HISTORICAL SOCIETY’S OLD BANK BUILDING MUSEUM RECOGNIZED IN CEREMONY

Saturday June 7th was a very special day at the Old Bank Building Museum. Preserve Our Past (POP) presented its annual historic presentation award to the Little Falls Historical Society in a noontime front portico well-attended ceremony.

The event and award recognized the decades-long efforts by several generations of Historical Society members to preserve and safeguard the 1833 building, once the first bank in Herkimer County.

The Greek Revival building constructed of native stone with dressed limestone detailing was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. A group of dedicated early historic preservationist visionaries fought against city government to save the building from the urban renewal wrecking ball in the late-1960s and early 1970s.

The dedication ceremony began with POP officer Wayne Perkins officially presenting the preservation award to Society president Jeffrey Gressler after delivering a summary of the history of the Old Bank Building Museum itself and preservation efforts undertaken by earlier Society members.

Gressler began his acceptance remarks by stating that the event was more about the past than the present. He then went on to read from three separate historic documents; the first was the official New York State charter recognizing the combined efforts of Edward and Mary Louise Cooney, Natalie Derby, John Gallagher, John George, Mary Grace, Lydia Loucks, Robert McEvoy, Dr. Fred Sabin, Harold Sperbeck, and Ralph Van Hornin establishing the Little Falls Historical Society

The second document recognized Natlie Derby for her longtime efforts at local historic preservation and the third document recognized the efforts of Harold Sperbeck to help get the Old Bank Building placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

Sperbeck’s daughter Elaine next spoke both about her memories of her father on the telephone speaking with officials in Washington, D.C. to make this designation a reality and also praising the efforts of current Society members in carrying forward the work of these earlier individuals.

The congenial gathering of like-minded historical preservationists from the two community groups included conversation and delicious baked goods provided by Society member White Rose Bakery.

The Little Falls Historical Society is most appreciative of POP making this timely event possible.