2020 Jeffrey S. Crane Preservation Award Presented

The Penfield Historic Preservation Board awarded the 2020 Jeffrey S. Crane Preservation Award to Joyce and Ron Baroody, owners of the Mann-Owen House located at 2129 Five Mile Line Road, at the December 3rd meeting of the Historic Preservation Board. The Baroodys are credited with preserving Penfield’s past in ways that will sustain their property at 2129 Five Mile Road well into the future.

Joyce and Ron were nominated for this recognition by the Town’s Historic Preservation Board for their rehabilitation of the Mann-Owen House, constructed in 1828 as the residence of early settler (1815) Calvin Owen. The Baroodys have restored and updated the building’s interior and have refurbished portions of the exterior.

“By preserving historic structures, we are able to share the very spaces and environments in which the generations before us lived, worked, or worshiped. Once a piece of history is destroyed, it is lost forever,” said Supervisor Tony LaFountain. “With the assistance of the Historic Preservation Board, Penfield continues to emphasize the importance of preserving buildings of historic significance. Joyce and Ron Baroody embody the purpose of the Jeff Crane Award, which is to honor those who preserve historic structures for generations to come.”

The Historic Preservation Board established the award in 2007 in honor of Jeffrey Crane (1961-2006) to recognize individuals who have cared for Penfield’s past through the preservation of a structure of historic significance. Jeff Crane was the owner of Mark’s Pizzeria in Penfield and champion of preserving the historic character of the Four Corners district.

Jeff and his brother Mark were responsible for the significant restoration of Penfield’s original Methodist church at 2106 Five Mile Line Road. Together, the Crane brothers restored the bell tower, renovated the building's interior and exterior, installed parking, landscaped the grounds, and worked with secured easements from several property owners along Five Mile Line Road to provide for on-street parking on both sides of the road. The Cranes were also involved in several other restoration projects in the Four Corners before Jeff’s death in 2006. Mark and Jeff Crane were recognized as the first recipients of this award in 2007.