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LOCAL AREAS RECOMMENDED FOR HISTORIC DESIGNATION
Mike McCagg
ccSCOOP News
10-02-09 – 12:30 p.m. - Two areas in Columbia County were recently recommended for official recognition as historic resources—a move officials see a valuable tool. The Hillsdale Hamlet Historic District and the Rowe-Lant Farm in East Chatham were recommended by the New York State Board of Historic Preservation for listing in the New York State Register of Historic Places and for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Hillsdale Hamlet Historic District is described in the nomination document as “historically and architecturally significant as a distinctive example of a Federal Period turnpike town with important surviving domestic and commercial buildings that evolved into a rural town center as railroad service was introduced and agriculture expanded in the late 19th century.” Seventy-six buildings are included as contributing structures in the designation, representing the architectural styles of the late 18th and 19th centuries—Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, and Second Empire. One of the buildings—the Dr. Joseph P. Dorr House—was previously listed individually in the National Register. |
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The Rowe-Lant Farm on Route 295 in East Chatham is “comprised of 127 acres of land and associated buildings and features.” The nomination’s Statement of Significance speaks of its “salient connections with the early settlement of the East Chatham area of Columbia County and the agricultural history of this region.” The centerpiece of the farm is the dwelling, described as “a largely intact example of a brick farmhouse built around 1790.”
The two Columbia County sites were among a list of thirty-two recommendations, which also included such sites in New York City as the Chinatown and Little Italy Historic District; Westbeth, the artists’ complex in Greenwich Village that occupies an entire block; and the 1964-65 World’s Fair New York State Pavilion in Queens. The list of nominations also includes such nearby sites as the William Brandow House—known as “the Willows”—in Athens and the main street of Millerton.
“It’s recognition of the fact that we have some beautiful and historic homes in the area,” said Art Baer, supervisor for the Town of Hillsdale and chair of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors.
State and national registers are the official lists of historic places worthy of preservation. They include individual buildings, districts, landscapes, and sites significant in the history, architecture, archeology, and culture of the state or the region. The designation brings with it protections for the property owner, as well as the potential for funding and tax credits for restoration and preservation efforts.
“There are really no downsides [to designation],” said Baer. “Property owners still have complete flexibility to modify their property any way they want, and they may be eligible for federal grants.” Baer explained that funding may come with some stipulations, such as a requirement to maintain the property according to established standards, but seeking and accepting the funds is “strictly an option, not a requirement.”
Baer pointed out that the historic district does not include every structure in the hamlet but rather several structures that have been in existence since the 1800s. He explained that, if the nomination is successful, the Town may be eligible for funding to help renovate “the old library building” and bring it up to code for use as Town Hall—“assuming," he added, "we acquire it.”
The current town hall, although located in the Hillsdale Hamlet Historic District, is not a contributing structure and therefore would not be eligible for any sort of historic preservation funding.
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Baer repeatedly stressed that the designation would not bring with it any new regulations or restrictions for individual property owners. He pointed out, however, that it could protect property owners against changes proposed by the NYS Department of Transportation or utilities. “If they wanted to widen the road or do something to the power lines, they would have to recognize the historic district and seek approval. They couldn’t just do it,” he said.
An official with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation explained that 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 in the National Register.
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