Grant webinar tomorrow!

The Landmark Society, in partnership with the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, announces the availability of the Genesee Valley Rural Revitalization Grant Program (GVRR) to support rural communities in the Finger Lakes and Western New York. This funding is made possible by a grant received from the Paul Bruhn Rural Revitalization Grant Program as administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, and will allow OPRHP and LSWNY to offer reimbursable sub-grants for historic building repair and rehabilitation in small rural communities located in eligible counties.

Matching funds have been provided by the Rochester Area Community Foundation, Letchworth Gateway Villages, and LSWNY. This program will support local governments, non-profit and commercial property owners, and small businesses in their efforts to preserve the historic places that have shaped their community’s social fabric and economy.

The first round of grant applications will be due March 31, 2021. The second and final informational webinar takes place tomorrow, Tuesday, 2/9 at 12:00 PM. Follow the link below to register.

Jean France: A remembrance

We were deeply saddened to learn last week of the passing of Jean France. Jean was a longtime Landmark Society Trustee, an accomplished architectural historian, and a passionate preservationist. In short, she was an icon in Rochester’s preservation and architecture community. Follow the link below to read a remembrance by Landmark staff member, Cynthia Howk.

Tune in to Connections with Evan Dawson today!

Today, Monday, at 1:00 PM, Director of Preservation, Caitlin Meives, will be a guest on WXXI’s Connections with Evan Dawson to discuss careers in historic preservation and the traditional trades. The Landmark Society just finished a series of preservation-related classes in partnership with SUNY Geneseo throughout the month of January. Hear from three students who took those classes and are considering careers in the trades or other preservation-related fields.

Walk the Walk: free video performance available soon!

Many of you are familiar with the program we’ve offered to local school districts and the general public for over 20 years. Walk the Walk: Encounters with Rochester’s African-American Ancestors has been performed for thousands of students, families and citizens. In 2020, Walk the Walk was the very last program The Landmark Society was able to offer live and in person – getting in under the wire in February. We’re excited to announce that this year we are producing a film version that will be available on our website and free to all! Stay tuned for the release…coming soon!

If you are an educator, contact Cindy Boyer for pre and post program activities.

Two new classes from the YUPs

The YUPs are excited to be working on two brand new classes, to be offered virtually through the Rochester Brainery:

• For Women’s History Month in March, Women in Preservation & Design
• In April, The Rocks that Built Rochester, an exploration of the intersection between architecture and geology

It’s not an accident that 90% of the country’s cobblestone structures are located within 75 miles of Rochester: from cobblestones to picturesque cemeteries, and stately red sandstone civic buildings to old mills, our area’s unique architectural heritage is, in part, a reflection of its singular geological history. Ancient shallow seas and more recent Ice Age glaciers have supplied local architects with the palette of materials and landscapes they have used to give communities form over time, making buildings and public places an ongoing dialog between the natural and human worlds. In this class, students will eavesdrop on that dialog, linking some of the most treasured landmarks with their ancient geologic processes that made them possible, and that influence their preservation today.

Interesting in learning more about or getting involved with the YUPs? Check out their website or e-mail them to sign up for the next monthly Steering Committee meeting on February 10th. Meetings are open to all!

5 Castle Park, Rochester, NY 14620
PHONE: (585) 546-7029 x10 · FAX: (585) 546-4788