Just over a year ago, the Parrott Hall Coalition (which consists of us, Friends of Parrott Hall, Preservation League of NYS, and the City of Geneva) held a press conference to present the results of a building assessment and urge the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation (OPRHP) to explore alternatives to preserve the building and avoid demolition. At that time, the future of the building remained very uncertain and demolition was a real possibility.
While we are still a ways away from a certain future, we’ve come a long way since that time!
Earlier this year, the City of Geneva received a $400,000 Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) grant from the NYS OPRHP to support initial stabilization and restoration efforts.
And, on June 16th, the State handed a set of keys over to the Friends of Parrott Hall, giving the Coalition access to the building so that we can now begin work on stabilization! (Pictured above, is Bruce Reisch, president of the Friends of Parrott Hall, opening the front door). Over the next year, we will be working with a team of architects, contractors, and preservation consultants to begin the process of trying to return Parrott Hall to a state of good repair and productive use. Among other tasks, the Coalition will: conduct a feasibility study to determine economically viable future uses for the building; place a temporary patch over the hole in the main roof to prevent further deterioration of the structure; full roof replacement; stabilize interior stairway and framing; rebuild veranda; exterior masonry and paint work; and, of course, we’ll be assisting the Friends of Parrott Hall with private fundraising to match the funds provided by the EPF grant.
Stay tuned for more updates as work progresses!