A Cayuga County museum has received an award from the Preservation League of New York State.
For its restoration of Opendore – the historic home of national leaders in the suffragette movement William, Hannah, and Isabel Howland – The Howland Stone Store Museum in Aurora has received a 2022 Excellence in Historic Preservation Award.
It had been abandoned in the 1970s. Opendore was saved from demolition by the museum after it was purchased in 2008.
A preservation grant was secured and 10 years of work went in to restoring it.
“What once seemed like a lost treasure has become a wonderful community asset,” said Guy Garnsey, President of Howland Stone Store Museum and project manager. “The vision of those who conceived the building’s restoration and the enormous volunteer effort in management and construction labor has been extraordinary.”
It was an incredible process for all involved.
“Without the vision and dedication of the Howland Stone Store Museum, Opendore would surely have been lost,” said Preservation League President Jay DiLorenzo. “Opendore is a tangible reminder of the area’s importance in the history of abolitionism and women’s rights. We are thrilled to recognize this incredible restoration with an Excellence Award this year.”
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