Olana State Historic Site: Case Study
In 1964, Charles Lark had inherited the Olana estate, just ten minutes south of Hudson, New York. His aunt willed him the property as he was the closest living relative to receive it, but he did not wish to live there. His plan was to sell off everything of value, every piece of Hudson River School artwork, and have the house done away with, so he would not have to take care of it. David Huntington, an art historian, made attempts to save this from happening. After two years of fund raising and a TIMES article giving the estate nation-wide attention, he had procured the funds needed to save Olana from dismantlement. Olana became a Historic Site in 1967. Now, Olana is a very popular and frequently visited attraction on the Hudson. They offer teaching opportunities for elementary and high-school children as well as relevant interest groups, and allow people to come on-site to host events. It seems that they have integrated into the surrounding community and are interested in being a resource for the public, as well as researchers. I would imagine that the biggest concern at Olana is funding, because their website implies that restoration of the surrounding landscape and the house itself only really began in the 2000’s. For the last 15 years many things about the site have been changing and updating though, and in 2004 the outside’s Persian-styled stencils were re-done. This no doubt took a great deal of historical work, looking through their archives, plans, and old photographs. The mission of the site is to maintain the incredibly artistic and unique architecture and landscape both imagined, designed, and curated by Frederic Church. To convey the story of the estate, they offer tours, archival resources, a giftstore full of relevant books, and a wealth of online information. The house, being a mixture of late 19th century New York and Persian design, is absolutely one of a kind. Those who visit Olana will not deem it necessary for anyone to argue why the house should be preserved; its unique grandeur speaks for itself.