Hickey-Freeman Company Building nominated for State and National Parks Registers of Historic Places

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) – The New York State Board for Historic Preservation recommends that 23 properties be added to the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Among those nominations include the Hickey-Freeman Company Building on North Clinton Avenue in Rochester.

Governor Kathy Hochulmade the announcement on Friday. The nominated properties include two Buffalo schools where a local Black Power organization developed its own curriculum, a Catskill retreat for Jewish elites, and the facility of a Western New York Prohibition-era bootlegging company. The State Board has also recommended adding documentation of the slaveholding activities of the Revolutionary War general, U.S. Senator, and prominent regional landholder Philip J. Schuyler to the designation of his Albany home and state historic site, Schuyler Mansion.

"In New York, our diversity is our strength and I am very excited to see New Yorkers across the state are so actively engaged in preserving our heritage," Governor Hochul said. "These diverse additions to the historic registers will help ensure resources are available to protect historic sites so that the past can continue to inspire us today—and into the future."

State and National Registers listing can assist owners in revitalizing properties, making them eligible for various public preservation programs and services, such as matching state grants and state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits.

The Hickey-Freeman Company Building, Rochester, Monroe County. The Hickey-Freeman Company began as a high-end men’s clothing manufacturer in the 1890s in Rochester. The first portion of this factory was built in 1912, with expansions in the 1920s, 1940s, and 1950s. It continues to manufacture high-end men’s suits at this location today.

In 2020, the company helped make surgical masks to help guard against the coronavirus. The fine suit maker was recruited by Rochester General Hospital to help deal with a mask shortage.