About

Housed in a former boys' school dating to 1890 on West 44th Street, the General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen in the City of New York is a venerable institution boasting a series of intact historic interiors. Established in 1785 to educate New Yorkers employed in the building and construction trades, the organization features an institute offering low-cost continuing education classes to mid-level professionals, a world-class library of technical books and journals, an extraordinary collection of locks ranging from 4000 B.C. to the twentieth century and an ongoing lectures series on subjects ranging from art to architecture to literature. After commissioning its architect to complete a Historic Structures Report to identify and prioritize repairs to its landmark building, it engaged Gregory Dietrich Preservation to assist it in applying for a matching grant from New York State's Consolidated Funding Application grant program to replace its leaking skylight within the main reading room. Gregory Dietrich Preservation’s ability to secure a $500,000 matching grant not only enabled the organization to fund a sizable portion of the work, but also leverage other public and private funding sources toward the completion of the project. Having addressed a substantial failing of its historic building, the General Society can now continue to educate, entertain and inspire its students and the public-at-large through its array of programs.