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HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT PREPARED FOR: Livingston County Historical Society 30 Center Street Geneseo, NY 14454

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HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT PREPARED FOR: Livingston County Historical Society 30 Center Street Geneseo, NY 14454 Livingston County Historical Museum 30 Center Street, Geneseo, NY HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT PREPARED FOR: Livingston County Historical Society 30 Center Street Geneseo, NY 14454 PREPARED BY: Clinton Brown Company Architecture pc 653 Main Street, Suite 104 Buffalo, NY 14203 In cooperation with: Barbara P. Moore Conservation Consultant 2 Lacoma Lane Pittsford, NY 14534 This project is funded in part by: A grant from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation through Title 9 of the Environmental Protection Act of 1993 Preserve New York, a grant program of the Preservation League of New York State and the New York State Council on the Arts DECEMBER 2010 Copyright 2010 Clinton Brown Company Architecture, pc Livingston County Historical Museum Historic Structure Report 30 Center Street, Geneseo, NY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Jon Perkins, Treasurer Jensen BRV Engineering PLLC The following individuals are acknowledged for their 1653 East Main Street contributions to this report. Liz Porter, Trustee Rochester, NY 14609 Livingston County Historical Society Ken Richardson, Trustee Jason Vigil, P.E., Structural Engineer 30 Center Street Ellen Wyckoff, Trustee Geneseo, NY 14454 Conservation Consultant LCHS HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 2 Lacoma Lane STAFF PROJECT COMMITTEE Pittsford, NY 14534 Anna Kowalchuk, Museum Administrator William Brummett, Trustee Barbara P. Moore, Conservation Consultant Jeanne Galbraith, Research Secretary NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Livingston County Historian’s Office Richard Lind, Volunteer Preservation 5 Murray Hill Drive Mt. Morris, NY 14510 Ken Richardson, Trustee Karen Ferguson, Regional Grants Administrator Amie Alden, Livingston County Historian Anna Kowalchuk, Museum Administrator Christine Capella-Peters, Technical Reviewer State Historic Preservation Office Geneseo Village and Town Historian BOARD OF DIRECTORS Preservation League of New York State David W. Parish, Historian Scott Canaan, President 44 Central Avenue Albany, New York 12206 Shirley Baum, Secretary Tania G. Werbizky, Regional Director FUNDING Amie Alden, Trustee Technical and Grant Programs, Western New York This project is funded in part by: Jess Baum, Trustee Clinton Brown Company Architecture A grant from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Ford Best, Trustee 653 Main Street, Suite 104 Preservation through Title 9 of the Environmental Protection Buffalo, NY 14203 Act of 1993 William Brummett, Trustee Clinton Brown, RA, AIA, President Preserve New York, a grant program of the Preservation Joe Lentner, Trustee League of New York State and the New York State Council on Jill Nowicki, Historic Preservation Specialist the Arts Jim McNally Trustee Meagan Baco, Historic Preservation Project Assistant Copyright 2010 Clinton Brown Company Architecture, pc ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -1 Livingston County Historical Museum Historic Structure Report 30 Center Street, Geneseo, NY TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION IV - RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REHABILITATION INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………...…….. IV-1 SECTION I – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SELECTION OF TREATMENT APPROACH……………………………………….. IV-3 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………….…. I-1 PRIORITIZED GOALS OF WORK PLAN……………….…………………………… IV-5 SCOPE OF WORK FOR REPORT……………………………………………………. I-3 DEVELOPMENT OF WORK RECOMMENDATIONS……………………………… IV-6 METHODOLOGY FOR RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION…………………… I-4 LONG RANGE RESTORATION AND REHABILITATION PLAN………………… IV-15 ORGANIZATION OF REPORT……………………………………………………….. I-6 SECTION V - PRELIMINARY CONSTRUCTION COST ESTIMATES SECTION II - HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT PHASES OF THE WORK & COST SUMMARY……………………………………. V-1 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………..………. II-1 LIMITATION OF THE COST ESTIMATE …………… …………………………….. V-1 HISTORICAL CONTEXT………………………………………………………………... II-2 CHRONOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT & USE………………………………………... II-6 SECTION VI - BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………......... VI-1 SECTION III - EXISTING CONDITIONS SURVEY SITE PHOTO TOUR…………………………………………………………….……… III-1 SECTION VII – APPENDICES EXTERIOR PHOTO TOUR….………………………………………………………… III-2 DEFINITION OF TERMS USED IN THIS REPORT…………………………………. VII-1 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS – EXTERIOR….……………………………………...… III-5 POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES…………………………………………………… VII-2 EXTERIOR ELEVATIONS…..…………………………………………………………. III-10 ONLINE RESOURCES……………………………………… ………………………… VII-8 INTERIOR PHOTO TOUR ……………………………………………………………. III-14 THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR’S STANDARDS FOR THE TREATMENT OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES…………………………………. VII-9 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS – INTERIOR….…………………………………………. III-19 STORAGE NEEDS SURVEY………………………………………………………….. VII-11 STORAGE PLAN……………………………………………………..…………………. VII-15 SUSTAINABLE COLLECTIONS …………………………………………...…………. VII-17 Copyright 2010 Clinton Brown Company Architecture, pc TABLE OF CONTENTS -1 Livingston County Historical Museum Historic Structure Report 30 Center Street, Geneseo, NY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: LCHS HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT Livingston County Historical Society PROJECT COMMITTEE 30 Center Street Anna Kowalchuk, Museum Administrator Geneseo, NY 14454 William Brummett, Trustee BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jeanne Galbraith, Volunteer Scott Canaan, President Richard Lind, Volunteer This project is funded in part by: David Parish, President Emeritus A grant from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation through Title 9 of the Environmental Protection Sandra Morgan, Treasurer Clinton Brown Company Architecture Act of 1993 653 Main Street, Suite 104 Shirley Baum, Secretary Buffalo, NY 14203 Preserve New York, a grant program of the Preservation League of New York State and the New York State Council on Amie Alden, Trustee Clinton Brown, RA, AIA, President the Arts Jess Baum, Trustee Jill Nowicki, Historic Preservation Specialist Ford Best, Trustee Meagan Baco, Historic Preservation Project Assistant William Brummett, Trustee Jensen BRV Engineering PLLC Pat Harter, Trustee 1653 East Main Street Rochester, NY 14609 Liz Porter, Trustee Jason Vigil, P.E. Ken Richardson, Trustee Jennifer Vogel, Trustee Conservation Consultant 2 Lacoma Lane Doris Whitney, Trustee Pittsford, NY 14534 Barbara P. Moore, Conservation Consultant STAFF Anna Kowalchuk, Museum Administrator Judy Bushnell, Research Secretary Copyright 2010 Clinton Brown Company Architecture, pc TABLE OF CONTENTS -2 Livingston County Historical Museum Historic Structure Report 30 Center Street, Geneseo, NY Copyright 2010 Clinton Brown Company Architecture, pc TABLE OF CONTENTS -3 Livingston County Historical Museum Historic Structure Report 30 Center Street, Geneseo, NY SECTION I – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Museum’s former District #5 Schoolhouse is located within the State and National Register-listed Main Street Historic District and is deemed a contributing building to the district’s Introduction historic significance. The Village of Geneseo was also distinguished as a National Historic Landmark District in 1991. Founded in 1876, the Livingston County Historical Society is This is the highest level of national distinction for historic one of the oldest organizations dedicated to preserving the places and the Village of Geneseo is one of only twenty-four heritage of western New York State. Its mission is to: National Historic Landmark Districts in the United States. “…present, promote, preserve, and value the rich history of Livingston County via its collections, 1 Historical Context programming, and partnerships.” In 1820, the Wadsworth brothers granted title of their lot on the corner of Center and Elm Streets to the Village of Geneseo, The non-for-profit institution operates the Livingston County th stipulating that the land and any subsequent buildings must be Historical Society Museum in an early 19 century former used for educational purposes. In 1838, the Cobblestone schoolhouse building of cobblestone construction. The School building was completed to a design illustrating a rare Image I- 1: New York State map showing location of Geneseo, NY (Map Museum’s collection is rich in history, telling the stories of the level of detail in contrast to other schools in the area, which courtesy of Google Maps) 17 towns within Livingston County. Exhibits occupy the were typically simple single-room buildings. The symmetrical majority of the 6,400 square foot facility, focusing on: design featured a one-story central block flanked by low one- story entrance wings. Its cobblestone construction is ¾ Seneca Nation Heritage characterized by the use of a naturally rounded stone masonry ¾ Pioneer Settlement in the Genesee Valley and limestone quoins and detailing. ¾ Farming and Agriculture In 1867, the Cobblestone School was integrated into the ¾ Early Public Education in Livingston County Geneseo Union Free School District, consisting of ten districts, ¾ Military Past and became known as District #5 School. During this period, the building was expanded through multiple additions to The museum property is located at 30 Center Street in the accommodate increased enrollment. Union Free School historic Village of Geneseo, about 35 miles to the south of Districts came under control of the State Education Rochester, NY. Established in the 1790s, the Village was part Department in 1918, and the schoolhouses were then used for of the acquisition of Seneca Indian land encompassing on-the-job training of new teachers enrolled at the Normal approximately two-thirds of New York State west of the School. The facilities of District #5 School soon became Genesee River. Today, the Village lies within the Town of inadequate for this new use, and in 1932, the
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