Historic Preservation

Under Threat: Willard State Hospital at Seneca Lake

June 20, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Willard State Hospital in Romulus, Seneca County, NY has defined the physical landscape and cultural environment of its rural corner of the Finger Lakes region for nearly 175 years. The hospital complex was the largest of its kind in the 1870s, with dozens of buildings, open space, and working farms.

Once comprising over 1,000 acres, its current size is about 400 acres including a mile of Seneca Lake shoreline and an institutional cemetery containing approximately 6,000 burials. Despite the loss of several architecturally important buildings, about 70 buildings still stand today. [Read more…] about Under Threat: Willard State Hospital at Seneca Lake

1772 Foundation Supports Preserving Saratoga Springs

June 15, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation was one of 25 preservation organizations across the country to receive a grant from The 1772 Foundation. The $35,000 grant is to establish a historic property redevelopment program (HPRP). [Read more…] about 1772 Foundation Supports Preserving Saratoga Springs

Under Threat: The Downtown Oneonta Historic District

June 12, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Downtown Oneonta Historic District is representative of more than two centuries of economic activity and urban development. The district remains largely intact, and contains an architecturally significant collection of commercial, converted residential, and civic buildings.

The downtown district characterizes broader trends in small urban areas where disinvestment and rural poverty are a direct threat to historic resources. Small cities like Oneonta represent important parts of the overall historic tapestry of New York State that without creative solutions could be lost forever. [Read more…] about Under Threat: The Downtown Oneonta Historic District

A First Ever National Census of History Organizations

June 10, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) has announced the results of the first ever National Census of History Organizations, an effort to research the size and scope of the history community in the United States. [Read more…] about A First Ever National Census of History Organizations

Under Threat: Thomas Memorial AME Zion Church, Watertown

June 6, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Thomas Memorial AME Zion Church is a testament to the struggles and achievements of Watertown‘s African American community. Its original congregation was formed in 1878, consisting of many railroad workers, some of whom were formerly enslaved and many who were active abolitionists. Under the leadership of Frank Thomas, for whom the church is named, members of the congregation built the church themselves in 1909.

Descendants of Frank Thomas continue to live in the community, linking the past to the present. From its early days and connections to the Underground Railroad to its consistent use for worship service through 2012, the church long served as an anchor for the African American community of Jefferson County. [Read more…] about Under Threat: Thomas Memorial AME Zion Church, Watertown

Civil War Battlefield Where New Yorkers Died Being Preserved

June 2, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The 154th New York Infantry Regiment was organized at Albion, Orleans County, NY beginning August 19, 1862 and mustered in for three years service on September 24, 1862 under the command of Colonel Addison G. Rice.

Known as the “Hardtack Regiment,” they were first involved in battle on May 2, 1863, in a clearing west of a crossroads called Chancellorsville, in a largely forested region of Virginia remembered as “The Wilderness.”

The regiment was posted near the home of the minister of a small nearby church. His house was a former barroom, Dowdall’s Tavern. [Read more…] about Civil War Battlefield Where New Yorkers Died Being Preserved

Under Threat: South of Union Square Historic District, Manhattan

May 31, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The proposed South of Union Square Historic District in Manhattan contains a remarkable concentration of sites connected to key civil rights and social justice movements, as well as influential literary, artistic, and music movements.

It offers a unique window into New York City‘s development in the late-19th and early-20th century, with an eclectic array of buildings, many designed by world-class American architects.

Despite its historic importance, this neighborhood is severely lacking in landmark and zoning protections. [Read more…] about Under Threat: South of Union Square Historic District, Manhattan

Lake George Boards Seek More Active Role in Historic Preservation

May 26, 2022 by Anthony F. Hall Leave a Comment

The Town and the Village of Lake George in Warren County, NY may play a more active role in preserving historic sites and significant architecture if both adopt laws creating a joint Historic Preservation Commission. [Read more…] about Lake George Boards Seek More Active Role in Historic Preservation

Preservation League Announces Seven to Save

May 22, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Since 1999, the Preservation League of New York State has highlighted New York’s most endangered historic sites through its Seven to Save program. The League works with local advocates over the course of the two-year listing and beyond, to raise visibility, assist with advocacy, and provide technical services. [Read more…] about Preservation League Announces Seven to Save

A Saratoga County Odd Fellows Hall Is Now A Place For History

May 19, 2022 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

Although little is known about the early history of the Order of Odd Fellows (OOF), it was already an established organization in England before 1730. No one knows exactly where the name “Odd Fellows” came from. One possibility is that prior to this organization, only the wealthy belonged to such fraternities. This organization was made up of common laboring men of England who at the time were thought to be an “odd” group to be forming such an organization.

Another, more probable theory posits that in 18th century England, major trades were already organized as guilds, and “odd fellows” from less typical “odd trades” organized themselves under the “odd fellows” name. [Read more…] about A Saratoga County Odd Fellows Hall Is Now A Place For History