NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16, 2021
Supporting Woerner’s Efforts for Historic Tax Credits
Ballston Spa, NY – The Saratoga County History Center enthusiastically endorses the New York State Assembly FY2022 budget bills, as they include increases for the New York State Historic Tax Credit for small projects.
“Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner has been a real champion for improving Historic Tax Credit access for buildings on our Main Streets and the small two and three-story apartment houses in our villages,” remarked SCHC Board President Jere Blackwelder. “Preservation and revitalization of these landmark homes and commercial buildings helps us ensure that future generations have access to our history and can see first-hand the legacy of Saratoga County.”
Historian and History Center Vice President Field Horne observes, “Historic preservation is at the heart of SCHC efforts, and we heartily applaud Assemblywomen Woerner’s work on this front. It is necessary to act energetically to identity and preserve our historic buildings and spaces, and the Historic Tax Credit makes that task possible.” In September 2020, Mr. Horne moderated a virtual town hall-style forum on historic preservation that included Ms. Woerner. “Does the Past Have a Future? Historic Preservation in Saratoga County” is available on the SCHC YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCwb2Limln6FI5BY0xcPhew.
Saratoga Town Historian and SCHC 2nd Vice President Sean Kelleher adds, “The NYS Historic Tax Credit has been an important part of grander projects like the large-scale residential reuse of the old Victory Manufacturing Company announced last week in the Town of Saratoga. But the tax credits that Woerner has championed are a proven job creator on smaller projects. I see this as a great win – a victory for all the villages in Saratoga County and across the State.”
Over seventy-five Saratoga County districts, sites, buildings, and structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the United States of America’s official list of historic properties worthy of preservation. Buildings that are listed on the State and National Registers are eligible for various public preservation programs and services — such as matching state grants, or state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits — to assist property owners in maintaining and revitalizing the buildings. Certain properties, like the old Victory Manufacturing Company building, were added to National Register of Historic Places thanks to the tax credit. Additional credits will lead to new listings on the National Register of Historic Places, and thus greater preservation of our vibrant past.
The Saratoga County History Center is dedicated to preserving and sharing the diverse histories of Saratoga County. Previously focused on the Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa, the SCHC now offers a wide variety of innovative, exciting, and educational programming online. In particular, a town hall-style public forum on climate change and historic preservation is slated for the fall. When Brookside Museum re-opens this summer, the SCHC will debut new exhibits and family-friendly events. Please see the SCHC website (www.brooksidemuseum.org) and our social media accounts (@SaratogaCoHistory) for news and announcements.
Bullard Block in the village of Schuylerville was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. Courtesy the Saratoga Town Historian’s Office
