Otsego 2000 To Present Walking Tour of Gilbertsville

GILBERTSVILLE—Otsego 2000 will offer a walking tour, “Gilbertsville: Advocacy and Activism,” on Sunday, August 4 at 3 p.m. The tour will be led by Dr. Cindy Falk, assistant dean of graduate studies at SUNY Oneonta and professor of material culture at the university’s Cooperstown Graduate Program.

The Gilbertsville Historic District, which was first listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, was inspired by a plan to place dams that would flood the Butternut Valley, destroying the historic landscape. In the Village of Gilbertsville, this is just one example of the advocacy that has led to action in the areas of education, natural resources and human rights.

This walking tour was researched and developed by students Emily Boozel and Peg Engasser in Dr. Falk’s Historic Preservation class at CGP.

Ellen Pope, executive director of Otsego 2000, will have information on the Historic Home and Barn Tax Credits available to homeowners living in communities like Gilbertsville that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Otsego 2000 offers free technical assistance in applying for these tax credits.

The Otsego 2000 Historic Preservation Series will continue with walking tours in Hartwick on September 8, Worcester on October 6 and Cooperstown on November 10.

Dr. Falk was co-editor of “Buildings & Landscapes: The Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum” for five years and is the author of “Barns of New York: Rural Architecture of the Empire State.” She has been a visiting lay pastor at the Gilbertsville Baptist Church and First Presbyterian Church. She says of Gilbertsville, “The community has such strong values and a rich history of art and architecture. It is visibly infused with concern for others and for the environment.”
The walking tour will last two hours and include walking on steep inclines and uneven surfaces with a route of a little over one mile.

The cost for the walking tour is $10.00. Register in advance at otsego2000.org or by calling (607) 547-8881.