Lake Champlain Bridge in Crown Point
Named to "Seven to Save" List
Preservation League continues listing most endangered places

CONTACTS

Preservation League of New York State Colleen M. Ryan 518-462-5658 x17 cryan@preservenys.org

Adirondack Architectural Heritage  Steven Engelhart, Executive Director 518-834-9328 Aarch1@aol.com

ALBANY, March 14, 2007 – The Preservation League of New York State will name the Lake Champlain Bridge in Crown Point, Essex County to the nonprofit group’s annual list of the Empire State’s most threatened historic resources, Seven to Save. The announcement will take place at the Crown Point State Historic Site at 739 Bridge Road, at 3 p.m. on March 14.

This “gateway” bridge, 2,186 feet in length, opened to auto traffic traveling between the Adirondack and Green Mountains in August 1929. It is described as “one of the country’s most inventive and sophisticated designs for that period” and “the first American bridge to employ a continuous truss ...” The New York State Department of Transportation has jurisdiction over the bridge and has begun evaluation of whether to rehabilitate or demolish and replace the structure.

“The Lake Champlain Bridge is a nationally significant engineering landmark, and the Preservation League opposes any plans to replace this span,” said Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League of New York State. “We welcome the opportunity to work with stakeholders on a solution that protects it.”

In addition to providing a vital transportation link between Essex County, New York and Addison County, Vermont, the Lake Champlain Bridge is also an important regional landmark. It is a beautiful and highly visible structure and its image is used in numerous tourism publications, other written materials, and regular television broadcasts.

 “Rehabilitation is less costly than replacement, would minimize traffic disruption during reconstruction, and would honor New York State’s policies regarding management and preservation of its historic bridges,” said Daniel Mackay, director of public policy for the Preservation League.

“Underscoring the bridge’s key role in the regional economy, New York and Vermont will have a once-in-a-century tourism opportunity in 2009, with the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial,” said Steven Engelhart, Executive Director of Adirondack Architectural Heritage. “The bridge and the adjacent Champlain Lighthouse will likely be key visual elements in the celebration, and could serve as a symbol of the area’s vibrant tourism economy and high aspirations for historic preservation.”

The Preservation League is pledging its support to identify strategies for dealing with the threats and opportunities that this distinctive bridge is facing. “We plan to continue working with local advocates in New York and Vermont, and elected and appointed officials so that this National Register-eligible span can be preserved and rehabilitated,” said DiLorenzo.

Since 1999, publicity surrounding the Seven to Save designation has led to the stabilization of St. Joseph’s Church in Albany, the rehabilitation of the Oswego City Public Library, and prevented the demolition of the Conger Goodyear House on Long Island, along with successes at other locations.

The Dana L. Lyon School in the Village of Bath, Steuben County; the Stockade Historic District in Kingston, Ulster County; The Lamotte Cohu House, known as “Gissa Bu” in Southampton, Suffolk County; Henry Varnum Poor’s “Crow House” in New City, Rockland County; and the former Gigliotti Gas Station in Geneva, Ontario County were previously named to this year’s Seven to Save list. The final designation will be made in April.

The Preservation League of New York State, founded in 1974, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the protection of New York’s diverse and rich heritage of historic buildings, districts and landscapes. From its headquarters in Albany, it provides a unified voice for historic preservation. By leading a statewide movement and sharing information and expertise, the Preservation League of New York State promotes historic preservation as a tool to revitalize the Empire State’s neighborhoods and communities.

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