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Marking Your Old House A program to research, recognize, and mark old houses & structures in Putnam County Sponsored by The Office of the Putnam County Historian & The Putnam County Historic Preservation Advisory Commission
Many of us, especially those who have
moved to The owner(s) of any house that
Anyone who has lived in an old house
knows that it is both a challenge and a joy to care for it.
It is a challenge because the repairs, maintenance, and upkeep
of an old house are much more expensive the care of a new one!
But the joy comes from being a steward of a house that
generations before you have lived in and that generations after
you will enjoy as well. Yours is not a “tear down”
but a treasure. Marking it will show you care and will
educate others to care as well.
HOW DO I FIND OUT
ABOUT MY HOUSE? Assuming that you wish to apply for a
plaque because your house is old, you may click on “Some Tips on
Tracing the History of Your Old House.” Your local
historical society, your town or village historian, and the
Putnam County Historian’s Office and A house is more than wood and shingles!
It’s also the story of the people who lived there; and much of
the enjoyment of living in an old house comes from imagining the
lives of your predecessors. You may find that town
meetings were held in your house, that a “pound master” lived
there, that one woman raised seventeen children in your house,
or even that a prior owner was convicted of arson! There is a simple form to be completed
(click on “application form” & print it), and we ask for
up-to-date photographs of the exterior of the house. If
there are any interesting architectural details inside, it’s
good to include interior photographs as well. Some of the
work may already have been done for you as many houses in Putnam
County have already been described by an architectural historian
or have been the subject of a historic structure report) or
have already been declared eligible to apply for the National
Register. In those cases, your job is really easy.
You may then submit your form and photographs to a committee
that will consult with your town or village historian or
historical society. If your house is approved, you may
purchase the brass plaque to affix to your house or to a sign.
Documentation, including the photographs, of your house will be
preserved in the Putnam County Archives for students and future
owners to consult and for future generations in
If your house enters the program, you
may purchase (for $55) a brass marker showing the ox, rake &
plow of the first official seal of
Such signs attest to owners’ interest in
their properties and a community’s pride in its history. The “Marking Your Old House” Program is
created so that homeowners may learn about their old house, have
its history attested to by designated historians, and have a
plaque that will be uniform throughout the county placed on
their house or a sign in front of their house.
TO LEARN
MORE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM… Call the Putnam County Historian’s
Office for more information. Telephone: (845) 278-7209 |
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