New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Architecture

NYS Nominates 13 Places for State, National Registers of Historic Places

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An information table set up by the Gay Liberation Front on the University of Rochester’s Eastman Quadrangle in 1970 (Photo by Anthony Boccaccio)The New York State Board for Historic Preservation has recommended adding 13 properties to the State and National Registers of Historic Places and submitting one request to the Columbia Turnpike East Toll House to the National Park Service.

The nominations include a key site associated with Rochester‘s LGBTQ+ history, a historic synagogue in Manhattan‘s Upper West Side, a public park in Ithaca, a church connected to Yonkers’s civil rights history, a re-built Lustron House in Erie County, the Oneida County History Center, and more. [Read more…] about NYS Nominates 13 Places for State, National Registers of Historic Places

New York City Historic Districts Council Names ‘Six to Celebrate’

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Addisleigh ParkThe Historic Districts Council (HDC) has announced its Six to Celebrate, an annual listing of historic New York City neighborhoods that merit preservation attention. Six to Celebrate is New York’s only citywide list of preservation priorities. [Read more…] about New York City Historic Districts Council Names ‘Six to Celebrate’

Bellport, Long Island Preservation with Victor Principe

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long island history project logoA tree-lined street running gently down to a flat blue bay, flanked by over two hundred years worth of American architecture. Bellport, in the Town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, on the South Shore of Long Island, was in all its glory, from its founding by the Bell brothers through its growth as a waterfront resort destination and the ensuing years as a sleepy, forgotten village.

But there came a time when the old place needed saving – when all the Greek Revivals and Victorians could have been razed or replaced with McMansions. [Read more…] about Bellport, Long Island Preservation with Victor Principe

A Schoharie Crossing Aqueduct Project Update

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work at Schoharie Crossing aqueductWorkers are shoring up the remains of the aqueduct at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site in Fort Hunter, Montgomery County, NY.

With the water in the Erie Canal drawn down for the winter, the project is well into the construction phase. Workers are creating a large concrete wedge at the end of the piers and arches to act as a brace, so the arches won’t shift. Protections are being added around the base to prevent problems as the water rises in the spring. [Read more…] about A Schoharie Crossing Aqueduct Project Update

Remembering Historian, Preservationist Jeffrey Kroessler (1952-2023)

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Jeffrey KroesslerJeffrey Kroessler, a longtime board member of the Historic Districts Council (HDC) in New York City, preservationist, author, and historian, passed away on Sunday, February 5th at the age of 71.

Kroessler served on HDC’s boards of directors and advisers for 36 years, helping to craft the organization’s advocacy strategies and educational programs on preservation across the city. [Read more…] about Remembering Historian, Preservationist Jeffrey Kroessler (1952-2023)

Historic Preservation: Landmark Society Names Five to Revive

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Hotel CadillacThe Landmark Society of Western New York has announced its 2022-23 Five to Revive – a list that identifies opportunities for targeted, strategic revitalization. The announcement was made at a news conference last week at the Landmark Society headquarters in the Warner Castle in Rochester. [Read more…] about Historic Preservation: Landmark Society Names Five to Revive

Work Begins On Bayard Cutting Arboretum Visitors Center

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rendering of Bayard Cutting ArboretumA $9.3 million construction project has begun on a new Visitor Center, improved parking, and enhanced exhibits at Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park in Suffolk County on Long Island. [Read more…] about Work Begins On Bayard Cutting Arboretum Visitors Center

Lake George’s Canoe Island Lodge Privately Preserved

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Main Lodge, circa 1949 Canoe Island Lodge, the classic Lake George resort and a 2.7-acre island that was a 19th century campground for the American Canoe Association, has been purchased for $10.7 million by real estate preservationist Ginger Cannon Bailey. [Read more…] about Lake George’s Canoe Island Lodge Privately Preserved

Erie Canal Aqueduct Stabilization Project Begins

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Schoharie Crossing on Erie Canal showing 9 arches of aqueduct at Fort HunterThe New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) has announced that construction has begun on a $1.7 million project to stabilize the historic Erie Canal Aqueduct at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site in Montgomery County.

The aqueduct, which was built in 1841, is within the Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor. [Read more…] about Erie Canal Aqueduct Stabilization Project Begins

Ticonderoga’s 1700s French Village Forge Survey Planned

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Smith Forge at Fort Ticonderoga French Village (provided by Fort Ticonderoga Association)Shortly after establishing Fort Carillon (later named Ticonderoga), the French Army began the construction of a series of ancillary structures, including the Smith’s Forge, to the south of the fort beginning in early 1756.

This area, known as the lower town, or the French Village, housed a number of proto-industrial structures that supported the military activities of the armies who garrisoned Ticonderoga in the 18th century. [Read more…] about Ticonderoga’s 1700s French Village Forge Survey Planned