Monroe County Groups Receive Preservation Funding

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A study will document the work of architect James Johnson in Western New York.

• A grant will help the Hochstein School prioritize repairs on this important community arts center.

ALBANY, NY (10/21/2016)(readMedia)-- The New York State Council on the Arts together with the Preservation League of New York State will award a total of $23,000 to two Monroe County organizations. The Preserve New York grants will be presented on Monday, October 24 at 1:00 p.m. at the Hochstein Performance Hall, 50 North Plymouth Avenue, Rochester. Grants will be made to the Greece Historical Society ($13,000); and the David Hochstein Memorial Music School, Inc. ($10,000).

Preserve New York is a signature grant program of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the Preservation League of New York State, and is made possible with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. "With the announcement of the 2016 awards, the total support provided by Preserve New York since its launch in 1993 is over $2.2 million to 346 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."

• Greece Historical Society, Greece - $13,000
  Cultural Resource Survey of the Architectural Works of James H. Johnson
  Rochester architect James H. Johnson was best known for his boundary-pushing midcentury modern designs that defied traditional conventions of structure and architectural form. His most daring works were completed between 1963 and 1973 and include religious sanctuaries, local monuments, regional libraries and dozens of residential structures. Johnson passed away in February, 2016, bringing local attention to his lasting impact on the Rochester region. A $13,000 Preserve New York grant will support the cost of a cultural resource survey of existing James Johnson buildings. The Greece Historical Society will hire Bero Architecture PLLC of Rochester to complete the project. The survey goal is a multiple property documentation form which could lead to State and National Register listing for Johnson's buildings.
  
• David Hochstein Memorial Music School, Inc., Rochester - $10,000
  Hochstein School Building Condition Report
  The Hochstein School of Music & Dance is located in a historic church building in downtown Rochester and serves as an important community arts education and performance space. The church building was constructed in 1858, and in 1890 the sanctuary space was added. At present, the 1890 sanctuary remains in use as a performance space with intact historic details and other areas of the building are used for classrooms and support functions. A $10,000 Preserve New York grant will enable the Hochstein School to hire Architectura P.C., Architects of Rochester to complete a comprehensive building condition report. The School seeks to prioritize repairs to the structure so it can continue to serve an important community arts role in Rochester.

"We are delighted to have the support of the New York State Council on the Arts and the Preservation League of New York in stewarding our unique, historic facility," said Margaret (Peggy) Quackenbush, President & Executive Director of the Hochstein School.

"James Johnson started his local architecture career with projects in the Town of Greece in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including St. John the Evangelist Church on West Ridge Road. The Greece Historical Society is proud to initiate this project and grateful to the Preservation League for its support," said William Sauers, the society's President. "The cultural resource survey will honor and document the work of an extraordinary architect and will benefit the Rochester and Western New York."

"At its August, 2016 meeting, the Preserve New York panel selected 26 applicants in 18 counties around the state to share $202,000 in funding," said Erin Tobin, the League's Director of Preservation. "As always, the competition for these funds was intense. We are delighted to help advance the preservation efforts of these organizations with timely funding from Preserve New York."

Organizations and municipalities receiving grants in 2016 are: Albany County: Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region, Inc., Albany - $4,000; Bronx County: Woodlawn Conservancy, Bronx - $6,000; Erie County (5): Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Buffalo - $7,000; Preservation Buffalo Niagara, Buffalo - $7,000; Roycroft Campus Corporation, East Aurora - $12,000; Village of Hamburg - $5,000; Village of Springville - $7,000; Franklin County (2): Historic Saranac Lake, Saranac Lake - $2,000; Village of Saranac Lake - $8,500; Hamilton County: Adirondack Historical Association/Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake - $9,000; Madison County (2): Oneida Community Mansion House, Oneida - $8,000; Stone Quarry Hill Art Park, Inc., Cazenovia - $7,000; Monroe County (2): Greece Historical Society, Greece - $13,000; David Hochstein Memorial Music School, Inc., Rochester - $10,000; Montgomery County (2): Village of Fultonville - $4,500; Village of St. Johnsville - $9,000; New York County: CIVITAS Citizens, Inc., Manhattan - $10,000; Ontario County: Ontario County Historical Society, Canandaigua - $9,000; Orange County: Village of Warwick - $9,000; Rensselaer County: Village of Valley Falls - $5,500; Schenectady County: Vale Cemetery Preservation, Inc., Schenectady - $10,000; Suffolk County: Sylvester Manor Educational Farm, Shelter Island - $9,000; Tioga County: Village of Owego - $5,000; Washington County: Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts & Education, Inc., Cambridge - $12,000; Wayne County: Town of Lyons - $9,500; Westchester County: Village of Tarrytown - $4,000.

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.