If anyone thinks there's no interest in local history, they should have spent a few minutes this weekend in downtown Albany behind the Visitor's Center off Broadway. At least 3000 people braved the cold to view the remains of an 18th century rum distillery recently uncovered by archaeologists. This 200 year old site which survived the onslaughts of time will be buried again - by yet another parking garage.

Recently, archaeologists have uncovered a 150 foot long section of the Albany Stockade, an 18th century dock, wharves, an Indian site, and a mid 17th century firepit mixed with Indian and European goods below it. All are now under new parking garages. This week, Arent Van Curler's home (founder of Schenectady), a brick works by perhaps the first woman business person in America, and the Quackenbush-Douw-Bogaert distillery, will join them when the Albany Parking Authority erects a six level parking garage for 850 cars.

Just another day's work in Albany, the "So-What" Capital of New York, says historian John Wolcott. An earlier find just a few feet west of the distillery is believed to have been the home of Arent Van Curler, founder of the city of Schenectady. Those remains were destroyed as a sewer pipe was placed through it last week. Where was Mayor "Al" from Schenectady? Why was he not pleading for the preservation of his founding father's home?

The rum distillery is remarkably preserved. Researchers believe it was owned and operated by Daniel Hale, the state's Secretary of State in 1804.

You can see the flagstone foundation of the building measured at 30 by 60 feet. Inside are 18 wooden vats from 4 feet to 8 feet in diameter and from 2 feet to over 6 feet in depth. The largest of the vats could hold nearly 1900 gallons of rum. You can still see the vines (probably grape) around the wooden vats that held them together. Also evident is a privy, fireplace, wooden water pipe, base of the still, and numerous artifacts were unearthed. I shot many photographs and you can view them online (www.themesh.com/albanydig/albanydig.html) .

This site is begging to be preserved. Not only is it the only rum distillery of its kind unearthed in America, it happens to be adjacent to the Albany Visitors Center! What better place for a tourist attraction? Ironically, right next to the site is the Pump House, a microbrewery that carries on the tradition of making homebrewed alcoholic beverages. Historian John Wolcott tells me there is another distillery adjacent to the one excavated but it's not going to be uncovered.

I spent several hours at the site and polled many of the onlookers. Everyone remarked how disappointing it was to have the site destroyed by another parking garage. Many had unflattering comments about the city officials in charge of the parking project. Many were impressed with the quality of the excavation by the archeological team.

I've said it before but the City of Albany (Troy and Schenectady too!) need to have a department that oversees the preservation of both natural and historic resources. A pre-planning process for proposed development projects could allow archeology to proceed early and if important finds are made incorporated into the design, or redesign the project.

In this case, I can easily envision the site glass encased with the garage built around it. Yet, archaeologists are often called in at the last moment, or given a short window to do their work. When they find an important site they must work under tight deadlines and that leaves no room for redesign. The timetable for "progress" must be adhered to!

I was impressed with how many people travelled long distances. One onlooker told me he took the family down to see something "important to Albany's history before it was destroyed for the car culture once again." One man asked how can the city of Albany "promote tourism when it continues to bury the very objects that would attract it?"

The most poignant statement came from a women from Flanders in Belgium. She told me that in her country historic sites are revered and they even build tunnels for tourists to get to them. She ended her discussion by making the observation that in Belgium, "if politicians tried to destroy a find like this, they would be hung by the people."