Schumer wants Hamburg historic district

HAMBURG, N.Y. (WIVB) - A United States senator is joining the push to make Main Street in the Village of Hamburg a designated historic district.

Senator Chuck Schumer is urging the National Park Service to designate Main Street, between Buffalo and Lake Street, as a historic district. Schumer says this would pave the way for federal tax breaks to continue the preservation of the shopping district.

According to Schumer’s Office, the village announced that its Main Street district was listed in the New York State Register of Historic Places.

You can read Senator Schumer’s letter to National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis below:

Dear Director Jarvis:

I write to urge the National Park Service to quickly move to approve the Village of Hamburg's application to place Hamburg’s Main Street on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). This unique district has already been listed on the New York State Register of Historic places due to Main Street's cultural significance and now its is time that this historical treasure earns it place on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Village announced in October of 2012 that the block of Main Street between Buffalo and Lake Street was listed in the New York State Register of Historic Places. The area includes a diverse array of well-preserved buildings, from commercial district buildings, which range from 150 to 50 years old to the Village’s beautiful and grand homes located on Lake Street. There are more than 5,400 properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in New York State. While 165 of these properties and districts are in Erie County, the only the Kleis Site is listed in the Town of Hamburg. A Kleis Site is an historic archeological site that contains the remnants of a 17th century Iroquoian village and burial ground, and is one of a small number of Native American villages on the Niagara Frontier.

The designation on the National Register of Historic Places would boost the Village of Hamburg’s preservation efforts by paving the way for federal tax credits and grant funding. This would be a major step forward in protecting cultural treasures in Erie County and across the State of New York.

Again, I urge the National Park Service to swiftly approve the Village of Hamburg's application. Listing Hamburg's Main Street on the National Register of Historic Places will provide the resources to protect one of New York’s great cultural gems for generations to come.

Thank you for your attention to this request.

Sincerely,