2006 PAST Awards

Appalachian-Owego Middle School
Architectural Awareness Club
Donald Shultz, Advisor

Endicott Performing Arts Center Theater
Louis Ligouri, Executive Director
102 Washington Street, Endicott

Awarded to the Endicott Performing Arts Center (EPAC) for saving the dilapidated and abandoned Lyric movie house and giving it new life as a performing arts theater. Built in 1916, the theater was first used for vaudeville. Later it was converted into a silent movie theater and then for “talkies.” At some point it became the Lyric and an important landmark in downtown Endicott until the movie theater closed in 1993. Over the past five years EPAC raised more than $250,000 and with the help of thousands of volunteer hours completed extensive renovations to the building. These included theater chair, marquee, ceiling and lobby renovations; roof replacement; new historically appropriate floor and wall coverings; stage, dressing room, and sound booth construction; installation of a handicapped bathroom and salvaged stage lights; balcony rail project; and adaptation of adjoining rooms into studio space. With the cooperation of Orlando Construction, Pickett Painting, S&W Contracting and Carpenters Local Union, EPAC was able to save thousand of dollars by integrating many volunteers into the renovation work.

21 North Depot Street, Binghamton
Ari Meisel, ARISE Development

Awarded to Ari Meisel for the restoration of two adjoining factory buildings on North Depot and conversion into commercial space and residential lofts (Click image for larger view). This is the first phase of the project to save and reuse eight 1870-1884 factory buildings along the railroad, an important legacy of Binghamton’s industrial age. Restoration work included cleaning and repointing the brick exterior, complete replacement of one exterior facade using matching brick, and installation of custom windows matched to existing windows. In the interior, original brick walls and timber framing have been preserved and are exposed.

Contractors involved were William H. Lane, Inc., Gabe’s Plumbing & Heating, and Respond Today Electric.

Windsor Whip Works Art Gallery
98 Main Street, Windsor New York

Awarded to William and Joanne Pesce for saving an abandoned and dilapidated Italianate commercial building and renovating it into an art gallery (Click image for larger view). Built in 1874, this building served as various times as a dry goods, hardware and auto parts store, but from 1901-1950 it served as the Windsor Whip Works the third whip factory in the town. For nearly a century, Windsor was a manufacturing center for whips until the market demand for the product nearly vanished. Abandoned for five years, the roof leaked down to the basement, basements walls were crumbling and the floor bents bent and sagged. The Pesces saved the building and tired to retain as much of the nineteenth-century aesthetics while replacing original material that was totally deteriorated. After renovation the building now houses the Windsor Whip Works Art Gallery.

8 Murray Street, Binghamton
Anne Tinen and Clare Kibler

Awarded to Anne Tinen and Clare Kibler for their excellent renovation of an 1889 Shingle house designed by prominent Binghamton architect Elfred Bartoo (Click image for larger view). Know more for his Queen Anne-style houses built in Binghamton’s west side, this particular house was built fairly early in Bartoo’s career. The owners saved and restored much of house’s original character while modernizing their home. They subcontracted the plumbing, electrical and sheetrock work, but did much of the historic restoration work themselves. Anne Tinen personally replaced 80% of the cedar shingles in the siding. The owners removed recent brick elements and restored the original look of the porch. They also repaired the original sidewalk with new slate and refinished all the woodwork in the interior.

Stebbins & Jones Block,
Joseph and Cecelia Skovira
32-34 Lake Street, Owego

Awarded to Joseph and Cecelia Skovira for their superb attention to historic detail in their restoration of a commercial building in downtown Owego (Click image for larger view). The three-story brown brick building, known as the Stebbins & Jones Block, was originally constructed in the 1880’s and is currently listed on the National Historic Register of Historic Places. Working with federal and state preservation officials and undertaking extensive archival research, Skoviras worked hard to bring back the turn-of-the-century appearance of the building and make their renovation comply with National Trust guidelines. When they began work in the fall of 2004 they discovered cast iron columns under the 1960’s façade. With the help of S&W Contractors, the building was divided off so current tenants were not impacted and work began. An I-beam was relocated and another was covered with a replica of the original cast iron pattern. Using an old photograph of the original building, they recreated the grill work and added it to the front. Salvaged entry doors from the period were purchased and rebuilt and fitted with appropriate hardware. After extensive research, painter James Brady chose historically appropriate colors. Currently, the building houses a retail business, office space and an aerobic studio.

Study of General Jones House
Architectural Awareness Club
St. John the Devine School
Linda Garbe, Advisor

(Click image for larger view)