Historic districts in a pair of Allegany and Livingston County villages have been nominated for inclusion in the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
The Village of Wellsville’s East Historic District and the Village of Nunda’s Historic District were each recommended for the distinction, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation announced Friday.
The recommendations, made by the New York State Board for Historic Preservation, can lead to increased grant funding that contributes to preservation and development.
A listing on the State and National Registers may help building owners revitalize historic properties, making them eligible for various public preservation programs and services, such as matching state grants and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits.
New York state offers a robust historic tax credit program, with $3.96 billion in total rehabilitation costs from 2018-2022. Since 2009, the historic tax credit program has stimulated over $13 billion in project expenditures in the state, noted the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, creating significant investment and new jobs.
“Once on the registers, these historic spaces become eligible for historic preservation programs and incentives – like matching state grants and federal and state historic rehabilitation credits – that can encourage investments that will help guide their futures,” said New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Pro Tempore Randy Simons.
The nominations were sponsored by property owners, municipalities, and organizations from communities throughout the state.
Here are the descriptions for the historic designations in Steuben, Livingston and Allegany counties.
A view of the business district on North Main Street in the Village of Wellsville.
Village of Wellsville East Historic District, Wellsville, Allegany County
Nestled in the Genesee River Valley, the Village of Wellsville East Historic District encapsulates the growth and development that resulted from the formation of a transportation hub and burgeoning oil industries at Wellsville. The district contains a vibrant commercial core, civic centers, and surrounding historic residences. Buildings in the district represent a variety of architectural styles popular throughout the mid-1800s to mid-1900s, including Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, and many examples of more modest and vernacular frame resources.
The historic district includes Central Place, Chestnut Street, Cummings Circle, Cummings Place, Depot Street, East Fassett Street, East Genesee Street, East Park Lane, East Pearl Street, East State Street, Elm Street, Grover Street, Howe Terrace, Jefferson Street, Johnson Street, Lee Place, Loder Street, Lombard Avenue, Loring Avenue, Madison Street, Maple Avenue, Martin Street, Miller Street, North Broad Street, North Main Street, North Park Lane, Oak Street, Park Avenue, Railroad Avenue, Scott Avenue and South Broad Street.
Little Genesee Schoolhouse/Genesee District No. 1 School, Little Genesee, Allegany County
The Little Genesee Schoolhouse/Genesee District No. 1 School in Little Genesee is a rare surviving example of a two-room, hipped-roof schoolhouse built in 1903 to the design of “Plan No. 10” from the Design for School Houses booklet issued by the New York State Department of Public Instruction in 1887. The building served the educational needs of Little Genesee for nearly thirty years and in 1935, after closure of the school, the building became the new home of the Genesee Library. The library has preserved the Queen Anne style schoolhouse with only minimal changes to the original building.
Nunda Village Historic District, Nunda, Livingston County
The Nunda Village Historic District reflects the history of Nunda from 1831 to 1955. Nunda’s development during this period demonstrates the impact of changing transportation systems and industries during the 1800s and 1900s, as reflected by the construction of early commercial strips along the Farmers’ Exchange and Merchant Row and, later, the Foote Manufacturing Company. Residential areas developed, which supported and were supported by these commercial ventures. They represent a broad array of architectural types popular during this period of significance, including a large core of Greek Revival, Italianate, and Queen Anne styles built by builder-architects and, later, professionally trained architects.
The historic district includes Buffalo Street, Center Street, East Street, Fair Street, First Street, Fourth Street, Gibbs Street, Holmes Street, Massachusetts Street, Mill Street, North Church Street, North State Street, Portage Street, Price Street, Second Street, Seward Street, South Church Street, South State Street, Vermont Street and West Street.
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Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church Complex, Corning, Steuben County
The St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church Complex is an architecturally distinguished campus built over the course of a half century. In 1913, the recently formed congregation built a combination church and school on the site, which was designed by Haskell & Considine. The complex expanded in 1954 with the construction of a new church building and rectory designed by Joseph P. Flynn. A third building, the convent, was purchased by the parish in 1938 and received a chapel addition around 1973. The complex showcases a blend of architectural styles, from the vernacular Classical and Gothic Revival elements of the original structure to the modernist Gothic Revival church with its attached Modern-style rectory.
This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Wellsville, Nunda historic districts nominated for National Register