Long Island historical sites get $45K in preservation grants

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Four Long Island historical sites have been awarded nearly $45,000 in 2024 Preserve New York grants. 

The money is part of $264,388 in grants given by the Preservation League of New York State and their program partners at the New York State Council on the Arts to 21 sites in 17 counties across the state.  

The Long Island grant recipients include Old Westbury Gardens, which was awarded $15,396 for a condition report on the pool-side grotto; the East Hampton Historical Farm Museum, getting $14,400 for a cultural resources survey; the East Hampton Historical Society, receiving $13,440 for a condition report of the Mulford Farmhouse; and the Roslyn Landmark Society, which was awarded $1,700 for a condition report on the Van Nostrand-Starkins House. 

“Projects funded through Preserve New York often mark the beginning of bigger preservation efforts, and the league takes tremendous pride in helping to jumpstart this important work,” Jay DiLorenzo, president of the Preservation League of NYS, said in a written statement. “We can’t wait to see how this year’s grantees tackle these projects and look forward to continuing to be a resource into the future. We are grateful for the continued partnership of the New York State Council on the Arts, as well as the additional support from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, which makes these grants possible.” 

Preserve New York is a regrant partnership between the New York State Council on the Arts and the Preservation League, made possible with the support of the governor’s office and the state legislature. The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation has provided additional funds to support nonprofit projects in Nassau and Suffolk.  

“The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation is pleased to continue its collaboration with the Preservation League of New York State to support preservation projects on Long Island,” Kathryn Curran, executive director of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, said in the statement. “This funding prepares our stewards to professionally assess the needs of their historic sites to best serve their communities. Whether considering renovation, restoration, adaptive reuse or ADA compliance these awards are invaluable in helping assess those possibilities.” 

Since 1993, Preserve New York has been providing funds to municipalities and nonprofit organizations that need technical, professional assistance to guide a variety of preservation projects. Over the past 31 years, Preserve New York grants total more than $3.9 million supporting 550 projects statewide, according to the statement.