Our AARCH Preservation Awards annually recognize exemplary historic preservation work throughout the region. We honor examples of sensitive restoration, adaptive reuse, community revitalization, and long-term stewardship. Our 2020 recipients represent the wide range of projects, places, and people who are helping to preserve and enhance the unique heritage and built environment of the Adirondacks. This year our annual awards presentation was held at the Sandy Hill Arts Center a 2022 AARCH Award Winner.
Wes Haynes
Lifetime achievement award for preservation leadership in the Adirondacks
Adirondacks for over four decades. He has been a key collaborator and leader in efforts throughout the region, partnering with AARCH and with organizations like the New York Landmarks Conservancy and the Preservation League of New York State.
From 1983 to 1987, Wes was the program manager at the New York Landmarks Conservancy, and in 1986 he helped launch the Sacred Sites Program. As the program’s first co-director, he brought it to the Adirondacks, where it has helped numerous active places of worship care for their historic structures and continue to serve their communities.
As a consultant to the Preservation League of New York State, Wes helped launch the Technical Assistance Center (TAC), serving as its first director. On behalf of TAC, he provided valuable conditions assessments to communities throughout the Adirondacks, such as in Jay and the Upper Works Village near Tahawus, which evaluated their historic resources to plan for their rehabilitation and management.
Wes worked with the Preservation League and then AARCH on preservation efforts for Great Camp Santanoni, where his excellent building reports, diligent research, and technical expertise have helped guide the site’s rehabilitation and management. Most notably, his stabilization and maintenance plan for the Main Camp complex helped give AARCH the momentum we needed in our initial efforts to save the camp in the 1990s, while his historic structures reports for the Farm and Gate Lodge complexes continue to inform our work there in partnership with the Town of Newcomb and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.
In addition to the diverse preservation programs and reports above, Wes also wrote the thematic National Register of Historic Places nomination for Adirondack fire towers. This not only cataloged the history of fire observation stations throughout the region but also formed the basis of many advocacy groups’ efforts to save their fire towers from demolition and rehabilitate them.
Wes is also a skilled writer, lending his articulate, precise, and sometimes humorous style to various scholarly books, newsletters, articles, and technical reports. Architect Isaac Perry is of particular interest to Wes and was the topic of the thesis for his graduate degree at Columbia, “Isaac G. Perry, Architect, Builder, and Craftsman,” as well as contributing to many articles. He has also contributed to several books.
Wes is a consummate preservation professional who is passionate about historic places. Wes’s lifetime of achievements and contributions to preservation efforts throughout the region are far too numerous to mention here. We are honored to recognize him.
John & Margot Ernst
For the restoration and rehabilitation of Elk Lake Lodge
Town of North Hudson, Essex County
Owners: John & Margot Ernst
Architect: SD Atelier Architecture, LLC — Sue & Don Davis
General Contractor: High Peaks Construction — Shawn Casey
Elk Lake Lodge Manager: Mike Sheridan
Project Dates: 2020-2021
Built in 1904 by Myron Bruce, Elk Lake Lodge sits at the heart of a 12,000-acre private preserve ringed by the Adirondack Park’s High Peaks Wilderness. The hand-hewn beams, vertical log walls, and cedar shakes were harvested from the surrounding forest preserve.
The lodge was initially built to be a rustic getaway for relaxing in the pristine wilderness to hike, hunt, and fish. Over 100 years later, guests can still enjoy the serene forest environment, uninterrupted by TV, cellular or radio service, and minimal internet.
The Elk Lake Lodge property is notable not only for its architecture but also for being protected by the first conservation easement in the Adirondack Forest Preserve. Samuel Bloomingdale acquired the property around 1960 and was approached by members of the NYS Conservation Department, the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks, and the Nature Conservancy. They were concerned about the potential for development following the construction of the Adirondack Northway. In response, Bloomingdale generously agreed to a conservation easement that protected the shoreline and islands of Elk Lake.
For more than 50 years, this easement protected the immediate vicinity of Elk Lake. John and Margot Ernst expanded the easement in 2013 when they donated a conservation easement protecting the 12,000-acre parcel surrounding Elk Lake. The easement prohibits future development but allows for the continued operation of Elk Lake Lodge and forestry on the property. It also makes permanent public trail access through the forest preserve to the High Peak and Dix Mountain wilderness areas, and a new trail is planned to the summit of Boreas Mountain from Elk Lake Road.
In 2020 and 2021, owners John and Margot Ernst undertook a privately-funded restoration and rehabilitation project to ensure the longevity of the original log structure by completing the following:
- Rebuilding the foundation and constructing new floor framing on the first floor to ensure structural stability and proper insulation
- Restoring the original vertical log wall construction to retain their exposure
- Installing a sprinkler system integrated into the log structure while retaining the original logs and ceiling
- Rebuilding the wraparound porch to maintain original features
- Residing the building with cedar shakes
- Expanding the small library for quiet reading and small gatherings
- A complete safety upgrade of the electrical and plumbing systems to bring them up to current codes
Nettle Meadow Farm
For the restoration and revitalization of the Hitching Post
Town of Lake Luzerne, Warren County
Owners: Nettle Meadow Farm — Sheila Flanagan and Lorraine Lambiase
General Contractor: Alain Ethier
Woodwork Restoration: Laura and John Pavelko
Project Dates: 2020-2021
Built in 1939 by Svend Munck as a dining hall for all of the local dude ranches, The Hitching Post also served as an event space, grocery, local saloon, and hotel over the years. As such, it has been a local icon for the community. The building also boasts one of the largest original support beams and largest fireplaces in the entire Adirondack region.
The enormous hand-hewn logs used to construct the building came from nearby forests. One of the main support beams is 70 feet long, and several supporting posts are almost five feet in diameter. The building has three stone fireplaces, including one in the former dining/dance hall that is considered the largest in the southern Adirondacks.
After decades of deterioration, Nettle Meadow Farm acquired the property and set about restoring this beloved local landmark. For over 80 years, The Hitching Post has served the community as a bar, hotel, general store, dining hall, dance hall, and restaurant. Generations of patrons fondly recall their time eating, drinking, dancing, and even getting married here. The building has been revived as a beautiful retail space, tavern, and cheese plant while maintaining the structure’s historic integrity. The sprawling 14,000 square-foot former restaurant has been thoughtfully adapted to accommodate Nettle Meadow’s expanding artisan cheese production as its award-winning cheese grows in popularity and demand. Special care was taken at every step in the process to respect, preserve, and celebrate the exceptional architecture and craftsmanship of this beloved historic structure. The Hitching Post now boasts a 7,500 square-foot cheese plant on the first floor where weddings and dances once took place. Health and safety requirements dictated the materials allowed for the cheese plant’s walls, ceiling, and floor but owners Sheila Flanagan and Lorraine Lambiase designed a glass wall to ensure that the formidable fireplace could still be seen from the newly created viewing room. In addition, two log pillars almost five feet thick sit behind glass enclosures so they can still be seen and appreciated.
The first floor’s tavern has been lovingly preserved down to the names and initials carved into its beams decades ago. The adjacent viewing room was created out of unused logs found around the building; it looks like it has always been there. Original windows found in the basement and installed in the viewing wall allow visitors to watch talented artisans making world-class cheese every day of the week. The viewing room also serves as overflow space for the tavern and is being expanded to include a private function room for special events.
The tavern’s kitchen was upgraded to meet current health and safety requirements and enable Nettle Meadow to serve cheeseboards and other dishes that incorporate and celebrate their cheeses. The first floor also houses a cheese and gift shop where customers can purchase their favorite cheeses, pairings, and other local and regional products. This area, like the tavern, has been lovingly preserved with very few changes to the original space. The stone aging cellars in the basement have been cleaned and treated, and now house racks are filled with the bloomy and hard rind cheeses. The basement, in addition to housing updated mechanicals for the building, also provides the space for wrappers and packers as they prepare for delivery to the growing list of Nettle Meadow’s regional and national customers. Important infrastructure work was done to repair the roof, upgrade the electrical and HVAC, and install a new septic system.
Funding has come from a variety of sources including Empire State Development Grants, the Regional Economic Development Council, the Warren County Local Development Corporation, and private funding sources.
The Fort Ticonderoga Association
For the restoration of The Pavilion at Fort Ticonderoga
Town of Ticonderoga, Essex County
Owners: The Fort Ticonderoga Association
Architect: John G. Waite Associates Architects
Construction Manager: Duncan & Cahill
Consultant: Richard Longstreth — provided on-going direction and guidance
Project Dates: 2013-2022
William Ferris Pell built the Pavilion as a summer home in 1826. He and his family occupied it through the 1830s. By 1840 the house had begun to be used as a hotel, its primary function through 1900. As a hotel, the house welcomed travelers passing through Ticonderoga while traveling by steamboat on Lake George and Lake Champlain. The hotel is known to have accommodated such guests as Robert Todd Lincoln, son of President Abraham Lincoln; the prominent French & Indian War historian Francis Parkman; and prolific Adirondack photographer Seneca Ray Stoddard. When William Ferris Pell’s great-grandson, Stephen H.P., and his wife Sarah G.T. Pell began the restoration of Fort Ticonderoga in 1909, they simultaneously undertook the restoration of the Pavilion and used the house as a summer residence for many years. After
Stephen Pell’s death in 1950, his son John occupied the house until 1987. Today, Fort Ticonderoga has continued the work of William Ferris Pell’s great-grandson, Stephen H.P., and his wife, Sarah G.T. Pell.
By the beginning of the 21st century, though, the Pavilion was in deep disrepair. Even so, it remained one of the most significant pieces of Adirondack architecture, and as Fort Ticonderoga stewards were intent on telling the site’s twin stories of war and peace, its restoration became imperative.
The Pavilion’s restoration began with extensive research on the building’s architectural history, documenting changes and current conditions. A dendrochronology study revealed how the structure has evolved over centuries, as it grew in stages to finally encompass two symmetrical out-buildings connected to the main hall with twin wings. Hand-painted floors were also uncovered underneath more recent floor coverings.
Funding for this multi-million dollar project was made possible by private donor support, the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and The Arrow Family of Companies as well as the New York State and Federal Historic Tax Credit Programs.
Robert and Michelle Timmons
For the revitalization and rehabilitation of the Black Brook General Store
Town of Black Brook, Clinton County
Owners: Robert and Michelle Timmons
Project Dates: 2020-2022
Visiting the village of Black Brook today, it is almost impossible to imagine the town as it was forty years ago. During the boom of the iron industry, the 1830s – 1900s, and later paper industries, Black Brook and the surrounding communities flourished, and shops and services supported the burgeoning population. Churches for the various groups of workers residing in Black Brook were a large part of the community. The village began slowly declining when the mills closed for good in the 1970s. Many shops and services closed as people moved away, searching for more opportunities. As tourism and other industries in the region have begun to attract a new generation of visitors and permanent residents to the region, Black Brook is starting to reinvent itself with the help of people like Robert and Michelle Timmons.
The 3,200-square-foot St. Matthew Catholic Church was built in 1876 for $600 for the French Catholic community. Services were held in French and Latin, and the church served as a hub of activity for the population. However, after years of a dwindling congregation, the last official mass was held in 2013, with the church closing in 2015, leaving this once vibrant building vacant and neglected.
When a for-sale sign appeared in front of the church on March 2, 2020, the Timmons saw an opportunity to fill a much-needed hole in the community. Despite the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, they were determined to renovate the church into a “true general store.” The pair breathed new life into this local icon, utilizing Robert’s skills as a contractor and undertaking an adaptive use project to convert the church into a general store that would serve the community. They were sensitive to the building’s history throughout the process, maintaining as many historic elements as possible. The high ceilings and stained-glass windows remained as they applied fresh paint, a new electrical system, a new water line, a bathroom, multiple shelving, and coolers. The church had previously removed the pews leaving an open space perfect for the store once Robert had got to work leveling the floor and installing new flooring. After days of meticulous cleaning, the stained-glass windows have been returned to their original splendor and serve as a highlight of the interior. The former choir loft provides a unique space for indoor eating.
The store provides deli meats, artisan crafts, camping supplies, and much more, and we are confident that they have the only beer cave with a stained-glass window.
While Black Brook may not have returned to its once bustling days, the general store has been a much-needed resource and gathering location for locals and visitors alike.
Peter R. Prescott and Colleen C. Prescott Camp Trust
For the long-term stewardship of The Prescott Camp
Port Douglass, Town of Chesterfield, Essex County
Owner: Peter R. Prescott and Colleen C. Prescott Camp Trust
Project Dates: Ongoing since 1923
In 1923, Rufus Prescott of R. Prescott & Sons built a summer home in Port Douglass for $2,500. Since then, five generations of the Prescott family and their friends have gathered every summer at this eight-bedroom, tw0-and-a-half bath camp on Lake Champlain.
Over the years, the summer camp underwent changes to suit the Prescott family’s needs. The maid’s quarters were turned into a bedroom, and part of the front porch was screened in. Many of these changes were necessitated by occasional flooding, but in 1998, 26 days of consecutive rain caused the Canadian Pacific Rail train derailment in Port Douglass, which formed a dam near the property that ultimately burst, washing out the maid’s porch, the entry/pantry and a quarter of the living room, including the fireplace.
The family immediately restored the camp, raising it 6 feet in the living room and replacing the floor. Salvaged brick from the original fireplace was used for a new hearth for the wood stove that replaced the fireplace.
Despite such obstacles, the Prescott family has faithfully preserved and maintained the camp, ensuring that almost all the original fixtures and furnishings remain. These include the old icebox, farmhouse sink, clawfoot tubs, Hoosier and kitchen cabinets, and furniture made by R. Prescott & Sons. A few modern concessions have been made, such as a new refrigerator, gas stove, and microwave, but they still have the original Syracuse China.
When Rufus and his wife Margaret passed, the camp was left to their five children, Romeyn, Susan, Jane, Charles, and John. The families continued to gather each summer at the camp, where some of their fondest childhood memories formed. Throughout the ‘70s and early ’80s, Jane Prescott Rowlson and her family would stay there, but as they got older and their children moved away, it was her nephew Peter R. Prescott’s (son of Romeyn) family that used it the most. Peter bought out his aunts and uncles in the mid-late 80s.
However, the family rule is that anyone in the family is welcome at any time. The camp is a strong part of their heritage and legacy and has welcomed many back (or been introduced to the next generation) over the years.
When Peter R. Prescott passed away in January of 2022 the camp was still one of his favorite spots and some of his remains will have a special place there. The family held a celebration of life for him in July and the camp welcomed back
some of his cousins and their children and grandchildren.
The most recent additions to camp are brass nameplates that have been affixed to the bedroom doors bearing the names of which child slept there, along with Rufus and Margaret, May and Bo (her sister and brother-in-law), and the maids.
The Prescott camp will remain a haven for family and friends for generations to come.
The Sandy Hill Arts Center
For the restoration and revitalization of The Sandy Hill Arts Center
Village of Hudson Falls, Washington County
Owner: William Nikas
Architect: Fred Keil
Contractors: Michael Dickinson;
Rothermel Builders LLC
Marketing guru: Kendall McKernon
Project Dates: 2015-2020
AARCH first learned of Bill Nikas and the Sandy Hill Arts Center project in 2019 as we began to organize a tour of Hudson Falls. Bill’s knowledge, passion, and enthusiasm for Hudson Falls were evident as he shared this extraordinary project with us.
Housed in the former 1901 Masonic Temple located in the historic downtown of Hudson Falls, the 22,000 square foot, five-story brick structure had been occupied by a variety of tenants, including the US Post Office, Town Hall, Village police station, a barber shop, an A & P Supermarket, the Jaycees community center, law offices, and other local businesses.
Unfortunately, the massiveness of the building presented huge overhead and maintenance costs. The Masons could no longer afford the costs and lost it to a tax sale in 1983 for failure to pay $274.38. Since 1983, four different owners have attempted to resurrect the building’s one-time magnificence.
Enter Bill Nikas, a life-long resident of Hudson Falls, troubled as he watched the building continue to deteriorate, presenting a downtown eyesore affecting the values and economic viability of the downtown business district.
After foreclosure in 2014 and driven by nostalgia and what some have described as “blurred vision” to protect the buildings from future deterioration and potential demolition, Bill purchased the property in 2015, taking on the daunting challenge of restoring the building.
After five years and extensive renovation, the building reopened as the Sandy Hill Arts Center, home to artisan spaces and studios, retail stores, office spaces, and a restaurant. Also, large open spaces are available for public events.
Putting together an exceptional team and partners to facilitate the project and bring his vision to light, the Sandy Hill Arts Center has been a catalyst for revitalizing the historic downtown business district. The project leveraged various funding opportunities, including an Empire State Development grant through the Restore New York Communities initiative and New York State and Federal Historic Tax Credit programs.
Bill Nikas and his team in Hudson Falls illustrate how communities can reinvent themselves, revitalizing one building at a time, and showing us the value of preserving our historic buildings, bringing people together, and making good things happen. One would be hard-pressed not to see the importance of saving the places and stories that help shape the future aspirations of communities, large and small.
The Sandy Hill Arts Center would like to express its deep appreciation to Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner. She was instrumental in convincing Bill Nikas to respect the history of the building and “suffer through” the challenges of meeting historic preservation specifications.
The project has received many well-deserved accolades, including a 2022 Historic Preservation Award from the Washington County Historical Society and a Citation issued by the NYS Assembly recognizing the contribution of the Arts Center to the Hudson Falls community. AARCH is honored to recognize this exceptional project.
