Published Nov. 21, 1997, in The Post-Standard.
By SUZANNE M. JACKSON
One thing was clear at Thursday's meeting to discuss the fate of the faces sculpted more than 125 years ago in a church basement in downtown Syracuse: Time is running out.
"We have a child in the emergency room ... and something must be done now," said Carl B. Westmoreland, a director of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Westmoreland made an unplanned visit to Syracuse to attend the meeting at Bethany Baptist Church because the center has been promised the sculptures by local lawyer Vaughn Lang, the owner of the former Wesleyan Methodist Church at 304 E. Onondaga St.
In recent weeks, there has been a groundswell of community interest in keeping the artwork, which many experts believe was left by fugitive slaves hiding in the church's sanctuary. The original seven faces were carved in clay in the basement of Wesleyan Methodist Church, an integral link in the Underground Railroad. Today, only two remain completely intact; three others are in varying states of deterioration.
Another thing was clear at Thursday's meeting: No matter where the faces end up, the cost to begin the task of saving them is about $250,000, said Douglas V. Armstrong, president of the Preservation Association of Central New York.
And that is only the beginning of a project that could easily exceed the $1.5 million mark if supporters can buy the building, maintain it and create historical tours and programs. They must also reach a compromise with the $70 million Cincinnati center, which is scheduled to open in 2002.
"We know the (faces) cannot be moved easily, or cheaply, if at all, and we know that they may very well turn to dust," Westmoreland said. "Our role is to help stabilize them, and after that we are willing to participate in a constructive dialogue."
That's good news for the task force created this week to try to keep the faces in Syracuse. They'll meet again at 6 p.m. Dec. 4 at Bethany Baptist.
"We have representatives from every level of government in this room ... and Gov. (George) Pataki has been asked to step in," Onondaga County Legislator Sam Roberts said. "Something can be done."
Roberts got involved in the effort to save the faces about two weeks ago, after a state legislator from Buffalo called him and asked why the Syracuse community wasn't outraged by the probable departure of the faces.
Representatives of the Urban League, Bethany Baptist Church and the Freedom Trail project also spoke Thursday. Suggestions included acquiring a national-landmark status for the church or the faces, a distinction that would make federal money available. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
"The art is temporarily stabilized through the good will and hard work of a few who have persisted on their behalf," Armstrong said. "When spring arrives, the job must be completed at considerable expense. Will this challenge be accepted by those who reside in Syracuse ... or will we sit passively by ... losing an important and symbolic link to our regional heritage?"
"This is either of value to our community or it is not," said Eloise Curry, director of the Urban League. "With action, it can be done. And we need to give our children this legacy."