Historic Preservation

Hudson Area Library Acquires Urban Renewal Papers

September 12, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Hudson Area Library has announced that the Koweek family has donated the Arthur Koweek Urban Renewal Papers to the library’s History Room. Arthur Koweek chaired the Hudson City Planning Commission during the urban renewal project of 1971-1973.

With Hudson again in a debate about housing and business development, much can be learned from the Koweek Papers about the history of urban renewal in the city. The collection is an invaluable resource for Hudson and its residents as they seek to create a city that meets the needs of all the diverse people who live and work in its environs. [Read more…] about Hudson Area Library Acquires Urban Renewal Papers

New Roadside Markers To Honor Lafayette

September 12, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

In celebration of the Marquis de Lafayette’s 265th birthday, the William G. Pomeroy Foundation and The Lafayette Trail, Inc. have announced the launch of a new historic marker series commemorating the French General’s involvement and service during the American Revolution. [Read more…] about New Roadside Markers To Honor Lafayette

Recreation Highlight: Lyon Mountain Fire Tower

August 10, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

With a rich history of mining, Lyon Mountain is a towering peak in the Chazy Highlands Wild Forest in Clinton County, NY.

The mining started in the 1860s and continued until 1967. It produced some of the purest iron ore in the world, and some of that ore was even used to build the Golden Gate Bridge. [Read more…] about Recreation Highlight: Lyon Mountain Fire Tower

Rally Today in Albany To Save Penn Station Neighborhood

July 27, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Empire Station Coalition will lead a group to Albany to lobby the Public Authorities Control Board before they vote on the Penn Area Plan at 2:00 pm today, Wednesday, July 27th. A rally is scheduled to begin at noon. [Read more…] about Rally Today in Albany To Save Penn Station Neighborhood

Fulton County Courthouse: Some History

July 22, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

On this episode of A New York Minute in History, Devin Lander and Lauren Roberts visit New York’s oldest continuously operating courthouse, located in the City of Johnstown in Fulton County.

Built in 1772 by Sir William Johnson, the Fulton County Courthouse has seen the transition from British colonial rule to the establishment of the United States, and 250 years of legal history. Among the important judges to hold court at the courthouse include Daniel Cady, the father of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who was heavily influenced by legal cases which demonstrated how few rights women had in the 19th Century. [Read more…] about Fulton County Courthouse: Some History

Under Threat: Genesee Valley Park in Rochester, NY

July 14, 2022 by Editorial Staff 7 Comments

Genesee Valley Park in Rochester, NY was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1890, and it remains a well-used and defining community landscape. An original aspect of the park’s design is a woodland buffer that runs from Elmwood Avenue to the Erie Canal next to the University of Rochester. [Read more…] about Under Threat: Genesee Valley Park in Rochester, NY

Under Threat: James Brooks / Charlotte Park Home & Studios, East Hampton

July 5, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Brooks-Park Home & Studios in East Hampton on Long Island is an important physical link to the Abstract Expressionist Art movement and the artists who made it their home.

Artists James Brooks and Charlotte Park were at the forefront of the Abstract Expressionist art movement of the 1940s and 50s. James Brooks in particular is especially is well known for painting the largest site-specific Works Progress Administration (WPA) wall mural, in the landmarked interior of the Marine Terminal at New York’s La Guardia Airport. [Read more…] about Under Threat: James Brooks / Charlotte Park Home & Studios, East Hampton

Saratoga County Fair: A Tumultuous Two Years

July 1, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

2020 was an unusual year for the Saratoga County Fair. Due to the corona virus pandemic, the Saratoga County Agricultural Society, operators of the Fair, felt they had to enact changes. When large public facilities began to close and large public events were canceled, the Society’s Board of Directors unanimously voted to cancel the fair. They did however, open the grounds to the public and some food vendors with no entrance fee.

Another important issue that occurred in 2020 was discussions about the fate of the Fair’s historic grandstand, which was in very poor condition. [Read more…] about Saratoga County Fair: A Tumultuous Two Years

Fort Ticonderoga Completes $9M Pavilion Project

July 1, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Fort Ticonderoga has announced the completion of the $9 million restoration of the 1826 National Historic Landmark, the Pavilion.

The Pavilion was built as a summer home in 1826 by William Ferris Pell. He and his family occupied it through the 1830s. By 1840 the house had begun to be used as a hotel, its primary function through 1900. As a hotel, the house welcomed travelers passing through Ticonderoga while traveling by steamboat on Lake George and Lake Champlain. [Read more…] about Fort Ticonderoga Completes $9M Pavilion Project

Under Threat: The Penn Station Neighborhood in Manhattan

June 28, 2022 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

New York State’s Empire State Development Corporation’s proposed Pennsylvania Station Civic and Land Use Project (the “Penn Area Plan”) would demolish multiple blocks of historic buildings in the vicinity of Penn Station in Manhattan.

All told, over 40 historic buildings and structures stand to be lost while displacing thousands of residents and businesses. [Read more…] about Under Threat: The Penn Station Neighborhood in Manhattan