OGDENSBURG – As state officials continue a major demolition project at the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center, Assemblyman Scott Gray says calls to preserve historic sandstone have been successful.

“I  am thrilled to share fantastic news regarding the ongoing Phase 1 SLPC demolition project. OMH, in collaboration with DASNY, has informed me that the sandstone window headers, which were being separated from the other building materials, are now available for community use,” he said. “Our appeal to make this a trial run has been successful, providing us with a unique opportunity to experiment on a smaller scale before tackling larger structures in the future.”

Both Ogdensburg and Potsdam officials were working to ensure the sandstone could be preserved.

Gray said that to ensure the sandstone blocks are safe,  municipalities  must arrange for an engineer to go onsite and test them for contamination. If contamination is found, a plan for decontamination and safe transportation will be necessary.

“This initiative not only benefits the community by making use of valuable materials but also allows us to refine our processes for future projects,” Gray said.

Gray said one caveat is he will have to provide some determination of interest and onsite inspection prior to Thanksgiving and because Ogdensburg has expressed interest the municipalities will have to work it out unless they forego the initial offer.

In August a group of local people, one of whom was former Potsdam historian Mimi VanDusen, learned that the contractor charged with clearing the structures would take the debris to a landfill out of the area. 

The group began lobbying the state to allow the Potsdam sandstone used in some of the structures to be rerouted to Potsdam and be stockpiled so it could be used in future restoration and construction projects on some of the communities historic structures.

Potsdam sandstone is a “well-cemented sandstone of nearly pure quartz, renowned for its reddish hues, ranging from salmon pink to orange-red, and its strength in construction,” said the resolution passed by the village board on Aug. 19.

The village and town have 28 buildings made of Potsdam sandstone which are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Those include the Civic Center and the Potsdam Museum and several buildings in the downtown business district. The stone, which was quarried in the 19th century, was also used extensively around the community in various applications including in sidewalks and gravestones. It also was used to construct the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa and the Cathedral of All Saints in Albany.

Meanwhile Ogdensburg officials have been lobbying to ensure any historic materials that are salvageable from the SLPC demolition be preserved or repurposed in the city for their historic value.