Grants will foster preservation in Albany, Schenectady and Montgomery Counties

Related Media

Owners of buildings like these in Albany could benefit from New York's preservation Tax Credits if survey work leads to a National Register nomination.

• Owners of buildings like these in Palatine Bridge could benefit from New York's preservation Tax Credits if survey work leads to a National Register nomination.
• Vale Cemetery in Schenectady has a remarkable collection of buildings, structures, headstones and landscape features.

ALBANY, NY (11/05/2015)(readMedia)-- The Preservation League of New York State recently announced Preserve New York grants in Albany, Schenectady and Montgomery Counties.

The City of Albany Department of Development & Planning has received a grant of $4,900 to support the cost of a survey of Western, Washington and Central Avenues between South Swan and South Lake Avenues in the city of Albany.

The survey area contains buildings of mixed residential and commercial use from the early 19th to mid 20th century.

Several of the buildings were designed by noteworthy architects such as Marcus Reynolds, Ernest Hoffman and McKim, Mead & White. Western and Central Avenues were important early turnpikes, linking Albany to western New York. Western Avenue was the Great Western Turnpike, founded in 1799. Central Avenue linked Albany with Schenectady in 1801.

This project is part of the City of Albany Department of Development and Planning's preservation planning effort, which will lay the groundwork for future National Register districts. The survey will build on a 2009 survey of Lower Washington Avenue, also funded by Preserve New York. The neighborhood is within a qualifying census tract for the NYS Rehabilitation Tax Credits. Historic Albany Foundation, a local preservation advocate, will complete the survey and provide updated maps.

Vale Cemetery Association in Schenectady has received a grant of $7,500 to support the cost of the second phase of a Cultural Landscape Report.

Vale Cemetery has a remarkable collection of buildings, structures, headstones and landscape features. These features include mature trees, a small lake, ravine, woods, crematorium, headquarters house and small private burial plots. The area around the graves is always well maintained, but many of the meandering paths throughout the cemetery are overgrown due to maintenance limitations. This project will build on Phase I of the Cultural Landscape Report, funded in part by an $8,100 Preserve New York grant in 2013. Phase I focused on the paths and trails throughout the cemetery. Phase II will assess the vegetation, structures and maintenance concerns of the cemetery.

This project aligns with the Vale Cemetery Association's strategic plan and site needs, particularly because it includes collaboration with the City of Schenectady on how the city-owned side of the park relates to the cemetery. Landscape Architect Robert Toole of Saratoga Springs will complete the project.

The Village of Palatine Bridge in Montgomery County has received a grant of $9,000 to support the cost of a Reconnaissance Level Survey of the village.

Palatine Bridge is a small municipality located on the north side of the Mohawk River, across the river from the larger and more industrially-developed Canajoharie. The necessity for a Canajoharie bedroom community spurred the initial development of the village, and the Palatine Bridge provided easy access to factory jobs across the river. Today, Palatine Bridge retains notable domestic architecture and a few municipal and commercial structures.

The survey project could lay the groundwork for a future National Register District nomination. Jessie Ravage of Cooperstown will complete the project.

The Preserve New York Grant Program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. "With the announcement of the 2015 awards, the total support provided by Preserve New York since its launch in 1993 is just over $2 million to 320 projects statewide," said Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League. "Preserve New York has a strong track record of bolstering local preservation efforts and delivering a strong return on investment."

"At its August, 2015 meeting, the Preserve New York grant program panel selected 14 applicants in 11 counties around the state to share $114,990 in funding," said Erin Tobin, the League's Director of Preservation. "As always, the competition for these funds was intense. The Preservation League is delighted to help advance preservation in these Capital Region communities with timely funding from Preserve New York."

Organizations and municipalities receiving grant awards in 2015 are: Albany County: City of Albany Department of Development and Planning; Cayuga County: Seward House Museum, Auburn; Chautauqua County: Jamestown Renaissance Corporation; Chemung County: Elmira Downtown Development, Inc. (EDD); Erie County: Landmark Society of Western New York; Monroe County (2): Town of Greece, Department of Development Services; Maplewood Neighborhood Association, Rochester; Montgomery County (2): Montgomery County Department of History and Archives; Village of Palatine Bridge; Niagara County: City of North Tonawanda; Schenectady County: Vale Cemetery Association, Schenectady; Schoharie County: Village of Schoharie; Suffolk County (2): Higher Ground Inter-Cultural & Heritage Associates, Brookhaven; Sylvester Manor Educational Farm, Shelter Island.

For more information on the Preserve New York Grant Program, please call 518-462-5658 x 10 or visit the League's website at www.preservenys.org.