(631) 477-0248
WHO
The Village of Greenport’s Historic Preservation Commission, the Business Improvement District and the Village Board partnered in an October 2025 grant application with letters of support from Preservation Long Island, East End Seaport Museum & Marine Foundation, North Fork Arts Center, Stirling Historical Society.
WHAT
A $25,000 grant award was made in January 2026 and consultants were hired to prepare a nomination (Learn more about what a nomination looks like) to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to expand State and National Historic Register designation.
WHERE
Front Street, Second Street, Monsell Place, Stirling Avenue (those properties not already on the registers) and Green Hill Cemetery; approximately 220 properties.
HOW
To achieve inclusion on the National and State registers a comprehensive study of Greenport’s development will be made documenting our contribution to the “broad patterns of American history” from 1750 to 1960 and an architectural description written for each property within the proposed district.
WHEN
Work started in April 2026 with a goal of submitting an application which is called a nomination by November 2026 to the State Historic Preservation Office. Once SHPO reviews, clarifies, and accepts the nomination, a certified letter will be sent to each property asking for their vote. Property owners should receive this letter early 2027.
WHY
Homeowners will become eligible for a state tax credit of 20% for pre approved renovations made to their home. Commercial property owners will be eligible for a 30% state tax credit and a 20% federal tax credit, 50% of renovation expenses, with only 5% needing to be spent on the exterior of the property and eligible items include things like new HVAC systems. These financial incentives will spur community investment and incentivize the continuance of our historical properties. Additionally, professional documentation of Greenport’s history will be a permanent public record and hopefully a catalyst for education of our young (and old). Enhancement of community pride and Heritage tourism will be positive benefits as well.
AND LAST
Inclusion on the State and National registers does not add any oversight, just benefits. It might be surprising to learn that a property on the State and National registers can be changed in any way or even demolished. The only consequence of noncompatible renovations to a property in a historic district with State and National designation would be ineligibility for tax credits. There is absolutely no oversight. Protection only comes with inclusion in the Local historic district, which our core historic district has now, and is achieved by a majority vote of the Village Board.
This project is supported by a Certified Local Government grant from the Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior under FY 2025 Grant Number P25AF01926 and HPF Online Project Number NY-25-10021 (Village of Greenport Survey and National Register Nomination). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.
