New York Pledges $700,000 To Save Susan B. Anthony's Home

I love U.S. history and our area is rich with it. It's one of the reasons I was drawn to this part of the country. The figures and events that shaped our great nation happened right here. Preserving this history and the physical places that they happen is so important.

According to the article in The Times Union the state has pledged $700,000 to help stabilize and renovate the Susan B. Anthony home in Battenville, NY. At one time it looked like the home would be demolished and just a plaque would mark the location of the original home. However, the New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation bought the foreclosed property in 2006 at auction for $1 and that started plans to save the home.

The house is in really bad shape with a serious water problem that has damaged the foundation and caused mold and fungus to grow. The majority of the work will be focused on the drainage issue, mold abatement and roof and chimney repairs.

Susan B. Anthony, the woman's right advocate lived in this home with her family from the age of about 6 years-old until she turned 19 and the family moved after losing everything during a financial crisis in 1837.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote, Anthony’s signature issue. It’s also the 200th anniversary of Anthony’s birth. -The Times Union

There is talk of turning the house into a museum or maybe being part of a Susan B. Anthony trail that would start at her birthplace in Adams, Mass and ending in Rochester at the National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House.

I'm just glad that history is being preserved.