Submitted Photo Clinton Brown presents the Reconnaissance Survey of Forestville at November’s Hanover Town Board meeting.

HANOVER — In November, Clinton Brown from Clinton Brown Company Architecture, came to speak to the Town Board of Hanover at their monthly workshop meeting and to speak to community residents and business owners regarding the recent completion of the Reconnaissance Level Historic Resources Survey of Forestville and what the results could mean to the community.

Imagine Forestville arranged with the town board to have Brown speak and the members of Imagine Forestville also personally hand delivered invites to every home and business in the Hamlet of Forestville.

On that cold but travelable evening, 25 attendees heard a compelling power-point presentation that began with congratulating the town of Hanover for being a unique town board that is leading the preservation in Hanover by backing the Forestville community on this endeavor.

The presentation covered brief history of early American Indian history of the area, the early settlers, the Railroads, businesses such as mills and the canning factory and the development of the Forestville community. He spoke highly of the remaining buildings on Main Street and the uniqueness of the center island and the hamlet.

He gave encouraging words to the town of Hanover that even though they had tried to preserve buildings in the past without success, there are now new people in the State Preservation Department who are ready to help so the Town should try again. He stated it is never too late to preserve what you have!

At the end of the presentation the attendees had a chance to ask questions that Brown answered with encouraging words. One question that opened a new awareness was answered factually when he stated that letting towns continue without preservation leads to daily decreased property value due to and increased taxes. But when a community begins to take pride in their community through preservation, the property values increase and the taxes decrease. He gave the example of the Elmwood District in Buffalo that he and his wife helped set up. The area had a 30% decrease in their taxes when other property owners improved their homes. He also discussed how homeowners and commercial businesses in a district or a contributing property can take advantage of specific tax credits through the NY State Historic Preservation tax incentives program.

The community can view the survey and the video of Clinton Browns presentation through Imagine Forestville’s Facebook page or see the actual survey at the Anderson Lee Library, 43 Main Street, Silver Creek. If you provide your email address, the survey can be emailed to you at no charge or individual copies can be purchased for $45 by contacting Aimee Rogers at 965-4321.

The approximately 145 page Reconnaissance survey includes over 220 buildings in Forestville, and was entirely funded by the generosity of donors through the Community Pride Grant through the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation, 212 Lake Shore Drive West, Dunkirk.