Possible Historical Sites in Potsdam

Commuting to go to school in Potsdam, I drive pass the Public Museum and Civic Center a lot. I never have been inside the buildings, but from the outside, they are very pretty to look at.

There was article on North County Now website titled “Potsdam interested in designating Civic Center, Museum as historic sites”. The article is about looks at benefits would come from if the civic center and museum were to become historical site. The biggest benefit would be the maintenance of the building. But at first glance of the article, I thought that Potsdam is going to apply to have the building named historical sites. The people that were interviewed never came out and said that Potsdam is going to apply. i found this interesting because the other day in class we were discussing when local government gets funds or funding from the federal  and or state level governments and some of the strings that would be attached to the funding. So I started wondering what is would do to Potsdam's budget.

The articled talked a little bit about the process for becoming a historical site and I never gave it much thought about what the process would be. The process falls under the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Services. So I next looked at criteria just to see how Potsdam would do. But after looking at the criteria, I realized that I would need to know more about the building to say if they if they had a good chance at becoming historical sites. For example one of the criteria points is “That embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction” (National Register Criteria for Evaluation).

It will be interesting to see if Potsdam officials actually apply for the civic center and museum to become historical sites.

Link to article: http://www.twcnews.com/nys/watertown/news/2015/02/5/potsdam-village-officials-may-apply-for-national-register-of-historic-places.html ).

National Register Criteria for Evaluation. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb15/nrb15_2.htm