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The 2007 Seven to
Save Endangered Properties list will draw attention to the
plight of New York’s transportation
infrastructure, the threat of abandonment of municipally-owned landmark
buildings, and the need to consider historic preservation in the face
of development pressure. These seven valued historic resources are in
danger of disappearing because of lack of funding and financial
incentives, insensitive public policies, general neglect,
disinvestment, and, in several cases, outright demolition.
Listed in the order the
announcements were made.
2007 Seven to
Save
 Dana L. Lyon School (1923
addition to 1900 building), Steuben
County, Village of Bath. Landmark
Status: Contributing property
in a National Register historic district Threat:
Demolition of the 1923 section of the school complex for a “strip-mall”
style
drugstore and a proposed change of zoning to commercial.
The
school complex is at a key intersection which marks the change from
predominantly 19th-century commercial rows to architecturally
distinguished
residences. The complex consists of two sections, the 1900 “Primary
Annex” and
the much larger 1923 addition. The Annex is owned by Save-the-Lyon
Commission,
which is working to adapt it for an arts center and favors the
retention of the
1923 addition. The 1923 addition is in the hands of a development group
which
is seeking to rezone the school and adjacent lots for commercial
development,
and to clear the site for a 13,000 square foot store and parking lot.
These
actions could have a domino effect on other properties in the historic
district
and thwart any opportunities to reuse the school.
Objectives: The Preservation
League is urging
village leaders to not move forward with the proposed rezoning and
instead
examine successful school reuse projects across the state. The League
is also
assisting Save-the-Lyon with community advocacy support.
Kingston
Historic Stockade, Ulster County, Kingston.
Threat: Inappropriate development Landmark
Status:
Located in a National Register historic district
A
12-story condominium project including parking garage and
retail
spaces is proposed for a site on the boundary of a National
Register and local landmark district. The project is completely
out of
scale with the historic district which includes the Senate House State
Historic
Site, the first capitol of New York
State.
Advocates are seeking a full environmental impact review, denial
of
height variances, and formal review role for the project by the local
historic
district commission. Friends of Historic Kingston, a Preservation
Colleague
group, joined other nominators to form the Citizens Concerned for
Planning
Kingston's Future. The nominators are not opposed to development on the
site
and are advocating for a building designed in a manner that will not
detract
from the unique aspects of the Stockade Historic District.
Objective: Advocates hope to
implement the
established review process to guide alteration of design for a more
appropriately-scaled project.
 Cohu Estate,
“Gissa
Bu”, Southampton, Suffolk County. Threat: Demolition for development.
Landmark Status: Eligible
for
listing on the
National Register
“Gissa Bu” was built c.1930 in a
“Nordic”/Arts and
Crafts style for Lamotte Cohu,
an airline executive. A remarkable building designed by Norwegian
architect Thorbjorn Bassoe,
it now sits
vacant. In addition to the house, the property is also valuable for its
resources related to maritime industry and the Shinnecock
Nation. While the town has purchased portions of the 13-acre property
with
Community Preservation Funds, it is reluctant to purchase the site
containing
the house. In many cases, open space preservation funds cannot be used
to
purchase buildings, while many groups willing to preserve open space
are
reluctant to take responsibility for historic structures located on
that land.
In this instance, the developer had planned to demolish the house but
is
amenable to finding a suitable new buyer. The nomination was sponsored
by the Society
for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities working with Hope Sandrow, an artist who lives nearby.
Objectives: Advocates are working
to convince
the Town to purchase the house parcel in addition to the lots they are
already
buying. They are also working to locate a new use for the site which
would
involve developing an agreement with a new owner who will lease the
building
from the Town and be responsible for its preservation.
"Crow House" -- Henry Varnum Poor House (1920 with additions); New City, Rockland County. Threat:
Sale for inappropriate development including demolition. Landmark
Status: Eligible for lising on the National Register.
Henry
Varnum Poor was a painter and
ceramist who built the house and annexes, incorporating a variety of
finishes and styles – medieval, arts and crafts, early modernist. The
house remains as it was at his death in 1970. The property includes the
house and two studios on 6.5 acres. Project nominators, the West Branch
Conservation Association and Friends of Crow House, have been working
with elected officials to arrange for the public acquisition of the
site as open space property with an artists-in-residence program. The
current owner (Poor’s son) has entered into a contract to sell to a
local businessman who has plans to demolish the site – but who has
agreed to re-sell.
Objectives: Transfer of ownership
to a buyer interested in conserving the property. The League has been
providing technical support related to funding and planning strategies.
 Gigliotti
Gas
Station (1920s), Geneva, Ontario County. Threat: demolition. Landmark
Status:
Contributing site to a downtown Geneva National Register
district; eligible for National Register listing as individual site.
This
1920s, semi-circular, colonnaded gas station is an unusual and rare
example of early roadside architecture, and appears to be unique
in New York State. Purchased by the City
of Geneva as part of a
now-defunct
expansion plan for an adjacent site, the building is now vacant,
neglected and
threatened with demolition by the city. The City Council has voted
for
demolition despite a purchase offer and redevelopment proposal from the
nominators (305 Main Street Associates, LLC).
While the site may
be contaminated with hazardous substances, local advocates and
League
staff believe that “brownfield” issues can be addressed without
requiring
demolition and that the building can once again become a focal point in
a
pedestrian-friendly downtown street.
Objectives:
Advocates have been working for over a year to prevent demolition and
secure the transfer of the property for adaptive reuse. The League has
been
providing technical and legal assistance to prevent demolition and
raise public
awareness, and inform municipal officials of resources and alternative
plans. Project
partners will continue to build links to private and public resources
that
reflect the goals of saving the site.
Champlain
Bridge, located between Essex County,
New York and
Addison County, Vermont (1929) Threat: Deterioration and
replacement. Landmark
Status: Eligible for listing on the National
Register; nomination to
National Register has been formally proposed.
This
“gateway” bridge, 2,186 feet in length, was constructed for auto
traffic
traveling between the Adirondack and Green Mountains. 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 ...from Warren deck truss approach
spans to
a channel-span through truss with curving upper and lower chords.” It serves a vital transportation route
and is also recognized as a scenic resource in the region. The NYS
Department
of Transportation has jurisdiction over the bridge and has begun
evaluation of whether to rehabilitate or demolish and replace
the
structure. The bridge was nominated by Preservation Colleague
organization
Adirondack Architectural Heritage, and preservation of the
bridge has
the support of the Preservation Trust of Vermont, the Vermont State
Historic
Preservation Office and Vermont tourism organizations.
Objectives: The
League can work with NYSDOT, elected officials and
SHPO to advocate for a rehabilitation plan. Partners can
also
help develop an effective plan to raise awareness and build public
support to minimize
any disruption caused by traffic congestion and other negative impact
on the
regional economy due to repairs.
 Hoyt House (The Point), Staatsburgh,
Dutchess County (c.1855) Landmark Status: Contributing
property in
National Register and National Historic Landmark districts Threat: Vacancy and
demolition by neglect.
The
Gothic Revival house was designed by Calvert Vaux and is the
centerpiece of an
estate which has been owned and operated as a state park since 1962 by
New York
State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP).
The park
is located near Mills Mansion State Historic Site. Despite some
stabilization
work in the past, the building has been impacted by vandalism and lack
of
maintenance, and is now vulnerable to water damage. The Calvert Vaux
Preservation Alliance is working with partners to find a
suitable use
for the building and to secure funding for its stabilization and
restoration.
Objectives: Securing funding for the stabilization and
preservation of the structure. The Alliance and its partners are also
seeking to develop an adaptive reuse plan for the building among
private and public options.
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Preservation
League of New York State