Silver Bay YMCA is one of this year’s Preserve New York (PNY) grantees. Their grant of $11,200 will fund a facility condition assessment of the historic Fisher Gymnasium.
The Fisher Gymnasium at Silver Bay on Lake George was constructed in 1917 and is an excellent example of Adirondack Style architecture. Built to house two gymnasiums, a lounge with a massive fireplace and locker rooms, the building was beautifully designed to accommodate the Summer Training Institute but was not insulated for use in the non-summer months.
Silver Bay is planning to renovate the Fisher Gymnasium for year-round use as a community wellness center for area residents and visitors — part of a larger $1 million HUD-funded project. This grant from the Preservation League will help ensure a conditions assessment, completed by architect and consultant Elise Johnson-Schmidt, will help guide the work.
Silver Bay YMCA is a steward to 62 buildings, 32 of which are contributing properties in the National Register-listed Silver Bay Historic District. Preservation is a component of the organization’s overall mission, and recommendations from the conditions assessment are hoped to allow the work to maintain the historic integrity while making the building more functional for current needs.
At its 2023 meeting, an independent grant panel selected 19 applicants in 17 counties to receive support totaling $279,936. Each grant supports important arts and cultural initiatives, as well as economic development related to our state’s arts and cultural heritage. Many of these grants will lead to historic district designation or expansion, telling the stories of communities throughout the state and allowing property owners to take advantage of the New York State and Federal Historic Tax Credits. With the announcement of the 2023 awards, support provided by Preserve New York since its launch in 1993 totals more than $3.7 million to 529 projects statewide.
The Preserve New York program is a regrant partnership between the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the Preservation League, made possible with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation has generously provided additional funds to support nonprofit projects in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Since 1993, Preserve New York has been providing funds to municipalities and nonprofit organizations that need technical, professional assistance to guide a variety of preservation projects. The building condition reports, cultural landscape reports, and cultural resource surveys funded through this program lead to positive outcomes across New York’s 62 counties.
Photo of Fisher Gymnasium in Silver Bay, NY provided.
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