The Daniel Conkling House in Rensselaerville to be Honored

Preservation League Announces Annual Awards

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Conkling House Dining Room (before)

ALBANY, NY (04/27/2015)(readMedia)-- The Preservation League of New York State has selected the Daniel Conkling House in Rensselaerville to receive an award for Excellence in Historic Preservation.

The League's statewide awards program honors notable achievements in retaining, promoting and reusing New York State's irreplaceable architectural heritage.

"This project has restored a relic of Albany County's colonial past from a neglected shadow of its former self to its former glory," said Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League. "The center-hall Georgian residence, built in 1806, was owned and maintained by descendants of its original owners for some 150 years, but was abandoned in the 1980s and fell victim to decay and vandals. Thanks to the leadership of the Open Space Institute and a sympathetic owner with a vision for preservation, not only has the building been restored, but a conservation easement is now in place to protect a 333-acre landscape of farmstead, crop and pasture lands, forests and wetlands."

The project team included property owners Stewart Myers, the late Maureen Myers and Roy and JoAnn Myers; Warren Builders LLC, contractor; Robert W. Adams, architect; Olsen Associates, architects, and the Open Space Institute.

The hamlet of Rensselaerville is located in southwest Albany County on the Helderberg plateau. It contains over 60 historic structures built between 1787 and 1845. The Daniel Conkling House stands on a hill overlooking the hamlet.

The house required a unique buyer - someone who would restore and preserve not only the home, but the land. The Myers family, who are descendants of Daniel Conkling, worked with the Open Space Institute Land Trust to acquire the property subject to a conservation easement. The historic home has been restored to a place of honor in its community. The property was recently added to the New York State Register of Historic Places and recommended for National Register listing.

"The Myers family understood the house's history, architectural quality and family connections," Stewart Myers said. "We did not comprehend what a grand and beautiful thing it would be once restored."

The awards will be presented at the Preservation League's Awards Ceremony in New York City at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13th at the historic New York Yacht Club, 37 West 44th Street.

The complete list of award winners is: Daniel Conkling House – Rensselaerville, Albany County; Lafayette Lofts – Buffalo; The Tishman Building – Buffalo; DePaul Carriage Factory Apartments – Rochester; El Barrio's Artspace PS 109 - New York; Pier A Restoration and Adaptive Reuse - New York; Remington Lofts on the Canal - North Tonawanda, Niagara County; and Rye Meeting House: Sustainable Preservation, Ecology and Conservation – Westchester County.

"With our annual awards program, the Preservation League explores not just the present, but the future of historic preservation. Many of the 2015 award winners provide valuable examples for others by incorporating energy efficiency techniques, adaptive reuse strategies and Federal and State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits," said DiLorenzo. "Each year, we are impressed by the number and variety of laudable nominations, and this year was no exception. We are delighted to celebrate the renovation of the Daniel Conkling House and to commend the Myers Family for their stewardship."

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The Preservation League's Excellence in Historic Preservation awards program is funded by a generous grant from the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation.

The Preservation League of New York State invests in people and projects that champion the essential role of preservation in community revitalization, sustainable economic growth, and the protection of our historic buildings and landscapes. We lead advocacy, economic development, and education programs all across the state.