Excellence Award Spotlight: @syracusehistory
David Haas holds a photo as he compares the "then and now" of 515 West Onondaga. Through @syracusehistory, David celebrates the history of the greater Syracuse region, encouraging others to take pride in their city as well.
@syracusehistory, the Instagram account run by David Haas since 2013, has been named one of this year’s Excellence in Historic Preservation award winners.
"I’m thrilled to be considered and chosen for such an honor. My work is reflective of my beliefs that we have a city and a community worth preserving and promoting,” said David Haas. “I’m thankful for all those who have trusted me with their stories and those who have opened their doors to my following – allowing access into places we would never see otherwise. With an engaged following whose love for Syracuse matches mine, I can truly say we are making a difference.”
Since 2012, @syracusehistory, a social media blog dedicated to the preservation of neighborhoods and narratives by David Haas, has exposed tens of thousands of people to the history of the City of Syracuse and the Central New York region. His posts have inspired so many individuals, both local and not, sharing the values of historic preservation through imagery and storytelling.
Although @syracusehistory lives on Instagram, its effects can be felt in the real word. In 2019, preservationists from around Syracuse called on the Common Council to approve the designation of the Angeloro building to the city’s list of protected sites, which includes buildings of historic or architectural significance. David Haas leveraged his platform’s 45,000 followers to get the word out, encouraging them to express their objection to an application for the demolition of the 115-year-old building. Under that proposal, the building’s beautifully preserved architectural characteristics and well-known, small family-run Mexican restaurant would have been lost. The building was granted a protected site status and continues to live on as part of the culturally diverse Syracuse Northside community, thanks in part to David’s advocacy and the hundreds of messages of support that flooded the Syracuse Common Council.
David Haas was also recently honored by the Preservation Association of Central New York with a Merit Award for Exceptional Achievement in Historic Preservation in 2019.
“There is a new wave of preservation advocates standing up for our shared cultural heritage,” said Preservation League President Jay DiLorenzo. “The work that David Haas has done through his @syracusehistory Instagram account is a truly excellent example of how social media can be used to advocate for historic places. He focuses on the history and built environment of Syracuse, NY, but his reach goes far beyond the borders of Central New York, introducing people all over the country to the city of Syracuse and the importance of preserving its history.”
Click here for everything about the 2021 Excellence in Historic Preservation Award winners!
Since 1984, the Preservation League’s statewide awards program has highlighted projects, organizations, publications, and individuals that exemplify best practices in historic preservation and recognize the people who are using historic preservation to build stronger neighborhoods, create local jobs, provide affordable housing, open our eyes to overlooked history, and save the places that are special to all of us.