AIA Southern New York
New York
United States of America
AIA Southern New York has partnered with civil engineers, railway societies, art groups, landscape architects, conservators and others to share their expertise in historic preservation and adaptive reuse. Together, they will help secure the future of the region’s historic buildings, bridges, railroads, cemeteries, public art and significant natural resources.
Project Overview
AIA Southern New York is partnering with local governments and community organizations to draw attention to our landmarks for the benefit of improving our local economies.
The Southern Tier of New York consists of ten counties that have suffered serious loss of business, industry and population over the past decades. A common asset among the counties is their richness in historic resources and landmarks. AIA Southern New York has undertaken an initiative to help inform the public on how best to preserve and reuse these resources to benefit their local communities.
AIA Southern New York has partnered with civil engineers, railway societies, art groups, landscape architects, conservators and others to share their expertise in historic preservation and adaptive reuse. Together, they will help secure the future of the region’s historic buildings, bridges, railroads, cemeteries, public art and significant natural resources.
The team invited local historians and preservation societies to join the effort, as well as two universities with graduate programs in preservation. The project allows anyone interested in preserving their local treasures to become involved.
The keystone of this initiative is the website www.nyslandmarks.com, which was created in late 2006. The site allows the cataloguing of historic resources by various groups. In addition, it educates citizens about the importance of these landmarks to the cultural and economic fabric of their communities. It includes links to other websites that provide information on preservation, funding, consultants, and case studies.
Examples of efforts to save historic landmarks involve two historic structures in the Broome County area. The Binghamton Asylum, built in 1858, is the oldest public institution in the country for the treatment of alcoholism. It was abandoned by the State in 1993 but remains on a campus owned by the State. A local group including AIA architects, historians, engineers and citizens, is working to encourage the State to turn the historic structure over to private ownership for adaptive reuse.
The second threatened landmark is an Alms House, built in 1862 to serve an indigent population. The structure is located on a community college campus. AIA architects are working with the college to determine how the abandoned building can remain a resource for the school.
Many such examples occur throughout the communities of New York’s Southern Tier. Through participation of design professionals, preservationists and local citizens, landmarks can not only be preserved, but serve a critical role in the revitalization of these communities.
Another piece of the program is underway in the City of Binghamton. In conjunction with the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s “Main Streets” program, AIA Southern New York is helping plan the revitalization of Binghamton’s downtown. The project will then serve as a model for other communities in the Southern Tier.
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