A History Buffs Guide to the Civil War

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The 150th anniversary of the American Civil War is just months away, and the conflict’s very language still resonates within our national narrative. Texas rumbles with the sounds of secession. &#8220States’ rights&#8221 remains a battle cry over boarder security, civil unions, and taxation. Groundswells against federalism have given birth to a political faction. The country still struggles with issues concerning race.

Author and historian Thomas R. Flagel offers a new and provocative perspective on the very source of these crises, through his newest edition of The History Buff’s Guide to the Civil War.

Nearly 150 years later, the war that divided our nation continues to fascinate history buffs and reenactment enthusiasts across the U.S. Offering a new take on how to enjoy one of the most complex and critical eras in American history, Flagel has cleared the powder smoke with the fun, quirky and absorbing compilation of the best, the worst, the largest, and the most lethal top ten rankings of the Civil War.

The History Buff’s Guide to the Civil War will provide a deeper clarity and perspective on every aspect of the war. The Second edition complete with new content and updated lists will have you debating the new and intriguing questions.

Thomas R. Flagel teaches American History at Columbia State Community College in Tennessee. He holds degrees from Loras College, Kansas State University, Creighton University, and has studied at the University of Vienna. Author of books on the Civil War, World War II, and the American Presidency, he is currently working on a volume concerning Abraham Lincoln. Flagel lives in Franklin, Tennessee, where he is on the Mayor’s Battlefield Commission, the Carter House Board, and the Franklin Civil War Round Table board.

Note: Books noticed on this site have been provided by the publishers. Purchases made through this Amazon link help support this site.

Albany Institutes Spring Exhibition Schedule

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The following is a listing of current and upcoming exhibitions appearing at the Albany Institute of History & Art from January through May 2011. Dates, times, and details are subject to change. Call (518) 463-4478 or visit www.albanyinstitute.org for more information.

Current Exhibits

OLD SOLES: THREE CENTURIES OF SHOES FROM THE ALBANY INSTITUTE OF HISTORY & ART’S COLLECTION (THROUGH APRIL 3, 2011)

Highlighting the museum’s shoe collection, Old Soles includes an amazing variety of shoes and pattens, shoe lasts, designer shoes, and silver buckles, from shoes worn by people from all walks of life throughout the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.

GEORGE WILLIAM WARREN: THE SACRED AND THE SECULAR (THROUGH FEBRUARY 2011)

Born in Albany, George William Warren was a well-known composer of both popular and religious music during the late 19th century. Warren became the organist and choir director at St. Paul’s Church in Albany in 1858, where he became an admired and respected teacher, mentor, performer, and concert organizer. Albanians were treated to Warren’s popular music through a number of concerts at various concert halls and churches around Albany. This bookcase exhibition highlights the composer’s career with a selection of sheet music, broadsides, illustrations, and photographs. A newly published book, George William Warren: Bridging the Sacred and Secular in Nineteenth-Century American Music, is now available for purchase in the Museum Shop. Researched and written by Thomas Nelson, Exhibitions and Graphics Designer at the Albany Institute of History & Art, the lavishly illustrated 60-page paperback relies on primary source material, some of which has never been reviewed before by scholars, as it chronicles Warren’s remarkable life and career. The book includes recent discoveries of his material from the Albany Institute’s collection, as well as three years of additional collecting and research, and incorporates more than 75 images—most never published before—of Warren’s sheet music, photographs, broadsides, and maps, documenting the life and career of the composer, renowned in his time yet little known today. Call the Museum Shop at (518) 463-4478, ext. 459, for more information.

Upcoming Exhibitions

ART AND NATURE: THE HUDSON RIVER SCHOOL PAINTINGS (JANUARY 15, 2011–AUGUST 2011)

The term “Hudson River School” is used to describe paintings made by two generations of artists beginning in 1825 with Thomas Cole and flourishing for about 50 years. These artists are best known for their large panoramic views of landscapes throughout North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East. Their subject matter ranges from the sublime views of the wilderness, to beautiful pastoral scenes influenced by man, to allegorical pictures with moral messages. The Albany Institute of History & Art has been collecting materials related to the Hudson River School artists for more than 150 years. The museum’s collection includes 60 paintings, sketchbooks, photographs, paint boxes, and manuscript materials related to all of the major artists associated with this movement, recognized as the first school of American painting. This exhibition includes 25 paintings and complements an additional 20 works in the adjacent Lansing Gallery.

Square, Round and Lansing galleries

CURATOR’S CHOICE: RECENT ACQUISITIONS BY THE ALBANY INSTITUTE OF HISTORY & ART (JANUARY 15–JUNE 5, 2011)

The Albany Institute of History & Art will highlight a number of its latest acquisitions in the museum’s Entry Gallery. Among the items to be displayed are two pieces of Chinese ceramics that Albany artist Walter Launt Palmer (1854–1932) depicted in his 1878 painting, Interior of the Learned House, 298 State Street, Albany. The pieces were donated in 2009 by Phillip Kerr of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The house, which still stands on the corner of Dove and State streets, was designed by New York architect Russell Sturgis for Judge William Law Learned. The interior of the Gothic revival townhouse is lavishly furnished with art and decorative arts typical of the period. The painting itself will also be on view, as will the library table designed by Sturgis, also depicted in the painting.

Curator’s Choice: Recent Acquisitions also includes a spectacular 12-piece silver serving set presented to Thomas Schuyler (1811–1866) in January 1859. Helen Hill (a direct descendent), of Bellingham, Washington, donated the materials. The well-known Albany philanthropist, business leader, ship captain, and owner of the Schuyler Tow Boat Company, Schuyler received the silver presentation set from a group of friends and business associates. The large tray, engraved with a variety of images of trains, docks, and boats, includes a large image of the towboat, America, owned by Schuyler’s company. The engraving is taken directly from a painting of the towboat painted by James Bard (1815–1897) in 1852, which is in the museum’s collection. The silver, painting, and other manuscript materials will be on view, along with a history of the towboat company started by Thomas’s father, Captain Samuel Schuyler (1781–1842), who was one of Albany’s most successful businessmen of African heritage.

Also on display in Curator’s Choice: Recent Acquisitions will be the archive of the Women’s Seal and Stamp Club of Albany, including a framed portrait the club’s logo, “Elm Tree Corner,” made entirely of clipped stamps. The items were donated by Karen and Gilbert Conrad of Eustis, Florida. The club, formed in 1936, met at the Albany Institute of History & Art for many years. Elm Tree Corner, located on the northwest corner of State and Pearl streets, is an iconic historic Albany landmark whose history based on the story that Phillip Livingston, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, built his house and planted an elm tree there in 1735.

Also featured in the exhibition will be the painting, Crabapple (Fall), by Jeri Eisenberg of East Greenbush, New York, the Albany Institute Purchase Prize winner from the 2010 Artists of the Mohawk-Hudson Region competition. The 2010 regional is on display at The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, New York, through January 2, 2011.

BILL SULLIVAN: A LANDSCAPE ARTIST REMEMBERED (JANUARY 15—FEBRUARY 27, 2011)

The Hudson Valley and the art world lost one of their finest artists last fall when Bill Sullivan passed away at the age of 68. In 2006, the Albany Institute of History & Art presented a major retrospective on the work of the internationally known painter and printmaker. The exhibition and fully illustrated catalog, The Autobiography of Bill Sullivan: A Landscape Retrospective, featured 50 landscape paintings ranging from his iconic views of New York State, including New York City, the Hudson Valley, and Niagara Falls, as well as the mountains, volcanoes, and waterfalls of the equatorial Andes in South America. In addition to the Albany Institute of History & Art, Sullivan’s works are part of collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of the City of New York, and the New York Public Library. His work has been displayed in countless group exhibitions. To honor Sullivan’s life and work, the museum will present five major canvases from the museum’s collection, including a recently promised painting titled, View of Albany from Route 9J.

GRAPHIC DESIGN—GET THE MESSAGE! (FEBRUARY 5–JUNE 12, 2011)

Graphic design, the carefully planned arrangement of visual images and printed text, can convey both meaning and message. As they tempt consumers, communicate political messages, and
reflect social concerns, these boldly crafted, iconic images have been among mankind’s most effective forms of communication.

In the late 18th century the use of printed text and images to deliver messages and ideas proliferated as literacy rates began to rise, paper became more available, and printing technologies improved. Two forces—one political, the other commercial—particularly influenced the increasing prevalence of graphic design. As political revolutions in the late 18th and 19th centuries brought greater freedoms of expression to many parts of the world, communicators expressed their opinions and sentiments on paper in the forms of broadsides and posters that could be widely distributed. Social unrest, military confrontations, and reform movements added to the increasing use and display of visual communication throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

The explosive use of advertising in the 19th and 20th centuries also stimulated the use of graphic design to convey messages. Manufacturers and merchants, buoyed by industrial and commercial growth, realized the need to advertise products in order to dominate an increasingly competitive marketplace. Marketing goods on paper translated into selling goods in the marketplace. By the early 20th century, professionalization of the graphic designer resulted from growing demands for well-conceived, well-designed visual messages. Since that time, professional designers have been responsible for the print ads, package designs, and commercials that have shaped our society and represented its cultural movements. No longer a static medium, graphic design in the 21st century has become a sophisticated means of communication, due in large part to the Internet, which has transformed texts and images through movement and interactivity. Technology once again has been a driving force for change.

Graphic Design—Get the Message! looks at graphic design from four themed areas: typography and early printing- commerce and graphic design- political and social messages- and the creative process. Through the use of posters, broadsides, package designs, paintings, decorative arts, historical photographs, and computer interactives, these four themes will address topics such as technology and innovation- manufacturing and commercial growth- changing aesthetics- typography- designers and the growth of the design profession- and social and political expression in graphic work. Graphic designs, objects, and the history of design work from the Albany area will be used to address broader issues of national and international significance. As it examines technological, commercial, aesthetic, and social factors, Graphic Design—Get the Message! will reveal not only how the field has changed over the years, but also how it has changed us.

Throughout its run, the exhibition will also feature a number of lectures and demonstrations by graphic designers and scholars in the field.

HAJO: AN ARTIST’S JOURNEY (MARCH 5–JULY 31, 2011)

Hans-Joachim Richard Christoph (1903–1992), known familiarly as Hajo, lived through most of the 20th century and witnessed firsthand its high points and low moments. Born in Berlin, Germany, in 1903, he trained at the Reimann Schule following World War I, a time of artistic experiment and expression. When he immigrated to the United States in 1925, he brought training and skill that served him well as a graphic designer, first at the New York office of Lucien Bernhard and later at the Fort Orange Paper Company in Castleton, New York. Hajo created fresh, bold designs for Kenwood Mills, the Embossing Company, and other manufactures, all meant to captivate and entice modern American consumers. In his spare time Hajo painted quiet landscapes that reflect the peaceful, small-town charms of the upper Hudson Valley. Hajo: An Artist’s Journey, tells the story of an immigrant artist, his journey from Europe to the Hudson Valley, and his artistic explorations. Sketchbooks, drawings, paintings, graphic designs, and photographs span the breadth of Hajo’s world and the art he created to capture it.

This Weeks Top New York History News

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Each Friday morning New York History compiles for our readers the previous week’s top stories about New York’s state and local history. You can find all our weekly news round-ups here.

Subscribe! More than 550 people get New York History each day via E-Mail, RSS, or Twitter or Facebook updates.

This Weeks New York History Web Highlights

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Each Friday afternoon New York History compiles for our readers a collection of the week’s top weblinks about New York’s state and local history. You can find all our weekly round-ups here.

Subscribe! More than 550 people get New York History each day via E-Mail, RSS, or Twitter or Facebook updates.

New York Council for the Humanities Grant Announcements

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Yesterday, the New York Council for the Humanities published revised grant guidelines and online application forms to its website.

Council funding will continue to support public programs in the humanities including Mini Grants available on a rolling basis, in support of both planning and implementation. New Major Grant requirements and deadlines will be announced in fall 2011, however, we will not be accepting Major Grant applications in 2011. Here is a statement from the Council’s Executive Director.

The Council is also now participating in the Cultural Data Project. Beginning in 2011, as part of the Council’s new online applications, applicants will be required to submit a CDP Funder Report. To generate one for your organization you will first need a Cultural Data Project profile, which requires some time for input and review, but which can be used for other funders as well. Visit the CDP’s New York State website for details.

Beginning in January, the Council will offer webinars introducing their new guidelines and forms. These one-hour online seminars will feature a 30 minute presentation and 30 minute Q&A, so questions are welcome.

You can contact the Council at any time with questions at [email protected] or (212) 233-1131.

Historic Districts Councils NYC Preservation Priorities

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The Historic Districts Council, New York’s city-wide advocate for historic buildings and neighborhoods, has announced it’s first Six to Celebrate, a list of historic New York City neighborhoods that merit preservation attention. This is New York’s only citywide list of preservation priorities.

The Six were chosen from applications submitted by neighborhood groups around the city on the basis of the architectural and historic merit of the area- the level of threat to the neighborhood- strength and willingness of the local advocates, and where HDC’s citywide preservation perspective and assistance could be the most meaningful. Throughout 2011, HDC will work with these neighborhood partners to set and reach preservation goals through strategic planning, advocacy, outreach, programs and publicity.

“Neighborhoods throughout New York are fighting an unseen struggle to determine their own futures. By bringing these locally-driven neighborhood preservation efforts into the spotlight, HDC hopes to focus New Yorker’s attention on the very real threats that historic communities throughout the city are facing from indiscriminate and inappropriate development.” said Simeon Bankoff, HDC’s Executive Director. “As the first list of its kind in New York, the Six to Celebrate will help raise awareness of local efforts to save neighborhoods on a citywide level.”

Founded in 1971 as a coalition of community groups from New York City’s designated historic districts, the Historic Districts Council has grown to become one of the foremost citywide voices for historic preservation. Serving a network of over 500 neighborhood-based community groups in all five boroughs, HDC strives to protect, preserve and enhance New York City’s historic buildings and neighborhoods through ongoing programs of advocacy, community development and education.

The 2011 Six to Celebrate (in alphabetical order):

Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
The Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood contains an astonishing number of architecturally, historically and culturally significant structures, including rowhouses, mansions, religious buildings, and schools dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Although there are currently two designated historic districts in the area, the vast majority of Bedford Stuyvesant’s architectural splendor is unprotected. The recently-formed Bedford Stuyvesant Society for Historic Preservation, a coalition of concerned neighborhood block associations, and the landmarks committee of Brooklyn Community Board 3 are working to correct that.

The Bowery, Manhattan
One of Manhattan’s oldest thoroughfares, the Bowery, stretching from Cooper Square to Canal Street, has a fascinatingly rich history which has left an equally rich built environment. From a fashionable shopping and residential neighborhood at the end of the 18th century, to bustling center of drygoods, hardware and other specialty stores, to an entertainment mecca and later the notorious “skid row” in the 20th century, the Bowery was always a part of the city’s culture, for better or for worse. In recent years,, the mix of historic structures along the street has been extremely threatened by high-rise hotel development. The Bowery Alliance of Neighbors was formed to help save the remaining historic buildings on the Bowery and to celebrate the avenue’s interesting and important history.

Gowanus, Brooklyn
The Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus nominated the neighborhood surrounding the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. This unique area retains its largely industrial character, with some of the businesses dating back more than 75 years. In recent years, plans for the canal have conflicted with the existing character of the neighborhood and some significant industrial structures have been demolished for out-of-scale, speculative development. However, with the canal’s recent designation as a federal Superfund site, there is now an opportunity to successfully advocate for the preservation of the industrial character of the area and retention of significant structures associated with this history.

Inwood, Manhattan
Inwood, at the very northern tip of Manhattan, combines striking geography of hills and views with notable architecture that includes art-deco apartment building, Tudor Revival houses, and unique elements such as the 215th Street Steps, the Seaman-Drake Arch and the historic Isham Park. Despite this, very little of the neighborhood’s historic buildings are protected or even official acknowledged. The Volunteers for Isham Park is working to identify and protect the neighborhood’s landmarks.

Jackson Heights, Queens
Jackson Heights is New York City’s first planned neighborhood of “garden apartments” and “garden homes”. These airy, light-filled residences, combined with commercial, institutional and recreational buildings, provided an attractive environment for middle-class families to live when it was developed in the early 20th century, and it still does today. The Jackson Heights Beautification Group, established in 1988, is seeking to extend the boundaries of the existing Jackson Heights Historic District, landmarked in 1993, to better reflect and protect the actual historic neighborhood.

Mount Morris Park, Manhattan
The residential area adjacent surrounding Mount Morris Park in Harlem includes elegant rowhouses and larger apartment buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Romanesque Revival, neo-Grec and Queen Anne styles. The longtime civic group, the Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association, is seeking to expand the boundaries of the current city-landmarked Historic District, which does not adequately represent the elegant architect of this Harlem neighborhood.

Buffalo and Erie Receives Re-Accreditation

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The Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society has announced that it achieved re-accreditation by the American Association of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums.

The Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society was initially accredited in 1974, and re-accredited in ’86 and ’99. All accredited museums undergo re-accreditation reviews approximately every 10 years to maintain that status.

Of the nation’s estimated 17,500 museums, 775 are currently accredited. The Historical Society is one of only 63 museums accredited in the state of New York, out of an estimated 900.

AAM’s Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, then considers the self-study and visiting committee report to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation. While the time to complete the process varies, it generally takes up to three years.

&#8220Accreditation is emblematic of an institution’s commitment to public service and to overall excellence,&#8221 said Ford W. Bell, AAM president. &#8220Attaining accreditation involves taking a hard look at yourself, allowing your peers in the field to do the same, and being judged to be superior in all areas. The people of Buffalo and the Western New York region can take great pride in the fact that their local institution is one of America’s premier museums.&#8221

Rensselaer County Surrogate Records Index Goes Online

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An index of 31,325 Rensselaer County Surrogate Court Records from 1786 to 1917 has now been added to the Troy Irish Genealogy (TIGS) website. These records, especially those prior to 1880 will be of great interest to genealogy researchers. The information in this data base was copied from a file in the Rensselaer County Historical Society, 57 Second Street, Troy, New York.

To view these records go to the Troy Irish Genealogy website and click on PROJECTS and then click on RENSSELAER COUNTY SURROGATE COURT INDEX. These records, like most of the TIGS data series, cover the general population in the area and are NOT restricted to Irish surnames.

For each name in the on-line index there is a Surrogate Court Record folder that may contain various original source documents such as Wills, Letters of Administration, Guardianship Papers, Invoice of Property, Depositions Concerning a Person’s Death, etc. The on-line index shows the following information for each record which may help you identify those records that will be of interest to you:

1. NAME &#8211 Last, first, middle name or initials if any, and titles like Dr., Rev., etc.

2. FILE NUMBER &#8211 Used to locate the files at the Rensselaer County Historical Society.

3. LOCATION &#8211 Gives name of city, town or state of residence.

4. DATE &#8211 May be year of death or year of legal issue.

5. INV. &#8211 Indicates when there is an inventory of household goods in the record. An invoice may be in the records EVEN if this column is not checked.

6. COMMENTS &#8211 This column will have an interesting comment for each name. Some comments may show marital status (bachelor, spinster, widow, widower), while other comments may show maiden names, occupations, name of street residence, relationships (wife, husband, mother, father, son daughter, etc.) and number of children.

Copies of any original source documents that are contained in the file folder for each name can be requested from the Rensselaer County Historical Society. The TIGS website has a PRINTABLE FORM that can be used when requesting copies from RCHS. For each request there is a $5.00 fee which will cover RCHS’s cost of locating and pulling a singular file folder from the archives. After the file folder is located, RCHS will contact the requester about the contents of the file to see which documents they want copied at a cost of .25 cents per page plus postage for mailing.

Historic Albany Issues Albany Endangerd List

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Every five years, the Historic Albany Foundation issues a new Endangered Historic Resource list with an update on past lists. The goal of the Endangered Historic Resource list is to draw attention to well-known buildings, properties, and landmarks that are in need of stabilization, rehabilitation or restoration in the City of Albany.

What follows is this year’s list:

800-812 BROADWAY ? c. 1854, 1858, 1872, 1876-77
ARCHITECT ? JOSIAH ROOT (802-806)
A part of the Broadway-Livingston Historic District, these buildings were once a part of a busy mixed-use corridor on the north end of the city. With the construction of the railroad bridge in the early 20th century, these buildings have
been forgotten and suffer from long deferred maintenance. They now sit mostly vacant with little prospect of rehabilitation. *Eligible for Federal and New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credits

ARGUS PRESS, 1031 BROADWAY ? 1913-17
ARCHITECT ? MARCUS TULLIUS REYNOLDS
This building was constructed on speculation by the Albany Commercial Company, a group of businessmen who hoped to attract more industry to Broadway. The building was home to Argus Litho, successors to the company that began publishing the Albany Argus newspaper in 1813. The massive industrial building has sat vacant for years and has no known plan for rehabilitation.

10 HALL PLACE ? 1860
In 1860, W. H. Carr constructed a three story brick house on the site of 10 Hall Place, but never lived there. Albany stonecutters, Brooksbee and Roland (Brooksby and
Rowland) purchased the house in 1862 to sell it to lumber dealer J. W. Dunham in 1863. During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Hall Place was nearly entirely vacant. Number 10 is the last remaining vacant building. Though the building has been stabilized, it still requires considerable work to become habitable once more. *Eligible for Federal and New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credits

100-112 HOLLAND AVENUE ? 1937-38
BUILDER ? JESSE LEONARD
The houses were designed and built by Jesse Leonard and the Leonard Realty Company from 1937-1938 and are an exemplary example of Tudor style architecture. Throughout his career, Leonard constructed over 200 homes in Albany. Originally single family homes, the buildings have only been vacant for two years, these unique buildings are in need of repairs to be habitable once again and will continue to deteriorate without residents.

558 MADISON AVENUE ? c. 1880
Originally built to be a grocery store, this mixed-use building sits vacant on a busy corner across from Washington Park and just down the street from Albany Medical Center. Though its condition is stable, it is one of few vacant buildings across from the Park. Continued vacancy will only increase the deterioration and will have a negative impact on development around it. Madison Avenue runs the risk of losing a widely visible corner structure. *Eligible for Federal and New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credits

4 MADISON PLACE ? 1872
In August 2005, a fire blazed through 4 and 5 Madison Place, leaving 5 damaged and 4 a facade. Since that time, number 4 remains a challenge with no way to access the rear of the property for construction save through its Elm Street neighbor’s yards. To lose a piece of this nationally recognized row would be tragic. Just one block long, Madison Place is a spectacular example of Gothic Revival rowhouses. Number 4 is no exception. The facade is elegantly simple when compared to the intensity of its Gothic Revival neighbors up the block.

BATH HOUSE NUMBER 2, 90 FOURTH AVENUE ? 1905
Bath House No. 2 represents the only remaining bath house in the City of Albany. Public bath houses were built as a response to the demands of the population and
hygiene practices of the time. Bath House No. 2 is owned and operated by the City of Albany. In the past week, the decision was made to close the Bath House for budgetary purposes. The building already has a long list of repairs needed that if left unattended will contribute to deterioration and a less likely chance of rehabilitation. *Eligible for Federal and New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credits!

KENWOOD, 799 SOUTH PEARL STREET ? 1842-45, 1871
ARCHITECT ? A. J. DAVIS & A. J. DOWNING (1842-45) NICHOLS & BROWN (1871)
The buildings that make up Kenwood are currently vacant. The entire estate is threatened by the possibility of vacancy, inappropriate development, and demolition. Vacancy is a hazard to buildings as they immediately begin to deteriorate. The estate was initially constructed as the summer home, but was converted, in 1859, into the Female Academy and Convent of the Sacred Heart The buildings remaining today incorporate each period of the estate’s history.

SCHOOL 22, 292 SECOND STREET ? 1874
ARCHITECT ? FREDERICK W. BROWN
It was built as an eight room school house for the West Hill neighborhood. School 22 has been vacant for decades and continues to deteriorate every year. Though the building has been sold multiple times to be rehabilitated for a variety of uses, any action, including mothballing has yet to happen. The interior is in very poor condition and will continue to deteriorate unless properly mothballed. Without timely attention, the once beautiful structure will be lost.

PHERSON TERRACE ? 1887-88, 1891
ARCHITECT ? EDWARD OGDEN BUILDER ? ATTILIO PASQUINI
Constructed in two stages, this row of 16 buildings is highly stylized and decoratively designed with alternating details of pressed brick, stone trim, gables,
oriel windows and dormers. The block was most likely named for John McPherson, a gardener, who had previously owned the property. While some are lived in and maintained, the row as a whole has suffered from severe disinvestment and neglect. *Eligible for Federal and New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credits!

For more information about each endangered historic resource including past lists, please see the Historic Albany website.

Auburn Joins Arts, Culture, Economic Impact Study

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Auburn, New York’s Historic and Cultural Sites Commission has announced it has joined Arts & Economic Prosperity IV, a national research study being conducted by Americans for the Arts. The study will evaluate the impact spending by nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences have on their local economies.

According to Americans for the Arts most recent national study, the national nonprofit arts industry generated 5.7 million jobs and $166.2 billion in total economic activity during 2005, resulting in $29.6 billion in federal, state and local government revenues.

By collecting detailed financial information from all of Auburn’s nonprofit arts and culture organizations, and surveying hundreds of audience members at cultural events throughout the city, the Historic and Cultural Sites Commission will produce hard date about what the arts bring to the local economy.

Specifically, the study’s results will include:

* The total dollars spent by Auburn’s nonprofit arts organizations.
* The total dollars spent by audiences as a direct result of their attendance at cultural events in the city.
* The number of full-time equivalent jobs supported by arts spending.
* The amount of local household income generated by arts spending.
* The amount of local and state government tax revenues generated by arts spending.

“All of us involved in the arts in Auburn know that we have an economic impact on the city. This survey will give us the figures to prove it. We need real dollars-and-cents figures to make our case about why the arts matter,” said Eileen McHugh, Executive Director of the Cayuga Museum. The survey will be conducted through 2011, and the final report, specific to Auburn, will be available in March 2012.

“From a tourism perspective, arts and culture form a community’s image and set it apart, creating visitor anticipation and excitement. We know this study will show the economic importance of our rich cultural heritage and we hope it will garner the support that the arts deserve,” said Meg Vanek, executive director of the Cayuga County Office of Tourism.

Auburn’s Historic and Cultural Sites Commission is a collaborative organization whose purpose is to position Auburn as the destination of choice in the Finger Lakes through support and promotion of its history and culture.