By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cazenovia Preservation Foundation (CPF) has canceled all of its in-person events through the end of June.
In lieu of the typical lineup of spring/summer programs, CPF is launching several new initiatives.
“Spring and summer are typically CPF’s busiest seasons in terms of engagement with the community through outdoor events,” said Jennifer Wong, CPF’s director of outreach & communications. “ . . . [We recognize] the need for members of our community to have access to nature and to outdoor recreation and we are fortunate to have so many opportunities for that here in Cazenovia. Equally important is the desire for individuals to engage with others in the community safely while social distancing protocols remain in place. CPF has worked with several partner agencies in Cazenovia to re-imagine its [programming] to allow individuals and families ways to engage with the natural and historical resources in Cazenovia in a way that continues to support and strengthen our sense of community.”
CPF is a private, non-profit organization that works to protect the historical, agricultural and natural resources in and around Cazenovia for the benefit of the community.
This month, the organization will launch the “#HashtagThroughHistory:Cazenovia” project in partnership with the Cazenovia Public Library, Stone Quarry Hill Art Park (SQHAP) and Lorenzo State Historic Site.
Each organization has prepared one or more signs depicting a historic image of their site, which will be juxtaposed with the present-day view that visitors will see in real life.
The Art Park has prepared a map showing the locations of the sites and visitors are encouraged to tag the project using @HTHCaz on social media at each stop.
SQHAP CEO Emily Zaengle and Sarah Tietje-Mietz, director of Hilltop House & Studio, came up with the concept as a way to celebrate national Preservation Month (May).
“We wanted a program that wasn’t event-based, something that would be easy for any organization to participate in,” Zaengle said. “It was important that it the program be low cost and accessible to visitors. When Sarah and I first brainstormed about a project . . . we envisioned a way for people to capture the past and the present in one photo. We imagined visitors taking photos standing by a sign of a historic view with the present day view in the background. When you see the past and present juxtaposed you realize that landscape — our built and natural environment — is multifaceted and layered.”
According to Zaengle, Tietje-Mietz took the initial idea to CPF, Lorenzo and CPL, and the project evolved from there.
“We can easily take for granted how much our town has changed and evolved over time, and how the familiar was once new,” said Tietje-Mietz. “These windows to the past allow us to interact with our local history in a different way. We get to see ourselves in the timeline of a location and be part of a larger conversation about local history, preservation, conservation and community.”
#HashtagThroughHistory:Cazenovia is an ongoing and expanding program.
“We see this as a way to keep the conversation going through the summer months,” added Tietje-Mietz. “We hope to grow the project next year and make it open to others in Caz.”
The Art Park will position its sign in front of Hilltop House & Studio — the former residence of SQHAP founders Dorothy and Robert Riester.
The home, which reflects Dorothy’s artistic viewpoint, was designed and built by the Riesters with help from local contractors.
In 2014, the Hilltop House and Dorothy’s studio were place on the National Register of Historic Places, listed as a highly intact example of a mid-twentieth century modern house and artist studio.
CPF will install its sign along the Willow Patch trail, which can be entered off Mill Street or from Carpenter’s Pond at the intersection of Carpenter Street and Willow Place.
The library’s sign will be positioned on the front lawn and will feature an image of the building’s exterior.
“One of our missions is to strengthen community by engaging in our history, so we were excited about this project,” said CPL Archivist Elisha Davies. “ . . . Little did we know the COVID-19 pandemic would restrict our operations and our visitors would have to enjoy our sites from the outside . . . The location [of our sign] was decided because of the material we had to work with. Our archive has a vast holding of historical photographs . . . As a historic building on Albany Street the library has been photographed throughout the years. We have more photos of the interior that could have been used, but due to the pandemic, the library building is closed to the public.”
Lorenzo has opted to install a series of six signs, including images of the mansion, the gardens and Cazenovia Lake.
“The historic photographs, sketches and paintings . . . are part of the large and very rich Lorenzo historic collection,” said Site Manager Michael G. Roets. “The sketches were done by our second owner, Ledyard Lincklaen, the oil painting was done by [Cazenovia artist] Dwight Williams Jr. and is on view in the family dining room, and the watercolor painting was done by an unlisted artist named Caroline Betts and is the earliest known view of the mansion. We also chose two images from our collection of thousands of photographs that document the historic landscape, structures, and people of Lorenzo and Cazenovia.”
As of June 1, the nine #HashtagThroughHistory:Cazenovia signs were in production.
“The signs are at the print shop now, so we’re hoping to install late in the week,” said Wong.
For additional information on the site locations, visit @HTHCaz on Instagram.
CPF is also teaming up with the library and local poet E.J. Evans to introduce “Poetry on the Trail.”
The project, which has been in progress since late January, involves eight interpretive signs along the first mile of the Gorge Trail beginning at Clark Street and proceeding north.
“Each sign contains a poem (including some provided by past CPF board member Jim Tobey), artwork or photography (some of which is provided by Isabella Bresett, CPF’s spring semester intern from Cazenovia College), and one or more ‘prompts’ to help engage children with the poem or their surroundings,” Wong said.
The signs also invite the public to submit their own original poetry to CPF for publication on the organization’s website and/or social media platforms.
Wong reached out to Evans to search for potential nature-themed poems for the signs.
“I spent several days looking for poems (by a great variety of poets, classical and modern) on various natural themes,” Evans said. “I found several that I thought were interesting and I passed them on [for] consideration . . . The signs are designed with the aim of enhancing people’s experience of hiking on the trail, by giving them some interesting poems and some artistic photography that might inspire their imaginations a little bit, and lead them to reflect on the mysteries of the natural world . . . I think the signs are beautifully designed and I hope that a lot of people will come out to see them.”
CPL Children’s Education Coordinator Jenna Wright-Martin worked with Wong to make the final poem selections and write the interactive prompts.
“[This project] is a great way to explore the area and poetry through a relaxed, self-guided approach,” said Wright-Martin. “Our hope is that we can make the idea of poetry less daunting than some people think it is. We also hope the interactive prompts will get people thinking about poetry in a relatable way and help start conversations with your family as you hike along.”
In place of the Saturday cleanups originally scheduled for May, and in celebration of National Trails Day on June 6, CPF is launching “Family Trail Projects.”
“CPF Conservation Manager Judy Gianforte has prepared a list of several projects of varying degrees of complexity that families can complete independently,” Wong said. “We can match up interested families with available projects that are appropriate to their ages and skill levels . . .”
Families will be provided with a description of the task, a map and/or digital photos showing the specific work to be completed, a list of required tools, and an estimate of the time needed to complete the job.
The trail projects also offer high school students the opportunity to earn volunteer hours.
Participants are encouraged to provide photos of themselves at their project sites to CPF for online publication.
“As the summer progresses, CPF will continue to monitor and adhere to the recommendations for social distancing and we will continue to think creatively about additional opportunities for engaging community members with CPF’s mission,” said Wong. “We welcome your ideas.”
To learn more about CPF, visit cazpreservation.org.
