The cupola will be moved this week

May 28, 2015 at 12:49 pm by Observer-Review


The cupola will be moved this week ADVERTISEMENT

The cupola will be moved this week

PENN YAN--With stabilization complete, the historic Empire State Winery cupola will be moved this week. The cupola will be moved to a concrete slab at the Penn Yan Fireman's Field to restore the structure to its historically correct condition. The cupola is currently the only remnant from the former Empire State Winery building that was torn down in 1990.

Steve Knapp, chairman of the cupola restoration project's steering committee, said restoration will take place next year and will be completed by September of 2017. Once restored, the committee intends to place the cupola in the center of a garden along the newly extended Keuka Lake Outlet Trail near its original, historic location. The cupola will be located on village property and will be visible from the lake, near the end of Mace Street.
Work began to save the cupola in 2014 with the organization of a steering committee that secured the support of nearly 50 local leaders and officials, along with nearly 100 members on its Facebook group. The committee then acquired an architect who developed a stabilization plan for the cupola prior to its move to the temporary restoration location. The group received the necessary approvals to move the cupola to the fireman's field, with the Penn Yan Lions Club conducting the work to stabilize the structure before it is moved by developer Chris Iversen's crew.
Some $3,000 has already been raised for the project, with Knapp adding the group has also applied for a $15,000 historical preservation grant from the Rochester Area Community Foundation. The preliminary progress timeline includes having the cupola moved to the temporary restoration site in June. Phase I work by the architect -- including producing measured drawings and plans for the restoration along with biddable documents for restoration contractors -- is slated to be completed by August. The group hopes to have a restoration contractor selected by October, with the restoration work running from October, 2015, to September. 2016. The committee will also have the final location for the cupola and garden selected by October, 2015.
The preparation of the final cupola site is slated for the spring and summer of 2016, with the move to the final location taking place in October of 2016. The finishing of the final site with paths and the garden will be done in the spring of 2017, with an anticipated project completion date in September, 2017.
The restored cupola is not only intended to tell the history of the grape and wine industry in the area, but it will also serve to lure boaters into the outlet and other areas of the village. Knapp described it as "providing an important/needed gateway and link between the lake, its residents and the village." He also emphasized his desire for it to become a premiere location for family and wedding photography with the lake as backdrop to enhance Penn Yan's status as a wedding destination.
"It will be placed as the elevated centerpiece of a beautiful circular garden and we anticipate that it will become Penn Yan's icon, similar to the what the Seneca Harbor gazebo provides for Watkins Glen," according to Knapp.
Village Trustee David Reeve said he is very pleased with the progress being made with the cupola as a "symbol of the original wine industry in the region." He emphasized he would like to see it located near the outlet or waterfront, with it not only having value from a historical standpoint, but also as a community symbol.
Realtor Mary Worth said the cupola could be a gorgeous gateway into the outlet and beginning of the lake. She added while she is impatient sometimes, she is glad the committee is taking the right amount of time to do the restoration work properly.
"It's like a metaphor for the change going on in the entire area," Worth said. "They have this structure they could let crumble, but instead they are working to save it and make something beautiful. For me to see these changes, I think it says a lot about what this community is about."
If a person wants to support the cupola restoration, a tax-exempt donation can be sent to: The Cupola Restoration Project, P.O. Box 173, Penn Yan, NY 14527.

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