Rising Storm Brewing Company at The Mill to receive 2026 Jeff Crane Award for restoring historic Daisy Flour Mill

Penfield, New York – The Town of Penfield Historic Preservation Board is set to recognize Rising Storm Brewing Company for its work restoring one of the community’s historic landmarks.

Rising Storm Brewing Company at The Mill will receive the 2026 Jeff Crane Award, an honor presented to recognize significant efforts to preserve and rehabilitate historic properties in Penfield. The award will be presented during a ceremony at the brewery at 1880 Blossom Road on Friday, October 2, at 4 p.m. The public is invited to attend the event.

The recognition comes after a major rehabilitation project at the property, which is locally known as the old Daisy Flour Mill. The historic building had remained vacant for years and had fallen into a state of disrepair before Rising Storm Brewing Company took on the project.

In 2022, the brewery received the required approvals from the Town of Penfield to begin rehabilitating the building and surrounding property for use as a brewery. The work involved several parts of the historic structure and site.

Among the improvements were repairs to the building’s windows and roof, along with work to address heavy machinery and equipment inside the structure. The building was also repainted, while the property itself was cleaned up as part of the project.

Read also: Final ROC the Block employment fair brings 168 employers and community resources to Parcel 5 Wednesday

The rehabilitation was completed in 2023. The work allowed the old mill to be put back into active use while maintaining important elements of its historic appearance and character.

Rising Storm Brewing Company opened at the Blossom Road location later in 2023 and continues to operate there today. The business now occupies a building that had once stood unused and deteriorating for years.

The Historic Preservation Board said the project represents an important effort to preserve the property as a Penfield landmark. Rather than leaving the historic building vacant, the rehabilitation gave the structure a new purpose while retaining its connection to the community’s past.

The Jeff Crane Award itself has a long connection to historic preservation in Penfield. It is named after Jeff Crane, the longtime proprietor of Mark’s Pizzeria, who became known for his efforts to restore historic properties along Five Mile Line Road.

Beginning in 1994, Crane purchased and rehabilitated several historic buildings in the area, including properties at 2106, 2107, and 2111-2115 Five Mile Line Road. He personally completed much of the rehabilitation work. One of the most notable projects involved repairing the bell tower at 2106 Five Mile Line Road while working to preserve the building’s historic character.

The annual award is selected by the Town of Penfield Historic Preservation Board. Recipients are chosen based on the significance of their work and its connection to historic preservation.

Read also: Rochester Music Teacher Anastasia Polashenski Named a Finalist for the 2027 New York State Teacher of the Year Award

A plaque recognizing previous Jeff Crane Award recipients is displayed near the Supervisor’s Office at Penfield Town Hall, providing a record of those who have been recognized for their contributions to preserving historic properties in the town.

This year, Rising Storm Brewing Company will be added to that list following its work at the former Daisy Flour Mill.

The October 2 ceremony will give community members an opportunity to see the restored property and take part in the presentation of the 2026 award. Anyone with questions about the event can contact Shannon Shuman at (585) 340-8639.