Syracuse, New York
Historic Sites and Districts in the City of Syracuse
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Brief History of Syracuse
The present-day area of Syracuse was first settled by European missionaries in the 1600s. The Village of Syracuse was incorporated in 1825, and the City of Syracuse was incorporated in 1847.
The City of Syracuse thrived on the salt industry and it's location along the Erie Canal and the New York Central Railroad during the 19th Century. Several universities and colleges were established during this period in the Syracuse area.
Historic Sites and Landmarks in Syracuse
There are 97 historic sites and 13 historic districts wihtin the City of Syracuse listed on the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places . There are 270 sites and 7 districts in Syracuse that have been determined eligible for National Register listing by the New York State Historic Preservation Office (NYSHPO) . The significance of eligible sites fit into one of the four criterias:
Criteria A: Associated with events that have made a significance contribution to the broad patterns of our history
Criteria B: Associated with the lives of persons significant in our past
Criteria C: Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction; or represents the work of a master; or possess high artistic values; or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose component may lack individual distinction
Criteria D: Have yielded, or may be likely to yield information important in prehistory or history
Of the 270 eligible sites, 78% of these sites are eligible under Criteria C. Five sites are eligible under Criteria A, and three sites are eligible under Criteria D. Fifty-one sites are eligible under both Criteria A & C, and only one site is eligible under Criteria B & C.
Drag the swipe bar below to see the listed sites and the eligible sites in Syracuse, NY. Click on any polygon to learn more about the site.
National Register Listed Sites and Districts (left) and Eligible Sites for National Register Listing (Right) in Syracuse, New York.
Architects of Syracuse
There are several architects who designed residential, commercial, industrial, educational and religious structures in the Syracuse area that have been listed or have been determined eligible for listing on the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places .
Scroll through the architects and click on the buttons to learn more about their eligible and listed sites.
Sites No Longer Eligible or Undetermined
Several sites in Syracuse that had previously been deemed eligible by NYSHPO have since been labeled as not elgibile for National Register listing. Several of these changes were results of alteration and loss of original fabric.
The district wards in Syracuse with the fewest number of these non-eligible sites are predominantly White. The district wards with the highest number of non-elegible sites were predominantly Black, Asain and/or Hispanic.
"Stucture is a blight to surrounding neighborhood - without demolition, neighborhood will continue to deteriorate. Also, vacant structures invite criminal activity and pose a danger to the health of the residents in the neighborhood through increased rodent inhabitation." -- Building Structure Inventory Form of 114 Huron St. (1996)
Click on any polygon to learn more about the site.
Syracuse Past and Present
Credit Carol M. Highsmith, 2018