Historic Home on Central Ave. Nominated For State & National Registers of Historic Places

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced 19 properties and districts, recommended by the New York State Board for Historic Preservation, to be added to the State and National Registers of Historic Places. One of the properties nominated is 79 Central Ave. in the City of Cortland.

“The history of the people of New York is imprinted in the architecture and places around us,” Governor Hochul said. “These nominations to the State and National Registers show our commitment to preserving New York’s rich and diverse story and making it accessible for future generations. By recognizing these landmarks and the people behind them, we are strengthening our communities, boosting local pride and ensuring that history remains a living part of New York’s future.”

The house at 79 Central Ave. Also known as the Benton-Sherwood House, in the City of Cortland, has significance for its association with Jeannette Benton Sherwood (1863-1938) and the Women’s Club Movement in the early twentieth century. In a release by the Governor’s Office, Sherwood was a key organizer of the Women’s Clubs in Cortland County and later a leader in statewide roles with the New York State Federation of Women’s Clubs. She hosted numerous meetings in her childhood home, where she lived from 1899 to 1921.

The house was built by Sherwood’s father, Henry F. Benton, who built the brick in the Second Empire style back in 1874. The house is considered the largest and most elaborate of its type within Cortland and features a French-inspired mansard roof, central tower containing both the front entrance and a spiraling cantilevered stair. Inside also included at the time of its construction fine doors, moldings, and parquet floors. A majority of the details added inside the home were possibly made at Benton’s nearby planning mill.

“The house’s parlor was a popular meeting space for groups connected with Sherwood; it served as the location of the founding meeting of the Tioughnioga Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1900. In addition to her women’s clubs activities, Sherwood was also chair of the Cortland Fresh Air committee, chair of the statewide Victory War Fund during the First World War, participated in the Women’s Suffrage Movement, served as the founder and first president of the Cortland County Historical Society, and served on the board of the New York Historical Association.” According to the Governor’s Office.

The house has been unoccupied since December 2024 due to the building not having a functional fire sprinkler system. Buildings that are three stories are required to have a fire sprinkler system, City of Cortland Code Enforcement Division Caption, Roy Everett told X101 News. Everett added the city has been working with the new owner of the property, 0823 Holdings Inc. out of Jamesville New York. Everett highlighted the city and property owner have made a joint effort to ensure the building is safe.

The designation of a historic site will allow for more grant opportunities to help pay for renovations and the installation of a fire sprinkler system, which could cost up to $100,000. Prior to the building being declared unsuitable to live in, it held 8 apartments. The city will continue to work with the new owner, who purchased the building back in June 2024, in bringing quality housing to Cortland.

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

According to the Governor’s Office, once recommendations are approved by the Commissioner, who serves as the State Historic Preservation Officer, the properties are listed in 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 in the National Register.