Schenectady Group Wins Preservation Grant

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Vale Cemetery in Schenectady

ALBANY, NY (11/25/2013)(readMedia)-- The Preservation League of New York State will make a grant of $8,100 to support the cost of completing a Historic Landscape Report for the Vale Cemetery in Schenectady at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 26, at the Vale Cemetery Association office, 907 State Street, Schenectady.

The cemetery has a noteworthy collection of buildings, structures, headstones, and landscape features, including mature trees, a small lake, ravine, woods, headquarters house, and small private burial plots. Many of the meandering paths throughout the cemetery are overgrown due to maintenance limitations, although the area around the graves is always well-maintained. This historic landscape report, to be completed by landscape architect Robert Toole, will inform efforts to improve access through the cemetery and adjacent park.

"Just today, the landscape architect toured the property and found significant walking paths from 1857," said Dr. Bernard McEvoy, vice president of Vale Cemetery Association. "Thanks to this grant, we'll be able to restore the paths so visitors to the cemetery can once again enjoy them."

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 2013 awards, the total support provided by Preserve New York since its launch in 1993 is over $1.8 million to 292 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, 2013 meeting, the Preserve New York grant program panel selected 13 applicants in nine counties around the state to share $100,000 in funding," said Erin Tobin, the League's Regional Director of Technical and Grant Programs in eastern New York. "As always, the competition for these funds was intense. The Preservation League is delighted to help advance the preservation efforts of the Vale Cemetery Association with timely funding from Preserve New York."

Organizations and municipalities receiving grant awards in 2013 are: Albany County: Historic Albany Foundation; Erie County (2): Old First Ward Community Association, Buffalo; Preservation Buffalo Niagara, Buffalo; Kings County: Historic Districts Council, New York City; Ontario County (2): 1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse; Geneva Business Improvement District; Monroe County: Landmark Society of Western New York, Rochester; Montgomery County: Village of Canajoharie; Niagara County: City of Lockport; Schenectady County: Vale Cemetery Preservation, Inc.; Sullivan County: Beaverkill Neighbors Association.

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

ADDITIONAL CONTACT:

Erin Tobin

Regional Director of Technical and Grant Programs, Eastern New York

518-894-5314, etobin@preservenys.org