New sections will provide a representation of the original fence
The Rochester Preservation Board has voted unanimously (6–0) to approve the George Eastman Museum’s proposal to remove the deteriorating fence along its frontage on University Avenue, making the museum more open and welcoming to the community. The fence is expected to be removed in April.
In its place, the museum will construct key fence sections to provide a representation of what existed as a barrier on the north side of George Eastman’s estate during his ownership. These sections will allow anyone to envision Eastman’s fence, while having a view into his property. Eight heirloom apple trees will be planted in the northwest corner of the property, near where Eastman's apple orchard was located.
“The removal of most of the University Avenue fence is crucial to our institution’s initiative to be more welcoming to our diverse community and more integrated with the Neighborhood of the Arts,” said Bruce Barnes, Ron and Donna Fielding Director, George Eastman Museum. “Our role in preserving George Eastman’s residence and interpreting it for the public is anchored on East Avenue, but our role as a world-class museum in the art and science of photography and cinema is more connected with institutions on University Avenue—including Writers & Books, the Memorial Art Gallery, and the School of the Arts.”
“NOTA neighbors have long shared the George Eastman Museum's goal of creating a more open connection to University Avenue, so we are thrilled that the Preservation Board has approved the plan to remove and reimagine the existing fence,” said Joe McElveney, NOTA Neighborhood Association President. “The design invites residents and visitors to experience the historic property in new ways, and we look forward to these changes bringing the museum and the community closer together.”
Preservation is a fundamental aspect of the George Eastman Museum’s stated mission. Since 2012, the museum has invested more than $6 million in projects to preserve and restore George Eastman’s grand residence—including its Palm House, porte cochere, Conservatory roof and clerestory windows, pipe organs, East Porch, Bruce B. Bates Colonnade, captain’s walk, and 68 previously unrestored windows—and its gardens. In the Schuyler C. Townson Terrace Garden, the pergola was restored and the brick walkways were regraded and reset for accessibility. In the Rock Garden, the project to restore the grape arbor and improve accessibility will be completed this spring. Work on the project to restore the West Garden loggia, and to improve accessibility to this popular garden, will begin this fall. The museum will also undertake a major project to repair the mansion’s chimneys and parapets and to replace the decorative railing on the mansion’s roof.
The existing University Avenue fence has badly deteriorated. After extended consideration, the Board of Trustees and leaders of the George Eastman Museum determined that opening up the University Avenue side of its property to the community was more important than rebuilding a fence that impedes the institution’s mission and no longer serves a purpose.
The museum will soon begin fundraising for the cost associated with building the new fence sections. Anyone interested in supporting this essential project should contact Bruce Barnes at [email protected] or (585) 327–4848.
About the George Eastman Museum
Founded in 1947, the George Eastman Museum is the world’s oldest photography museum and one of the largest film archives in the United States. Its holdings comprise more than 400,000 photographs, 31,000 motion picture films, the world’s preeminent collection of photographic and cinematographic technology, one of the leading libraries of books and archival materials related to photography and cinema, and extensive holdings of documents and other objects related to George Eastman. The museum is located on the historic Rochester estate of entrepreneur and philanthropist George Eastman, the pioneer of popular photography. As a research and teaching institution, the Eastman Museum has an active publishing program, and its L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation’s graduate program (a collaboration with the University of Rochester) makes critical contributions to film preservation. The George Eastman Museum is supported with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. For more information, visit eastman.org.
