TOWN OF ROCHESTER HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING
July 18, 2022, In-Person, Harold Lipton Community Center, Accord, NY

Present: Wilton Duckworth, Chair, Joan Ewing, Ryan Fitzgerald, Deb Medenbach, Alice Cross, Gloria Mirsky

Absent: Suzanne Miedema, Natalie Schultz, Joanne Mariner, Shirley Avery, Bea Haugen-Depuy

Guests: Kate Gundberg

1. The meeting was called to order.

2. The minutes for the June 27, 2022 meeting were approved. Wilton moved, Deb seconded. Deb noted that regarding the field trip, she was present for only the first part, the visit to the house on Upper Granite Road.

3. The agenda was approved. Alice moved, Ryan seconded.

4. EVENTS: Farm and Barn Day—Kate reported that 16 vendors signed up, including Big R’s Barbecue, CJ’s Travelling Farm, horse rides. Saunderskill Farm donated 5 gift cards. Re the Farm bus trip, the insurance had been worked through. Gary Palmer would be the driver. Ryan mentioned that he would be narrating the part of the trip that would be on Arrowhead Farm, with Harry Hanson narrating the bus trip in general. So far, Deb, Alice, Joan and Wilton had signed up to cover the HPC table. Natalie had offered to arrange a picture collage for the table. Deb offered to contact Natalie and offer assistance if needed. Deb also offered to put together an information sheet about the work of HPC for the table.

5. PRESERVATION:
• Palentown Schoolhouse—Wilton had spoken with Mike Baden and Gary Miller. Wilton reported that Gary had requested a portable toilet to have available during tours. Regarding repairs, he said that the summer is a busy time for the highway crew and that the fall might be a likelier time for the repairs to be done. Wilton said that he would send another note to Mike for any updates.
• Preservation Awards—Deb reported that the following people and locations were being considered: Hank Heijink at Appledorn Farm, the Game House, Nancy Purdun at 31 Upper Whitfield Road, Adam Bloom at 1078 Samsonville Road, Frank Magione at the Crested Hen. The awards would be given on Heritage Day, which would include narratives about the work done by the recipients, that made them be considered for an award. The material awards would be plaques, which could be displayed on their homes, which Howie Slotnick could make. All agreed it would be great to have plaques, which could be placed on either the inside or outside of a building.
• Historic Marker Repairs—Deb also noted that Howie Slotnick could repair or replace historic markers, which are distributed around the Town in different places. Ryan offered to drive around and take pictures of the markers, to send to Howie in order for him to give an estimate for his work. Deb offered to try and get an estimate for both the Preservation Awards plaques and the Historic Markers to Mike Baden, so they could possibly be included in the upcoming budget.
• New Listings—There are no new listings. Deb said that she had noted during a visit to Jerry Davis, the Code Enforcement Officer, that she did not see the HPC informational handouts that Jerry’s staff could give to homeowners of historic buildings, applying for work permits for their homes. Deb volunteered to make sure Jerry had new handouts.

6. Canal Museum Tour—Possible Group Trip—Wilton noted that Bill Merchant had said that he would be at the museum on Tuesdays. September was suggested as a possible month and it was also suggested to ask Bill what times he thought would be best for an HPC visit.

7. Bringing Life to History in the Town of Rochester—what has been inspiring, new ideas—The following is a summary of ideas. There was a lot of enthusiasm! The Canal Day event brought history during the D and H Canal days to life. Possible new event: a tour of the one-room school houses around the Town, possibly a back-to-school event in August. Putting things in the newspapers and the Accordian, things that bring pride, such as the Preservation Awards, Kate’s You-Tube videos about history through the TOR Recreation Dept., focusing on different hamlets, each one’s stories, using tape recorders and pictures. An example: Cherrytown, with John Wightman of Wightman’s Fruit Farm and his stories and memories. Many people volunteered to be part of making these ideas happen.

8. The meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully,

Joan Ewing