Historic Walking Tour Planned for Worcester, New York
Otsego 2000 will host a walking tour titled "Worcester: Stepping Back to the 1880s" on Sunday, October 6 at 3 p.m., led by Dr. Cindy Falk, Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies at SUNY Oneonta and Professor of Material Culture at the Cooperstown Graduate Program.
Worcester's Historic District, recognized on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, stands as a prime example of a late 19th-century small-town commercial hub. The tour will highlight daily life in upstate New York during the late Victorian era, with a focus on Worcester’s Main Street. It was researched and developed by students Tatum Hoff, Ethan Ryan, and Calliope Hoogenboom from Dr. Falk’s Historic Preservation class at the Cooperstown Graduate Program.
"Like many communities in upstate New York, Worcester peaked in population during the 1880s, reaching 2,741 residents by the 1890 census. This tour will explore what Worcester’s downtown was like during that time, as well as the factors contributing to its population decline in later years," said Dr. Falk.
Ellen Pope, Executive Director of Otsego 2000, will provide information about Historic Home and Barn Tax Credits available to homeowners in communities like Worcester that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Otsego 2000 offers free technical assistance for those applying for these credits. The Historic Preservation Series will continue with a walking tour of Cooperstown on November 10. Earlier this year, Otsego 2000 hosted tours in Unadilla, Gilbertsville, Fly Creek, and Hartwick, also led by Dr. Falk.
Dr. Falk, former co-editor of Buildings & Landscapes: The Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum and author of Barns of New York: Rural Architecture of the Empire State, brings extensive expertise to the tour.
The two-hour walking tour will begin at 4 Decatur Street, Worcester, and will cover approximately one mile on uneven surfaces.
Tickets are $10. To register, visit otsego2000.org or call 607-547-8881.