The Preservation League of New York State and their program partners at the New York State Council on the Arts are thrilled to announce that the Cayuga Museum of History and Art has received a 2022 Technical Assistance Grant. This $3,440 grant will fund a Condition Survey of the Willard-Case Mansion Ornamental Fence. During this grant cycle, 19 projects representing 14 counties across the state have been selected by an independent panel of preservation professionals. A total of $68,130 was awarded.
“This grant will help the Museum understand the scope of repairs needed to this integral part of the historic property’s landscape design and stylistic aesthetic,” said Kirsten Gosch, Executive Director of the Cayuga Museum of History and Art. “The fence is literally the gateway to the property, and its rehabilitation is crucial to the overall preservation of the significant historic landscape.”
The National Register-listed Cayuga Museum of History and Art will engage Crawford and Stearns Preservation Architects to complete an Ornamental Fence Condition Assessment for the circa 1877 cast-iron fence along the property’s streetside lawns. The fence features rich Eastlake-style detailing in precast sections set in limestone bases. A total of six stylized limestone piers punctuate the fence, and an exuberantly decorated swinging gate is located at the main sidewalk entry to the Museum. The Museum has owned and operated the property as an educational and cultural site for nearly 90 years. During that time, the iron fence has undergone substantial deterioration, including oxidation, shifting of the limestone bases, and vandalization.
The 2022 TAG grantees are:
Cayuga County: Seward House Museum; Canal Society of New York State; Cayuga Museum of History and Art | Chenango County: Chenango County Historical Society | Essex County: Fort Ticonderoga Association, Inc. | Greene County: Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society | Montgomery County: Glen Conservancy, Ltd. | New York County: Renee & Chaim Gross Foundation | Orange County: Safe Harbors of the Hudson; Village of Montgomery | Oswego County: Cleveland Historical Society | Queens County: King Manor Association of Long Island | Rensselaer County: Arts Center of the Capital Region | Suffolk County: Sylvester Manor Educational Farm; Oysterponds Historical Society | Ulster County: Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History; Ulster County Historical Society | Wayne County: Village of Clyde | Wyoming County: Silver Lake Institute
The Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) program is a partnership between the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the Preservation League of New York State, made possible by NYSCA with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area has provided additional support for the projects within the National Heritage Area boundary. The TAG program supports arts centers, historic sites, music halls, theaters, libraries, and other cultural nonprofit or municipal entities that steward historic buildings throughout New York State.
With the announcement of the 2022 awards, support provided by TAG since its launch in 2012 totals $602,104. These grants have directly advanced the efforts of 191 preservation projects.
“NYSCA applauds the works of the Preservation League of New York State – whose stewardship of our arts centers and historical sites preserves our collective histories and cultural assets for New Yorkers and our visitors for decades to come,” said Mara Manus, Executive Director of the New York State Council on the Arts.
“NYSCA’s support for the Preservation League of NYS projects is an investment in the importance of our history and our understanding of New York’s heritage,” said Katherine Nicholls, Chair of the New York State Council on the Arts. “Our museums and historically significant structures are cultural anchors, connecting us to our past and contributing to the health and vitality of our communities. On behalf of NYSCA’s Council and staff we would like to congratulate all the Technical Assistance Grant recipients and thank them for their important work.”
“TAG provides an avenue for us of evaluating and funding different projects that are important to our partners. Congratulations to all the recipients!”, said Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Executive Director Scott Keller. “We are continually impressed with both the quantity and quality of the applications for this program.”
About the Cayuga Museum of History and Art
The Cayuga Museum of History and Art engages the community to appreciate local history, promotes the arts, and educates individuals about the invention of sound on film through the operation of the Museum, Case Research Laboratory, and Carriage House Theater. Our vision is to be a vibrant educational center and a recognized destination for history and art attracting visitors from across the region, with the goal to be a premier space for visitors to recognize the natural intermarriage between the arts, history, and science. We are Auburn’s longest operating museum and maintain the largest collection of Cayuga County-related artifacts. Housed on the grounds of an 1836 Greek Revival mansion, the space was the home of inventor Theodore Case, who among other innovations, introduced sound film to the world. Today, the Museum operates three buildings on one property. In the main museum building, the former Willard-Case Mansion, we present original exhibitions on local history and art. The Case Research Laboratory is a permanent exhibit of the history of sound film. The Carriage House Theater serves as a multi-use performance and events space for programming, live music, theater, and is also the origin of some of the earliest sound test films in history. Learn more at cayugamuseum.org
About the Preservation League of New York State
Since its founding in 1974, the Preservation League has built a reputation for action and effectiveness. Our goal has been to preserve our historic buildings, districts, and landscapes and to build a better New York, one community at a time. The Preservation League of New York State invests in people and projects that champion the essential role of preservation in community revitalization, sustainable economic growth, and the protection of our historic buildings and landscapes. We lead advocacy, economic development, and education programs across the state.
Connect with us at preservenys.org, facebook.com/preservenys, twitter.com/preservenys, youtube.com/c/PreservationLeague and instagram.com/preservenys.
About the New York State Council on the Arts
NYSCA preserves and advances the arts and culture that make New York State an exceptional place to live, work and visit. The Council upholds the right of all New Yorkers to experience the vital contributions the arts make to our communities, education, economic development, and quality of life. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, NYSCA is awarding record funding in Fiscal Year 2023, providing support across the full breadth of the arts.
NYSCA further advances New York's creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources. Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Council is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit http://www.arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA's Facebook page, Twitter @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts
