Category Archives: News

The Nelson Preservation Associates, Inc. (NPA) is seeking donations to preserve the historic Old Drovers Tavern building at 3307 US Rt. 20 in the community of Nelson in Madison County.

Originally known as “The Sickle and Sheath Drover’s Tavern”, the building was constructed in circa 1804 as a tavern for cattle drovers on the Cherry Valley Turnpike, now known as US Rt. 20.

Since then, the building has served as a general store, the village post office, a feed store, and an antiques store. In the 1970s, former NYS Assemblyman Bill Magee purchased the property, which continued to function as an antiques store and auction house until recently.

The NPA plans to work with skilled craftsmen, the community, and local experts to rehabilitate the tavern to serve its original purpose. The work will also include NPA’s constructing a replica of the original two-story English-style barn and conducting a community survey to gain input on potential uses for both the historic tavern and old barn.

The NPA’s overall goal is to raise $2,000 by mid-summer; volunteers will start painting by late summer. The organization will host a community bonfire at the Old Drovers Tavern on June 25 from 5 to 8 p.m.

To donate, visit the Old Drovers Tavern GoFundMe page, or send a check, made payable to Nelson Preservation Associates, to PO Box 452, Cazenovia, NY 13035. All donors will receive a tax-exempt donation receipt and will be listed on the Old Drovers Tavern social media sponsor pages.

For updates on upcoming events, or to follow the fundraising progress, search The Old Drovers Tavern at Nelson on Facebook, visit olddroverstavern.com, ro send and email to nelsonpreservationassoc@gmail.com.

In April of 2019, the National Parks Service proposed some changes to the laws which guide and regulate the listing of properties to the National Register of Historic Places. These changes threatened to undermine the spirit under which the Register was first established by law, to give unfair and undemocratic advantage to the wealthy, and to give the power of saving a significant property to the federal government rather than the state and local authorities. These changes would have affected both architectural and archaeological resources.

The proposed changes sought to eliminate the voice of the SHPO’s when it came to Federal properties, or land under control of a Federal agency. This would have included everything from a local historic post office to tracts of ancient and sacred Native American land. It was a clear and transparent attempt to open-up protected (or protectable) land for development. Another change to the rules would have been a shift in the very concept of the one-person, one-vote concept giving the “veto power” the largest property owner within a proposed district.

These protocol changes were all geared toward the same end: to reduce state and local power in favor of the federal government and to open up protected land to development and destruction. However, thanks to the advocacy work of preservation groups and ordinary citizens across the country. This kind of advocacy is as crucial now as it was in the earliest days of historic preservation in America. To all our neighbors who sent their comments to the NPS, or who contacted their local representatives and told them not to pursue these changes – thank you!