The New York State Board for Historic Preservation has recommended 16 varied properties across NYS to the State and National Registers of Historic Places, two of which are located within the North Country Region.

Previous additions to the registry have included things like African American burial grounds, industrialist Andrew Carnegie’s legacy of New York Libraries, a Hudson Valley gold club established to counter anti-Semitism, and more historically significant locations.

The nominations for the North Country:

Malone Downtown Historic District, Franklin County – Reflecting the growth of this St. Lawrence Valley community from the 1840s through the 1950s, this area includes more than 60 commercial, religious and government structures. The district reflects the village’s later development as a regional transportation hub in the later-19th and early-20^th centuries.

Tahawus Masonic Lodge, Essex County (pictured above) – Constructed in 1911, this building of fire-proof construction is one of only three buildings in this Adirondack community of Au Sable Forks to survive a devastating 1925 fire. The building is now run by a foundation as a cultural center, and has office space, a gallery and a ballet studio.

“The nominations reflect the incredible history found in our state and the stories forged by its people,” said Erik Kulleseid, Commissioner of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. “Securing this recognition will help protect and preserve such places so this history can be carried safe and intact into the future.”

Getting a listing on the registry may assist owners in efforts to revitalize these properties, and potentially make them eligible for a variety of public preservation programs and services, including state grants and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits.

To view more information about the registry complete with photos of the nominations, check out the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historical Preservation website.