A historic district in Herkimer County, a family farm and library in Montgomery County and one of the earliest homes in an Otsego County village are among the 35 properties and historic districts recommended by the state Board for Historic Preservation for inclusion on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
“Survival of these noteworthy homes, civic institutions and neighborhoods is crucial in preserving the great diversity of New York’s communities and fostering their economic revitalization,” Carol Ash, commissioner of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, said in a news release. “Placing these landmarks on the State and National Registers of Historic Places will provide well-deserved recognition and assistance to help ensure they last well into the future.”
The Thendara Historic District in the town of Webb is a collection of five surviving late 19th and early 20th century commercial and government buildings associated with development around the Adirondack Division of the New York Central and Hudson Railroad.
Margaret Reaney Memorial Library in St. Johnsville is a 1909 Beaux Arts library and museum that was donated to the village by local textile manufacturer Joseph Reaney. According to the Board for Historic Preservation, the building is considered to be an excellent example of civic architecture.
Caspar Getman Farmstead in Stone Arabia is considered to be a significant and highly intact example of family farm buildings from the late 18th to mid 19th century.
Tunnicliff-Jordan House in Richfield Springs is one of the village’s earliest buildings. The home, according to the Board for Historic Preservation, was built between 1810 and 1825 by the sons of an early settler, John Tunnicliff, who operated a saw and grist-mill industry at the site.
Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute in Utica was also recommended for inclusion on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The 1960 museum and arts center is said to be a significant example of modern architecture designed by internationally-renowned architect Philip Johnson.
Ash said State and National Historic Register listing can assist property owners in revitalizing the structures, making them eligible for various public preservation programs and services, such as matching state grants and state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits.
Listing will oblige state and federal government agencies whose projects would adversely impact the properties to consider other options. Private projects are not subject to state or federal review after a property is listed, and private property owners — or in historic districts, a majority of property owners — must consent for the listing to move forward.
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 and the nation. There are approximately 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.
Once the recommendations are approved by the state historic preservation officer, the properties are listed on the 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.
Albany, N.Y. —
