Save The Wall

In 2012 The Association for the Preservation of Geneseo (APOG) launched a major three-phase project to restore a historic nineteenth-century, mile-long stone wall in Geneseo, NY. A defining feature and gateway into the Geneseo National Historic Landmark District, the wall borders the Wadsworth Homestead, the 200-year old family seat of the Wadsworth family that played an important role in American History and settlement in the region. The wall is constructed in three distinct styles: dry stack, double sided capped mortared, and single capped mortared.

The wall stretches from Crossett Road, along the south side of South Street, past Main, turning the corner and extends south on Route 39/20A towards Mount Morris. The slow degradation of time caught up with the wall, resulting in various states of disrepair.  Since 2012, every Saturday, June through the end of September, paid masons work alongside volunteers to restore of the wall.  Thanks to community and grant support, the Save the Wall campaign is now two-thirds of the way complete and is about to enter its ninth year of restoration and its final phase. Congratulations all around!

This is one of the most significant community preservation projects in Geneseo’s history. Cynthia Howk, the Architectural Research Coordinator for the Landmark Society of Western New York, described the project to the Livingston County Historian as:

“One of the most interesting projects is that“Save the Wall” campaign (launched Spring, 2012) – a cooperative venture with the local community to restore that ever-crumbling stone wall that extends for 1 mile along edge of the property & adjacent to Route 20A (main public road). For years, that has continued to fall apart. Now, they’re working with APOG (Assoc. for the Preservation of Geneseo) to repair the wall. A May, 2012 article in the local newspaper states that they’re working with Dansville mason, John White – who’s coordinating the project/supervising the volunteers working on repairs … This is certainly an important & highly visible project, as the wall is a major defining feature of that Natl. Register estate property.”

Phase 1 of the project (2012-2015)

An impressive total of 475 volunteers over this period logged 3400 hours! Master Mason John White and his son John White Jr.  were hired to coordinate the project and supervise volunteers working on the repairs. Volunteers cleared brush, cleaned stones, made preparations for rebuilding, and worked on actual reconstruction. A section of the wall from the Homestead entrance north to Second Street was completed.

Phase 2 of the project (2016-2019)

A core group of dedicated volunteers continued work on the wall logging in an impressive 2866 hours over the course of four seasons. Guided by Master Mason John White and his son John White Jr., mason Al Valestra was added to the team to rebuilt sections in grave disrepair. Reaching a milestone, the south end of the wall was completed. The team then resumed work on the section of wall beginning at Second Street, stopping at the Elm Street gate.

Phase 3 of the project (2020-2022)

APOG, masons, and volunteers are ready to launch Phase 3 of the project which will complete the final section of the wall beginning at the gate at Elm Street and ending at the wall’s end at Crossett Road. Strict social distancing will be enforced. We need your support more than ever.  How can you help?  Donations of time and money are necessary to continue this project.

There are tasks for those with strong backs as well as tasks for young children, the elderly, and disabled. The volunteers are a diverse group, ranging in age from six to their early 90s. People from all walks of life are represented in the volunteer pool. It is not uncommon to find retired judges, teachers, firefighters, college students, high school students, lawyers, carpenters, and young children working alongside each other. Notably, the ranks of volunteers swell on Saturdays in late August and September as organized brigades of college students show up to lend a hand with the project.

The Save the Wall project has become much more than a preservation organization’s effort to save a stone wall. This project has become a vehicle for building community and encouraging active engagement in the civic life of a community. On any given Saturday, during the work season, between 12 and 20 volunteers converge on the wall and spend three hours working, socializing, and rebuilding the wall and building community ties. The complexity of this project creates opportunities for everyone in the community.