Comment

Comment by Joan Roby-Davison on March 21, 2013 at 5:24pm

The church property was sold in a mortgage foreclosure auction, not a city auction.  There are any number of people who would like to see it saved, and may have the ability to restore it as a community asset.  Additionally, historic designation actually increases funding options for that restoration - with State or National designation, tax credits are available.  With local designation, there are some limited local tax credits also available.  Stripping it of its designation also strips it of significant funding.

While we now get the Daily Record, it is an expensive subscription and not all of the content is available on-line without paying for that subscription.  Foreclosures can take several years to move to completion - not all end in auction.  If anyone is concerned about specific properties, call our office and we'll see if we can track down the owner (private, city, bank, ATFS, whoever) to see if we can address the situation.  For example, right now I'm trying to find out what happened with 287 Aberdeen which had several auction dates, that kept being cancelled. 

Comment by Kathleen M. Glennon on March 21, 2013 at 5:05pm

With all due respect to Mrs. D'Alessandro, I am also a recent property owner in the 19th Ward.  Over the last four years I have spent a great deal of time and finances restoring a 1925 home in the Sibley Tract to its - hopefully - former glory.  I have been active since the day Marian Boutet brought up the issue regarding the historic importance of the W. Main Street church by writing to the appropriate people, signing petitions, making other people aware and asking them to sign on as well.  Unfortunately, not everyone has the financial ability at a given time to say "Oh, I'll just nip on over and buy that church and solve that problem." Oftentimes people are not even aware there is a threat to an historic property.  Marian raised the flag here on Location 19 months ago.  Whilst I understand your perspective regarding doing what an owner wants to do with his or her property, there are times when the greater issue is what is best for the greatest number of people - it's called democracy.   In this case, restoring an historic church in our neighborhood trumps another dollar store and strip mall.  In this economy, many people are stretched very thin in terms of disposable income and time.  Most of us do the best we can.

Comment by Margy Meath on March 21, 2013 at 4:57pm

Just because someone buys/owns property does NOT mean that they can do whatever they wish with it. If the current owner of the church knew of its protected status when he purchased the property then he cannot and should not expect that the 'rules' to change just because he has 'invested' in it or wants to create some "dream" of a Dollar Store!  Some of the zoning rules, etc are meant to preserve and enhance neighborhoods. We've already endured way too much 'variance' in some locations and plenty of violations in other locations.

Comment by Marian Boutet on March 21, 2013 at 4:31pm

Here's an interesting article with some photos from John Curran, local historian extraodinaire, about 660 West Main Street:

I am unable to attend the Thursday hearing on the 660 West Main
property. Please consider the following information and share with
your colleagues.

Lost in the fog of controversy regarding the former Westminster Church
is the fact that the building is the last physical southwest Rochester
neighborhood link to "Buffalo Bill" Cody. His actual Rochester
residence from 1874-76 was close by on New York Street actually
overlooking the then-new Westminster Church. The Cody homesite had
been razed years ago and the vacant lot now accommodates anonymously a
newly-built home. Demolition of Westminster Church, where the funeral
service for his 4 year-old son Kit Carson Cody was held, would erase
the Cody legacy irretrievably.

Buffalo Bill Cody was already a national celebrity while he lived in
Rochester. He served as a civilian scout for the US Army during the
Indian Wars that followed the Civil War. He spent his Rochester
winters writing stage plays about his exploits. He conceptualized his
famous traveling "Wild West Show" while living in Rochester. He
embodied the vanishing American Frontier and his vision of the "Wild
West" shaped our perceptions and our politics today. Whether he knew
his neighbor Susan B. Anthony while living in Rochester is not
documented, but their public meeting during a performance at the 1893
Chicago World's Fair is well known and celebrated. Cody was ahead of
his times in terms of respecting Native American and Women's Rights.
He broke racial barriers with a separate traveling Wild West show
featuring an all-Black cast. Cody popularized the "Star Spangled
Banner" anthem within his show decades before it was adopted nationally.

Saving the Westminster Church building affords the Bull's Head
neighborhood an opportunity to link its unique Buffalo Bill Cody
heritage with that of the Susan B. Anthony Preservation District. This
one-two "combination" (a favorite Cody theatrical title) expands the
heritage tourism draw of the West Main Street corridor. Demolishing
this link and creating the context for a Dollar General Store devalues
Rochester History and misses the opportunity to increase local revenue.

Respectfully submitted,

John Curran, Chair
PLEX-Southwest Rochester Riverfront Steering Committee

Comment by Marian Boutet on March 21, 2013 at 3:47pm

Well, that's pretty close except that the developer was aware of the building's protected status when he bought it.

Comment by Mary D'Alessandro on March 21, 2013 at 3:43pm

I regret not having known about the zoning meeting today. Preservation is good if it is viable. The church went up for sale at a city auction, at that time the preservation of this church was clearly not of significant importance to anyone. All anyone wishing to truly save this church had to do, was show up to the auction and outbid the current property owner. That's it. It would have been their church to do whatever they wish with. This is their property to do what they wish, just as if it was your property you would have the opportunity to do whatever you would like. Becareful telling other people how to risk their money. If you werent willing to take the risk and do what you thought should be done, that says it ALL about where you truly stand on this church. Anyone who had the preservation of this church at heart should have jumped on the opportunity when the opportunity was ripe for the taking to save it. All of a sudden the church has a new owner and everyone wants to tell him what he should do with it. If you want to make a difference, develop a plan, find the funding, implement the plan, take some risk, and do what it takes to make your dream come true. If your not willing to do that, then someone else will. That is what happened here. Their dream just isn't your dream and you didn't care enough then to do what it takes to make your dream come true. Let this be a lesson to those truly wishing to make a difference. Don't let the next opportunity slip through your fingers! That church could have been yours! Good Luck!

Comment by Dawn Noto on March 19, 2013 at 12:53pm

Comment by Dawn Noto on March 19, 2013 at 12:51pm

Over the past few months our association has had a engineers structural report done on the church by Jensen BRV Engineers and the 10 page report came back with good news.

The church structure is structurally sound. Much of the weather damage caused by open roof areas has remained localized. Replacement of heating, electrical items needed due to removal by owners and scrappers.

The church was built when two local church groups in the 1870s needed larger spaces. They joined as one and built the first Westminster Presbyterian Church on this site. When that congregation grew too large they sold the church to the Liederkranz Club in 1919. The church then built and moved to Arnett Blvd - the current New Life Fellowship Church.

The Liederkranz Club was formed from parishiners at Sts Peters & Pauls then located on King St. They were a german social organization that had over 2000 members. They added bowling alleys and made the church into a social dining and entertainment hall. They closed in the mid 1970's and sold the church to new owners. Then converted back to a church until two - three years ago.

The States Historic Preservation Office is re-evaluating the buildings significance as it relates to the Liederkranz Club. It may now meet their critieria to be listed as an historic property again with this information. The WNY Landmark Society has been working with them over the past month and they have a copy of the new structural engineers report as well.

Comment by Marian Boutet on March 18, 2013 at 5:58pm

Not strictly preservation, but a revitalization of an historic site.  Once again, from Rochester Subway (if you don't have this blog on your radar, you should!)  here is an article and an opportunity to help make this happen:

Help Build the Sunken Garden at High Falls

February 7th, 2013

Comment on this Article

GardenAerial is a non-profit organization working to transform the High Falls gorge, including its industrial structures and trails, into a multi-use, public green space. Full disclosure…I serve on the board of the GardenAerial. I jumped at the opportunity to support this organization because I believe the High Falls and surrounding area could be great assets for this city, but they are woefully underutilized. We’re working to change that. And here’s a tremendous opportunity for you to help right now…

Comment by Marian Boutet on March 7, 2013 at 4:39pm

It’s a new year and a new attempt to strip 660-668 West Main Street of its protection as a Designated Building of Historic Value.  Owner Marvin Maye wants to raze the church and the residence next door and replace them with a 13,800 square-foot single-story Dollar General.  This would surely be a step backward in the renaissance of West Main Street.  

MARCH 21, 2013
CITY OF ROCHESTER ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS 302A
PUBLIC HEARING for Cases 6 through 9 BEGINS: 11:30 AM

Case: 8  -  660-668 W. Main Street, historic Westminster Presbyterian Church
File Number: P-001-12-13
Purpose: To appeal the decision of the Director of Planning and Zoning that the subject property is a Designated Building of Historic Value.
Applicant: Marvin Maye, Owner

What you can do

1. Stop in and sign the petition at the 1872 Cafe on W. Main Street to retain the building’s historic designation.
2. Reach out to Wayne Goodman, Executive Director, the Landmark Society wgoodman@landmarksociety.org The Landmark Society is appealing to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to have the property returned to the state list.
3. Contact the 19th Ward Community Association officers 19thward@19wca.org.
4. Write to Michael Warfield, Chair, Rochester Preservation Board, Division of Zoning, Room 125B, 428-7238 (no e-mail) expressing your support for retaining the building’s historic designation,
5. Contact Zina Lagonegro, Sr. City Planner, at (585) 428-7054 to speak at the hearing on 3/21.

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