In Columbia County, Basilica Hudson is an organization housed in a riverfront venue that welcomes over 20,000 visitors each season for music festivals, large-scale marketplace events, regular film screenings, an artist-in-residence program, and other community gatherings. Founded in 2010 by musician Melissa Auf der Maur and filmmaker Tony Stone, the organization resides within a reclaimed, solar-powered 1880s industrial factory in Hudson.
Because of the extraordinary action that Auf der Maur and Stone have taken to protect, preserve, and promote New York’s artistic and architectural heritage through Basilica Hudson, they are being honored with the Pillar of New York Award by the Preservation League of NYS. The League has been honoring individuals and organizations with this prestigious award for more than 25 years, and the 2024 Pillar of New York Awards will also mark the League’s 50th anniversary.
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“Pillar of New York honorees are true believers in the power of preservation,” says Preservation League President Jay DiLorenzo. “We look forward to paying tribute to this year’s four marvelous honorees during our golden anniversary celebration.”
Since its founding in 1974, the Preservation League of NYS has built a reputation for action and effectiveness, with a focus on the preservation of historic buildings, districts, and landscapes to build a better New York, one community at a time. The Pillar Awards are the League’s largest annual fundraiser, the support of which finances the League’s statewide work all year long.
Along with Basilica Hudson, Auf der Maur and Stone also completed the rehabilitation of another historic Hudson building in 2019, dubbed the River House Project. This project is a fossil fuel-free film, media, and design hub within a 1903 schoolhouse that earned the duo an Excellence in Historic Preservation Award from the Preservation League in 2020.
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“For more than a decade, we’ve committed blood, sweat, and tears to preserving and celebrating the rich history and heritage of the City of Hudson’s waterfront through our work at Basilica Hudson and the River House Project. It is an honor to be recognized for our part in this effort. We take this opportunity to shine a light on these Hudson River town architectural gems as beacons and creative havens for arts, culture, and people,” says Auf der Maur, as she thanks the Preservation League for their recognition of her and Stone’s work.
In addition to its focus on New York State architectural heritage, Basilica Hudson also supports the creation, production, and presentation of independent arts and culture through its programs. The organization strives to forge experiences that aspire to the scale, grit, and beauty of its surroundings, drawing inspiration from Hudson’s epic history as well as the region’s artistic legacy and environmental advocacy.
Auf der Maur ends her thanks with “This Pillar Award amplifies and echoes our dreams that we set out to make come true when our love affair with Hudson began in 2010. Our greatest hope is that our special attention to historic restoration matched with “green” renewable energy systems will inspire the next wave of preservationists.”
Basilica Hudson is located at 110 South Front Street in Hudson.
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