Cultural Landscape Workshop Set for Lorenzo SHS

Lorenzo State Historic Site, in Cazenovia, Madison County, NY, will host a one-day workshop for preservation planners, cultural resource managers and stewards of historic properties.

The day’s agenda will include defining the types and characteristics of cultural landscapes- documenting historic and current conditions including preparation of period and contemporary plans- developing treatment plans within an historic preservation context- examples of cultural landscape reports and their various components- interpreting the cultural landscape- what resources to consult and what steps to take in establishing a cultural landscape preservation program- and touring the historic landscape at Lorenzo.

Presenting cultural landscape experts:

John Auwaerter, Co-director of the Center for Cultural Landscape Preservation, SUNY ESF, and a National Park Service Partner with the Olmsted Center in Boston

Christine Capella-Peters, member of the technical staff for the NYS Historic Preservation Office, a division of OPRHP

George Curry, Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Landscape Architecture, SUNY ESF and cultural landscape Project Director at SUNY ESF

The registration deadline is May 15, 2012. The cost is $40 for MAAM members- $50 non-MAAM members (payment accepted by check or credit card). More information can be found online.

The program is presented by the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums in cooperation with the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science & Forestry (SUNY ESF), and the National Park Service Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation.

Budget, New Funding Boosts New York History

This week Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced $89 million for in New York Works funding for capital improvements at 48 specific state parks and historic sites that account for 37 million of the park system’s 57 million annual visitors. The state budget signed last week also includes $35.6 million in total funding for the New York State Council on the Arts grants, an increase of $4 million. The Environmental Protection Fund is unchanged, at $134 million which includes 9M for the Zoos, Botanical Gardens and Aquariums Program and additional monies for some historic preservation projects. According to the Museum Association of New York (MANY), there are no cuts in jobs or programs at the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, but &#8220Parks would be down 12 jobs, to 1,736, reflecting attrition and the ongoing hiring freeze.&#8221 Funding to run the parks would dip slightly, about 2.5 percent, to $211.3 million according to MANY.

According to a press statement issued by the Governor’s office, New York Works is designed to reinvent state economic development with innovative new strategy that will put New Yorkers back to work rebuilding the state’s infrastructure. The Task Force is expected to help create tens of thousands of jobs by coordinating comprehensive capital plans, overseeing investment in infrastructure projects, and accelerating hundreds of critical projects across the state.

Parks & Trails New York was among those who reacted enthusiastically to the New York Works plan. Through a series of reports over the last few years, Parks & Trails New York has attempted to document the challenges facing the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), particularly the agency’s enormous capital projects backlog, and the economic benefit the park system generates for the people and economy of the Empire State.

On a statewide basis, Parks & Trails New York reports that direct spending by OPRHP and spending by visitors to state parks supports up to $1.9 billion in output and sales, $440 million in employment income, and 20,000 jobs. The benefit-to-cost ratio is more than 5-to-1—more than $5 in benefits for every $1 in costs.

A detailing of projects in each region of the state can be found by using the Governor’s press releases here.

Historians Should Promote Preservation

In recent articles several authors have pointed out the multifaceted world that is New York history. Museums, historical societies, historical agencies on all levels and the local government historians all play a role in our efforts to ensure the continued importance of this state’s history and heritage. Is this the right approach or should there be a more top down method to our madness? Whatever your answer is to that question, the same divergent pattern is found in historic preservation in the Empire State. Read more

Rockland Lake Park Complex Master Plan Underway

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) Palisades Region and the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) will hold a public information meeting regarding the preparation of a Draft Master Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Rockland Lake, Hook Mountain, Nyack Beach, and Haverstraw Beach State Parks (together, the Rockland Lake Park Complex) on the west bank of the Hudson River in Rockland County, New York.

OPRHP and PIPC encourage the public to participate in the planning efforts for the park complex and welcome all comments and suggestions. Developed and opened to the public in the early 1960s, the parks are part of the Palisades Interstate Park system.

The public meeting will be held at Rockland Lake State Park Championship Golf Course Clubhouse on Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 7:00 PM. Park staff will make a brief presentation about the master planning process and the park after which the meeting will be open to receive public comments.

All persons interested in the Rockland Lake Park Complex are urged to attend- those who cannot may view the Public Information Meeting Packet on the OPRHP website.

Written comments and suggestions may be submitted by April 27, 2012 to:

Mark Hohengasser
Park Planner
Agency Building 1, 17th Floor
Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12238
[email protected]

Upon inclement weather conditions, please visit the OPRHP website for a meeting cancellation notice and updated information.

For additional information and directions to the meeting, contact the park office at 845-268-3020.

Peter Feinman: OPRHP and NYS Cultural Heritage

The ongoing look at the history infrastructure in New York State continues here with the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP). Within this overall department, Historic Preservation defines itself quite rightly as &#8220an important economic catalyst for New York State,&#8221 although the validity of this assertion often is overlooked by the powers that be. Read more

31 Recommended for State, National Registers

The New York State Board for Historic Preservation recommended the addition of 31 properties and districts to the State and National Registers of Historic Places, including a Lake Champlain shipwreck, a post-World War II auto dealership, and a 200-year-old Catskill inn that survived the catastrophic floods of Tropical Storm Irene.

Listing these properties on the State and National Registers can assist their owners in revitalizing the structures, making them eligible for various public preservation programs and services, such as matching state grants and state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits.

The State and National Registers are the official lists of buildings, structures, districts, landscapes, objects and sites significant in the history, architecture, archeology and culture of New York State and the nation. There are 90,000 historic buildings, structures and sites throughout the state listed on the National Register of Historic Places, individually or as components of historic districts. Property owners, municipalities and organizations from communities throughout the state sponsored the nominations.

Once the recommendations are approved by the state historic preservation officer, the properties are listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places and then nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, where they are reviewed and, once approved, entered on the National Register.

STATE REVIEW BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS

Albany County

The Dr. Wesley Blaisdell home, Coeymans – the imposing 1838 Greek Revival-style home constructed by Dr. Wesley Blaisdell, physician and son of a wealthy landowner, remains a visual landmark in the local community and stands as a monument to several of the community’s leading citizens and families.

Cayuga County

Cottage Farm, Fair Haven – one of the oldest seasonal houses in the village of Fair Haven was originally built in the 1830s and extensively remodeled around 1880 and again in 1910, and is a reminder of the village’s long tradition of being a seasonal vacation destination on Lake Ontario.

Columbia County

The Bartlett House, Ghent &#8212- the former railroad hotel built in 1870 was at one time the centerpiece of a cluster of buildings, many of which have fallen away, that marked the intersection of the New York & Harlem Valley and Berkshire Railroads, providing a link to the post-Civil War growth of the hamlet.

Copake Falls Methodist Episcopal Church, Copake – dedicated in 1892, the highly intact example of ruralLate Victorian era ecclesiastical design was built on land donated to the group by the Miles family, which was associated with the nearby Copake Iron Works, and is now home of the Roeliff Jansen Historical Society.

The Daniel and Clarissa Baldwin House, Spencertown – built in1807, it is a distinctive example of Federalperiod domestic architecture reflecting the influence of New England construction methods brought west by the hamlet’s early settlers, who largely came from overpopulated regions of Connecticut.

Erie County

The American Grain Complex, Buffalo – the intact collection of early 19th century buildings embody the tale of Buffalo’s leading role in transshipment of grain from the Midwest to the East, and the handling of grain to produce malt for the brewing industry and flour for the baking industry.

The Automobile Club of Buffalo, Clarence – the 1910 Craftsman-style building housed the automobile club that not only brought together early automobile enthusiasts, but lobbied for pro-motorist legislation that was integral to the development of the automobile generally and of paved roads throughout New York State.

Buffalo Meter Company Building, Buffalo – the 1915 building is an excellent and largely intact example of a reinforced concrete frame daylight factory celebrated their structure and functionality with minimal ornament were highly influential to Modern Architecture.

Essex County

The Canal Boat Vergennes – a rare example of a class of mid-19th century Champlain canal boat that was archaeologically unknown until the shipwreck’s discovery in 1998, it is significant for the understanding it can provide for both the history of the Champlain Canal and the evolution of canal boat construction.

Greene County

John and Martinus Laraway Inn, Prattsville &#8212- a distinctive example of late Federal/early Greek Revival design, the inn was constructed ( in part) in the late 18th century to become one of the region’s most recognizable visual landmarks, hosted the town’s first organizational meeting in 1833, and survived catastrophic flooding in 2011.

Kings County

The Wallabout Industrial Historic District, Brooklyn –lined predominately with late-19th and early- to mid-20th-century industrial buildings, the district reflects the paramount importance of industry in Brooklyn as it developed into one of America’s major industrial centers.

Monroe County

Church of Saints Peter and Paul Complex, Rochester – built between 1911 and 1926, the excellent example of the Italian Renaissance Revival style was built by a parish organized to meet the needs of the growing Catholic German immigrant population in the city.

George J. Michelsen Furniture Factory, Rochester &#8212- built in 1914 for one of Rochester’s longest-running family concerns, the imposing industrial building was home to a company that survived the Depression, unlike many Rochester furniture makers, and continued to manufacture bedroom furniture at the site until the late 1950s.

William A. Payne House, Greece – the 1905 Queen Anne-style home was owned by William A. Payne, who made an impact on local and state commercial practices through his leadership in developing fair and uniform methods of weighing and measuring for merchants and consumers.

Niagara County

First Presbyterian Manse (also known as the Lavinia E. Porter House), Niagara Falls – Located on Buffalo Avenue, the Italianate-style home built before 1851 in one of the city’s oldest sections is one of two mid-19th century houses left in an area that consists mostly of 20th century hotels and commercial buildings.

Oneida County

Wright Settlement Cemetery, Rome – the cemetery records the lives of the families who settled the town after the Revolutionary War, which is especially important in light of the fact that physical links to the farming community were lost to the development of the Rome Air Depot in 1941.

Onondaga County

Scottholm Tract Historic District, Syracuse – largely developed between 1915 and 1940 at the transition between the streetcar and automobile, the subdivision represents the growth of single-family residential enclaves within the city, with curving boulevards featuring dense tree-cover, large lots, and a variety of architectural styles.

Orange County

Denniston, New Windsor – Built in 1875, the house is a rare and architecturally significant example of non-reinforced concrete construction in the mid-Hudson Valley.

Union Chapel, Cornwall-on-Hudson &#8212- built in 1873, it was erected by Cornwall’s Orthodox Quakers in the post-Civil War period to extend of religion to the residents of Cornwall Landing, and served as both a Quaker mission and Sunday school, at times non-denominational, before eventually falling into disuse.

Orleans County

The Clarendon Stone Store, Clarendon – Constructed in 1836 from locally quarried Medina sandstone, the rare surviving example of an early 19th century stone store played a central role in village life, also housing the post office, the town clerk’s office and the town court at different times.

Payjack Chevrolet Building, Medina – built in 1949 in accordance with modern design principles General Motors encouraged its dealers to adopt after World War II, the business known today as Hartway Chevrolet is one of the few remaining from Medina’s &#8220Automobile Row&#8221 at the edge of the village’s commercial center.

Rockland County

Brookside, Upper Nyack – built around 1865 and substantially enlarged and modified around 1890, the home is a noteworthy example of the large villas which were central features of estates developed in the Hudson River corridor by the affluent in the 19th century.

Seaman-Knapp House, Ladentown – erected sometime near the turn of the 19th century, the house reflects both Dutch and English vernacular building traditions and was at one point used as a place of assembly for religious purposes by the local Quaker community.

St. Lawrence County

Hepburn Library of Colton – the 1912 library, notable for its rustic stonework, was endowed by Colton native Alonzo Barton Hepburn, a successful lawyer, banker and state and federal government official, who donated an estimated $3 million for construction of libraries, schools and hospitals in St. Lawrence County and elsewhere.

Schoharie County

Stewart House and Howard-Stewart Family Cemetery, South Jefferson – the 1850s home is a high intact example of a Greek Revival farmhouse and the cemetery reflects rural 19th century burial practices when family members were buried on their own properties.

Suffolk County

Riverhead Main Street Historic District, Riverhead – strategically located on the Peconic River and at the split of Long Island’s North and South Forks, the concentration of buildings represents Riverhead’s importance as the center of business, culture, entertainment and government on the East End of Long Island.

Ulster County

Ellenville Historic District, Ellenville &#8212- the historic district illustrates how forces from the development of the Delaware and Hudson Canal in the early 19th century to the role of the &#8220Borscht Belt&#8221 era summer resort economy following the Second World War shaped the commercial core of the crossroads village.

Pine Hill Historic District, Pine Hill – the cohesive collection of late 19th century and early 20th century buildings represent the heyday of summer tourism in the Catskill Mountains.

Westchester County

Dale Cemetery, Ossining – incorporated in 1852 and laid out in the rural cemetery tradition, with winding paths set along forested gentle hillsides, the cemetery retains much of its mid-19th century plan and is the final resting place of many of Westchester County’s prominent citizens.

Downtown Ossining Historic District (Boundary Expansion) – the boundary expansion includes four contributing buildings that were not included in the 1988 nomination, but which are characteristic of the historic district’s 1840 to 1933 period of significance.

Wyoming County

First Free Will Baptist Church, Pike – the 1881 structure is a representative example of a late 19th century Gothic Revival-style church and the last surviving historic religious building in the small rural community.

Photo: Grain elevators and canal boats in Buffalo Harbor.

Thacher Park, Indian Ladder Slideshow Sunday

Local historian Timothy J. Albright along with land conservationist Laura A. Ten Eyck will offer a slide presentation and talk entitled &#8220John Boyd Thacher State Park and the Indian Ladder Reserve&#8221 at the Albany Institute on Sunday, November 20 at 2 PM.

Albright and Ten Eyck will discuss the history of the wilderness that became this region’s beloved Thacher State Park. They will present many rare and unusual photographs of the land traversed by Native Americans, transformed by hardworking colonial farmers, and visited by 19th century travelers and tourists. Caves, cliffs, and legends are all part of the fascinating story.

Following the presentation, Albright and Ten Eyck will be available to answer questions and sign copies of their recently published book, John Boyd Thacher State Park and the Indian Ladder Reserve . The book is available for sale in the Albany Institute Museum Shop. This event is FREE with museum admission.

Photo: Mine Lot Falls at John Boyd Thacher State. Courtesy DEC.

Irene and New York State History (Part Two)

So where do we go from here? The August issue of The Public Historian devoted to &#8220Strengthening the Management of State History: Issues, Perspectives and Insights from New York&#8221 was featured in a recent post by Bruce Dearstyne. In these articles, the need for leadership, direction, and coordination in state history is touted. A stronger role for the State Historian is recommended since the present position has been &#8220emasculated.&#8221 Read more

Strengthening NYs Historical Enterprise

Anyone who follows this website, New York History: Historical News and Views From The Empire State, knows the close to astonishing amount of historical activity going on in our state. New York’s history, I believe, has more variety, interest, and potential for us to draw insights today, than the history of any other state. We have hundreds of historical programs and officially designated local historians. But we also know that the state of the historical enterprise is not as strong as it ought to be. Read more

39 Sites Recommended for State, National Registers

The New York State Board for Historic Preservation recommended the addition of 39 properties to the State and National Registers of Historic Places, including the nation’s first fish hatchery, the neighborhood that grew up near the Brooklyn Naval Yard, and a roadside souvenir stand modeled after a tepee.

Listing these properties on the State and National Registers can assist their owners in revitalizing the structures, making them eligible for various public preservation programs and services, such as matching state grants and state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits.


The State and National Registers are the official lists of buildings, structures, districts, landscapes, objects and sites significant in the history, architecture, archeology and culture of New York State and the nation. There are 90,000 historic buildings, structures and sites throughout the state listed on the National Register of Historic Places, individually or as components of historic districts. Property owners, municipalities and organizations from communities throughout the state sponsored the nominations.

Once the recommendations are approved by the state historic preservation officer, the properties are listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places and then nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, where they are reviewed and, once approved, entered on the National Register.

STATE REVIEW BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS

Albany County

Potter Hollow District #19 School, Potter Hollow – constructed in 1853 in response to the educational reform movements of the mid-nineteenth century, the rural vernacular one-room schoolhouse retains an exceptionally high degree of architectural integrity.

University Club, Albany – the front portion of the Colonial Revival structure, designed by prominent Albany architect Robert Fuller, was built in 1924-25 for the club established earlier in the century to &#8220promote social discourse among its members and to cultivate and maintain university spirit in Albany.&#8221

Bronx County

Dollar Savings Bank, Bronx – today the Bronx Temple Seventh Day Adventist Church, the 1919 bank is a distinguished example of Classical Revival design that reflects the commercial history of one of the most important banking institutions in the Bronx.

Broome County

Harlow E. Bundy House, Binghamton – the Queen Anne-style home was built in 1893 by Harlow Bundy, a founder of the Bundy Manufacturing Company, a leading producer of mechanical time clocks, which was the precursor of IBM.

Chemung County

Riverside Cemetery, Lowman – one of the earliest surviving cemeteries in Chemung County, it is the final resting place of many of the area’s earliest settlers, including several veterans of the American Revolution and the War of 1812, most of whose homes and farms have vanished.

Clinton County
Heyworth-Mason Industrial Building, Peru – the 1836 structure is an example of an early stone industrial building that housed A. Mason and Sons Lumber Company, a firm that operated for 90 years and greatly impacted the building industry in Clinton and Essex Counties.

Cortland County

William J. Greenman House, Cortland – the 1896 Queen Anne-style house is based on a design of George Franklin Barber, an early and successful proponent of &#8220house by mail&#8221 plans, for local manufacturer William Greenman.

Delaware County

Schoolhouse No. 5, Hamden – a mid-19th century rural one-room schoolhouse built in the winter of 1857-1858, sometimes known as Upper Dunk Hill School, which includes a schoolyard defined by a stone wall and mature trees planted by students to mark Arbor Day.

Erie County

Buffalo Seminary, Buffalo – an excellent example of the Collegiate Gothic-style, the 1909 building houses a significant educational institution which has served the Buffalo community for over 150 years and has produced numerous graduates who have made significant contributions to Buffalo and the nation.

University Park Historic District, Buffalo – a remarkably intact example of an early-20th century planned residential subdivision, reflecting the importance of the streetcar and the rise of automobile use in determining the city’s expansion.

Twentieth Century Club, Buffalo – built in 1896, the elegant Classical Revival clubhouse reflects the growth of the national women’s club movement and the increased influence of women generally in American life.

Engine House #2 and Hook & Ladder #9, Buffalo – originally constructed in 1875 to serve the needs of the rapidly growing city and its Allentown neighborhood, the Second Empire-style firehouse was expanded in 1896 to provide additional space for the Hook & Ladder #9.

Essex County

Crandall Marine Railway, Ticonderoga – the rare and remarkably intact 1927 railway dry dock facility was, and still is, used by the Lake George Steamboat Company to haul its excursion boats in and out of Lake George for maintenance and storage.

Fulton County

Hotel Broadalbin, Broadalbin – originally built in 1854 as a specialty store selling gloves manufactured at the local Northrup & Richards glove factory, it was greatly enlarged in 1881 for use as a hotel for the growing numbers of tourists visiting the Adirondacks.

Greene County

Oak Hill Cemetery, Oak Hill – the small, 5.6-acre cemetery originated as the burial place of early settlers Lucas and Deborah DeWitt on their family farm in the early 1820s, and evolved quickly into a community cemetery for residents of the hamlet.

Herkimer County

Frankfort Hill District #10 School, Frankfort Hill – constructed in 1846, the vernacular building retains a high degree of architectural integrity and remarkably served as an active public school for 110 years until 1956.

Kings County

Wallabout Historic District, Brooklyn – primarily residential buildings built between 1830 and 1930 – and especially rich in pre-Civil War wood houses – the district developed as Brooklyn’s residential development moved eastward and laborers came to work at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Lewis County

Stoddard-O’Connor House, Lowville – built in 1898, the Queen Anne/Colonial Revival-inspired home is adjacent to the commercial heart of Lowville, which was experiencing ample growth during the turn of the last century.

Mary Lyon Fisher Memorial Chapel, Lyonsdale – the late Gothic Revival masonry chapel in Wildwood Cemetery was built in 1921 by the children of Mary Lyon Fisher in honor of their mother, and is an important reminder of the philanthropy of the Lyon family, a preeminent family of the region.

Livingston County

Caledonia Fish Hatchery, Caledonia – the property is nationally historically significant for its association with Seth Green, who established the first fish hatchery in the western hemisphere in 1864, creating what has been acclaimed nationally and internationally as the world’s largest and most productive fish plant in continuous use.

Monroe County
Brockport Central Rural High School, Brockport – completed in 1934, today’s A.D. Oliver School is notable for its distinctive English Tudor Revival design, as well as its interior details, especially the auditorium’s stained-glass windows, which illustrate American historic figures.

Oatka Cemetery, Oak Hill – a late 19th century rural cemetery, which was attached to and merged with an earlie
r burying ground, known as Scottsville Cemetery, and contains markers of the area’s citizens from the early 19th century to the present.

Montgomery County

Van Wie Farmstead, (Valley View Farm) McKinley – the 1873 farmhouse based on Italianate-inspired pattern book architecture and associated farm buildings and acreage tell the story of changes in Mohawk Valley agricultural production, from the earliest 18th century wheat farmers to mechanized dairy production in the mid-20th century.

Nassau County
The Stephen Harding House and Studio, Sea Cliff – built in 1878 by photographer Stephen Harding as one of the original homes during the period when Methodist Camp Meetings were held in Sea Cliff.

Niagara County

Hazard H. Sheldon House, Niagara Falls – the 1857 ‘Italian Villa’ was the home Hazard H. Sheldon, a lawyer who played an important role in the civic affairs of the then-burgeoning Village of Niagara Falls.

Allan Herchell Carousel Factory, North Tonawanda – the existing State and National Register listing is expanded to include 39 Geneva Street, which served as the main office for the Allan Herschell Company from 1915 until 1945, when owner John Wendler developed the Kiddieland amusement park concept

Onondaga County
Huntley Apartments, Syracuse – constructed in 1928, and originally known as the Asaranaba, it reflects a trend in the city that saw the acceptance of apartment living on the part of the middle class in a city previously dominated by the single-family or two-family house.

Otsego County

Gilbertsville Water Works, Gilbertsville – in response to a series of large fires, the village of Gilbertsville was incorporated in 1896 with the specific purpose of establishing the water supply system, which it enlarged in 1914-18, and continues in use today.

The Tepee, Cherry Valley – an example of popular roadside architecture, the Tepee was built in 1954 by Ken and Iris Gurney, natives of Nebraska, where tepees were especially popular, who moved to upstate New York and decided to take advantage of growing automobile traffic along Route 20 to open a souvenir stand.

Rensselaer County

Dickinson Hill Fire Tower, Grafton – erected in 1924 by the New York State Conservation Commission in what is now Grafton Lakes State Park, it was one of more than 100 built after 1908 to identify fires and put them out before causing extensive loss of forest, open land, buildings, and wildlife.

Rockland County

Rockland Road Bridge Historic District, Piermont – the district includes a masonry arch bridge erected in 1874 to span the Sparkill Creek along with several nearby properties portraying various periods in the hamlet’s development.

Gurnee-Sherwood House, Wesley Hills – built in the 1790s and subsequently enlarged around 1830 during its ownership by Reverend James Sherwood, a Methodist clergyman who played a central role in the development of the area.Christ Church, Sparkill – built in 1864, the church remains a largely intact and noteworthy example of Gothic Revival-style religious design.

St. Lawrence County

Young Memorial Church, Brier Hill – built 1907-1908, the church is an intact example of the Shingle style, featuring a two-story square Gothic bell tower and decorative windows of opaque glass and stained glass medallions and portraits made by a local artisan.

Saratoga County

Smith’s Grain and Feed Store, Elnora – constructed in 1892, the store served the local farm community for generations by selling feed, grain, coal, fertilizers and other goods that were transported to the store by the railroad, which unloaded at the store’s own siding.

Steuben County

Cottages at Central Point, Hammondsport – built in the 1880s, the four cottages are a remarkably intact collection of picturesque seasonal vacation houses in the Finger Lakes, reflecting the beginnings of the residential development patterns that have come to dominate the region.

Sullivan County

Forestburgh Town Hall, Forestburgh – unaltered since its construction in 1927, the structure’s specifications exactly match the original town hall that burned to the ground the year before.

Warren County

Fort George, Lake George – archaeological investigations at the French and Indian War site have provided rare insights into New York’s colonial wars and it reflects early and successful public initiatives in land conservation and commemoration.

Wyoming County

Perry Downtown Historic District, Perry – the village district of commercial, civic and mixed use buildings reflects the growth and development of Perry as a regional commercial hub and the center of a booming textile industry from roughly 1830 to 1930.