Cobblestone Museum honors key supporters at annual meeting
Photos by Tom Rivers: Brenda Radzinski is applauded after she was announced as the Cobblestone Museum’s Volunteer of the Year during the museum’s annual meeting on Saturday at Tillman’s Village Inn.
GAINES – The Cobblestone Museum honored many dedicated volunteers and supporters during the organization’s annual meeting on Saturday at Tillman’s Village Inn.
Brenda Radzinski was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year. She is active in many activities at the museum, including as a docent for school tours and for other museum visitors. Radzinski is a museum trustee and helps with the many of the museum events.
She had a lead role in developing the script for a Ghost Walk last month. She created a quilt that was auctioned off to benefit the museum. She volunteered at a bridal show in Medina, to promote the museum as a wedding venue.
Radzinski is a master gardener and helped decide where to put perennials on the museum grounds. She also volunteered during “cobblestone kids’ days” during the summer and the led the crafts activities with children.
The following were recognized with awards during the Cobblestone Museum annual meeting, front row, from left: Erin Anheier with Proctor Award for leading two big capital projects at the museum; Pat Morrisey with the Donna Rodden Hospitality Award for hosting events on behalf of the museum; Anna Migitskiy, who manages Lures Restaurant in Kendall, which was presented with the New Business Partner award; Grace Kent of Albion, with Rufus Bullock Award for outstanding and sustained contributions to the museum.
Back row: Andre Tsyupa, owner of Lures Restaurant, New Business Partner award; Brenda Radzinski, volunteer of the year; Andre Migitskiy of Lures Restaurant; Gerard Morrisey, donna Rodden Award for hospitality; Camilla VanderLinden of the Dunn Martin Fund for Communtiy Partner Award; and Gary Kent of Albion with Rufus Bullock Award.
Besides the volunteer of the year, the Cobblestone Museum recognized the following:
The Rufus Bullock Award was presented to Gary and Grace Kent for their “outstanding and sustained contributions to benefit the museum.” The Albion couple have been long-time supporters and volunteers for the museum. The award is named for Bullock, who grew up in Albion and went on to be elected as governor of Georgia in 1868. His outhouse form his home on Liberty Street in Albion is now at the museum. Bullock moved back to Albion and donated many valuables to the former Swan Library for the community to enjoy.
• The Frances Folsom Cobblestone Board Alumni Award is a new award for “excellence in serving the museum by a former board member.” The debut award was presented to Susan Starkweather Miller, a former museum trustee who remains active with the museum, leading tours. The award is named for Frances Folsom, a former Medina resident who became First Lady in 1886 at age 21 when she married Grover Cleveland at the White House.
Starkweather Miller this past year led a Summer Garden Bus Tour on July 20. This bus trip around the county looked at several spectacular horticultural displays.
She also led a bus trip on Feb. 9 to the George Eastman House in Rochester. The tour included a visit with Landscape Manager Dan Bellavia, who shared how the Eastman Mansion prepares for the earliest bulb show in North America.
Starkweather Miller makes the trips fun with “cobble-scones” and unique door prizes, said Chris Sartwell, a museum trustee.
Sue’s mother Roz Starkweather accepted the award on Saturday.
• The Community Partner Award was presented to Camilla VanderLinden of the Dunn Martin Fund, which has provided funding for the museum’s internship program during the summer.
Next year the Dunn Martin Fund will pay for a closed circuit camera system at the Cobblestone Universalist Church. Events in the church’s sanctuary will be able to viewed in the church’s basement, which is handicapped accessible.
Anna Migitskiy accepts the New Business Partner Award for Lures Restaurant in Kendall. “We’re excited for the opportunity to be in the community,” she said.
• The New Business Partner was presented to a new supporter of the museum. Lures Restaurant, led by Anna and Andre Migitskiy, shared 20 percent of the proceeds from a day of sales at the Kendall location in march with the museum.
• Donna Rodden Hospitality Award is named in honor of the late Albion mayor who was instrumental in having many historic sites in the community be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Patricia and Gerard Morrisey have opened their home for cobblestone events and volunteered at many other museum programs.
• The Proctor Award was presented to Erin Anheier for assisting the museum in an extraordinary manner. She has spearheaded two big capital projects at the museum, writing and managing grant projects that included masonry repairs to the 1849 Cobblestone Schoolhouse. The schoolhouse also received a new roof, had wooden trim work painted, and windows restored.
Anheier also led a grant project at Farmers Hall to strengthen the foundation and add collar ties to firm up the rafters. The building, formerly the Kendall Town Hall, was sagging. The additional foundation support will stop that, and the turnbuckles will keep the building from spreading apart.
The Proctor Award is named for John Proctor, the founder of the Childs hamlet where the museum is located.
Derek Maxfield, a professor at Genesee Community Community, was the keynote speaker and shared about Ulysses S. Grant in his role as general for the Union during the Civil War.
The museum has a 19-member board. Erin Anheier of Clarendon was elected as president. She will succeed Richard Remley, who will be in the role of executive vice president in 2020. Anheier served this past year as vice president of development. Toni Plummer will be in that role in 2020.
Other officers for 2020 include: Kevin Hamilton as treasurer, Shirley Bright-Neeper as secretary, Grace Denniston as corresponding secretary, and Gail Johnson as membership secretary.
New trustee terms beginning on Jan. 1 will be filled by the Rev. Don Algeo, Diana Flow, Pat Morrissey and Al Capurso.
Remley said the museum is committed to be part of a revived historic district in the Childs hamlet along Route 104 in Gaines. The museum has worked to preserve its historic buildings and is interested in developing a visitor’s center in the future.
This past year the museum put up new signs on its campus. A new front door was replaced on the Brick House next to the Cobblestone Universalist Church and some of the Brick House shutters were repainted.
The leaking gutters on the Cobblestone schoolhouse were repaired. An electric heaters was installed at the schoolhouse and a derelict furnace was removed. The bell tower on the schoolhouse also should soon have a roof repair, and there will be landscaping behind the schoolhouse to raise the frost level at the corners. A well stone will also be placed at the schoolhouse, which was built in 1849.
Kathy Scroger and Judy Ernenwein of Kendall stopped by Farmers Hall for a photo after the annual meeting. The building used to be the Kendall Town Hall but was taken apart and reassembled at the Cobblestone Museum. The building received new foundation peirs and rafter collars this past year.
At the Farmers Hall, a building that was once the Kendall Town Hall, new foundation piers were put under the building and roof rafter ties were installed.
The museum also put new roof shingles on the book sale building, which was a voting booth in Hamlin.
Museum seeks $4,000 to replace furnace in Ward House
Remley and the museum are making a year-end appeal for $4,000 to replace the furnace in the Ward House, which was built around 1840.
Any funds received beyond the furnace cost will go in an account for future building maintenance.
Donations can be sent to the Cobblestone Society, P.O. Box 363, Albion NY 14411.
The museum has an upcoming event to close out 2019. The annual Christmas Tour of Historic Homes will be from 2 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 7 and includes many stops in Albion with the option of a bus tour.
For information about tickets, check CobblestoneMuseum.org or call (585) 589-9013.
Maarit Vaga, a museum trustee, shares some plans for the museum’s 60th season in 2020. The museum plans to step up its community outreach, including creating a float to be in the local community parades.
