Heritage Tourism: The New Way to

The Downtown Ossining Historic District was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places back in 1989 but until recently, this prestigious designation remained under the radar of public consciousness. Local government, the business sector and for that matter the public never really understood that it was a powerful tool for the revitalization of a central business district that had been virtually destroyed by the urban renewal programs of the 1970s.

Once the U.S. National Park Service, the federal agency that is in charge of Historic Register program delivered its pronouncement, it was put in the files and hardly ever referred to again in the various schemes that the government and business sectors developed to revitalize downtown Ossining. In fairness this failure to comprehend the value of local history as a tool for economic revitalization is not unique to Ossining and at the root of the problem is the general public perception most everywhere in America that history is an academic subject has no practical application for the revitalization of economically distressed communities.

 However in recent years this mistaken idea is slowly being undermined by the concept of heritage tourism and local historical societies with almost no governmental or business support are spearheading this movement to drive history from the back porches of their communities to the front steps of their governmental, civic and business institutions. For the last three years for instance the Ossining Historical Society Museum (OHSM – pronounced awesome) has:

 • Underwritten and conducted a series of tours and other programs about the historically and architecturally significant houses of worship, cemeteries and governmental facilities in the Town and Village of Ossining. The attendance is growing.

 • Provided a great deal of the historical background information needed by the Village of Ossining Bicentennial Committee and the Ossining Fire Department for their great commemorative activities and publications.

• Allowed the Ossining Village Planning Department and several private business organizations to use its unique file of glass plate negatives and other archival photographs for their various projects including its “Significant Sites and Structures” publication. It provides guidelines to property owners, architects and contractors on appropriate methods and materials for properties in the Villages two designated historic districts – Sparta and Downtown Ossining.

• Assisted the Town of Ossining put Dale Cemetery on the National Register of Historic Places. • A historically informative newsletter and Facebook page to publish, promote and preserves Ossining’s history locally and beyond.

 • Advocated for the Museum in the Streets Project for Downtown Ossining and special street identification signs that inform people that they are in the Historic District. All of these activities and more are consciously done to enhance the image of Ossining as historically interesting place to visit and it appears to be working as the growing list of people who attend the  OHSM programs shows.

Heritage tourism helps make historic preservation economically viable by using historic structures and landscapes to attract and serve travelers. Heritage tourism can be an attractive economic revitalization strategy, especially as studies have consistently shown that heritage travelers stay longer and spend more money than other kinds of travelers. As an added bonus, a good heritage tourism program improves the quality of life for residents as well as serving visitors.

But much more has to be done to affirm their promise to advance economic development with a more comprehensive heritage tourism program. The key elements of an effective heritage tourism program include:

• Places for tourists to stay. At the moment the Village and Town does not a hotel or even have a B & B.. This is a business “hole that has to be filled.

• A full-fledged program that is designed along the lines of the recommendations of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

• Funding.

• Adherence to the letter and more importantly the spirit of the New York State Law that requires each municipality to have an appointed historian. Both the Town and Village have one but unfortunately, they do not make use of them. Technically theses historians are supposed to be officers of the municipal corporation they serve and given the supportive and other administrative help they need to carry out their duties. At the very least, they should be listed in the municipal directory with contact information. In any event, each municipal historian is required to file an annual report of the significant historical events of their community with the State Department of Education and incredibly there is, at least in theory, a fine if this report is not submitted.

Be that as it is, the State of New York does not provide funding for the municipal historian’s programs and most are not compensated or even reimbursed for any related expenses they might need to carry out their duties. Ossining’s local, county and state legislators have to introduce legislation that makes funding available.

In summary, the history of Ossining has to be seen as a very practical tool for economic revitalization. It must include a well thought out comprehensive program that is funded and encourages the operation of businesses, places and activities that interest and attract visitors to Ossining for its economic benefit. However, the program must also foster a positive sense of personal pride that comes from a belief that Ossining’s history is not something for the benefit of tourists but that it is equally important as a personal, practical and tangible way to save their past, understand the present and prepare for the future.