Hillsdale, NY, March 30, 2021—The Friends of East Gate has received a 2020 Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) from the Preservation League of New York State (PLNYS). The grant is one of 26 projects PLNYS is funding throughout the state, and one of two in Columbia County.
The TAG program is a regrant partnership between the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the Preservation League of New York State. It supports arts centers, historic sites, music halls, theaters, libraries and other cultural nonprofit or municipal entities that steward historic buildings throughout New York.
The $4,000 grant will be used to fund an engineering study to assess the condition of the East Gate Toll House in Hillsdale and recommend options for preserving and restoring this early 19th century landmark.
“We are very grateful to have received this grant from the Preservation League,” said Board of Trustees chairman James Wagman. “The Columbia Turnpike was one of the most important contributors to the economic development of 19th century Columbia County and this grant will enable us to begin the process of ensuring the Toll House will be a permanent fixture in the history of the area.”
The turnpike, authorized by the New York State legislature in 1799, was in part financed through the payment of tolls as farmers drove their produce and livestock across Columbia County to the Hudson River, where it was barged to New York City.The East Gate Toll House, one of three along the turnpike, operated until 1907, when it was converted to a private residence.
The Technical Assistance Grant Program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Generous additional support for this project has been provided by the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation and Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. Support provided by TAG since its launch in 2012 totals $471,021. These grants have directly advanced the efforts of 155 preservation projects.
For more information about the Friends of East Gate, visit www.friendsofeastgate.org.
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