Bill Text: NY J00833 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Congratulating the Hamlet of South Otselic, New York, upon the occasion of being placed on the National Register of Historic Places

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-05-02 - ADOPTED [J00833 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-J00833-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 833

BY: Senator GRIFFO

        CONGRATULATING  the  Hamlet  of South Otselic, New
        York, upon the  occasion  of  being  placed  on  the
        National Register of Historic Places

  WHEREAS,  It  is  the  intent  of this Legislative Body to honor and
commemorate  the  distinguished  histories  of  the  communities   which
comprise the noble body of this great Empire State; and

  WHEREAS,  Attendant  to  such  concern,  and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to
congratulate the Hamlet of South Otselic, New York, upon the occasion of
being placed on the National Register of Historic Places; and

  WHEREAS, This auspicious occasion will be celebrated at a Dedication
Ceremony unveiling the historic marker on Saturday, July 8, 2023; and

  WHEREAS,  The  marker's  inscription  will  read:  the South Otselic
Historic District has been placed on the National Register  of  Historic
Places  in 1983 by the United States Department of the Interior, William
G. Pomeroy Foundation 2022; and

  WHEREAS, Located in Chenango  County,  the  South  Otselic  Historic
District  is  a  cohesive  grouping  of historically and architecturally
significant buildings which includes representative examples of both the
modest vernacular  housing  of  the  early  settlement  period  and  the
ostentatious  commercial  blocks  and  residences of the late Nineteenth
Century; and

  WHEREAS, The South Otselic Historic District includes 60 commercial,
residential, ecclesiastical, and industrial buildings; among the notable
buildings are the Methodist  Church  (ca.  1867),  Gladding  Corporation
factory  and  office  (1895),  J.  Brown Grist Mill (ca. 1810), Noonan's
Blacksmith Shop (1870), Cox Block (1890, destroyed by fire  on  December
14,  2014), and Dew Drop Building (now post office, 1896), and prominent
residences such as the Octagon House (ca. 1860) and the Queen Anne style
Former Gladding Mansion (ca. 1880); and

  WHEREAS,  Today,  the  Gladding  Corporation  continues  to  provide
stability   to  the  hamlet's  economy  despite  a  general  decline  in
population during the Twentieth Century; and

  WHEREAS, Located on the banks of the Otselic River in the  southwest
corner  of  the town, South Otselic was the leading population center by
the mid-1800s; in 1850, it boasted a millrace with  grist  and  sawmills
and  a  ropewalk  and  many  business  establishments, two hotels, three
blacksmith shops, wagon makers, an ashery, a large tannery, and assorted
shops; and

  WHEREAS,   As   local   industries   and   agriculture    developed,
transportation  routes were improved, and a 20-mile plank road was built
to Norwich, the county seat, in 1840; and

  WHEREAS, In the 1870s,  the  Auburn  Branch  of  the  Oswego-Midland
Railroad  stopped  at Otselic Center, four miles north; locally known as
the "Butter and Cheese Express", the railroad provided an outlet for the
town's dairy farms and local industries; and

  WHEREAS,  Historically,  South  Otselic  has  been  a  rural center,
serving the commercial, social, and religious needs of a remote area; as
the agricultural economy prospered, trips to South  Otselic  by  farmers
and  their families for supplies and entertainment sustained a diversity
of small business enterprises in the hamlet as well as a district school
and two churches; and

  WHEREAS, Reflecting the increasing prosperity of  South  Otselic,  a
building  boom  ensued  in the late 1870s, lasting until the turn of the
century; large commercial blocks were built in the center of the hamlet,
the grandest of which was the Cox Block, built  as  a  department  store
featuring  groceries,  household  goods,  a drug store, and an ice cream
parlor with apartments and Masonic rooms above;  in  1905,  the  Otselic
Valley National Bank was also installed in the building; and

  WHEREAS, The Perkins Block, (a two-story section survives) relocated
in  the  1930s, was another three-story mercantile structure with stores
and a large ballroom for public gatherings, and the Dewdrop Block housed
a theatre and offices; and

  WHEREAS, Remaining fruitful over the ebb  and  flow  of  decades  of
growth  and change, the Hamlet of South Otselic continues its commitment
to enhancing the quality of life of its citizens,  ensuring  a  positive
business,  institutional  and  educational  climate,  and  providing all
essential services; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
congratulate the Hamlet of South Otselic, New York, upon the occasion of
being  placed  on  the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing
the significance of the role it continues to play in  the  life  of  the
community of the State of New York; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the Hamlet of South Otselic, New York.