The Preservation League of New York State has named the Old Stone Barracks in Plattsburgh to its list of the Empire State’s most threatened historic resources, Seven to Save.

Constructed in 1838, this is the oldest building at the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, it illustrates the longstanding military presence in New York’s North Country between 1812 and 1995. The building boasts massive stone walls, heavy timber framing, and a two-story columned porch running the full length of the north façade. With views of Valcour Island, Cumberland Head, Grand Isle and the Green Mountains of Vermont, the building conveys the central role that military activities played in the history of the Champlain Valley.

“Since 1999, Seven to Save has mobilized community leaders and decision-makers to take action when historic resources are threatened,” Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League, said in a statement to the press announcing the designation.

A Canadian developer purchased the site in 2010, after decades of vacancy. Friends of the Old Stone Barracks organized following the sale to advocate for a sensitive reuse and redevelopment of the site. The Preservation League is expected to  work with the Friends group to ensure protection and appropriate redevelopment for the Old Stone Barracks.

“Through the Seven to Save program, we provide targeted support to seven of New York’s most important and endangered historic resources,” Erin Tobin, the Preservation League’s regional director for technical and grant programs for eastern New York State, said in the press announcement. “Whether sites are threatened by insensitive, ineffective or insufficient public policies, general neglect, or, in some cases, outright demolition, we have a proven record of working with community advocates to save a number of significant properties.”

Since 1999, publicity and advocacy resulting from Seven to Save designation has led to the rehabilitation and reopening of the Oswego City Public Library, the rebirth of Montauk Manor on Long Island, and the rededication of the once-abandoned George Harvey Justice Building in Binghamton along with successes at several other locations.

The Preservation League of New York State is a not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1974. The League invests in people and projects that champion the essential role of preservation in community revitalization, sustainable economic growth, and the protection of New York’s historic buildings and landscapes. It leads advocacy, economic development, and education programs all across the state.