$148,460 Awarded in Fifth Competitive Round to Strengthen Quality of Life
WATERTOWN — Eleven nonprofit organizations serving St. Lawrence County residents will share $148,460 in grant funding from the Rock Charitable Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation to preserve local history and maintain churches and cemeteries in the region.
The legacy fund was established at the Community Foundation in 2019 through a bequest from St. Lawrence County resident and retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Marjorie J. Rock, who passed away in February 2017 at age 96. Thanks to her thoughtful generosity and foresight, Ms. Rock’s desire to support St. Lawrence County will be perpetuated for generations to come.
“Marjorie’s legacy continues to have a profound impact, ensuring that St. Lawrence County’s history, heritage, and community spaces are preserved for future generations,” said Kraig Everard, Community Foundation director of philanthropy. “Through support for these important projects, we honor her generosity and her deep connection to the place she called home.”
The following St. Lawrence County organizations will share $148,460 in grant support:
- Notre Dame Catholic Church, Ogdensburg — $36,500 to support the restoration of a highly visible large stained-glass transept window. Once complete, plexiglass coverings will be replaced with clear tempered glass. The church’s stained-glass windows are the work of internationally renowned stained-glass artist Harry Horwood, whose most prominent artistry was completed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Unitarian Universalist Church of Canton — $25,040 to help replace two heating systems. An energy audit recommended replacement of both heating systems with more efficient systems. Capital reserve funding will cover up to 50 percent of the project.
- Bayside Cemetery Association — $20,000 to help restore an urn-bearing tower adjacent to the cemetery’s gatehouse building. The sandstone gates and towers of the entrance are iconic structures recognizable to people as they enter the cemetery to visit the remains of loved ones or to enjoy the tranquil beauty of the cemetery. This project provides for the restoration and stabilization of the gates and towers to preserve this cultural and historic legacy for future generations St. Lawrence County residents.
- Clark-Robinson American Legion Post 68, Norwood — $16,133 to complete a floor replacement project. The Legion plays a central role in the community, providing support, engagement, and essential services. Most of the facility’s flooring was installed more than 30 years ago. New flooring will reduce fall hazards and enable ease of use for wheelchairs and walkers. Grant funding will support half the project budget while the Sons of the American Legion and the Legion’s Auxiliary will cover remaining costs.
- St. Olympia Orthodox Church, Norwood — $20,814 to support a restoration project and complete a facility assessment. St. Olympia Orthodox Church began in 2012, the only Orthodox Church in St. Lawrence County, and is housed in the former First Congregational Church. Grant funding will help restore ceilings and walls in a side room and foyers. The total grant award includes up to $6,000 to consult with a preservation architect to create a preservation and restoration plan.
- Frederic Remington Art Museum, Ogdensburg — $10,587 to help replace the gift shop window, the largest window in the museum, which has deteriorated due to wood rot and other weather-related damage. The museum is housed in the Parish Mansion, one of the oldest and most historically significant buildings in Ogdensburg. The replacement window will align with the building’s historic character, maintaining its authenticity while providing modern durability and energy efficiency.
- Pierrepont Hill Cemetery Association — $6,533 to support planting Green Mountain Boxwoods along the north and east border of the property that will serve as a more aesthetically pleasing boundary. The shrubs are low maintenance and not a future threat to monument stones.
- Town of Waddington — $5,680 to help conduct a building condition assessment for the old Waddington Town Hall. The 1884 building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a community landmark. Its basement houses the Waddington Historian and the Waddington Museum, and the main level hosts meetings of the Town Board, local organizations, and community events. Town officials plan to use the assessment as support for future funding applications that would seek repairs to preserve this historic building.
- Flackville Cemetery Association, Lisbon — $2,900 to help purchase topsoil, grass seed, crusher run for driveway, tree removal, and monument work. The Cemetery Association and its cadre of volunteers are working to maintain the property for the benefit of the community it serves.
- United Methodist Church of Norwood — $2,600 to help stop rainwater runoff from further damaging the church’s historic steeple. Founded in the 1850s, the United Methodist Church of Norwood stands as a testament to the enduring faith and generosity of its original parishioners. As part of an ongoing capital improvement project, immediate support is needed to preserve the historic steeple.
- Purmort Cemetery Corporation, Heuvelton — $1,673 to help remove a large dying maple tree and repair a large headstone in danger of toppling. The Town of Depeyster recently increased its support of the cemetery.
Since the Rock Charitable Fund began grantmaking efforts in 2019, it has awarded nearly $705,000 in grant funding to support 43 projects at 39 St. Lawrence County organizations, including churches, cemeteries, places of historical significance and those supporting veterans of the United States military.
The Community Foundation administers this permanent charitable legacy fund in collaboration with a seven-member St. Lawrence County-based board of advisors that reviews applications and makes funding recommendations. Advisors include Ruth McWilliams, South Colton; Erik Backus, Potsdam; Fred Hanss, Hannawa Falls; Colin Hostetter, Lisbon; Chris Rediehs, Canton; Mark Thompson, Watertown; and Keith Zimmerman, Canton.
Applications for 2025 grant funding from the Rock Charitable Fund will be accepted beginning Monday, April 7, through the Community Foundation’s online grant portal at nnycf.org/grants. At least $125,000 in competitive funding is available this year. Applications are due Friday, September 5.
Grant support is available to qualified organizations whose missions and efforts align with the fund’s charitable purposes, which are: for the maintenance and preservation of churches and other houses of worship and cemeteries in St. Lawrence County; for the preservation and maintenance of places of legitimate historical significance in the county; and to benefit and/or assist veterans of the United States military who reside in St. Lawrence County for their medical and/or recreational needs. Grants in support of veterans cannot be made directly to individuals.
Contact Kraig Everard, Community Foundation director of philanthropy, kraig@nnycf.org, or 315-782-7110, to learn more about this opportunity.
About Marjorie J. Rock
Marjorie J. Rock grew up in St. Lawrence County and graduated from Heuvelton High School in 1937. In 1941, she graduated from the three-year nursing program at Flower Fifth Avenue School in New York City. The following year, she joined the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, serving in North Africa and Italy during World War II. After the war, she attended Teachers College at Columbia University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1948 and a Master of Arts in 1950.
She spent six years teaching in nursing programs, first as an instructor for Hartford Hospital in Connecticut and later at New York City’s Lennox Hill Hospital. She returned to active Army service in 1954 to assist with medical courses for enlisted personnel and helped to establish a medical education system, particularly in the United States, Japan, and Germany. She served as a supervisor, chief nurse, instructor, and director of an advance medical technician school. Her last overseas duty was in Vietnam.
In 1970, she retired from the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel and returned to St. Lawrence County, joining her mother in Ogdensburg to help with her care. She earned many honors during her Army service, including the Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal. Her only sibling, a brother, was killed in action in 1944 while piloting a P-47 Thunderbolt plane over Normandy. For the rest of her life, Ms. Rock made St. Lawrence County her home while traveling with friends, caring for others, and assisting her church and other organizations, including the Army Nurse Corps Association and other veterans’ groups. She maintained a keen interest in documenting local history and furthering the education of others in the county.
About the Northern New York Community Foundation
Since 1929, the Northern New York Community Foundation has invested in improving and enriching the quality of life for all in communities across Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
Through partnerships with businesses and organizations, charitable foundations, and generous families and individual donors, the Community Foundation awards grants and scholarships from an endowment and collection of funds that benefit the region. Its commitment to donors helps individuals achieve their charitable objectives now and for generations to come by preserving and honoring legacies of community philanthropy while inspiring others.
The Community Foundation is a resource for local charitable organizations, donors, professional advisors and nonprofit organizations. It also works to bring people together at its permanent home in the Northern New York Philanthropy Center to discuss challenges our communities face and find creative solutions that strengthen the region and make it a great place to live, work, and play.