The answer lies in New York's preservation law, which dates to 1965.

"I think it's going to give great credibility to preservation laws across the country," she said.

The decision is viewed as having national implications because the case was a test of whether preservation laws can apply to religious property.

In 2009 the house was put up for sale, sparking the village to pass a historical preservation law.

Still, thanks to preservation laws that did not exist in Powell's day, much of the neighborhood's physical character remains intact.

On paper, Moscow has a strong historic preservation law.

Many think the preservation law is counterproductive in other ways.

The laws of 1897 are the foundation for today's preservation law.

"Otherwise, a lot of our history can be lost, simply because a preservation law isn't being enforced or just because no one's paying attention."

New York State passed its historical preservation law in 1980.