The Preservation League Releases New York State LGBTQ+ Statewide Historic Context Exploratory Project

This report was prepared by Bero Architecture for The Preservation League in collaboration with the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation and the City of Ithaca

The Preservation League of NYS, in collaboration with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) and the City of Ithaca, released the New York State LGBTQ+ Statewide Historic Context Exploratory Project. Prepared by Bero Architecture for the League, the project was initiated in 2025 to establish a framework to assess, identify, and nominate historic properties.

<<<Click here to find the report’s Executive Summary>>>

Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Kathy Moser said, “New York State Parks is proud to partner with the Preservation League of NYS, City of Ithaca, and Bero Architecture PLLC to develop the New York State LGBTQ+ Statewide Historic Context Exploratory Project, which is designed to provide guidance to those interested in preserving historic places significant to LGBTQ+ history. This project is helping establish a documented historical, architectural, and cultural framework to evaluate, survey, and nominate historic properties across New York State, bolstering our efforts to recognize the special places and sites that have shaped our shared history.”

Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo said, "The City of Ithaca was honored to participate in this landmark study. Like so many other cities throughout New York State, Ithaca has been meaningfully shaped by the contributions of the LBGTQ+ community. This study is the first step in recognizing the historic significance of these efforts and preserving the places associated with them."

The Preservation League of NYS’s Director of Preservation Caitlin Meives said, “This report has demonstrated strong enthusiasm throughout New York State for documenting and celebrating LGBTQ+ history. We are excited to begin putting the report's recommendations into action over the coming months and years. Thank you to our preservation colleagues around the state for collaborating with us on this project and a special thanks to NYS OPRHP for their expertise and financial support.”

This effort was inspired, in part, by the amazing work of the NYC LGBTQ Historic Sites Project. Thanks to their years-long efforts, the Preservation League of NYS recognized that LGBTQ+ history, places, and people had been well-documented in New York City — but we wanted to look at how to better document and celebrate the people, places, and stories throughout the rest of New York State and begin to document the connections between the different regions of the state and the connections between those regions and NYC.

The resulting report, New York State LGBTQ+ Statewide Historic Context Exploratory Project, lays the groundwork for how this work could be most effective for a state as large as New York. As the report’s author Katie Eggers Comeau writes in the document’s Project Overview, “The LGBTQ+ Context Exploratory Project is intended to be the first step in a statewide project that will provide guidance to people who are interested in preserving historic places with significance in LGBTQ+ history anywhere in New York State.” In other words, the release of this document marks the beginning, not the end, of our collaborative efforts to document, preserve, and amplify LGBTQ+ history and culture. Through this initial research, a series of recommendations and next steps have been identified, notably the creation of an LGBTQ+ Historic Sites Action Plan & Toolkit and an LGBTQ+ History Action Fund. The League is already working with colleagues at OPRHP to explore how to advance such an ambitious and important project.

Project team: the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, which also funded the report through a Certified Local Government Grant; the Preservation League of NYS; the City of Ithaca; and Bero Architecture, PLLC.

This report would not have been possible without an engaged stakeholder committee, comprised of regional preservation colleagues from around the state: Adirondack Architectural Heritage; Historic Albany Foundation; Historic Ithaca; The Landmark Society of Western New York; The New York City LGBTQ Historic Sites Project; The Preservation Association of Central New York; Preservation Buffalo Niagara; Preservation Long Island; The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation.

Special thanks to the regional LGBTQ+ knowledge holders who participated in interviews: Cam Cardinale, Lower Adirondack Pride; Michael DeSalvo and Nick Orth, Friends of Dorothy House, Syracuse; Charlie Ferrusi, OutHudson; Tom House, Hamptons Pride; Luca Maurer, Ithaca College; Meghan O’Toole, Southern Finger Lakes Pride; Libby Post, Albany; Carol Speser, Buffalo; Cindy Swadba, Saratoga Pride.

Click here to read the full report

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, and welcomes over 86 million visitors annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit parks.ny.gov, download the free NY State Parks Explorer app or call 518.474.0456. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, the OPRHP Blog or via the OPRHP Newsroom.

About the Preservation League of New York State

Since its founding in 1974, the Preservation League of NYS has built a reputation for action and effectiveness. Our goal has been to preserve our historic buildings, districts, and landscapes and to build a better New York, one community at a time. The League empowers all New Yorkers to use historic preservation to enrich their communities, protect their heritage, and build a sustainable future. We lead advocacy, economic development, and education programs across the state. Connect with us at preservenys.org, facebook.com/preservenys, youtube.com/c/PreservationLeague and instagram.com/preservenys.

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