Allen Steinheim Museum

	Allen Steinheim Museum
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	Alfred University's Steinheim Building, August 2007
Location	Alfred University Campus, Alfred, New York
Coordinates	42°15′16″N 77°47′13″W / 42.25444°N 77.78694°W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1876-1880
Architect	Allen, Jonathan
NRHP reference No.	73001163
Added to NRHP	June 04, 1973

The Allen Steinheim Museum is a historic building and former museum located on the campus of Alfred University at Alfred in Allegany County, New York. It is a crenellated stone structure built from 1876 to 1880 to house the "mineral, geological, natural, and man-made curiosities" of Alfred University's second president Jonathan Allen. The building was originally started by Professor Ida Kenyon, who wished to make a private residence that resembled the castles of her native Germany.^[2] The building is constructed of over 8,000 rock specimens that were combined to form the walls of the structure and 700 samples of local and foreign wood to combine the internal framework. When operating in the 1930s, it was considered the second oldest college museum in the United States. The Federal Writers Project described the museum as exhibiting a unique collection of "rare shells, mounted birds and animals, Indian artifacts and pioneer agricultural implements, early American pottery, Steigel and Sandwich glass, and the finest workmanship in the ceramic arts".^[3] The building ceased being used as a museum in the early 1950s, was used as classroom space, and then fell into disrepair.

After a 1995 renovation and a 1997 dedication, the Steinheim, which is German for "stone house," has since housed the Robert R. McComsey Career Development Center.^[4]

In 2008 artist Lenka Clayton devoted time to several projects that sought to call attention to the Steinheim Museum's absent collection.^[5] Among these projects were: ""7,000 Stones," that collected a symbolic pile of stones- numbered as if part of a collection- which were then discarded; "Found Instructions 1", that used an inventory sheet of the dying collection- found in the university's Special Collections- to create a modern display; and "Amnesty for the Museum," where she put a call out for the missing artifacts of the collection in order to photograph them in their current environment.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
^ McFadden, Laurie. "The Steinheim". Archives and Special Collection at Herrick Memorial Library. Alfred University. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ New York State Historical Association, Federal Writers Project (1940). New York: a Guide to the Empire State. Oxford University Press. p. 662.
^ "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)" (Searchable database). New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2016-08-01.^{[permanent dead link]} Note: This includes Steven S. Levy (April 1973). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Steinheim, Alfred, Museum" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-08-01. and Accompanying two photographs
^ "Artist offers 'amnesty' on Steinheim artifacts". AU News Press Release. Alfred University. Retrieved 31 January 2013.

External links

[nris-1] "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.

[2] McFadden, Laurie. "The Steinheim". Archives and Special Collection at Herrick Memorial Library. Alfred University. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[3] New York State Historical Association, Federal Writers Project (1940). New York: a Guide to the Empire State. Oxford University Press. p. 662.

[NysNrhpNom-4] "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)" (Searchable database). New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2016-08-01.^{[permanent dead link]} Note: This includes Steven S. Levy (April 1973). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Steinheim, Alfred, Museum" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-08-01. and Accompanying two photographs

[5] "Artist offers 'amnesty' on Steinheim artifacts". AU News Press Release. Alfred University. Retrieved 31 January 2013.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

v t e U.S. National Register of Historic Places in New York
Topics	Contributing property Keeper of the Register Historic district History of the National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Property types
Lists by county	Albany Allegany Bronx Broome Cattaraugus Cayuga Chautauqua Chemung Chenango Clinton Columbia Cortland Delaware Dutchess Erie Essex Franklin Fulton Genesee Greene Hamilton Herkimer Jefferson Kings (Brooklyn) Lewis Livingston Madison Monroe Montgomery Nassau New York (Manhattan) Niagara Oneida Onondaga Ontario Orange Orleans Oswego Otsego Putnam Queens Rensselaer Richmond (Staten Island) Rockland Saratoga Schenectady Schoharie Schuyler Seneca St. Lawrence Steuben Suffolk Sullivan Tioga Tompkins Ulster Warren Washington Wayne Westchester Northern Southern Wyoming Yates
Lists by city	Albany Buffalo New Rochelle New York City Bronx Brooklyn Queens Staten Island Manhattan Below 14th St. 14th–59th St. 59th–110th St. Above 110th St. Minor islands Niagara Falls Peekskill Poughkeepsie Rhinebeck Rochester Syracuse Yonkers
Other lists	Bridges and tunnels National Historic Landmarks New York City Outside New York City
Category List National Register of Historic Places Portal