Historical tour showcases Wbg.'s heritage, vintage architecture

WARRENSBURG | Several dozen people hailing from Albany to Plattsburgh gathered in Warrensburg Aug. 8 to enjoy an immersion into a more gracious era Aug. 8 as they toured vintage Warrensburg buildings and learned about their history and architecture. Titled "High Style Architecture and Grassroots Preservation," the tour was sponsored by the Adirondack Architectural Heritage organization based in Keeseville and was conducted with the assistance of members of the Warrensburgh Historical Society and Warrensburgh Beautification. The tour began with an introductory presentation of Warrensburg's history at the Warrensburgh Museum of Local History by Warrensburg Town Historian Sandi Parisi, Warrensburg Beautification Founder Teresa Whalen, historical society member Delbert Chambers, and AARCH Educational Program Director Nolan Cool. The group of 35 or so visited six buildings in Warrensburg that remain prominent in local history. The first stop on the tour was the Woodward House, a three-story Victorian-style home with a wrap-around porch built for Dave Woodward in about 1900. About a decade ago, the home was purchased by attorney Manu Davidson, a year-round Warrensburg resident who is active in the community and is an advocate for historic preservation. Davidson conducted the tour of her home, detailing her and her friend's extensive work to restore the home with authentic materials, period lighting fixtures and wallpaper that represent the home's vintage — all of which reflect her dedication to the project The next stop was The Shirt Factory building, a massive three-story building constructed in 1896 that housed the Empire Shirt Company, which employed hundreds of workers who produced up to 300,000 shirts per year, according to the Warrensburgh Historical Society. In the 1970's, the building became The Outlet Barn, a leading regional retailer of discounted clothing, while hosting various other enterprises upstairs. Decades later, Warrensburg natives Tom and Mark Grace acquired it and invested considerable work and resources in restoring the building and developing it into a hub of entrepreneurial activity. Its most prominent tenant now is Lizzie Keays Restaurant named after a worker in the original shirt factory. The next stop on the tour was the Emerson House, a Greek Revival-style mansion built in about 1830 and purchased in 1870 from Samuel Richards, a prominent local merchant, by Albert C. Emerson who founded the Emerson Bank. Emerson's sons, Louis and James, became state senators — and James advanced in politics to become a U.S. Congressional representative. In recent decades the building was used as an apartment complex while retaining the original architectural details. in 2020, Denise and Ken Geiger bought the building and started the meticulous process of restoring the 22-room house while living in it full-time. The next destination on the tour was the Woodward Block, located at the main intersection in downtown Warrensburg. It was built in 1840 with stone quarried from nearby Hackensack Mountain. It was a commercial building that originally hosted a general merchandise store. Over the following 100 years, the building hosted the original home of the Warrensburgh News as well as a telegraph office, a grocery store, a barber shop, a service station, and in the 1980s, an auto body shop while the Catholic Charities human service organization had offices upstairs. It now hosts the office of attorney Julie Garcia and an adjoining commercial store, and Its upper floors are now dedicated to residential use. The tour advanced to 3922 Main St. where the Dickinson House and its historic barn which is being rehabilitated to host the Bandstand Brew Works, a well-appointed brewpub that is expected to open soon. The Dickinson House, just south of the Warrensburg Post Office, is to serve as the brewpub's office. The house originally hosted the family of Myron Nelson Dickinson who founded a sawmill in Warrensburg and was Warrensburg's postmaster before he joined the U.S. army in 1862 to serve in the Civil War. Dickinson and his family members lived in the house in the second half of the 19th century. Edward Kreinheder acquired the house in 1964 and opened Kreinheder Antiques which he operated for decades on the property. Cousins Adam and Darby Landworthy and their wives Brooke and Laurie respectively, recently acquired the property and developed the brewpub. The tour's final destination was the Cornerstone Bed & Breakfast, a 27-room Queen Anne mansion at 3921 Main St. built in 1909 by local entrepreneur Lewis Thompson as a residence for his family. The gracious mansion features stained glass windows, terra cotta fireplaces, exquisite woodwork, and a grand staircase. Lewis' daughter Pearl inherited the house and operated it as a guest house until 1949 when it was acquired by new owners for use as a private residence. In 1990, Pat Scully reopened the home to the public as The Bent Finial Manor, renting its elegant rooms for two decades until it was acquired by Doug and Louise Goettsche who retained it as a Bed and Breakfast inn. Presently, Brittni and Jay Zimmerman own the Cornerstone Vitorian and are continuing to welcome guests. Over three decades, the Cornerstone Victorian won national and regional awards for its ambiance and its hosts' hospitality. Following the tour, Nolan Cool, Educational Program Director for AARCH stated how the tour showcased outstanding architectural preservation efforts that people in other northern New York communities could follow. "This 'deep dive' into Warrensburgh was sensational, and folks wholeheartedly enjoyed learning more about the community and the lively projects, large and small, that are showcasing its historic resources, buildings, and architecture," he said in a note to people in Warrensburg who helped conduct the event. Whalen said it was "an amazing tour" that demonstrated how people can utilize the state Historic Property Tax Credit program and state Revitalization Grant Funding to preserve local houses and enrich their communities' culture.

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Historical tour showcases Wbg.'s heritage, vintage architecture

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