Inwood, NY, 1/22/24 — The Preservation League of New York State and their program partners at the New York State Council on the Arts are thrilled to announce that Dyckman Farmhouse Museum Alliance is a recipient of a 2023 Technical Assistance Grant. This grant will fund a Specialized Conservation Study. During this grant cycle, 19 projects representing 13 counties across the state have been selected by an independent panel of preservation professionals. A total of $66,576 was awarded.
“We are thrilled to have been selected as recipients of the Technical Assistance Grant from the Preservation League of NYS,” said Melissa Kiewiet, Executive Director of the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum Alliance. “Receiving this funding will support our current research as it pertains to reinterpreting the entirety of the Museum and its grounds more precisely, allowing us to offer a complete historically accurate account of everyone who lived and worked on the site.”
The Dyckman Farmhouse Museum Alliance (DFMA), through support from the Preservation League of NYS, has hired Jeffrey E. Klee, an architectural historian with MCWB Architects, to investigate the Museum’s basement flooring. The basement kitchen is undergoing reinterpretation and capital improvements beginning in the Fall of 2024, which will advance the preservation of the historic site while making the site ADA-compliant. Replacing the current flooring with historically accurate materials will further enrich DFM’s reinterpretation and support the reinterpretation project co-occurring. Through the Technical Assistance Grant, DFMA and MCBA Architects will examine the floor in the basement that has long been covered with loose wooden planks, leading to the discovery of the original floor covering, allowing us to maintain the integrity of the space by reincorporating historically accurate building materials authentic to the site. Additionally, the report will complete the needs of the design phase of the capital project and inform our reinterpretation over the next two years.
“Technical Assistance Grants often provide the pivotal seed funding needed to jumpstart more comprehensive preservation work in the future,” said Preservation League President Jay DiLorenzo. “The League is proud to support so many worthwhile projects across the state through this partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts. And we are equally grateful for additional funding from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation on Long Island and the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, which allows TAG funding to go further. Congratulations to all of the grantees – the League is excited to see how these projects progress and look forward to continuing to assist however we can.”
The Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) program is a partnership between the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the Preservation League of New York State, made possible by NYSCA with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area has provided additional support for the projects within the National Heritage Area boundary. The TAG program supports arts centers, historic sites, music halls, theaters, libraries, and other cultural nonprofit or municipal entities that steward historic buildings throughout New York State.
With the announcement of the 2023 awards, support provided by TAG since its launch in 2012 totals $668,680. These grants have directly advanced the efforts of 210 preservation projects. “Through this program with the Preservation League of New York State, we are proud to provide critical support to these key cultural anchors, who will continue to enrich and strengthen their communities for generations to come,” added Katherine Nicholls, Chair of the New York State Council on the Arts. “On behalf of our staff and Council, I applaud all of this year’s TAG recipients and thank them for their ongoing work across the state.”
“TAG provides an avenue for us to evaluate and fund different projects that are important to our partners. Congratulations to all the recipients,” said Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Executive Director Scott Keller. “We are continually impressed with both the quantity and quality of the applications for this program.”
The 2023 TAG grantees are:
Delaware Co: John Burroughs’ Woodchuck Lodge Engineering/Structural Analysis | Dutchess Co: Innisfree Garden Landscape Limited Condition Assessment/Maintenance Plan | Erie Co: Juneteenth Festival Inc., Historic former bank building Accessibility Study; Ukrainian Cultural Center “Dnipro” Accessibility Study | Hamilton Co: Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts Limited Condition Assessment | Livingston Co: Dansville Area Historical Museum Electrical Analysis | Monroe Co: The Hochstein School Limited Condition Assessment | New York Co: Dyckman Farmhouse Museum Specialized Conservation Study; New York Studio School Limited Condition Assessment | Niagara Co: Niagara County Historical Society, Colonel William Bond House Limited Condition Assessment | Oneida Co: Remsen Performing and Visual Arts Center Engineering/Structural Analysis; Remsen-Steuben Historical Society, Stone Meetinghouse Engineering/Structural Analysis | Queens Co: SculptureCenter Limited Condition Assessment | Suffolk Co: Southold Historical Society, Prince Building Engineering/Structural Analysis; The Art & Nature Group, Washington Lodge LIDAR Study; The Three Village Historical Society Headquarters and Museum Limited Condition Assessment | Ulster Co: D&H Canal Historical Society Engineering/Structural Analysis; Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History, Reher Bakery Accessibility Study | Wyoming Co: Silver Lake Institute, John H. Stoody Hall Limited Condition Assessment
About Dyckman Farmhouse Museum Alliance
DFMA, the last farmhouse in Manhattan, is a vital cultural asset in New York City. The farmhouse was built in 1784 and later made into a Museum by Dyckman sisters, Mary Alice and Fannie Fredericka in 1916, donating their family’s home to the City of New York. The house and site serve as a reminder of the area’s rural past, while addressing the experiences and contributions of the enslaved and Indigenous people who also lived and worked on-site. Our mission is to support the preservation of the historic site, to be a catalyst for engaging, adventuresome programming and to be a good neighbor and a dynamic resource for the community. We strive to reevaluate and recontextualize the historical narratives of our community, to change the canons of art and history, uplift underrepresented voices, and create a safe space for visitors, locals, artists, and historians alike to unite through conversation and immersive, multi-faceted programming. We believe strongly in acting as a gathering space and resource for the residents of Inwood and the surrounding neighborhoods. The organization primarily executes its mission through free and low-cost programming for our community, where 25% of people live below the poverty line. A National and New York City landmark, DFM offers free programming for Upper Manhattan, providing visitors with in-depth research, propelling historically accurate conversations surrounding the realities of enslavement, broadly discussing American history, and creating an inclusive story. Learn more at dyckmanfarmhouse.org
About the Preservation League of New York State
Since its founding in 1974, the Preservation League of NYS has built a reputation for action and effectiveness. Our goal has been to preserve our historic buildings, districts, and landscapes and to build a better New York, one community at a time. The League empowers all New Yorkers to use historic preservation to enrich their communities, protect their heritage, and build a sustainable future. We lead advocacy, economic development, and education programs across the state. Connect with us at preservenys.org, facebook.com/preservenys, twitter.com/preservenys, youtube.com/c/PreservationLeague and instagram.com/preservenys.
About the New York State Council on the Arts
The mission of the New York State Council on the Arts is to foster and advance the full breadth of New York State’s arts, culture, and creativity for all. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, the Council on the Arts will award $127 million in FY 2024. The Council on the Arts further advances New York’s creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources. Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Council is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit www.arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA’s Facebook page, Twitter @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts.