The Landmark Society’s 2014 Preservation Awards will be presented this year at a special event on Sunday, November 16 at 3:00 p.m. in Rochester’s historic City Hall, the spectacular Richardsonian Romanesque landmark located downtown at 30 Church Street. The Awards are given each year to individuals and organizations in our nine-county area who have made outstanding efforts in the preservation of their homes, historic properties, and landscapes. In anticipation of the upcoming Awards Ceremony we will be featuring some of this year’s award winners.

A Special Citation provides recognition for projects that do not fit into other categories or recognizes outstanding individual or group accomplishments in the field of historic preservation.

St. Januarius Catholic Church
Main St., village of Naples, Ontario County

We honor the parish of Our Lady of the Lakes for the care of St. Januarius Catholic Church in the village of Naples. Established in 1876 by local residents of mostly German heritage, this congregation commissioned Rochester architect James Johnson to create their present house of worship in 1965-’66.

One of Johnson’s earliest projects to use cast concrete panels fabricated on-site, the church features bold design and innovative construction. The signature windows are formed by dozens of round openings in the concrete panels. Each opening is set with a roundel of brightly colored glass, through which light streams into the main sanctuary to dramatic effect during daylight hours.

A sensitive rehabilitation of the church was completed in 2011 by LaBella Associates, which included a newly designed altar, improved accessibility and energy conservation features. One of the most photographed churches in the region, this remarkable building is an important example of Mid-Century Modern design in western New York.