Tag Archives: history

Historic Sites, history, State History

Including All New Yorkers in Our Whole History

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As our understanding of history grows, so do the stories we tell about our past. The upcoming commemorations of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution (2026) and the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in New York and 200th anniversary of the ending of legalized slavery in New York (both in 2027) provide the perfect opportunity for a re-examination of these key events in American history.  

On Saturday, November 16, 2024, the public and staff members from New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation gathered at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site in Yonkers and online for “Making History: Revolution, Abolition, and Preservation in New York State,” a symposium highlighting the agency’s Our Whole History initiative. The initiative starts with acknowledging that our understanding of history is complex and nuanced, and evolves with historical research. Our Whole History actively fills in parts of history that were previously ignored to gain a more complete understanding of the past.  

The introduction to the Making History symposium by Lavada Nahon and Cordell Reaves.
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Historic Sites, Recreation, Research

By the Numbers: The Benefits of State Parks and Historic Sites

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“This system was built for you.” Over the past 100 years, this ideal has driven our agency’s growth beyond its original visions. New York State’s parks and historic sites contribute to their communities’ sense of identity. Businesses thrive thanks to park and historic site visitors. Generations of New Yorkers have worked at our parks and sites, some for their entire career, others for a season.

New York’s historic preservation initiatives have also had a positive ripple effect. Designating heritage areas and preserving landmarks sparked community pride — and investment. Tax credits help both individual homeowners and commercial developers preserve and re-develop historic structures. The State and National Registers of Historic Places and the Historic Business Preservation Registry fosters connections with the past.

Throughout 2024, we celebrated the intangible benefits of our system by collecting your visitor memories and offering hundreds of special events and activities. As we look to 2025 and beyond, let’s explore the ways in which our agency benefits all New Yorkers, by the numbers.

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2024 Centennial Celebration, Park History

State Parks’ 20th Century Evolution

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Following our 2024 Centennial anniversary, we will continue to share the story of New York State’s park and historic site system through our interactive history timeline, Blazing a Trail: A History of NY State Parks and Historic Sites. In recent months, we have added two eras detailing the latter half of the 20th century. Starting in 1960 and spanning to the turn of the millennium, these stories outline some of the largest periods of expansion in the system’s history and explore radical changes which defined the modern-day mission of New York State Parks.  

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2024 Centennial Celebration, history, Share Your Story

Centennial Reflections and Future Promises

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What a year we’ve had! From kicking off our Centennial in the outdoors with First Day Hikes, to lighting up New York on the official anniversary in April, to birthday bashes hosted at state parks and historic sites all summer long, it’s certainly been a year to remember. Visitors from near and far joined in on the festivities and participated in the different activities to help us celebrate.

Take a look at our year-in-review video that recaps all the fun we’ve had this year.

Still want to celebrate with us? Here’s a more in-depth look back at all the excitement we’ve had with you by our sides. 

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history, Park History, Park Personnel, Stewardship

Behind the Scenes of ‘From Land to Legacy: 100 Years of NY State Parks and Preservation’

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In honor of the 100th anniversary of the founding of New York’s park and historic site system, we knew we wanted to do something special. Telling our full story in-house in a documentary style — and ensuring that the agency’s 100-year legacy was shared accurately and completely — seemed like a daunting task for our small (but mighty!) Public Affairs team.

Above all else, it required bringing the right voices to the table:

  • Professional storytellers who value public resources.
  • Team members with vast institutional knowledge, from Indigenous history to environmental conservation and New York State’s recreation evolution.
  • Powerful visuals that do our 250+ facilities justice.
  • Staff and like-minded individuals who are passionate about our open spaces and rich cultural resources, and are working to preserve and protect them, day in and day out.
Get your popcorn ready and click the play button above to watch the full documentary.

Thankfully, from discussions early on, Capital region PBS affiliate WMHT demonstrated enthusiasm for working on a documentary that would share our state park and historic site system’s Centennial story with New Yorkers. And it was this author’s honor to play a small role in seeing the enormous undertaking come to life.

Continue reading Behind the Scenes of ‘From Land to Legacy: 100 Years of NY State Parks and Preservation’ →