Press Release
June 28, 2006
State Board Recommends Diverse Properties for Listing on State & National Registers of Historic Places
(Albany, NY, Wednesday, June 28, 2006 . . . ) New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Bernadette Castro today announced that the New York State Board for Historic Preservation has recommended 31 properties for nomination to the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Property owners, municipalities and organizations from communities throughout the state sponsored the nominations.
"Governor Pataki and the New York State Historic Preservation Board have long recognized the importance of protecting our state's many unique historic and cultural resources," said Commissioner Castro, State Historic Preservation Officer. "Official recognition of these properties helps to identify properties worthy of preservation and builds a firm foundation for improving quality of life through economic development, heritage tourism opportunities and revitalization activities where preservation is an investment in the future."
Some of the properties recommended for listing on the State and National Registers of Historic Places include the Old Orchard Shoal Light Station in Staten Island; the Piermont Railroad Station in the village of Piermont; the Wilson Building in Syracuse; and the Fly Creek Historic District in Otsego County.
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 agencies: 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, which in New York State 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. Official recognition can help highlight that state's heritage and can enhance local preservation efforts. Benefits of Registers listing include eligibility for various public preservation programs and services, such as matching state grants and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits. There are more than 4,400 National Register listings in New York State, including more than 85,000 historic buildings, structures and sites throughout the state.
During the nomination process, the State Board submits recommendations to Commissioner Castro. The Commissioner may list properties on the New York State Register of Historic Places and nominate them 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 registers program.
"The properties listed on the State and National Registers illustrate the broad diversity of the countless historic and cultural treasure located across New York State," said Robert B. MacKay, Chairman of the New York State Board for Historic Preservation. "These properties highlight that more and more New Yorkers have a greater appreciation of our past and a growing realization that historic places provide continuity in a changing world."
For more information about the New York State Board for Historic Preservation and the State and National Registers program, 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 region are attached.
STATE REVIEW BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS
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