Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

June 18, 2008

For Release: Immediate
Press Contact:
Eileen Larrabee
Dan Keefe
518.486.1868

State Board Recommends Unique Properties for Listing on State & National Registers of Historic Places

Downtown commercial districts, a World War II submarine and public gathering spaces were among the New York State Board for Historic Preservation's 33 recommendations for listing on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Property owners, municipalities and organizations from communities throughout the state sponsored the nominations.

"Preserving the landmarks of New York's rich past is an investment in a prosperous future," said Carol Ash, Commissioner of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. "The recognition and support given to these historic places can help revitalize neighborhoods, promote tourism, highlight our heritage, and encourage smart, sustainable growth."

• South Salina Street Downtown Historic District, which is made up of 25 buildings built between 1855 and 1950 that housed the heart of Syracuse's commercial center from the late 19th Century to the second half of the 20th Century.
• The USS Croaker, a World War II Gato Class submarine built in 1943 which served in the Pacific Theater, was subsequently converted to a Cold War era hunter-killer submarine, and is now located at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park at the of the Buffalo River.
• Proctor's Theater in Yonkers, a 2,300-seat theater and six-story office building built in 1916 that was the grand vision of theater magnate Frederick Francis Proctor and designed by prolific theater architect William E. Lehman.
• The Hudson Area Association Library, an early 19th century limestone building that has served as an almshouse, mental health asylum, school, private residence and now a library in the city of Hudson.

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

The New York State Board for Historic Preservation is an independent panel of experts appointed by the governor. The Board also consists of representatives from the following state organizations: Council of Parks; Council on the Arts; Department of Education; Department of State and Department of Environmental Conservation. The function of the Board is to advise and provide recommendations on state and federal preservation programs, including the State and National Registers of Historic Places, to the State Historic Preservation Officer, who in New York is the State Parks Commissioner.

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 nearly 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.

During the nomination process, the State Board submits recommendations to the State Historic Preservation Officer. The properties may be 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 by the Keeper of the National Register in Washington, DC. The State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of Interior, jointly administer the national register program.

For more information about the New York State Board for Historic Preservation and the State and National Register programs, contact the Historic Preservation Field Services Bureau at (518) 237-8643, or visit the state parks web site at www.nysparks.com.

The recommended properties listed by county are as follows:

STATE REVIEW BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS

Albany County

1. Matton Shipyard, Cohoes

Chemung County

2. West Water Street Buildings at 102-116, Elmira

3. Pratt House, Elmira

Columbia County

4. Dick House, Germantown

5. New Concord Historic District, New Concord

6. Hudson Area Association Library, Hudson

Delaware County

7. West Delhi Presbyterian Church, Manse and Cemetery, West Delhi

Erie County

8. Entranceway at Main Street at High Park Boulevard, Amherst

9. Entranceway at Main Street at LeBrun Road, Amherst

10. Entranceway at Main Street at Lafayette Boulevard, Amherst

11. Entranceway at Main Street at Darwin Drive, Amherst

12. Entranceway at Main Street at Westfield Road and Ivyhurst Road, Amherst

13. USS Croaker, Buffalo

Hamilton County

14. Lake Pleasant Town Hall, Speculator

Herkimer County

15. Blatchley House, Jordanville

Nassau County

16. House at 226 West Penn Street, Long Beach

17. St. Paul's Presbyterian Church and Cemetery, Elmont

Oneida County

18. Baron Von Stueben Cabin site, Stueben

19. Baron Von Stueben Memorial, Stueben

Onondaga County

20. South Salina Street Downtown Historic District, Syracuse

21. Temple Society of Concord, Syracuse

Ontario County

22. John and Mary Dickson House, West Bloomfield

23. Ontario and Livingston Mutual Insurance Office, West Bloomfield

Putnam County

24. The Grove, Cold Spring

Schoharie County

25. St. John's Lutheran Church, Beekman Corners

Suffolk County

26. Big Duck Ranch, Flanders

Tompkins County

27. Rufus and Flora Bates House, Ithaca

Warren County

28. Gates Homestead, Bolton Landing

29. Mohican II

Washington County

30. Wing-Northup House, Fort Edward

Wayne County

31. Roe Cobblestone Schoolhouse, Butler

Westchester County

32. Proctor's Theater, Yonkers

Yates County

33. Sampson Theatre, Penn Yan