Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

January 25, 2023

news@parks.ny.gov| (518) 486-1868
Keith.McKeever@apa.ny.gov | (518) 891-4050
Ray Brook Press Office | R5.Info@dec.ny.gov | (518) 897-1200

OPRHP, DEC, and APA Seek Public Input on Unit Management Plan for John Brown Farm State Historic Site

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) today announced two virtual public meetings to collect public input on a unit management plan (UMP) for the John Brown Farm State Historic Site. The UMP will address the future management of the State Historic Site which encompasses 213 acres in the Town of North Elba, Essex County.

The first of two meetings will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 7:00 p.m. The second will take place on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 10:00 a.m. OPRHP, DEC, and APA encourage interested parties to participate in one of the scheduled information meetings. During the meeting, OPRHP, DEC, and APA staff will provide information about the State Historic Site facilities and the UMP planning process. The agencies will also seek public input on the future management of these public lands. 

To accommodate those unable to attend, the meetings will be recorded and made available for viewing on agency websites at a later date.

To participate in one of the scheduled meetings, please pre-register by e-mailing JohnBrownFarm.Plan@parks.ny.gov or calling 518-474-0409 no later than Friday, Feb. 3 at 12:00 p.m. A non-digital copy of meeting presentation materials and call-in number for participants that wish to attend the meeting via phone can be requested during pre-registration. 

The meetings will be accessible to people with disabilities. Anyone requiring a reasonable accommodation for effective communications should contact Owen Gilbo at owen.gilbo@parks.ny.gov or at (518) 402-2648 no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event. 

Though abolitionist John Brown is best known for his doomed but daring raid on the United States Armory and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry in 1859, that singular incident does not capture the full impact of his life's work. In 1849, Brown settled his young family in North Elba to assist New York families who settled "Timbuctoo" and to contribute to the effort to grant voting rights to people of African descent.

Established as a State Historic Site in 1896, John Brown Farm State Historic Site is managed by OPRHP. The 213-acre site contains the graves of John Brown and fellow raiders on Harpers Ferry, the Brown family farmhouse, indoor and outdoor exhibits, and 3.8 miles of multiuse trails through forests and meadows. 

Today, the John Brown Farm serves the Adirondacks as a social touchstone and global site of conscience. The homestead is listed in the Nation Register of Historic Places and is a designated National Historic Landmark.

Public input can be provided at the meeting, mailed to Paige Barnum, NYS OPRHP, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY, 12238, or e-mailed to JohnBrownFarm.Plan@parks.ny.gov. Comments will be accepted until March 13, 2023.