Mary E. Bell House Nominated For Historic Designation

CENTER MORICHES, NY — A building that has stood for decades in Center Moriches may soon receive historic designation.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced recently that the New York State Board for Historic Preservation recommended adding 18 properties to the State and National Registers of Historic Places, including the Mary E. Bell House in Center Moriches.

Currently a museum, the two-story frame house was built in 1872 by an African American family and reflects the history of Long Island's African American community and the establishment of a nearby African Methodist Episcopal Church in the 1840s, Cuomo said.

The home fell out of family ownership in the 1990s and was threatened with demolition in 2009 before the Town of Brookhaven took ownership.

On Wednesday, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine and Councilman Dan Panico spoke about the long history of the house, located at 66 Railroad Avenue.

“I am proud that the town has been very active in preserving our historic sites. The Mary E. Bell House is another treasured landmark that has a story to tell about our community and the people who have called it home," Romaine said.

“Once history is gone you cannot replace it and not everything old can be saved, but this property was certainly deserving," Panico added.

He thanked Bert Seides and all involved with the the Ketcham Inn Foundation for their stewardship, as well as everyone who helped in the building's restoration.

The State and National Registers are the official lists of buildings, structures, districts, landscapes, objects, and sites significant in the history, architecture, archaeology and culture of New York State and the nation. There are more than 120,000 historic properties throughout the state listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

"These historic locations highlight so much of what is exceptional about New York and its incredible contributions to our nation's history," Cuomo said. "By placing these landmarks on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, we are helping to ensure these places and their caretakers have the funding needed to preserve, improve and promote the best of this great state."

In addition, designation on State and National Registers can assist owners in revitalizing properties, making them eligible for various public preservation programs and services, such as matching state grants and state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits, Cuomo's office said.Commissioner of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Erik Kulleseid reflected on the significance of the designation. "The nominations highlight the broad diversity of our state, its people, and their stories. This recognition helps support ongoing efforts made by many people over the years to protect and appreciate New York's fascinating history," he said.

Previous register designations in recent years, Cuomo said, have included African American burial grounds, archeological sites associated with free black communities, industrialist Andrew Carnegie's legacy reflected in New York City libraries, a Hudson Valley golf club established to counter anti-Semitism, and a Catskill site linked to the early history of professional baseball.

In 2013, Cuomo signed legislation to bolster the state's use of rehabilitation tax credits; the state and federal program has spurred investment of billions of dollars in completed rehabilitations of historic commercial properties and tens of millions invested in owner-occupied historic homes, a release said.

Once the recommendations are approved by the commissioner, who serves as the state's historic preservation officer, the properties are listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places and then nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, where they are reviewed and, once approved, entered on the National Register.