St. Lawrence County Government Center nominated for historic registry

CANTON, N.Y. (WWTI) – The St. Lawrence County Government Center has been nominated for addition to the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

News came via a press release on Thursday afternoon that the Canton-based center was one of 15 nominations. Governor Kathy Hochul announced recommendations by the New York State Board for Historic Preservation.

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 118,000 historic properties throughout the state listed on the National Register of Historic Places, either individually or as components of historic districts.

Property owners, municipalities, and organizations from communities throughout the state sponsored the nominations. Once recommendations are approved by the Commissioner, who serves as the State 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 by the National Park Service and, once approved, entered on the National Register. More information, with photos of the nominations, is available on the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation website .

The County Government Center complex of government buildings is located in Canton, the county seat of St. Lawrence County. From its establishment in 1828 to today, the St. Lawrence Government Complex has played a critical role in administering the essential legal and administrative duties required for the village, town, and county government to function. In particular, the continuous presence of a jail on the site proved to be an integral part of keeping the county seat in Canton.

The complex is also important both socially and economically to Canton’s downtown core. Despite numerous fires, the complex is notable for a number of surviving and rebuilt buildings that reflect the county’s increased need for services as local industries attracted settlers. Built of regionally sourced stone, the building’s Richardsonian Romanesque elements exemplify the wider popularity of this architectural style as a means of conveying governmental endurance and formidability.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which saw a record 84 million visits in 2023.

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