CAZENOVIA — On Saturday, May 15, the newly repaired and re-restored 1835 Lincklaen House Sign was unveiled during a brief rededication and ribbon cutting ceremony.
Located at the corner of Albany and Lincklaen streets, the historic sign was accidentally knocked down by a Town of Cazenovia snowplow this past winter.
According to Highway Superintendent Dean Slocum, the plow was turning around at the intersection when the back of the wing caught the pole; in the process, the sign fell off.
The distinctive roadside hotel/tavern sign was first erected in 1835 when The Lincklaen House was built.
According to a 2017 article in the Cazenovia Republican, the sign was taken down around 1870 when the hotel temporarily closed down, but it was replaced upon the reopening.
General repairs and small changes were made to the post and sign throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
In the early 1980s, the Village of Cazenovia took responsibility for the sign.
In 2010, it was knocked down by a town snowplow and then reinstalled.
In 2017, it was restored and brought back to its original historic look by a team of local artisans through a community-sponsored effort.
The village and The Lincklaen House Owner Dan Kuper joined into a cooperative agreement to restore the sign and maintain it in perpetuity.
A four-person committee, including Village Mayor Kurt Wheeler, Deputy Mayor Amy Mann, Public Works Administrator Bill Carr, and preservation consultant Ted Bartlett directed the project, decided how to restore the sign, and found funding to complete the work.
Numerous individuals, organizations and municipal entities contributed to the project, including the Village and Town of Cazenovia, The Lincklaen House, Bartlett, the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation (using a Common Grounds Challenge grant), Betsy Moore, Dave Porter, Johnson Brothers Lumber, Cazenovia Lumber Company, D.R. Cornue Woodworks, iron blacksmith and welder Kitt Warren, Mike Walker of Expert Building Service, Joe Picciano, artist Paul Parpard, and a number of anonymous donors.
According to Bartlett, who coordinated the most recent restoration project, repairing the Dec. 28, 2020 damage was also a community effort.
Warren worked to preserve and repair the ironwork and to design a new assembly system; Parpard repaired the signboard and post and repainted the damaged finishes; and Walker coordinated the removal, reassembly and reinstallation of the sign. Additionally, the village department of public works and the Cazenovia Fire Department provided removal and reinstallation assistance, and the town took on the responsibility of underwriting the entire project.
“The re-restoration was challenging because the 1835 ironwork was mangled from when the truck hit the post,” Bartlett said. “The new oak post installed previously was not significantly damaged and held up well.”
According to Bartlett, a key aspect of the project was saving and reusing the original ironwork.
“Kitt Warren and Mike Walker developed a plan that involved carefully straightening the iron circle and smaller elements, which Kitt Warren executed,” he said. “The 1835 iron pin holding the sign in place required cutting to remove the damaged sign frame. Kitt fabricated a new steel sleeve and steel yoke to be welded to the bottom section of the 1835 ironwork. The new steel provides stability and allowed for the [original] iron sections to remain. A new steel sleeve fits over the 1835 pin still in the wooden post to secure the sign in place.”
Bartlett added that the three arrows with spheres and curly iron decoration on the sign were repaired, straightened, and repainted, and that the sphere below the ironwork was repaired and reconfigured to allow for its reinstallation around the new steel sleeve at the base of the ironwork.
The sign was re-installed on May 13, and after some final touch-up painting, the project was completed.
“I think the re-restoration project is a fabulous success,” Bartlett said. “A Cazenovia icon is returned to its position on Albany Street. The sign is one of only a few original period turnpike signs to survive in the state; it may be the only one between Buffalo and Albany. There were at least three others in Cazenovia in the business district, all long gone of course.”
The rededication ceremony was held outside The Lincklaen House to celebrate the return of the sign, recognize its unique historic significance and thank those who contributed to its re-restoration and preservation.
The speakers included Bartlett, Wheeler, and Cazenovia Town Supervisor Bill Zupan.
“The village is delighted to see The Lincklaen House sign restored to its place in the center of our village,” said Wheeler. “For nearly two centuries it has kept watch over residents and visitors to our community from its perch at the crossroads of Lincklaen and Albany. We thank all those who helped to restore it to its original condition and make today’s rededication possible.”
