HPC Meeting of January 21, 2008
Report from the Historic Preservation Commission, Town of Rochester
February 3, 2008
At a recent meeting of the Town of Rochester Historic Preservation Commission, the guest speaker was Douglas Mackey, Field Representative for Archaeology from the New York State Historic Preservation Office. In addition to being Field Representative, Mackey teaches Native American Studies, Archaeology and Anthropology at Marist College and SUNY New Paltz. The first archaeology “dig” that he directed some years ago was at one of Mohonk’s Native American rock shelters.
On a cold winter evening, Mr. Mackey received a warm reception from the 25 plus members of the audience who showed great interest in his presentation and in his answers to their numerous questions.
Mackey emphasized that the point of archaeology is to discover history of ordinary people, “the common man.” Archaeological research provides new information that history books don’t tell us about the lives of previous residents in a particular area. Potential research sites are those that contain artifacts from which we can learn something about the past that we don’t already know.
The historical significance of a site may come from its architecture, or from its connection with an important event or person. Archaeological significance depends on potential research value of the site. A valuable archaeology site may be a place where Native Americans lived or passed through, but it may just as well be the backyard of a stone house built by European settlers. Both can tell us a great deal about the food that they consumed and the tools they used, Mackey explained.
Archaeological review of a site looks for a balance between preservation and development, for compromise between protection of artifacts and plans of the developer. Usually, an archaeologically important site is identified by making test borings but not by doing extensive digging, which actually destroys the site. Then the developer can be requested to adjust the building plans so as to make the least impact on the artifacts under the surface of the site. Mackey explained that most archaeological sites are not candidates for digs, but rather should be left undisturbed.
In answering questions about the listing of local properties on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, Mackey explained the value to the community of identifying and safeguarding its historic assets, and the advantages to the individual property owners, including tax abatements, funding opportunities, and pride of ownership.
Co-sponsors of this event, along with the Preservation Commission, were Friends of Historic Rochester and the Rondout-Esopus Land Conservancy. The Preservation commission is planning future programs on local architecture, preservation policy and the people who preserve our valuable local heritage.