Cuomo announces 27 properties nominated to State and National Registers of Historic Places

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Monday the New York State Board for Historic Preservation recommended the addition of 27 properties, resources and districts to the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The nominations reflect the breadth of New York's history, ranging from an Oswego fort that sheltered Holocaust refugees to the nation's first outdoor bank teller window to the only remaining historic carousel on Coney Island.

"These sites are the locations of significant moments in New York's rich history that, in many cases, reverberated across the nation and beyond," Cuomo said. "By placing these landmarks on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, we are honoring and preserving their legacy and giving visitors the chance to learn about this state's vibrant history."

"Congratulations to the owners and caretakers for this important recognition," said Rose Harvey, commissioner of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. "Listing these 27 places on the State and National Registers will help us to better preserve, appreciate and understand New York's profound history."

State and National Register listing can assist property owners in revitalizing buildings, making them eligible for various public preservation programs and services, such as matching state grants and state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits.

Spurred by the state and federal historic rehabilitation commercial tax credits administered by the State Historic Preservation Office, developers invested $500 million statewide in 2014 to revitalize properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, while homeowners using the state historic homeowner rehabilitation tax credit invested more than $9.8 million statewide on home improvements to help revitalize historic neighborhoods.

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 more than 120,000 historic buildings, structures and sites throughout the state listed on the National Register of Historic Places, individually or as components of historic districts. Property owners, municipalities and organizations from communities throughout the state sponsored the nominations.

Once the recommendations are approved by the state historic preservation officer, the properties are 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.

Those recognized included:

Erie County

• The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P) Warehouse, Buffalo - Completed in 1917, the reinforced concrete warehouse served A&P, the largest retail grocer in the U.S. for much of the 20th century.
• Parkside Candy Shoppe and Factory, Buffalo - Built between 1925 and 1928, the store and factory complex is a good representative example of the type of independent candy store and candy manufacturer that frequently existed in American cities.

• Sinclair, Rooney & Co. Building, Buffalo - Constructed in 1909 for the wholesale milliner, it was designed to be flexible for the changing needs of light industrial work and later occupied by Remington Rand Inc., sellers of office supply and technology.
• University Presbyterian Church, Buffalo - The church was constructed with an uncommon V-shaped plan erected in two phases: the original 1927 sanctuary wing aligned along Niagara Falls Boulevard, and the 1955 education wing oriented along Main Street.

Niagara County

• Mount St. Mary's Hospital, Lewiston - The Sisters of St. Francis constructed the Neoclassical Revival style large-scale hospital in 1912-14, when their smaller 30-bed hospital could no longer accommodate the growing demand.

Assemblyman John Ceretto said, "The New York State Board for Historic Preservation's recommendation that Mount St. Mary's Hospital be added to the state and national Registers of Historic Places is an important step in preserving an institution that has served our community for more than a century.  Mount St. Mary's is an essential part of our community, offering vital medical services and providing quality, local health care for Niagara County residents.

"When it comes to your health, time is of the essence, and protecting health providers in our community is always a top priority. When buildings and institutions are listed on the state and national registers, they are eligible for public preservation grants and tax credits. This assistance would help Mount St. Mary's Hospital continue serving the community and preserve an invaluable local health care provider."

Among the others:

Cayuga County

• Charles Chauncey Dwight House, Auburn - Originally built in 1835, the Queen Anne style house was expanded circa 1871 by Charles Chauncey Dwight, a prominent judge best known for deciding a case regarding the constitutionality of using electrocution as a means of criminal execution.

Monroe County

• Congregation Ahavis Achim Anshi Austria, Rochester - Now known as the Congregation B'Nai Israel synagogue, the 1928 Georgian Revival structure is significant for its association with Jewish immigrants, mostly from Austria, who settled in northeast Rochester in the early 20th century.
• House at 288 Wimbledon Road, Irondequoit - The 1928 Tudor Revival home is significant in the development of Wimbledon Road (Rogers Estates Subdivision), which was planned and developed by Fred B. Tosch, who recognized the value of the model home as a marketing tool and embraced it as a new way of attracting prospective customers.

New York County

• Hudson View Gardens, New York - Erected in 1923-24, the Tudor Revival apartment house complex contained many of the amenities expected in a suburban home, designed to appeal to those middle-class people who were considering a move from the city.

Oswego County

• Fort Ontario Military Reservation, Oswego - The nomination expands and replaces an earlier National Register listing to obtain a more accurate and inclusive boundary more reflective of the fort's military history. The new nomination also adds national significance for the fort's history as the site of the only refugee camp in the U.S. for victims of the Holocaust and World War II. From 1944-46, Fort Ontario was a temporary emergency refugee shelter operated by the U.S. War Relocation Authority. The shelter helped the refugees regain their health and move forward with their lives after the horrors of war, which, for many, included time in concentration camps. Most of the refuges eventually became American citizens.

Onondaga County

• Shepard Family Houses, Skaneateles - The two houses belonged to prominent local businessmen and civic leaders. The house at 28 Genesee St., originally built in 1840, was purchased and enlarged by Norman Orlando Shepard in 1898. The house at 6 Hannum St., was constructed in 1901 by the elder Shepard as a wedding present for his son, Norman Joseph Shepard.

Rensselaer County

• Jacob H. Patten House, Lansingburgh - Constructed in 1881-82, the brick Italianate-style townhouse and large carriage house was built for Jacob H. Patten, a Troy blacksmith, and reflects the tradesman's ambition and early economic success.
• Wilbur, Campbell, Stephens Co. Factory, Troy - Constructed in 1899, the building is among five other intact former textile factories erected along the prominent River Street corridor as a result of the burgeoning local detached cuff and collar industry.