Landmark Status Moves Ahead

Campbell Art Building (left) and Barler Music Hall (right)..

Good news! Aurora’s Village Board of Trustees acted unanimously on preserving important aspects of our community’s history and shared local legacy following a public hearing held on Feb 19.

Local Landmark designations will move forward for the beautiful, iconic Boathouse lawn and the architecturally dramatic Arts Complex (Barler and Campbell buildings) as well as a newly defined historic neighborhood.

The Wells Legacy Society (WLS) was instrumental in obtaining “expert opinion” letters from the international advocacy group of DoCoMoMo and the renowned world-wide architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM). Each provided a strong letter for the public hearing in support of the Wells Arts Complex attaining landmark status commensurate with the college’s famous L.J. Long Library.  Read them here and here.

The WLS also helped to involve several regional and state-wide preservation groups which together wrote a very detailed joint letter in support of landmark status for the Boathouse lawn and a new neighborhood district, as well as Barler and Campell. You can read it here.

(Several of the letters addressed the ill-informed criticisms raised by an attorney acting for Wells College in a letter entered into a previous Public Hearing, and resubmitted for this one. It is discussed here.)

During the hearing, three members of the Aurora Ledyard Historical Society — all retired Professors from Wells College! — read highlighted excerpts from these letters aloud, staying within the three minute limit for oral comments. (The Trustees all had the complete letters for reference.) The Village Historian, a Wells alumna and Professor Emerita, also offered expert testimony specifically concerning the importance of the Boathouse Lawn.

At their regular meeting following the public hearing, the Village Board introduced an amendment to our local law to add all three new Local landmark designations. One more hearing will be held next month before they vote on the adoption of the amendment into law, so there is still another step to take in the process. Many thanks to everyone who wrote in support of this important effort!