Agencies team-up for historic events
(Cazenovia, NY – May 2014) Every May, our nation celebrates the preservation of historic architecture, sites and landscapes during National Preservation Month. From local grassroots efforts to national initiatives, a month-long series of programs and events take place across the country, including here in Madison County.
Cazenovia’s Historic Preservation Committee (HPC), Cazenovia Preservation Foundation (CPF), the Cazenovia Public Library and Lorenzo State Historic Site have partnered this year to host a series of engaging and educational events focusing on the cultural heritage of historic Cazenovia. All programs are free and open to the public.
The kick-off event for the celebration in Cazenovia is A Sense of Place: A Primer to Unlocking the History of Your Home on Thursday, May 8 and is sponsored by Lorenzo State Historic Site and made possible by The Friends of Lorenzo.
Cynthia Howk, Architectural Research Coordinator at the Landmarks Society of Western, one of the oldest and most active preservation organizations in America, will offer a step-by-step presentation on how to go about researching one’s historic home. Howk will then be joined by Madison County Historian Matt Urtz, Cazenovia Public Library Archives Coordinator Elisha Davies and Lorenzo archivist Sharon Cooney to discuss how the public can access and use our own local resources. In addition, CPF will have information and take applications for its Historic Building Signage Initiative. The evening’s program begins promptly at 7 p.m. and will take place at the Cazenovia Public Library, 100 Albany St. Contact Diane Voss at 655-3200 with any questions.
The historic First Presbyterian Church at 27 Albany St. will be highlighted this year with a retrospective architectural presentation by Historic Preservation Committee Chair Ted Bartlett on May 18. This program will focus on the early design and Federal-style detailing that are hidden behind and above the existing 1860’s work, and Bartlett will also discuss what the Church looked like before it was moved from the original Emory Avenue location to its present-day location on Albany Street. This program will begin at 11:30 a.m. in the Church Meeting House (please use the Sullivan Street entrance) following Sunday’s 10 am service. For more information, please contact Ted Bartlett at 471-2162.
On May 22, Cazenovia Preservation Foundation will present Rehabbing Your Older Home with Andrea Rebeck, an historic preservation architect who has both professional and personal experience in bringing new life to older homes, and she will share how to plan for and prioritize rehabbing work on a historic building. CPF will also conduct a short annual business meeting, which will celebrate 2013 accomplishments and direct CPF’s work for the community for 2014. A children’s program will be offered concurrently with the presentation and meeting. These programs will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. in St. Peter’s Church Parish Hall at 10 Mill St. in Cazenovia. If you have any questions, contact Judy Gianforte at 877-1742.
Preservation month programming will culminate on May 31 with the Lorenzo State Historic Site event Ever Peaceful, Ever Beautiful: Discovering Historic Evergreen Cemetery. Scott Shannon, Associate Provost for Instruction and Dean of the Graduate School at SUNY ESF, will lead a walking tour of the historic design features of the cemetery. After the tour, Lorenzo archivist Sharon Cooney and Lorenzo volunteer and historic preservation consultant Sarah Tietje will present information on various figures interred at Evergreen and the historic symbolism displayed on their gravestones and monuments. This program, made possible by The Friends of Lorenzo, will begin at 10 a.m. at Evergreen Cemetery, Fenner Road, Cazenovia. Pre-registration is required. Please be sure to wear suitable clothing and shoes, as the program will take place rain or shine. For more information or to pre-register, please contact Diane Voss at 655-3200.
In concert with the above Cazenovia programs, the Cazenovia Public Library will also be showcasing “Our Land and Sky(scapes),” a photographic collection of local landscapes taken by artist John P. Kennedy. The exhibit will be on display in the library galleries, beginning May 5 and running through June 28, and can be viewed during regular library hours at 100 Albany Street, Cazenovia. For more information regarding this exhibit, contact Betsy Kennedy at 655-9322.