Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

November 30, 2018

Tom Livak, Park Manager 3
(716) 354-6515 | Thomas.Livak@parks.ny.gov

State Parks Announces Beginning of $2 Million Allegany State Park Red House Administration Building Restoration Project

Project will Help Preserve Exterior of Iconic Tudor Revival Building

A $2 million historic preservation project is underway at the Red House Administration Building at Allegany State Park in Western New York. This project will rehabilitate the exterior of the 90-year-old building, including the removal and restoration of 173 historic windows and doors. Funding for the project was made possible under Governor Cuomo's NY Parks 2020 initiative.

"The distinctive Red House Administration Building complements the stunning beauty of Allegany State Park, one of New York's oldest state parks," said State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey. "This project will help preserve the original splendor of the building that millions of Allegany State Park visitors appreciate and enjoy. Governor Cuomo's historic investment in our parks and historic sites is helping to revitalize the places and landmarks that New Yorkers take great pride in."

The project is expected to continue through June of 2019. The Exterior Restoration Project was preceded by other key building improvement projects performed over the past several years which combine to preserve and enhance this 90-year-old Tudor Revival-style building that is always a favorite attraction for visitors to Allegany State Park. This building serves as the New York State Parks - Allegany Region Headquarters, Park Police station, Red House Rental Office, park gift shop, park restaurant and nature museum.

Western New York general contractor Edward Hulme, Inc was awarded the contract to perform the historic preservation work. Work on the building will include:

• removal and restoration of 160 existing mostly single-pane steel windows;
• installation of new interior storm windows;
• repair and refinishing of 13 wood entry doors;
• building painting;
• replacement of the main entry sidewalk;
• cleaning of selected sections of exterior masonry;
• along with some exterior wood and stucco repair.

The project also includes reconstruction of the retaining wall located on the lake side of the building and replacing the elevated lawn area with a stamped concrete patio.

Work has been initiated on the Park Police end of the building and will progress around the entire building whereby the contractor will remove a group of windows and send them out for restoration and then proceed on to additional windows until they are all complete. Some building entrances may be temporarily closed for short periods, but public access to the building will be maintained throughout the construction project. Park visitors may experience some reduction in parking availability at the Red House Administration building during this project, so patience while these key restoration improvements are made to this iconic building are appreciated.

The park improvements reflect Governor Cuomo's continued commitment to revitalizing the state park system, expanding access to outdoor recreation, and helping youth understand the environment. The Governor's NY Parks 2020 program is a multi-year commitment of $900 million in private and public funding for State Parks to 2020. In addition, Connect Kids to Parks program provides free day-use park entry to fourth-grade students and their families, and offers transportation grants to help students from underserved schools visit state parks and historic sites.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 individual state parks, historic sites, golf courses, boat launches and recreational trails, which are visited by 71 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit parks.ny.gov, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter