Historic Preservation
A Proud History
Elmira has a rich and glorious history. Though we have lost many historic buildings that were the heartbeat of a vigorous city, alive with vitality, we still have a solid core infrastructure, and even the scattered empty buildings and spaces should be viewed as an opportunity, not a burden.
We must ask ourselves: is our history meaningful and worth preserving? If so, we must stop letting our historic and public buildings decay, be torn down and contribute to urban blight; and we must also stop the forces that undermine the integrity and connectivity of our neighborhoods.
As a candidate for mayor of Elmira, I am an advocate for the historic preservation of buildings that are truly valuable to the community. Thus, I would like to see the City undertake 2 major restoration projects: the Brand Park pool, which the current mayor has declared he will tear down, and Fire Station #4, the Maxwell Place Fire House, which has been neglected for far too long. In 1988, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 2014 the New York Preservation League named it one of the state's most threatened historic sites and included it on the Seven to Save list of the most endangered places in NY.
Regarding the fire station, I'd like to see us incorporate it, along with other historically pertinent buildings, into a museum celebrating the history of the fire industry in our area (See the section on “Tourism”). Unfortunately, our mayor has made no effort to take care of this valuable resource. Instead, he sold it to an architectural firm in 2020 for $1.oo, building & land. What a grotesque and devastating loss for Elmira. It underscores how much the mayor still lives under the defeatist mindset that has ruled the city for 50 years, how little pride or sense of value of the history of our community he has, and how neglectful he has been of the properties that belong to the people of Elmira. If we expect to thrive, we must do what other cities similar to Elmira are doing, and that is, among many other things, to preserve and celebrate their histories. We need a new beginning, with responsible, enlightened leadership.
Elmira has a rich and glorious history. Though we have lost many historic buildings that were the heartbeat of a vigorous city, alive with vitality, we still have a solid core infrastructure, and even the scattered empty buildings and spaces should be viewed as an opportunity, not a burden.
We must ask ourselves: is our history meaningful and worth preserving? If so, we must stop letting our historic and public buildings decay, be torn down and contribute to urban blight; and we must also stop the forces that undermine the integrity and connectivity of our neighborhoods.
As a candidate for mayor of Elmira, I am an advocate for the historic preservation of buildings that are truly valuable to the community. Thus, I would like to see the City undertake 2 major restoration projects: the Brand Park pool, which the current mayor has declared he will tear down, and Fire Station #4, the Maxwell Place Fire House, which has been neglected for far too long. In 1988, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 2014 the New York Preservation League named it one of the state's most threatened historic sites and included it on the Seven to Save list of the most endangered places in NY.
Regarding the fire station, I'd like to see us incorporate it, along with other historically pertinent buildings, into a museum celebrating the history of the fire industry in our area (See the section on “Tourism”). Unfortunately, our mayor has made no effort to take care of this valuable resource. Instead, he sold it to an architectural firm in 2020 for $1.oo, building & land. What a grotesque and devastating loss for Elmira. It underscores how much the mayor still lives under the defeatist mindset that has ruled the city for 50 years, how little pride or sense of value of the history of our community he has, and how neglectful he has been of the properties that belong to the people of Elmira. If we expect to thrive, we must do what other cities similar to Elmira are doing, and that is, among many other things, to preserve and celebrate their histories. We need a new beginning, with responsible, enlightened leadership.
Elmira Fire Station #4 is an architectural gem. It was built in 1897 to be a monument of pride to the community and was first used to house horse-drawn fire carriages. The fact that we have allowed it to decay is a reflection of who we are and how we feel about our city. Let's put it into perspective by comparing it to another magnificent fire station (below), also built in 1897, now the Elmira Heights Historical Society. Should we wonder why many people have such poor views of Elmira.
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Thankfully, some Elmirans have recognized our fire station's dire condition and initiated efforts to restore it, but without success. It’s time we took the bull by the horns. As I see it, Fire Station no.4 might be designated an interactive museum catering especially to children, and/or possibly a community center, and be a special source of pride for its neighborhood and a sign that the City cares for the people of District 4.
Why continue to ignore this great asset and the contributions that the industry has made to our region? Let's partner with other local governments, with state and federal government agencies and with firefighting organizations to restore this architectural and historic treasure and others and to promote the history of firefighting in our area.