Accept Grant Dollars for Hotchkiss
Wednesday, June 11 2008
We actually have a treasure among us, an international treasure, “a diamond in the rough.” This is not just any building; this is an historic building with an amazing story. I am talking about the H.G. Hotchkiss Prize Medal Essential Oil Company Building located on the Erie Canal in our county seat of Lyons. The Hotchkiss Building competed against other buildings and projects across the state and the nation and won almost $1 million in grant money. This is not just any building; this building is on the National Registry of Historic Places and is also registered with the New York State Preservation Office. In its heyday, the H.G. Hotchkiss Company brought wealth to all the county from the glass works in Galen that provided the bottles to the 100 stills that existed throughout the county to the many Wayne County townships that had peppermint farms. It brought prosperity to this County in the way the apple industry is doing today. It also brought international acclaim as the purest peppermint oil in the world. Let us help save this wonderful story for our future generations and us. Investing the grant monies into restoring this building can only bring high rewards.
The Wayne County supervisors have been hedging on passing the resolutions to accept this grant money. Two items worry them: maintenance and a plan. I have been told that maintenance on a restored building should be less. As for a plan, once the building is restored, organizations will jump at the chance to rent it. Location is the key and it is right on the canal corridor, the gateway to the county seat.
The major issue pending before the county though is to pass the resolutions in favor of using this grant money. If the county gave the go ahead to apply before, why are they rejecting it now? If the county should reapply for grant monies, what are the chances any future grants will be given to us? Let’s not see this money sent to another place that competed for it. Let’s bring that money into the county. With it here we will benefit from the contractors, electricians, plumbers, etc. who will be working on this project. We have won the lottery with this grant; let’s not send back the check.
Remember this building competed among hundreds around the state and country for these grants. It was one of three to be awarded the “Save America’s Treasures” grant. This is how important this building and its history is. Most canal towns would “die” to have a building of this caliber.
So far, there has been overwhelming support of this issue from not only Lyons residents, but citizens from all over the county. I urge all of the Wayne County supervisors to support the resolutions to use the grant money on the Hotchkiss Building.
Thank you for your anticipated support.
—Patricia Alena, Lyons
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