The Landmark Society’s 2013 Preservation Awards will be presented this year at a special event on Sunday, November 10 at 3:00 p.m. in Rochester’s historic City Hall, the spectacular Richardsonian Romanesque landmark located downtown at 30 Church Street. The Awards are given each year to individuals and organizations in our nine-county area who have made outstanding efforts in the preservation of their homes, historic properties, and landscapes. In anticipation of the upcoming Awards Ceremony we will be featuring some of this year’s award winners.

The Special Achievement Award recognizes accomplishments that have occurred over a lengthy period of time.

 Frank Grosso

A native of Long Island and graduate of Pratt Institute and Yale University, architect Frank Grosso has had a major role in changing the face of downtown and the Rochester community through his projects over the past five decades.  With engineer Richard Handler, the partnership of Handler-Grosso was involved with some of the most innovative preservation projects in our area, including the Lawyers’ Cooperative Publishing Company, the Rochester Free Academy, the National Casket Company/Court-Exchange Building, and St. Joseph’s Park.

His sensitivity to historic design when creating additions to existing buildings is evident in projects at the Memorial Art Gallery and the Rochester Museum and Science Center.

Photo Credits: Richard Margolis

 The renovation of the Lawyer’s Cooperative Publishing complex and the Free Academy showed that rehabilitating historic buildings made sense both economically and philosophically.

His rehabilitation of the former Federal Building as Rochester’s new City Hall renewed a landmark building that has been viewed by thousands of appreciative citizens since its opening in 1978.

Frank is an architect who brings a respect for the past to all of his projects, working with a sensitive and diplomatic approach that results in successful outcomes for each situation.

Photo Credits: Richard Margolis

A long-time trustee of The Landmark Society,  he provided critical leadership and design expertise for a variety of challenging projects over the years, most notably with the rehabilitation of the fire-damaged St. Joseph’s Catholic Church as a unique public park.

Honored by the Rochester chapter of the American Institute of Architects with their  Medal of Distinction for his lifetime career, Frank Grosso has been a tireless advocate for this community’s historic resources for over five decades.

Visit our Success Stories page to see more previews of this year’s winners and check out winners from 2012!