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Supporters of the Kimlin Cider Mill on Cedar Avenue in the Town of Poughkeepsie saw their preservation efforts for the historic structure get a boost last week, with a $140,000 loan from the Preservation League of New York State’s newly established Endangered Properties Intervention Program (EPIP).
The loan, the first dispersed from the program, will help support the purchase of the Kimlin Cider Mill by Cider Mill Friends of Open Space and Historic Preservation, Inc., a Poughkeepsie-based group dedicated to saving the mill and open space.
“When I walked into the press room and I saw the press, I said ‘This is an incredible piece of machinery’,” said Cider Mill Friends president Lisa Weiss. “I was so impressed that the machinery was still in the building, and since then people have stepped forward with an amazing amount of stories about the property.”
Weiss’s interest in the property prompted her to begin Cider Mill Friends in 2000, and less than a year later, what began as a group of concerned citizens became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Now the group has a board of directors, an advisory board and a contact list of more than 500 area supporters; and though they have broadened their mission to include protecting open space and natural and historic resources in the Town of Poughkeepsie through restoration, advocacy programs, and land acquisition, the Kimlin Cider Mill has been their priority since the beginning. But by 2007 the legal process was beginning to take its toll on Cider Mill Friends.
“We had been in and out of court with the developers since 2002, and we were at the point where so many years had lapsed that some of our support funding was in jeopardy,” said Weiss.
That’s when she made a cold call to the Preservation League of New York State. The league is dedicated to the protection of New York’s historic buildings, districts and landscapes, and often serves as a resource for grassroots organizations.
For years the League had wanted to begin the EPIP – a program with the ability to intervene directly when historic properties were threatened. New York State provided a “seed fund” to generate dollars, and the EPIP began looking for threatened historic properties.
Just in time
“In the case of the Kimlin Cider Mill, timing was everything,” said Jay DiLorenzo, president of the Preservation League of New York. “Cider Mill Friends came to us looking for resources … not because they thought we had them, but because they thought we knew someone who did. It just so happened that we were in a position to help.”
Cider Mill Friends completed the application process, and met the eligibility requirements.
“They were very prepared, confident and had a lot of grassroots support,” said DiLorenzo, who was also impressed with the property and the condition of the machinery in the mill.
“The mill and the equipment were historically significant, and this was very attractive to us, and so was the 1.8 acres of space around the mill. The mill will retain some of its original settings. In the true sense of the word, the Kimlin Cider Mill is a landmark,” he said.
Two lots were purchased by the Cider Mill Friends, for $125,000 each. Though the EPIP loan, combined with a New York State grant which was awarded in 2002 and a number of bridge-loan partners, all help to cover the acquisition costs, the group is not finished.
“We have a really dedicated, hard-working group of volunteers. We will be applying for more grants, as well as private fundraising to pay off the cost of the $250,000,” said Weiss.
In the meantime, the group has already begun working with a local architect to begin the restoration process, and in spring they plan to host community work days where volunteers can take part in the renewal effort. Upon completion, Cider Mill Friends hopes the grounds can be used for educational and recreational purposes, and they plan to restore the meadow surrounding the mill. There will be a small gravel parking area with an outdoor kiosk, where visitors can get information, and a window into the mill so visitors can see the original equipment.
“People look at how long it has taken us to get to this point. It was a vacant building that sat unattended for decades, and was threatened by demolition,” said Weiss. “It’s a pretty incredible story – timing is everything.”
