Jewish Cemetery in NYC Among Properties Recommended for Register of Historic Places

Nineteen properties, districts and resources in New York state have been recommended by the state’s Board for Historic Preservation for addition to the State and National Registers of Historic Places, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday.

Among the properties recommended for the Registers are the Beth Olam Cemetery, which lies on the border of Brooklyn and Queens. According to Cuomo’s press release, “Established in 1851 by three of the oldest synagogues in New York City – Shearith Israel, B’nai Jeshurun, and Shaaray Tefila – this cemetery illustrates the development of burial customs in urban areas, the evolution of cemetery types, and the history of Judaism in New York City.”

Other places recommended for the Registers include old farmhouses, schoolhouses, houses of worship, bridges and other buildings across the state.

Also included is the Callicoon Downtown Historic District in Sullivan County. According to the press release, “After a New York & Erie Railroad depot opened in 1848, the hamlet prospered as a local service center, river landing and railroad stop during the period when the population and economy of the Delaware Valley and adjoining Catskills were reaching their peak.”

“These landmarks are a part of our rich and storied history and helped define what it means to be a New Yorker,” the governor said.

There are currently more than 120,000 historic buildings, structures and sites in New York state listed on the National Register of Historic Places, either individually or as components of historic districts.