If you haven't already done so, check out The Landmark Society's blog, Confessions of a Preservationist. There you will find informative, fun and exciting posts on the latest and greatest preservation news and happenings around The Landmark Society and the rest of the world. You can read and comment on our blog by clicking this link, and if you're one of those tech-savvy people, here's a nifty link to our RSS feed for you to subscribe and never miss a post:

Don't miss this exclusive look inside some of Rochester's most innovative and unique properties

The 2008 Inside Downtown Tour will be held Friday, Sept. 19, 2008 & Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008 in Rochester's historic East End District.

NEW! 2008 Map and Tour Guide available online!

The Landmark Society continues our celebration of urban living with this year’s Inside Downtown Tour, showcasing Rochester’s historic Grove Place Neighborhood and the East End. As the demand for downtown housing continues to grow, both historic structures and new development alike are being utilized to meet the need, and the stops on this year’s tour will highlight them both.

The Grove Place Neighborhood may be one of the best kept secrets in Rochester. Tree-lined streets and the successful blend of historic structures with new development characterize this neighborhood. Many residences have tiny gardens and patios, offering a pleasant mix of brick and flowers, which helps to earn Grove Place the reputation of being “a quiet neighborhood of renaissance.” Both residential and cultural destinations in the neighborhood, all within walking distance of each other, will be available for 2008 Inside Downtown tour-goers.

Tour Headquarters this year will be Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo), 137 East Avenue. An opening night reception for the tour will be held at RoCo on Friday, September 19. More information to follow! You can read about RoCo, and their outstanding exhibit "State of the City," here.

This tour is self-guided and sites can be visited in any order. A two-day Tour Pass allows entrance to all tour stops during both days of the tour. The tour begins Friday, September 19 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. and concludes on Saturday, September 20 from 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Tour tickets are $18 ($15 for Landmark Society members). Inside Downtown tickets may be ordered online using our secure server; by phone at 546-7029 x10; purchased at The Landmark Society at 133 S. Fitzhugh St.; at Parkleigh at 215 Park Avenue; or at Borders Books at 1000 Hylan Drive. Landmark Society Members must purchase their tickets through The Landmark Society to get the member ticket price.

Read more about this year's tour here.

Special thanks to this year's tour sponsors: City Newspaper; Gar Lowenguth; Halo Lofts; The City of Rochester; Morgan Stanley and RoCo

NEW! Whatever you want, we can help. (How great is that?)

Do you have an old house that is starting to show its age or needs to be more energy efficient? Or maybe you've always been interesting in learning to compost or repair your wood windows yourself. Whatever the issue, our new fall workshop series - Your Old House - is here to lend a hand!

Come join our "old home experts" for a fun and informational workshop series, held on a series of Tuesdays at the Stone Tolan House Museum. Topics include visual inspections and energy efficiency, winter preparation, composting, window repair, plaster, drywall and painting. Your Old House workshops begin September 30 and run through October 21.

Special thanks to sponsor Historic Houseparts for all their help with making these workshops possible.

Click here or call 585.546.7029 x10 for more information and to qualify for a multi-workshop discount. Space is limited so sign up today!

The workshop schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, September 30th, 6 p.m. - Jerry Ludwig of Ludwig Associates Home Inspectors and Consultants and Virginia Searl of Bero Architecture will join us for a lesson on visual inspections and energy efficiency for your home in preparation for the winter.

Tuesday, October 7th, 6 p.m. - Beverly Gibson, The Landmark Society’s horticulturist, will introduce attendees to composting, including instructions on building your own home composter.

Tuesday, October 14, 6 p.m. - Steve Jordan, former Landmark Society staff and current Preservation Consultant, will talk about window repair for older homes.

Tuesday, October 21, 6 p.m. - Steve Jordan will discuss plaster, drywall repair and painting.

July 2008 - Yes, it's true. Tours highlighting some of Rochester's most unique architecture and historical highlights are available at your fingertips at any time of day. Our cell phone walking tours let you work this fun activity into your schedule on your terms.

How does it work? Simple directions and call-in numbers are found here. Simply call the phone number for the tour of your choice, and be ready with a credit card. Each tour costs $4.95. Once you purchase the tour, you may access it for 48 hours.

Whether you want to go at 6 a.m. on a beautiful Sunday morning, split the tour between the afternoon and post-dinnertime, or follow the route backwards and skip every other site, it's fine by us. We just hope you'll give it a try!

July 2008 - The American Institute of Architects and The Landmark Society needs your immediate input for the ongoing Recent Past Architecture survey. The survey, once completed, will serve as the basis of proactive preservation work for more modern buildings to be protected.If you have a favorite mid-century building in the area or know of a landmark in your neighborhood that was built between 1930 and 1970, please speak up!

In order for this preservation work to happen, we need you to log into www.aiaroch.org/archipedia/ and participate.

In addition to serving as the basis for future preservation work, the survey results will allow the AIA to create a searchable database for those doing research on Rochester architecture or planning as well as serve as a platform for possible nominations to the National, State and/or Local historic registers.

So, if you find yourself getting excited by that retro-ranch on your street or you have a “thing” for the funky old gas station or drive-through on your commute, you’re exactly the kind of person we need to get involved.

Read more about The Landmark Society's work on recent past architecture (including our statement on Midtown Plaza) here.

It’s a great time to plan your 2009 vacation with The Landmark Society. We’re proud to continue our strong tradition of visiting memorable locations, and we hope you'll come experience history with us. Our ever-popular Frank Lloyd Wright Heritage Tour of Buffalo and the Canoe and Kayak excursion on Irondequoit Creek both return in 2009, and we'll also take day tours to Linwood Gardens, Lockport, NY, and Wellsboro, PA. Extended motor coach journeys include Cape May, NJ; Montreal and Quebec City; and Philadelphia, PA. Please click here for a full listing of dates and registration information.

Score with historic preservation!

Historic preservation touches your life, and the lives of everyone in our community, every day.

Whether you sip coffee and read your paper at Spot Coffee in the Hallman Building (one of Rochester's best examples of Art Deco architecture), ride the 1905 Denzel Carousel at Ontario Beach Park, or relish a martini at Restaurant 2Vine (built around the turn of the 20th century as an ambulance garage), please know that your support of The Landmark Society is doing its work.

Save buildings, avoid fouls!

The Landmark Society is engaged in productive discussions with key planners and decision makers regarding the Midtown project and others currently on the table, and we have brought attention to the tremendous opportunities to incorporate existing, historically significant elements of Midtown Plaza into new design plans. As this multifaceted project moves ahead, we look forward to continuing to work alongside the designers and developers, lending our knowledge of Midtown’s history as we all seek the best possible outcome for this complex site.Please click here for a Q&A and more information.

For a printable .pdf version of Peter Seigrist's Synopsis of Mall Maker: Victor Gruen, Architect of an American Dream, previewed in the March 2008 Landmarks newsletter, please click here. You may also read the article in its entirety in the Preservation section of our website

Make a significant impact on the future development of our cities, neighborhoods and rural areas.

Director’s Circle members will play a crucial role in achieving our mission. With your leading support, we will face the pending challenges of redefining our cities, neighborhoods and rural areas.

Please join The Landmark Society Director’s Circle, enjoy the special privileges offered to this exclusive group of benefactors, and, most importantly, make a positive impact on the future of our communities.

For more information on the unique benefits designed exclusively for Director's Circle members, please visit our enrollment site or call Susan Latoski, Director of Development at 585-546-7027 x29.

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