Cooperstown Architectural Revolutions Focus of Walking Tour

Cooperstown Architectural Revolutions tour to be led by Dr. Cindy Falk

Cooperstown, NY – Otsego 2000’s historic preservation walking tour series continues on July 19 at 3 pm with “Cooperstown Architectural Revolutions.”  Cooperstown became home to people of European descent in the years immediately following the American Revolution. This tour will explore the houses that they created for themselves in the early 1800s. It will also address two architectural revolutions that radically changed the way people imagined their homes — one in the years after the Civil War and the second in the years after World War II. The tour will be led by Dr. Cindy Falk, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at SUNY Oneonta and Professor of Material Culture at the University’s Cooperstown Graduate Program.

“If you have ever wondered how to tell the difference between a colonial, Victorian, and modern house– or wondered why those architectural changes took place –this tour is for you,” said Falk.

Dr. Falk, who also serves as Deputy Mayor of the Village of Cooperstown, was co-editor of Buildings & Landscapes: The Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum for five years and is the author of Barns of New York: Rural Architecture of the Empire State.

“Our historic buildings, added over time and generations as populations grow and change, work together to give a town its particular sense of place, and maintaining them for future generations is important to both our environment and community identity,” said Ellen Pope, executive director of Otsego 2000. “Thankfully, New York State offers owners of historic homes a 20% income tax credit for repairs and rehabilitations.” Otsego 2000 offers free technical assistance for homeowners who want to apply for the Historic Homeownership Rehabilitation Credit. Call 607/547-8881 to set up an appointment.

The cost for the walking tour, which will begin on the steps of the Village Hall at 22 Main Street,  is $10. Register in advance at otsego2000.org or by calling 607/547-8881. The Otsego 2000 Historic Preservation Series will continue with walking tours in Toddsville on August 16, Milford on September 13, and Cooperstown on November 15, as part of Glimmerglass Film Days.

Otsego 2000 is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1981 to ensure the Otsego Lake region remains a masterpiece of nature by protecting and supporting its environmental, scenic, cultural, historic, and agricultural resources and its economic well-being. Otsego 2000 accomplishes its mission through programs like the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, Otsego Outdoors, Glimmerglass Film Days, historic preservation initiatives, and environmental stewardship.