Work continues on Epworth Hall, and we’re pleased to share the latest progress.

This work has been made possible in large part through three significant state grants totaling just shy of half a million dollars in NYS Investment in the Silver Lake Institute: a $100,000 DASNY grant supporting the roof replacement, a $234,281 CFA grant supporting the elimination of groundwater intrusion and structural/foundation restoration, and a $98,000 NYSCA grant focused on plumbing, bathroom finishes and accessibility.

2023 Northeast Windows: The institute started to tackle issues with the wooden windows on the building's northwestern side. They restored nearly 20 window sashes through a Wood Window Workshop Program.

2024

Roof: The SLI Board took urgent measures to replace the roof shingles on Epworth Hall using reserve funds, after waiting several years for the release of awarded DASNY funds, which had not progressed. Finally, in 2025, the funds were released, allowing the board to replenish the reserve account.

Scoping and Pre-development: Schultz Associates Engineers and Land Surveyors, along with Lozier Environmental, conducted boundary surveys and environmental assessments to ready the site for construction. By June, the installation of a new project sign signified the official commencement of work. Bero Architecture prepared architectural drawings for the new spaces and addressed subsequent foundation and structural design concerns.

French Drain: The first major priority under the CFA-funded phase was addressing long standing water issues. A failed French drain had allowed water into the ground floor for years. Wyco Construction installed a new curtain drain and reworked the downspouts so water is now directed safely away from the building.

Gutters: Lake Country Gutters replaced the old system with durable 6-inch galvalume gutters and screens designed to withstand Western New York weather. These improvements were essential to protecting the foundation.

Southeast Windows: The institute continued to tackle issues with the wooden windows on the building's southwestern side. They restored nearly 15 window sashes through a Wood Window Workshop Program.

2025

North Windows: The institute tackled issues with the wooden windows on the building's north side. They restored nearly 15 window sashes through a Wood Window Workshop Program.

Demolition: Riverside Masonry started work in June by taking out the decayed flooring from the northern program rooms and demolishing both basement bathrooms, including the hallway and stair access to them. Following this, excavation commenced in the unfinished area beneath the auditorium to move the bathrooms to the lobby level and create room for larger, accessible restrooms.

Collar Ties: Creative Home Construction installed collar ties in the auditorium's rafter area to prevent the roof's splaying action, which was pushing the exterior walls outward and causing the roof ridgeline to sag. This was the final task intended to be funded by the delayed DASNY grant, which included shingles, gutters, and collar ties.

Unexpected Discoveries: During the demolition phase, significant structural problems

were found related to the integrity of numerous support columns, piers, and rim joists. The committee swiftly adjusted, collaborating with Riverside Masonry to redirect capital and secure additional funding to tackle these issues. Unfortunately, reallocating funds meant that the team had to exclude the finish work for program rooms and sidewalks from the budget.

Exterior Columns: Buffalo Architectural Casting carefully reproduced exact matches of the hall’s rotten exterior wood columns, in more durable concrete, ready to be installed in the spring of 2026

Structural Repairs: The focus shifted to the longest and most challenging part of the project, structural repairs. Riverside Masonry removed rotten flooring, stabilized or replaced a number of support columns, installed a foundation on a little more than half of the building and poured new concrete floor slabs in the lobby, northern program rooms, new basement restrooms and new utility room.

Exterior Doors: The main entrance doors were significantly affected by wear and tear, along with damage from buckled floors. They were taken to Talis Historic Restoration in Medina for a complete restoration where the doors will undergo a full makeover and return in like new condition.

Bathroom walls, perimeter foundation wall, and floors: During the winter, Riverside gradually rebuilt the bathroom walls using CMU and poured new concrete floors in the northern program rooms, new bathrooms, and utility rooms. Potter Plumbing installed new waste lines in the bathrooms. After discovering insufficient structural support on the north and west perimeter walls, Riverside removed all the piers in this area and installed a new CMU foundation.

Sanitary Line: Harding Plumbing started installing a new sanitary waste line that extends from the north side of the building down Ames Avenue. This adjustment lowers the line below the basement floor level, allowing the new bathrooms to be on the same level as the lobby floors. This design provides accessible access and eliminates the need for a waste pump.

2026

Work supported by the $98,000 NYSCA grant will begin in earnest. This phase will focus on improving functionality inside the building, including a new sanitary main and water line, finishing the new accessible basement bathrooms, adding an additional accessible bathroom in the auditorium space, and installing an improved relocated kitchenette in the northern portion of the auditorium. This portion of the project will be completed by Creative Home Construction.

Looking further ahead, work will continue on exterior columns, foundation, plumbing and interior finish work along with reinstallation of the historic doors. Thanks to ongoing consultations with the State Preservation Office, all efforts are being made to keep as much of the historic look and feel of the building in place as modern amenities are added.

There is still more to do — but Epworth Hall is already stronger, drier, and better protected than it has been in years. We’re grateful to everyone helping preserve this important part of our community.

This project (Epworth Hall, EPF 236680) is funded in part by an Environmental Protection Fund grant from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation through Title 9 of the Environmental Protection Act of 1993.