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Lorenzo State Historic Site
Lorenzo State Historic Site is operated by
the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and
Historic Preservation. The site was
constructed in 1807-1808 by John Lincklaen,
the founder of the village of Cazenovia. IN
1968, the property was conveyed to New York
State after 160 years of continuous
occupation by the Lincklaen and Ledyard
families. Today, the 87 acre site is
operated as an historic house museum
property, and enriches the community via
year-round cultural activities and programs.
The site attracts over 60,000 visitors
annually and is recognized as a community
anchor.
In the summer of 2007, Jeremy Bennick, '08,
served
as an educational, programming and outreach
intern for the organization. He assisted
with the research, development and planning
of the site's bicentennial activities, which
took place in late 2007. He also assisted with
the research, development, and
implementation of the site's living history
program, conducted historic tours of the
mansion and grounds, and provided
documentation photographs for the
interpretive guide to the site.
In
the summer of 2006,
Sarah Woodworth, ’07, helped to oversee
groups of local children participating in
week-long day camps at the site that offered
an immersion experience in
turn-of-the-century life. She also assisted
in updating Lorenzo’s House Book, an
interpretive guide used to familiarize staff
and docents with the cultural landscape and
collections available at Lorenzo. While at
Lorenzo, she learned the value of educating
the public about local cultural resources.
“In order to increase the esteem in which
residents and visitors to the region regard
Upstate New York, they must learn what we
have to offer. Therefore, my project is an
ongoing pursuit to provide an access to this
education,” Sarah said.
In
the summer of 2005, John Steigerwald, '07,
worked at the site. His report follows:
I have put
together a guide to the estate’s art
collection, to be used as a reference for
docents giving tours. The guide is not meant
to be a comprehensive reference to the
entire collection. Because of the volume of
paintings at the estate, I limited my focus
to noteworthy paintings that would be of
interest to visitors, primarily 19th
century American art (including paintings by
well-known artists such as Sanford Gifford
and Samuel F.B. Morse). I have written the
entries to the paintings so that docents
without a background in art history can
convey to visitors the significant aspects
of each individual work. Included in the
entries is information regarding where the
piece fits into a general timeline of art
history, what (if any thing) distinguishes
the painting, and how the piece is related
to the history of the house and its
occupants. I have also included in most
entries a comparable work by a different
artist in order to help the user more fully
understand the painting. My faculty advisor
for the project is Professor Mary Ann Calo.
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