Sandstone Society seeks nominations for Hall of Fame structures

Staff Reports Posted 31 May 2016 at 11:00 am
St. Paul's Cathedral

File photos by Tom Rivers St. Paul’s Cathedral in Buffalo was named in the inaugural Medina sandstone Hall of Fame Class of 2013. St. Paul’s was built by the Episcopal Church from 1849-1851. The church used stone from a quarry in Hulberton. (The 274-foot-high spire was completed in 1870.) This church was Buffalo’s first major architectural landmark. It was designed by Richard Upjohn after he earned a national reputation for his design of the Trinity Episcopal Church in New York City.

MEDINA – The Medina Sandstone Society is pleased to announce that it is accepting nominations for the Sandstone Hall of Fame induction class of 2016.

he Sandstone Society started the Hall of Fame in 2013, and has inducted 14 structures so far. Plaques and pictures of the Hall of Famers are displayed in the main meeting room of Medina’s City Hall.

The Sandstone Society will accept nominations until July 15. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 20, 2016.

People from anywhere can send their choices for induction directly to the Hall of Fame Committee of the Medina Sandstone Society by mailing the nomination to The Medina Sandstone Society, PO Box 25, Medina, N.Y., 14103. Or, a nomination may be sent electronically using the on-line address (click here).

This year’s class will include nominations from previous years not already selected and any new nominations received by July 15.

St. Louis church spire

The top of St. Louis Catholic Church in Buffalo is an open work lattice spire that reaches 245 feet high. It is the tallest open-work spire ever built completely of stone in the United States, and it is also believed to be the only remaining open-work or pierced spire in the U.S. This church was inducted into the 2014 Class of the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame.

The home of the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame has been permanently established in the City Hall of Medina, a structure itself made of the same brownstone quarried in the Medina area for over 100 years.

Jim Hancock, chairman of the Hall of Fame Committee, along with Dave Miller and Don Colquhoun will research all nominations, including a site visit.

Criteria for consideration shall include age, beauty, longevity, whether the structure is still in use and architectural uniqueness.

If possible nomination information should have full background and documentation and, at the very least, should give a name and phone number to be contacted for further information or a web-site.