(Sherburne, NY –Sept. 2014) On Saturday, Sept. 27, from noon to 5 p.m., 13 historic properties of Sherburne will open to visitors in the first historic walking tour sponsored by Save the Sherburne Inn Restoration Project.
“For this tour, we’ve identified homes and other properties built between 1830 and 1920,” tour chairwoman Peg Jeffrey said. “Property owners have been very generous in opening their doors to share with others the beauty of these historic buildings.”
Jeffrey, who is a member of the SSIRP board of directors, is home-grown in Sherburne and, with her husband Jim, is proprietor of the Pillow and Pantry Bed & Breakfast located on Sherburne’s South Main Street.
“Sherburne is a small place,” she said, “but has some outstanding homes and other properties built in this timeframe. We’re excited about the tour and about having the opportunity to showcase our beautiful village and its historic architecture.”
The tour includes five private homes, the Sherburne Public Library, two churches, one of which has two affiliated properties and Sanford Lee-Gaines Park, which Sept. 27 will also feature a farmers market and food vendors; the Mule Barn, which once housed the mules that worked the Chenango Canal; and, of course, the Sherburne Inn.
“There are so many beautiful properties in Sherburne, it was difficult to choose,” Jeffrey said. “However, we plan to make the tour an annual event, and will soon begin scheduling properties for 2015.”
Cost for the tour is $20 for advance tickets, and $25 the day of the tour. Tickets will be on sale Sept. 27 at the Sherburne Inn (2 W. State St.), where guests will be offered complimentary refreshments. Questions will be welcome about the future of The Inn. SSIRP invites all tour attendees to stop by the Inn to tour the building.
Advance-sale tickets may be purchased online at thesherburneinn.org (click House Tour), and at the Big M and The Sherburne News office in Sherburne and Maxwell’s Chocolate Shop and Burt Marshall’s office in Hamilton.
Save The Sherburne Inn Restoration Project was formed in 2013 in an effort to preserve the century-old Sherburne Inn, which has stood vacant since 2002 and which was threatened with demolition in 2012. SSIRP, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, intends to restore and renovate the Inn, which held its grand opening June 19, 1917. Plans include a farm-to-table restaurant, two bars, guest rooms, conference and meeting facilities and other amenities, including retail space.
SSIRP was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Howard K. Finch Memorial Foundation in July 2013, a $500,000 economic development grant from New York state in December and has raised more than $200,000 in community donations toward purchase and restoration since 2012.
Total cost for the project is estimated to be $3 million. Other grants are in process, and SSIRP encourages corporate sponsors to contribute to the Inn’s restoration as a way to enhance local sustainability. SSIRP has retained preservation architects Crawford & Stearns of Syracuse to oversee construction and to preserve the historic qualities of the building during renovation.
For more information on the 2014 Sherburne Historic Walking Tour, call 607.674.2486. For information on Save the Sherburne Inn Restoration Project or to purchase Historic House Tour tickets online, visit www.thesherburneinn.org.