A letter from our Honorary Chairs, Brad and Paige Allen

Dear Friends in Preservation:

On behalf of Historic Albany Foundation, we invite you to join us on the 2023 Honorary Committee for Feast, one of Historic Albany’s largest and most-anticipated fundraisers of the year.  On Saturday, April 22nd at 6 pm we will hold Feast 2023 in person on the fourth floor Terrace Gallery at the New York State Museum.

We are thrilled and honored to be invited to be the Honorary Chairs of Feast 2023, as we have been involved with Historic Albany Foundation for many years in several different ways.  We have hosted Feast and the Holiday House Tour, and Brad served on the Board of Directors from 2008 to 2011.  

Albany is blessed with a rich architectural history, but that history can easily be erased without constant attention.  Since 1974, Historic Albany Foundation has been working to preserve and protect that history through raising awareness about the architectural gems around us, advocating for buildings that are in danger of being lost, and educating those of us who have the pleasure of owning an older home on how to be good stewards and ensure that the features that make our homes special are lovingly maintained so that future generations can also enjoy them.  For all these reasons, we have been longtime financial supporters of Historic Albany Foundation.  We hope that you have been similarly inspired by the good work of the Foundation and will join us on the Honorary Committee for Feast 2023.

Behind the scenes the event committee and staff are planning a wonderful evening with a WINDOWS ON ALBANY theme, and we look forward to seeing you there.  The evening will include a sumptuous buffet, wines, spirit tastings, a fun assortment of unique desserts, live music, and as always – a fabulous silent auction.  The auction will again be held online, and starting at noon on the day of the event the auction will be open only to Honorary Committee members.  The auction will open to the general public at 6pm. This year we will also be having a special in-person only auction of window sashes that have been beautifully transformed into a piece of art embodying Albany’s history, spirit or culture.

We hope that you will consider joining us on the Honorary Committee this year to support the vital mission of Historic Albany Foundation.  Please RSVP by Friday, February 24th to be included in the invitation.  You may RSVP via the enclosed envelope, or online at: www.historic-albany.org/feast.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you on Saturday, April 22nd! 

Brad and Paige Allen
Long-term supporters of Historic Albany

Feast Sponsorship

You may have heard that Historic Albany Foundation’s annual Spring Fundraiser, Feast, is coming soon! This event, which hosts over 250 people, will be held at the New York State Museum (222 Madison Avenue, Albany, NY 12230) in downtown Albany on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

Every year we look to local businesses to sponsor and support this event, helping to raise funds for our mission to protect and preserve the architectural heritage of Albany. 

What does this mean your business could be a part of?

> Providing low and free-cost programs that educate and empower (our tours and free hands-on workshops)

> Assisting people who need help with their historic houses
> Advocating for the architecture of the city
> Operating our ever-growing salvage Warehouse
> Running our new Tool Lending Library.

We have several sponsorship levels ($250-$10,000)  which include the following benefits:

> Your business logo on the invitation (mailed to nearly 2,000 households), logo onsite event signage, log on HAF and auction websites, and logo on event program 

> Recognition on our social media (a primarily local audience of 6,000)
> Sponsorship profile and recognition on our e-newsletter (audience of 3,500)
> Entry to the event 

Please and donate below. If you are interested in sponsorship or would like to know more about our organization and what your donation would help achieve, please contact Kim Parker, our Outreach and Program Manager, on 518 465 0876 ext110. Or better yet, you’re very welcome to visit our Offices, Warehouse, and Tool Lending Library at 89 Lexington.

Please note - all donations are tax-deductible.

become a sponsor here

Corporate Membership Levels and Benefits

$10,000 Sky Scraper

● Recognition in one signature event invitation and program as Presenting Sponsor

● Ten tickets to one signature event

● Invitation for company representative to speak at the event

● Company banner displayed at the event

● Recognition on HAF website, Facebook page, Instagram, inclusion in event press release

$5,000 Victorian

● Company logo in one signature event invitation and program book

● Eight tickets to one signature event

● Company banner displayed at the event

● Recognition on HAF website, Facebook page, Instagram and event press release

____ $2,500 Classical

● Company logo in one signature event invitation and program book

● Six tickets to one signature event

● Recognition on HAF website, Facebook page, Instagram and event press release

$1,000 Tudor

● Company logo in one signature event invitation and program book

● Four tickets to one signature event

● Recognition on HAF website and Facebook page, Instagram

$500 Arts and Craft

● Company logo in one signature event invitation and program book

● Two tickets to one signature event

● Recognition on HAF website and Facebook page, Instagram

$250 Modern

● Company logo in one signature event invitation and program book

● One ticket to the event

● Recognition on HAF website and Facebook page, Instagram

48 Hudson Update!

Phase I and II Complete!
Earlier this fall, exterior masonry work was done on the east and west walls of 48 Hudson, closing out our first Environmental Protection Fund grant from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation for $268,000.  Ganem Contracting, our masonry contractor was able to use new bricks that are in keeping with the size, shape and color of the original bricks on the 1840’s addition. The earlier phases included the foundation and H - bent restoration. These were completed in 2020.
 
Roof and Façade to Undergo Transformations in 2023
Having completed Phases I and II and the and finishing the previous grant cycle from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, we are now embarking on our new $500,000 round of grant funding that will allow us to raise the 1728 roof back to its original Dutch pitch, and to restore the façade to its original look as an early 18th century Dutch home.  We will be going out to bid in the spring anticipating work to begin mid-summer 2023.
 
HSR Update 
In addition to the physical construction project going on at 48 Hudson, we are also working on a Historic Structures Report with John G. Waite Associates and Mt. Ida Press.  A historic structures report (HSR) provides documentary, graphic, and physical information about a property's history and existing condition. Broadly recognized as an effective part of preservation planning, a HSR also addresses management or owner goals for the use or re-use of the property.  It provides a thoughtfully considered argument for selecting the most appropriate approach to treatment and outlines a scope of recommended work. 

The research that has taken place on 48 Hudson that will be contained in our HSR will serve as an important guide for all changes made to the building during the ongoing stabilization and restoration project, as well as post-project maintenance procedures. The HSR for the Van Ostrande Radliff house will tell the story of those who lived and worked in the building, the evolution of the building itself from residential to commercial, the physical expansion of the building, as well as how the neighborhood around it has changed over the last three centuries. It is anticipated that the HSR will be completed in 2023 and will be available for purchase to the public. 

Tax Credits for 48! 
One of the more creative ways we will be raising capital for the completion of the project at 48 Hudson is through selling our tax credits.  The 48 Hudson Project qualifies for New York State and Federal rehabilitation tax credits, however, since HAF is a non-profit entity that doesn’t pay taxes, we can’t use them ourselves. To take advantage of these credits, we will be selling them.  In early 2023 HAF will be holding a series of informational meetings for potential investors who would like to purchase the tax credits.  These are available to anyone who pays federal and NYS income taxes and the minimum investment is low enough for anyone interested to participate. Stay tuned for more and please feel free to reach out if you are interested in learning more.

Dutch Cultural Exchange and Mathias Visit
Since 2019, HAF has been working on a cultural exchange program with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands to gain and share expertise on adaptive reuse and restoration. After years of planning, we hosted three week-long workshops with experts from the Albany region and the Netherlands working on the Van Ostrande-Radliff House and Van’t Lindenhoutmuseum in Nijmegen, Albany’s sister city. 

We made many new friends and gained so much knowledge and insight. From the workshops, we realized that the Van Ostrande-Radliff House is not just one of the few remaining Dutch buildings in Albany, but is really Albany’s witness building.  It has seen more of Albany’s history than anything else in the city. It was present when Benjamin Franklin presented the Albany Plan of Union (just a block away) and when John Wilkes Booth performed at the Albany Gaiety (Lincoln was in town at the time) both just around the corner. The Van Ostrande-Radliff House is really Albany’s building.

After the conclusion of our workshops, our partner at the Cultural Heritage Agency, Mathijs Witte, came to visit us at the end of October.  It was a delight to finally meet our friend in person. We toured many of the Albany sites that we talked about during the workshops including 48 Hudson. Mathijs ended his visit with us at BUILT, taking home a bit of Albany art to add to his collection. We look forward to working with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands in the future on more exciting projects! 

Historic Albany Foundation awarded a Multi-Year Grant of $40,000 a year for two years by New York State Council on the Arts

Albany, NY – Historic Albany Foundation announced today a grant award totaling $80,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the recovery of the nonprofit arts and culture sector ($40,00 to be awarded in 2023, and $40,000 the following year). Following New York State’s historic investment for the arts, NYSCA has awarded $90 million since Spring 2022 to a record number of artists and organizations across the state.

 Governor Kathy Hochul said, “As a cultural capital of the world, New York State is strengthened by our expansive coverage of the arts across all 62 counties.  This year's historic commitment to the arts sector will spur our continuing recovery from the pandemic and set the course for a stronger future."

NYSCA Executive Director Mara Manus said, “We are immensely grateful to Governor Hochul and the Legislature for their unprecedented investment of $240 million to support arts organizations across the state. New York State arts organizations such as Historic Albany Foundation are the cornerstone of our vibrant arts economy. As crucial drivers of our health and vitality, we are grateful to the unwavering dedication of arts workers across the state.”

NYSCA Chair Katherine Nicholls said, “On behalf of the entire Council, I congratulate Historic Albany Foundation on this grant award. Their creative work provides the benefits of the arts to both their community and all of New York. Arts organizations are essential, leading our tourism economy and fueling sectors such as hospitality, transit, and Main Streets across our state. “ 

About the New York State Council on the Arts                                            

NYSCA preserves and advances the arts and culture that make New York State an exceptional place to live, work and visit. NYSCA upholds the right of all New Yorkers to experience the vital contributions the arts make to our communities, education, economic development, and quality of life. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, NYSCA will award record funding in FY 2023, providing support across the full breadth of the arts.

NYSCA 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, NYSCA is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit http://www.arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA's Facebook page, Twitter @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts.