Preservation of Enders House is vital to Cazenovia’s history, future

Ted Bartlett

As of Thursday, May 3, 2012 -1:31 p.m.

Why is it important to our community to preserve the Enders House?

The answer in part is not just about the house, it is representative of a broader issue about the future of our community and the vision we have about our community and ourselves.

As a preservation and community planning issue, the arguments to protect and preserve the Enders House and site have been re-stated and re-stated. Architectural, site and setting, Village Edge East, Cazenovia heritage and visual character to the east entrance to the village are all valid, critical and important issues.

The debate has brought home introspective discussions about the qualities and character of our community. What have we got that is distinctive and possibly unique and sets us apart from other communities?

Time and again, visual character, small town qualities and the lake are mentioned. It is the collective setting of the village and surrounding town that makes us distinctive and sets us apart from other regional communities.

Not so much the architecture of the wealthy (while that is important and contributes to our diverse architectural setting) but the architecture and character of a middle class 19th and early 20th century rural upstate community — the layout of the village, the parks, the creek, Albany Street commercial areas, houses of merchants, houses of the working class and farmsteads to mention a few.

Cazenovia is also distinctive for what it has retained throughout its history and what has been seen as important to protect and care for.

Does that mean we do not want to see change and growth?

Of course not, but in order to manage our growth to benefit our community we need visionary thinking that looks forward to the character of our community now, in the short term and in the long term.

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