planned neighborhoods in Western New York.

The 214-page, full color, photo-based thoroughly documented coffee-table book takes readers on a tour of the Central Park’s graceful homes, historic churches and tree-lined streets. The book is available at the Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society’s Museum Shop. The price is $39.95, and all proceeds go directly to the Museum.

Central Park was planned and developed by Lewis J. Bennett, a successful entrepreneur who moved to Buffalo from the Hudson Valley. Bennett planned and named the streets, as well as many other amenities which enticed people to build homes in Central Park. As the book reveals the neighborhood’s history and streets, the reader is introduced to past residents, including business pioneers Bob Rich, John J. Boland, Adam E. Cornelius and Edward Barcolo- literary critic Leslie Fiedler- painter Robert Blair, and his brother, Charles Blair, a dashing war hero and aviator who married Hollywood legend Maureen O’Hara.

The book project was originally inspired by Rev. Samuel McCune, an amateur historian, who looked out of his Morris Avenue home and wondered who the street was named after. Rev. McCune embarked on several years of research, compiling information and historic pictures which are used in the volume.

It features photography by the late Dr. Peter Hare and other local photographers. James R. Arnone, a local attorney, wrote the text and took many of the photographs as well. The book also features recollections by the late Bob Venneman (1912-1998) of his experience living his entire life in Central Park, and especially during the relative early days of its development.

Note: Books noticed on this site have been provided by the publishers. Purchases made through this Amazon link help support this site.

Finger Lakes Museum Narrows Design Teams

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Project director Don Naetzker announced that the number of design teams interested in planning the Finger Lakes Museum has been narrowed from 35 to 4. The four teams are led by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Cambridge 7, HBT Architects, and The Smith Group. Each team has museum design experience.

In September, representatives from 60 architectural, engineering, exhibit design and landscape architecture firms from across the country and Canada met at Keuka Lake State Park to hear Naetzker and board president John Adamski describe the concept, mission, and vision for the project. Attendees were invited to submit qualifications to compete for the design commission. Thirty-five qualification packages were received by museum officials.

Naetzker said that the museum’s facilities committee, which he chairs, worked long and hard to evaluate the submissions, some as thick as phone books. He saluted the efforts and stated, “The choices were not easy to make. Each of the firms is nationally-known and very-well qualified.”

The four design teams on the short list will be asked to submit proposals outlining design concepts and fee structures by the end of December. A final selection is scheduled for January 2011.

The Finger Lakes Museum is an initiative to create a world-class educational institution that will showcase the cultural heritage and ecological evolution of the 9,000 square-mile Finger Lakes Region. Last April, Keuka Lake State Park was selected as the preferred location to build the project.

For more information or to make contact, see www.fingerlakesmuseum.org.

Finger Lakes Museum Adds Staff, Previews Designers

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Thirty­-five architectural, engineering, and exhibit design teams from across the U.S. and Canada presented qualification submissions in the first stage of a competition to design the Finger Lakes Museum. The submission deadline was October 1st.

On September 14th executive director John Adamski and project director Don Naetzker hosted 70 design professionals from 60 firms at the museum’s future site in Keuka Lake State Park.

The meeting was followed by a request for qualifications, which is the first step in selecting a design team. “Because of the complexity of the project, a team approach makes sense”, said Adamski, who is also president of the museum’s board of trustees and a retired architect. “It’s unlikely that any single firm would possess all of the design disciplines in­-house that are needed for a project like this”, he added.

The museum’s facilities committee will evaluate each of the submissions in order to narrow the field to a maximum of 5 frontrunners. Those firms would then be asked to submit proposals, which would include design concepts. It is hoped that a design team can be onboard before the end of the year.

In other Finger Lakes Museum news, the board of trustees recently hired Natalie Payne as the startup organization’s third employee. She was formerly acting curator at Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua and will serve as associate project director working with executive director, John Adamski, and project director, Don Naetzker.

Adamski and Naetzker were hired by the board last May to develop plans for building the Finger Lakes Museum in Keuka Lake State Park. Payne has been involved with the project since its inception. She has been a museum board member since August 2008 and still serves as its secretary.

Adamski said, “Hiring Natalie is possible because of the early success of our Founders Campaign, which is a grass roots effort to raise the funds we need to hire personnel and equip our offices at the school in Branchport.”

Anyone can become a museum founder for $100 or more by logging on to their website and making a contribution. &#8220We have momentum but we need all of the help we can get to keep it going” Adamski said. He has donated his own 2010 salary back to the project.

Preservation League to Present Awards

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On November 9, 2010, the Preservation League will present its most prestigious tribute, the Pillar of New York Award, to two honorees whose commitment to historic preservation is reflected across New York State.

Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP of New York City will be celebrated for the firm’s role as one of America’s premier authorities on historic preservation, and for their work on some of New York State’s most iconic and best-loved historic buildings and important historic areas. Matthew Bender IV’s name is virtually synonymous with philanthropy and leadership in historic preservation, particularly in upstate New York, where has served on the New York State Commission on the Restoration of the Capitol since its creation in 1979.

Each year the League presents The Pillar of New York Award to those who have demonstrated a keen understanding of the value of New York’s historic resources by taking extraordinary actions to protect, preserve, and promote those assets.

The Pillar of New York Gala will be held on November 9, 2010, at 7:00 p.m. at the Hilton and Empire Rooms of the Waldorf=Astoria in New York. Tickets start at $600 for individuals, and tables of 10 are available starting at $10,000.

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Preservation League at 518-462-5658 x11.

Whither Wall Street: Architecture of Wall Street Event

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Organized by The Skyscraper Museum in partnership with the Museum of American Finance, “Whither Wall Street” will address the changing fortunes of Wall Street –– not the forecast of financial markets, but the architectural assets and liabilities of the physical place. The panel discussion, part of the American Museum of Finance’s 2010 Henry Kaufman Lecture/Symposia Series, will take place Wednesday, October 13, 2010 from 6 to 7:30 PM.

A diverse panel of experts will discuss the recent history and possible futures of one of America’s most famous streets. Key topics include the widespread conversion of office buildings to residential, hotel and retail uses and the new demands on the design of the public realm that need to serve the conflicting needs of both access and security of a post-9/11 world.

Panelists will include:

Carol Willis, Director, The Skyscraper Museum (Introduction and moderator)

Elizabeth H. Berger, President, Downtown Alliance

Rob Rogers, Principal, Rogers Marvel Architects- streetscape designers of Wall Street for the NYC Department of City Planning

Kent Swig, President of Swig Equities, LLC- owner of a portfolio of properties on Wall Street and in the financial district

Alexandros Washburn, Chief Urban Designer, NYC Department of City Planning

The panel discussion will be followed by a question and answer session and reception. Reservations required. Admission is free for students and members of the Museum of American Finance and the Skyscraper Museum, or $15 for non-members. For additional information, contact Lindsay Seeger at 212-908-4110 or [email protected].