CANTON — The St. Lawrence County Center for History & Culture (SLCCHC) has received a $7,500 Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) from the Preservation League of New York State, in partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). The funding will support a Limited Condition Assessment of the historic Silas Wright House.

The assessment, to be completed by Crawford & Stearns, will identify building components most in need of repair and provide the documentation necessary for SLCCHC to prioritize and budget future capital improvements. “We are so grateful to NYSCA and the Preservation League for this opportunity to lay the groundwork for deferred maintenance and updates on our historic property, listed on the National Register of Historic Places,” said Carlene Bermann, SLCCHC Executive Director.

This year, 31 applicants across 20 counties received a total of $347,500 through the Preservation League’s TAG and Preserve New York programs. Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League of NYS, noted that combining the two grants this year provides a clear picture of the preservation work underway across the state.

The Technical Assistance Grant program supports arts centers, historic sites, theaters, and other nonprofit or municipal entities that steward historic buildings. Since its launch in 2012, TAG has provided $819,320 to advance 242 preservation projects statewide. Additional support comes from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation for Nassau and Suffolk County projects and the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area for projects within the Hudson Valley Greenway.

The Silas Wright House, home to the SLCCHC and the St. Lawrence County Historical Association, was originally the residence of Silas Wright, Jr., attorney, politician, and 14th Governor of New York, and his wife, Clarissa Moody Wright. Open to visitors five days a week, the house features period rooms from the 1830s and 1840s, as well as a 2000 addition with changing exhibits, programming space, and a children’s hands-on play area. The museum’s Gift Shop highlights items from St. Lawrence County, and the public Research Room provides access to county archives, family files, and specific death records.

For more details and photos of the 2025 grantees, visit preservenys.org/blog/2025-regrants