Project Sign, April 2022
Preservation Architecture chosen for restoration of Robert Jenkins House
January 2022: Preservation Architecture, Marilyn E Kaplan, Principal, of Albany has been selected by the Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, via a competitive selection process, to lead the restoration of the Historic Robert Jenkins House at 113 Warren Street in Hudson, NY.
Ms. Kaplan has regional and national experience working on historic buildings stewarded by museums; institutional, nonprofit and religious organizations; and governmental entities and private individuals. The firm has provided architectural services on more than 200 historic buildings, ranging from existing condition assessments to full rehabilitation and restoration projects. A long list of local and noteworthy projects in the Hudson Valley includes the Hudson Opera House, various buildings at the National Historic Landmark Montgomery Place campus of Bard College, numerous NY State historic sites, the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, and the FDR Presidential Library.
Save America’s Treasures Preservation Grant
October 2021: The Hendrick Hudson Chapter has received a $496,775 grant from the Department of Interior, National Park Service (NPS) funded through the Historic Preservation Fund and the Save America’s Treasures grant program. The grant funds the rehabilitation of the 1811 Robert Jenkins House at 113 Warren Street in Hudson, NY.
Chapter Regent Jeane LaPorta said, “Our members are thrilled to receive this generous grant. It will bring us a long way to raising the million dollars that’s needed to restore this stunning and historic structure to its proper condition. We’re also thrilled to receive acknowledgement by the National Park Service and the Historic Preservation Fund of the importance of this very important building. It truly is one of America’s treasures.”
Read more at https://hudson-dar.org/2021/10/09/hendrick-hudson-chapter-nsdar-receives-save-americas-treasures-preservation-grant/
Pomeroy Grant Award
August 2020: The Hendrick Hudson Chapter DAR is pleased to announce that the Pomeroy Fund for NYS History will match 1:2 donations received by September 30th to implement CDC safety measures and make house repairs necessary to alleviate moisture problems in the collections area.
The first in-person event for the Hendrick Hudson Chapter since March at the Historic Robert Jenkins House was an outdoor picnic in the backyard on July 20th. Plans are in place to start tours again in September, depending on the pandemic.
Last fall a Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) program, made possible by a grant from FAIC, identified critical issues with the roof and upper masonry of the Historic Robert Jenkins House — missing slate tiles, loose flashing, deteriorated mortar, and problems with the box gutter. A contractor hasn’t been selected yet, but initial indications are that the work will cost $15-20,000. To help with these expenses, the Pomeroy Fund will match 1:2 the first $6000 received by September 30th. That means that for every two dollars raised, the Pomeroy Fund will grant one dollar, up to $3000. Donations of any amount are welcome and will count towards the match goal. Donations can be made to Hendrick Hudson Chapter NSDAR at 113 Warren St, Hudson NY 12583. Under new safety guidelines and the opportunity to better care for, display, and interpret objects, the Hendrick Hudson Chapter plans to promote the Robert Jenkins museum with an Instagram page that will feature objects from the collection.
Collections Assessment for Preservation
August 2019: The Hendrick Hudson Chapter is pleased to announce that we were one of 79 institutions in the United States selected to participate in the Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) program. CAP helps museums improve the care of their collections by providing a conservation assessment of the collections and building. On August 13th and 14th, Regent Jeane LaPorta, along with Chapter members, worked with two professionals, preservation architect Marilyn Kaplan and historic collections consultant Bruce MacLeish, to assess the Chapter’s collections management practices.
The Hendrick Hudson Chapter, organized in 1896, was assigned the stewardship of the historic Robert Jenkins House in 1900. Frances Chester White Hartley, the granddaughter of Robert Jenkins, the third and fifth mayor of Hudson, purchased her childhood home at 113 Warren Street, and renovated it to suit the needs of the new Chapter. The Robert Jenkins House, built in 1811, is one of Hudson’s finest examples of Federal style architecture. Mrs. Hartley presented it and all its contents to the members in 1900. For more than 50 years, the Chapter provided the only free public library in the City of Hudson.
The Hendrick Hudson Chapter still maintains an extensive library of genealogical works and histories of Hudson and neighboring towns, as well as a small museum exhibiting historic artifacts from the area, documents, textiles, and fine art.
Mr. MacLeish assessed our management of the collections — the books, antiquities and art. Ms. Kaplan assessed the building as the repository of the collection. Their assessment encompassed not only handling and cataloguing procedures for the collections, but also security, structural problems, climate control, lighting, best use of space, and services for the public such as lavatories, lifts and elevators. Their final assessment report will help the Chapter prioritize its building and collections care efforts in the coming years.
The Hendrick Hudson was honored to partner with the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC) to assess its collections, and ensure the collections will be preserved and available to the public for years to come. Hendrick Hudson highly recommends the CAP program to other chapters with historic collections. The program is administered by the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC) through a cooperative agreement with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal grant making agency that supports museums and libraries. FAIC saves cultural heritage for future generations, protecting it from decay and destruction. Learn more about FAIC at http://www.culturalheritage.org/foundation. IMLS is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. To learn more, visit http://www.imls.gov.
Hendrick Hudson Chapter, NSDAR 