In the 1930s the Guard moved to a newer armory on South William Street and the old building fell vacant and became property of the city.

It was nearly gutted by fire in the 1970s but remained standing, an eyesore in Newburgh's Lower Broadway area.

[2] In 1981 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which helped prevent its demolition.

It also became one of over 2,000 contributing properties to the East End Historic District when that was added to the Register four years later.

The project won the Commissioner's Annual Private Sector Achievement Award from Bernadette Castro, then-commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.