Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that after her year-long push, the New York State Barge Canal has been designated as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of Interior.
“The New York State Barge Canal has played a pivotal role in the growth and development of not only New York State but the entire country. It facilitated and shaped the course of settlement in the Northeast, Midwest and Great Plains, and established New York City as the nation’s premiere seaport and commercial center,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I was proud to fight for this designation because the canal is a symbolic reminder of New York’s excellence from the 1800s to this present day, honoring generations of our history and industry. Today, the New York State Barge Canal gets the recognition it truly deserves as it officially becomes a National Historic Landmark.”
In April, Senator Gillibrand first called on the National Park Service to designate of the NYS Canal as a National Historic Landmark. After the National Historic Landmarks Committee of the National Park System Advisory Board moved to approve the designation in November, Gillibrand renewed her pushed and urged the U.S. Department of the Interior to deliver the final approval needed to officially designate the NYS Canal as a National Historic Landmark. Gillibrand was also instrumental in the New York Barge Canal being added to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places in 2014, expanding opportunities for federal historic tax credits and other resources to support economic development initiatives near the Barge Canal, as well as positioning the Canal for designation as a National Historic Landmark.
The New York State’s Barge Canal system will celebrate its 192nd year of continuous operation next year. Also, the New York State Barge Canal will celebrate its Centennial in 2018.
The NYS Barge Canal extends through Albany, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo and includes the Erie Canal, the Oswego Canal, the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, and the Champlain Canal, stretching 525 miles across New York State.