Historic Preservation

Long Island Traditions focuses on traditional and vernacular architecture, sites and structures built by ordinary individuals for their own needs or those of their community. We work on behalf of those sites that are in danger of demolition, as well as working with communities to preserve their historic past. Long Island Traditions has received grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Preservation League of New York and other agencies concerned with the loss of our historic sites.

In 2009, Nancy Solomon, executive director of Long Island Traditions, joined the American Folklore Society’s Folklore and Historic Preservation Policy working group, along with several other folklorists who have been working on preserving local traditional architecture. To learn more about this group and its recommendations, click here. Among the case studies examined is West Meadow Beach.

In 2012 Long Island Traditions was successful in nominating the bungalows of Far Rockaway to the State and National Register of Historic Places. The bungalows are located on Beach 24-26 Street in Far Rockaway and is also the subject of a film by Jennifer Callahan and Elizabeth Harris.