Bero Architecture

This week for we are showcasing a small sampling of Bero projects that have been made possible by the grant programs of the Preservation League of New York State in partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts. These projects over the past 25 years have provided us the opportunity to assist scores of local municipalities and cultural non-profit organizations with the evaluation and documentation of their historic buildings and sites.

Image 1: Sodus Point Lighthouse in Sodus Point, NY / Condition Report
Image 2: Stone-Tolan House in Brighton, NY / Condition Report
Image 3: HOLC “Redline” Map of Buffalo, NY / East Side Historic Context Study
Image 4: St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Jamestown, NY / Citywide Historic Resource Survey Update
Image 5: Five Arch Bridge in Avon, NY / Historic Structure Report
Image 6: Alameda Street in Rochester, NY / Maplewood Neighborhood National Register District Boundary Expansion
Image 7: H.G. Hotchkiss Essential Oil Company Building in Lyons, NY / Historic Structure Report
Image 8: The Evergreens Court and Cottages in Canandaigua, NY / Townwide Historic Resource Survey Phase I
Image 9: Seymour Place in Batavia, NY / Condition Report and Accessibility Study

Historic buildings, structures, sites, and places have been the heart of our work over the past 50 years. To kick off 2026 we’d like to share a project from our archives that exemplifies the firm’s history of preservation advocacy.

Starting in 1985, founder John Bero collaborated with the Landmark Society of Western New York and the grassroots community organization “Friends of Holy Redeemer” to champion the cause for saving Holy Redeemer Church from its proposed demolition by the Catholic Diocese of Rochester. Designed by local architect Oscar Knebel, the church incorporated late 19th century Lombard Romanesque Revival elements with Bavarian Baroque towers. The copper “onion-shaped” domes atop the towers quickly became a defining feature of Rochester’s skyline. Following its dedication in 1877, the church served successive communities of German, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, and Hispanic Catholics. When the Catholic Diocese of Rochester announced plans to demolish the complex in 1987, the Landmark Society of Western New York mounted a campaign to seek an adaptive reuse of the church. The LSWNY commissioned a feasibility study from the former Bergmann Associates (now Colliers Engineering & Design) and worked with the Friends of Holy Redeemer to campaign to save the church, with the LSWNY offering to assume ownership of the building, if necessary. John Bero participated on a panel of experts featured on WXXI radio discussing the feasibility and necessity of preserving Holy Redeemer Church. As a result of the efforts of this broad coalition, the church was designated a landmark by the City of Rochester in late 1988. Soon after, it was purchased and rehabilitated by Northside Church of Christ. The church still stands today as testament to the power of community preservation advocacy.

Historic photo courtesy of Democrat & Chronicle.

Our senior architectural historian Katie Eggers Comeau is making connections! Katie was recently featured on WXXI’s Connections with Evan Dawson to discuss the 2026 Landmark Society Five to Revive. The group covered hot topics including the Cutler Mail Chute building, the LGBTQ+ statewide thematic listing study, and the ongoing restoration of Brockport’s Morgan-Manning House. You can listen to their conversation on the WXXI website or wherever you stream your podcasts.