Conservancy Inspects Historic Buildings on Governors Island
The Conservancy helped initiate a recent inspection tour of the buildings in the landmark district of Governors Island to see first hand their current condition as well to hear from the Governor’s Island Trust what the latest plans are for their maintenance, and eventual redevelopment.
The Conservancy, along with other groups, toured the Island on February 18. The tour was led by Leslie Koch, head of the Governors Island Trust.
While the Trust and the City have emphasized the proposed, several hundred million dollar park to be built on the Island, the Conservancy’s primary interest lies with the collection of historic buildings on the island. The Trust has taken several important steps to stabilize the historic buildings. Roofs have been replaced, siding has been repainted, and damaged portions of masonry repointed. The buildings look well cared for on the exterior. Many of the interiors have suffered somewhat due to lack of heat in recent winters. The Trust feels that heating the houses introduces other risks such as pipe leaks that would be potentially more damaging to the historic fabric than temperature and humidity extremes. These technical issues deserve further study.
The Conservancy inspected the 1843 Commanding Officer’s Quarters; the 1805 Governor’s House; 1839 Post hospital; homes on Officer’s Row and Nolen Park, as well as the largest building on the island, Liggett Hall, by the firm of McKim Mead and White. There was peeling paint and fallen plaster as well as buckled floors. Some buildings such as the post hospital were awaiting interior rehabilitation. The bottom line is that no matter how much the Trust tries to keep up with maintenance, unoccupied buildings are subject to rapid decline. New uses need to be found for the buildings. We urge the Trust to keep that a top priority.
The historic buildings were occupied and used by the Coast Guard until they left the Island in 1996. The houses and other structures provide the picturesque campus-like setting that is one of the main attractions of the Island. While there are transportation, water supply, and other infrastructure issues to be resolved, we cannot lose sight of the historic buildings’ ongoing maintenance and their important role in any future plans for the Island.
Apart from the efforts of the Trust, the National Park Service has recently completed exterior masonry repairs to both Fort Jay and Castle Wiliams in the portion of the Island that is a National Historic Monument. The Trust has been enormously successful in attracting diverse programs and increasing number of summer visitors. That same imagination could help the public understand potential permanent uses for these wonderful buildings.
