Wednesday, December 4, 2024 | St. Lawrence County, NY
BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This WeekOGDENSBURG -- Ogdensburg will share sandstone salvaged from the demolition of the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center with Potsdam.
Ogdensburg Mayor Michael Tooley said the New York State Office of …
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BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This WeekOGDENSBURG -- Ogdensburg will share sandstone salvaged from the demolition of the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center with Potsdam.
Ogdensburg Mayor Michael Tooley said the New York State Office of Mental Health paid for and completed a study on the sandstone removed during demolition of buildings at SLPC and determined they were not contaminated.
Tooley said the state covered the cost of the study.
The large sandstone pieces are about four feet wide and eight feet long, according to the mayor.
He said the City Department of Public Works will store Ogdensburg’s share of the material, but added that some will also go to Potsdam.
Tooley said discussions with Potsdam Mayor Alex Jacobs-Wilke have been positive and helped the city secure the materials which will be shared by both communities. The goal is to have the sandstone on hand in the future when existing structures in Potsdam and Ogdensburg are in need of repairs.
Tooley expressed his appreciation with OMH and the state’s decision to preserve and salvage the materials. He also offered appreciation for state representatives like Scott Gray who helped facilitate the agreement.
Tooley said the city wanted to be on record in support of the efforts. He said Potsdam and the City were working well together on taking advantage of the opportunity.
The successful plan took shape in August when former Potsdam historian Mimi VanDusen and others 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 community's historic structures.
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.
