Albion adds another painted bench, interpretive panel to downtown

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Kim Martillotta Muscarella of Albion painted this bench to look like a piano. The bench was added to the downtown this afternoon. It’s in front of the Uptown Browsery and Knight’s Pride. Muscarella’s son, Jeremiah Knight, owns Knight’s Pride, a custom woodworking business.

The Albion Department of Public Works also installed a new 5-foot-wide interpretive panel about historic downtown Albion. The panel is in Waterman’s Park next to Conrad Cropsey’s law office.

The downtown now has 10 benches that have been painted in heritage or historical themes. The piano bench is in front of the Pratt Opera House. Michael Bonafede and his wife Judith Koehler are working to restore that third-floor site. The benches were paid for a Main Street grant through the state. The Albion Rotary Club paid the artist fee for the piano-themed bench.

The interpretive panel provides information about the history of downtown Albion and highlights some of the architectural features in the buildings. The panel also notes the Albion area is home to four other nationally recognized districts: Mount Albion Cemetery, Courthouse Square, the Cobblestone Society Museum and the Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor.

The panel was paid for by the Main Street grant. The staff at the Lake Country Pennysaver designed the panel, which has been placed next to a mural celebrating the quarrymen.