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Elmira College Center For Mark Twain Studies Receives Preserve New York Grant

Elmira, NY (07/29/2021) — Elmira College received a $10,000 grant from Preserve New York (PNY) to fund a historic landscape report of Quarry Farm, which will detail the property's exterior and provide suggestions on how to maintain and restore the property.

Quarry Farm is an area of significance for its association with Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. Twain and his family gathered at Quarry Farm on the outskirts of Elmira for more than 20 consecutive summers in the latter part of the 19th century. It was on this property, in an octagonal study his sister-in-law built for him, that he wrote his most iconic works: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889).

The grant will enable Elmira College Center for Mark Twain Studies to hire Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture, LLC, to conduct the historic landscape report, which will allow remediation of drainage issues around the main house while restoring and preserving the historic integrity of the bucolic surroundings.

"This is an important and exciting project," said Joseph Lemak, director of the Elmira College Center for Mark Twain Studies. "It's essential for us to preserve and restore the environment in which Twain was inspired to pen works that remain relevant hallmarks of the American experience. The recommendations we will receive from Martha Lyon thanks to this grant will help us improve the drainage around the main house of Quarry Farm. This is a priority in our preservation efforts, especially as precipitation levels become more erratic in this era of climate change."

A 2018 Preserve New York grant helped fund a Historic Structure Report of Twain's Study, which now sits on the Elmira College main campus.

The Preserve New York program is a regrant partnership between the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the Preservation League, made possible with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

"We are proud to continue our partnership with the Preservation League of New York State to support projects that foster community, and celebrate our State's rich history," said Mara Manus, NYSCA Executive Director. "NYSCA remains dedicated to preserving New York State's cultural footprint and we look forward to seeing these vital preservation projects realized. Congratulations to all!"

"Navigating the difficulties and hardships of the past year has been a challenge for nonprofits and municipalities across the state," said Erin Tobin, Vice President for Policy and Preservation and the Preservation League. "The League is grateful to our program partners at NYSCA and the Gardiner Foundation for continuing to support Preserve New York, which will grant much-needed dollars to so many worthwhile preservation projects this year."

About the Preservation League of New York State

Since its founding in 1974, the Preservation League has built a reputation for action and effectiveness. Our goal has been to preserve our historic buildings, districts, and landscapes and to build a better New York, one community at a time. The Preservation League of New York State invests in people and projects that champion the essential role of preservation in community revitalization, sustainable economic growth and the protection of our historic buildings and landscapes. We lead advocacy, economic development, and education programs across the state.

Connect with us at preservenys.org, facebook.com/preservenys, twitter.com/preservenys, and instagram.com/preservenys.

About the Center for Mark Twain Studies

The Elmira College Center for Mark Twain Studies was founded on December 31, 1982 with the gift of Quarry Farm to Elmira College by the Langdon family, Mark Twain's in-laws. The Center offers distinctive programs to foster and support Mark Twain scholarship and to strengthen the teaching of Mark Twain at all academic levels. The Center serves the Elmira College community and regional, national, and international students and scholars of Mark Twain. Learn more: https://marktwainstudies.com/

Media Attachments

Quarry Farm became a cultural humanities site in 1982 and is used as a place of work and inspiration for Mark Twain scholars.

In partnership with SmallTown360, the Center for Mark Twain Studies created a virtual tour of the main house for those who wish to get a better look at the property and its grounds. Go to https://bit.ly/QuarryTour to see the virtual tour.

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