| With the Historic District’s designation in 1991 as
a National Historic Landmark, the Village of Geneseo
became one of only 20 (now 24) communities in the country to have
its Historic District recognized as having national significance.
Members of the Association for the
Preservation of Geneseo worked diligently for 18 years to achieve this recognition for
Geneseo. |
| 1977 |
Geneseo’s Main Street (including
the Courthouse, Hartford House, and The Homestead) was approved
for inclusion on the “National
Register of Historic Places” by the U.S. National
Park Service. |
| |
Hartford House and The Homestead were
also listed on the “National Register of Historic Places” on
their own merits |
| 1985 |
The National Park Service approved Main Street District
enlargement to include Center Street, Oak Street,
Second Street, Elm Street, South Street, Prospect Street,
Temple Hill, Ward Place, Chestnut Street and part of HighlandRoad (Cornerways
and west side from Center to Oak) for listing on the “National Register
of Historic Places”. |
| 1991 |
The enlarged Main Street Historic District was
named a National Historic Landmark by
the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. |
| |
The significance of Geneseo’s Historic District was
summed up by the following observations: |
| |
| One of the most remarkably preserved villages in northwestern
New York, Geneseo is one of the best examples of “Picturesque” architecture
and town planning as expounded by American landscape architect
Andrew Jackson Downing.” |
| “The cohesive quality of the surviving town displays
a textbook of styles and is almost unique in American architectural
history. The relatively sophisticated and imposing
structures included in the district reflect the village’s
early 19th century prosperity as a market place for the
valley’s farming communities” |
| Note: A member of the Department of
the Interior must recommend that the required material
be submitted for nomination; a community cannot apply for
this designation. |
|
|
| Background information: All National Historic Landmarks are
included on the NationalRegister of
Historic Places, which is the official list of the nation’s
historic properties considered worthy of preservation. Landmarks constitute
about 2,000 of the more than 50,000 entries on the National
Register. Of these 2005, only 24 are districts – others
are buildings, sites, etc. Landmarks are considered
of national interest. (Data supplied by the National Park
Service.) |
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