The gateway of the hamlet of Roxbury will see major improvements in spring and summer of 2010. The historic Golden Seal Building has recently received a leg up for much needed health and safety upgrades, weatherization, and exterior façade restoration. The NY State Department of Housing and Community Renewal has awarded the MARK Project Inc $200,000 toward rehab of the Golden Seal. MARK will partner with Western Catskills Community Revitalization Corporation and Delaware Opportunities to bring together additional funding sources such as NY Main Street and Weatherization funding to ensure the Golden Seal gets all the attention it needs.
“This is an exciting and very important preservation project” says MARK Director Peg Ellsworth “MARK has been trying to secure funding for this project since 2005 and the recent award reflects several years of hard work and tenacity as well as ongoing project development.”
The Golden Seal building was constructed in 1865. It was designed and built by one of Roxbury’s most prominent businessmen of the day. The original construction consisted of a gabled and corniced front with the quintessential false front being added at the turn of the 20th century. The building was listed on the State and National registers in 2003 and due to its location at the gateway of the hamlet, it has earned significance as an anchor historic structure, which greatly contributes to the historic and social fabric of the community.
The MARK Project purchased the building in 2005 and in 2007 with assistance from the NY Main Street Program and the O’Connor Foundation installed new more energy efficient yet historically accurate windows and in 2008 upgraded the heating system. However, these improvements were just the beginning of a long term phased rehabilitation. In addition the project goes far beyond building rehabilitation and preservation of affordable housing in the community. The obvious and most directly affected will be the tenants through a greatly improved and safer living environment. The links to a larger public benefit unfold through the preservation and restoration of a landmark structure that can serve as a model for recycling old buildings within the small commercial district of Roxbury. Due to the location of the Golden Seal within the hamlet’s commercial district, we can only hope the exterior restoration will indeed serve as a catalyst for revitalization of adjacent buildings and in turn spark economic development and sustainability.
You can watch our progress at www.markproject.org over the next year as we add new photos, bid specifications and RFPs, and availability of living spaces. For more information about the Golden Seal and other MARK Projects contact us at 845.586-3500.
