Town of Constantia Receives Pomeroy Foundation Historical Marker

OSWEGO COUNTY – The Town of Constantia has been awarded a grant from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation for a New York State historical marker commemorating the original glass factory store located at 676 NYS Rte. 49, Bernhards Bay, N.Y. 13028.

A dedication ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 22. It begins at 1 p.m. with a presentation on the history of the glass factory and store by Constantia Town Historian Christene Kieffer before the new marker is unveiled at 2 p.m.

“The Town of Constantia is ecstatic to have been awarded this grant,” said Kieffer. “It has been 93 years since the town received a historical marker. This dates back to when the State Education Department awarded them. This is the first historical marker awarded to the town from the Pomeroy Foundation.”

The fully funded marker highlights the historical significance of this unique building and the role it played in shaping the community, from glass factory store to general store.

The building itself has many original features that take visitors back to the 1800s. When the glass factory burned to the ground in 1895, the store continued to serve the community. It became the town hub, hosting many events from town business meetings to social gatherings. Today, it still serves the community as a coffee shop with an artisan shop and a toy library.

The Pomeroy Foundation’s New York State program provides fully funded grants for historical markers commemorating historic people, places, things and events in the Empire State. The integral program fills the gap left after New York State stopped funding roadside markers in 1939.

About The Town of Constantia:

The Town of Constantia is located on the north shore of Oneida Lake in the southeastern part of Oswego County. The population is just a little less than 4,700 and includes the hamlets of Constantia and Bernhards Bay, and the village of Cleveland.

About the Pomeroy Foundation:

The William G. Pomeroy Foundation® is committed to supporting the celebration and preservation of community history; and working to improve the probability of finding appropriate donor matches or other life-saving treatments for blood cancer patients. Established by Trustee Bill Pomeroy in 2005 to bring together his two greatest passions, the Pomeroy Foundation is a private, philanthropic organization located in Syracuse, N.Y. As the nation’s leading funder of historical roadside markers, the Pomeroy Foundation has awarded nearly 3,000 grants for markers and bronze plaques in 49 states and Washington, D.C. To learn more about the Pomeroy Foundation, visit wgpfoundation.org.