New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

National Park Service

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

The Creation of the Saratoga Battlefield Park: A Short History

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Saratoga Battlefield and Hudson RiverSaturday, October 8th, 1927, was a great day for a burglar in Ballston Spa, NY. The Saratogian newspaper announced that “Ballston Spa closed down shop this noon and went to the Saratoga Battlefield celebration. Scores of Ballstonians, many of them taking part in the pageant, went to the historic battlefield this morning, but the great exodus did not take place until early this afternoon. Stores, mills, offices and shops closed at noon and throughout the forenoon there was a hustle and bustle of people getting ready to go to the celebration.” [Read more…] about The Creation of the Saratoga Battlefield Park: A Short History

Statue of Liberty National Monument To Begin Improvement Project

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Statue of Liberty courtesy Wikimedia user ElcobbolaThe National Park Service has awarded a $22 million construction contract to make repairs to the historic fort that serves as the foundation for the Statue of Liberty and its pedestal.

Funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), the project is expected to make drainage and safety improvements that will help preserve the structure and enhance accessibility for visitors. [Read more…] about Statue of Liberty National Monument To Begin Improvement Project

Saratoga Area Ethnohistoric Survey Nears Completion

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saratoga national historic park courtesy wikimedia user UpstateNYerIn 2018, Saratoga National Historical Park received funding to produce an ethnohistorical study of the Saratoga area. Professor Karim Tiro from Xavier University was chosen to conduct the research and compile the report.

Dr. Tiro specializes in North American history during the colonial, revolutionary, and early national periods with a focus on the history of Native Americans, the War of 1812, and epidemics. [Read more…] about Saratoga Area Ethnohistoric Survey Nears Completion

Featured Historic Site & Wild Area: Roosevelt’s Sagamore Hill

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Sagamore HillThe Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, was the home of the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, from 1885 until his death in 1919. It’s located in Cove Neck, in Nassau County, NY near Oyster Bay on the North Shore of Long Island, about 25 miles east of Manhattan. [Read more…] about Featured Historic Site & Wild Area: Roosevelt’s Sagamore Hill

Farmington Quaker Meeting House Awarded NPS Equal Rights Grant

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National Park Service NPSThe 1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse Museum in Ontario County has received $483,727 for the restoration of the Meetinghouse.

Ten historic sites associated with the preservation of civil rights history in America will receive a combined $3.27 million in National Park Service History of Equal Rights Grants. These competitive grants support physical preservation work and preservation planning activities, including historic building repair and rehabilitation, architectural planning, and land surveys. [Read more…] about Farmington Quaker Meeting House Awarded NPS Equal Rights Grant

Saratoga National Historical Park Getting $6.6M For Infrastructure

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saratoga national historic park courtesy wikimedia user UpstateNYerThe primary visitor experience at Saratoga National Historical Park is about to benefit from $6.6 million in funding provided by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA).

Extensive work on the park’s self-guided battlefield Tour Road will begin in 2022 and is expected to result in increased accessibility and visible improvements to the parking areas, trailheads, walkways, seating, exhibits and viewing areas along the ten-mile-long route. [Read more…] about Saratoga National Historical Park Getting $6.6M For Infrastructure

National Park Service to Manage Saratoga Surrender Site

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Saratoga Surrender Site (National Park Service Photo)The Saratoga Surrender Site, where the British Army surrendered during the 1777 Battles of Saratoga, will now be managed by the National Park Service as part of the Saratoga National Park. [Read more…] about National Park Service to Manage Saratoga Surrender Site

Finger Lakes Being Considered For National Heritage Area Status

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Map of the Finger Lakes National Heritage Area Feasibility Study AreaThe National Park Service has announced it is seeking public input on a study to determine the feasibility of designating the Finger Lakes region of New York as a National Heritage Area. [Read more…] about Finger Lakes Being Considered For National Heritage Area Status