http://www.nylandmarks.org Copyright 2012 2012-05-16T19:54:30-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/tourist_in_your_own_town_9_-_church_of_the_intercession/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/tourist_in_your_own_town_9_-_church_of_the_intercession/ This month we celebrate Sacred Sites Open House Weekend by visiting the landmark Church of the Intercession on Broadway and 155th Street for our Tourist in Your Own Town video series. 2012-05-16T19:54:30-05:00 2012-05-16T19:54:30-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/brinkerhoff_cemetery/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/brinkerhoff_cemetery/ May 15, 2012 2012-05-15T20:42:11-05:00 2012-05-15T20:42:11-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/city_council_holds_marathon_hearing_on_landmarks_issues/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/city_council_holds_marathon_hearing_on_landmarks_issues/ May 2, 2012 The Conservancy testified at a City Council oversight hearing on the practices and policies of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). The Council has brought forth 11 bills to consider, which would affect nearly all LPC activity, from survey and research to designation to regulation. The Conservancy has testified that some of the bills, while well-intentioned, would be unworkable if the City does not increase the LPC budget; and that all bills related to the designation timeline would require further discussion. The Conservancy opposed two bills sponsored by Land Use Committee Chair Leroy Comrie, which would undermine the LPC. The first would allow owners to replace any part of their building with the same materials as were in place at the time of designation, which could allow white vinyl windows or permastone to be a permanent part of a historic district. The second bill would require the LPC to produce a development analysis of each individual landmark or building within a historic district, placing development value above the value of the City’s architectural heritage. Although there is no current plan to bring these bills to a vote, we cannot allow them to gain any traction. Read the testimony below. Conservancy Testimony (May 2, 2012) STATEMENT OF THE NEW YORK LANDMARKS CONSERVANCY BEFORE THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL LAND USE AND HOUSING AND BUILDINGS COMMITTEES REGARDING PROPOSED BILLS INT 0020-2010, INT 0080-2010, INT 0220-2010, INT 0222-2010, INT 0357-2010, INT 0532-2011, INT 533-2011, INT 0845-2012, INT 0846-2012, INT 0850-2012, INT 0849-2012 Good morning Chair Comrie, Chair Dilan, and members of the City Council. I am Andrea Goldwyn, speaking on behalf of the New York Landmarks Conservancy. Thank you for the opportunity to speak about policies and procedures at the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Overall, the Council has a good record on landmarks issues; however, we have found the large volume of bills and the quick timing of this hearing to be a surprise. It has likely prevented all interested parties adequate time to respond, and we will not be commenting in depth on the entire agenda. Several of the bills address an ongoing debate about the transparency and timeliness of the landmark designation process. We believe that the bills are well intentioned, but unless the City increases the LPC budget both substantially and permanently, many of these items would be very difficult to undertake, and there needs to be much more discussion before any specific timelines are implemented. Int 0533-2011 calls for the LPC to provide a list of energy-efficient windows, but does not specify energy-efficiency standards, or consider that in some cases, treatments less invasive than window replacement, such as repairs to weather-stripping or installation of new glazing in existing window frames, can create higher levels of energy savings and sustainability. We have very serious reservations about Int 0845 -2012 and Int 0846-2012. Int 0845 would go against the spirit of the Landmarks Law. Currently, there are circumstances in which the LPC allows non-historic replacement materials, but we rely on their staff’s guidance to judge proposals for such usage. This bill would bypass that experience and expertise. Int 0846-2012 is the most worrisome. Of the hundreds of thousands of buildings in the City, only about 3% are designated landmarks. That leaves a good 97% available for development opportunities. The LPC should not have to become an extension of the City Planning Department or the Economic Development Corporation in order to designate landmarks. And we believe that any analysis would be incomplete without also addressing the positive economic activity that landmarking generates, from tourism and jobs, stable or increased property values, and preservation tax credits. In enacting the Landmarks Law, the City recognized the value of its architectural heritage. The Law has served the City well by encouraging local jobs, tourism, and sustainability. And it is very popular with the dozens of neighborhood groups and thousands of citizens who request, advocate for, and welcome landmark designation. But the proposed bill would place a higher value on development. New York has never been, nor is it currently, development-deprived. Even during a mayoral administration that has nurtured a development-friendly atmosphere, there have been more historic district designations than ever before, because building owners across the City want to protect the character of their neighborhoods. Finally, regarding the concerns voiced previously to the Council that landmarks designation will increase owners’ costs. Conservancy staff has spoken to professionals at architecture and engineering firms with experience working on older buildings within and outside historic districts, and they have indicated that this is simply not the case. (A summary of those discussions is attached to the testimony.) The practitioners have told us that the costs of materials, labor, filings, and professional fees for designated buildings are not significantly higher than for unprotected properties. We’ve also undertaken a study comparing façade restoration and Local Law 11 projects on similar Park Avenue co-ops within and outside the boundaries of the Upper East Side Historic District. In this case, what we’ve found is that there are no conclusions that can be attributable to landmark status. Of the three comparisons we’ve developed, some work has cost more, and some less, but this seemed to be based on the characteristics at each individual property, not on the landmarks status. (A summary is attached.) There should be additional time to discuss any of these bills more thoroughly before they are brought to a vote. No city agency is perfect, but we believe that the Landmarks Commission performs an extraordinary task in carrying out the Landmarks Law, and protecting the remarkable architecture of our City, and we hope that the most damaging bills proposed today do not prevent them from fulfilling that mandate. Thank you for the opportunity to present the Conservancy’s views. 2012-05-02T16:29:34-05:00 2012-05-02T16:29:34-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/city_council_holds_marathon_hearing_on_landmarks_issues/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/city_council_holds_marathon_hearing_on_landmarks_issues/ May 2, 1012 2012-05-02T16:26:33-05:00 2012-05-02T16:26:33-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/sacred_sites_open_house_may_19-20_-_visitors_welcome/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/sacred_sites_open_house_may_19-20_-_visitors_welcome/ Albion, Buffalo, and NYC Sacred Sites Embrace Open House Weekend RSVP’s continue to pour in for the Conservancy’s Sacred Sites Open House weekend, May 19th-20th. More than 30 sites in New York City and 70 sites around the state have signed up – no community with more enthusiasm than Albion, located 25 miles west of Rochester. Albion is the Orleans County seat, and clustered around Albion’s historic courthouse square, and forming the heart of the community, are seven historic churches (also a library and post office), all contributing components of the National Register listed Orleans County Courthouse Historic District. Five of the seven are past Conservancy grantees, and thanks to the energetic outreach of Martha Mitchell, of Albion’s 1874, Victorian Gothic, First Presbyterian Church, four of the seven are signed up to participate in Sacred Sites Open House weekend: the 1894, Richardsonian Romanesque, Pullman Memorial Universalist Church, funded by railroad car magnate George Pullman; the 1830, Gothic Revival, Christ Episcopal Church; and the 1861, First United Methodist Church, which last year was pledged a Conservancy challenge grant of $50,000 to repair its dramatically failing roof trusses (the church has been temporarily stabilized with shoring while it raises funds for this enormous repair). Buffalo vigorously promotes its historic sacred sites with heritage tourism, via bus tours of landmark religious sites and a museum: the Buffalo Religious Arts Center, housed in a former Catholic Church complex. So it’s no surprise that five historic churches are participating in our Open House, pooling their publicity efforts with joint press releases. One Buffalo landmark, the outstanding 1923 Lombard Romanesque style Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic Church, was so pleased with its participation in the inaugural Open House weekend last year that they contacted the Conservancy in January, before we had even invited congregations to participate, to make sure we were holding the Open House weekend again this year. In New York City, 33 churches and synagogues in all five boroughs have signed up to participate – from the 17th century National Historic Landmark Flushing Quaker Meetinghouse to the magnificent, 1929 Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan – the world’s largest synagogue. The Sacred Sites Open House weekend is a chance for the public to see the inside of historic religious facilities that they may pass by on a daily basis. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for the religious institutions to share their stories with the public: the history and significance of their congregations, architecture and religious art; the public programs and social services they provide to the community; and the capital projects completed and still in progress that ensure the future of these irreplaceable community landmarks. 2012-05-02T13:23:30-05:00 2012-05-02T13:23:30-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/proposed_changes_to_south_street_seaport_historic_district/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/proposed_changes_to_south_street_seaport_historic_district/ April 17, 2012 2012-05-02T13:05:04-05:00 2012-05-02T13:05:04-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/struggle_to_presevere_landmark_house_in_hamilton_heights/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/struggle_to_presevere_landmark_house_in_hamilton_heights/ April 13, 2012 CONSERVANCY WORKS WITH NEIGHBORS, COUNCILMAN AND LANDMARKS COMMISSION TO STOP DEMOLITION OF LANDMARK HARLEM HOUSE The three-story brick and limestone house at 467 W.140th Street is the focus of a struggle to preserve the unified appearance of an intact Hamilton Heights block. The abandoned house sits at the center of a well-maintained row of bow-fronted houses on the north side of West 140th Street across from the City College campus. It is within the Hamilton Heights Historic District. The interior was consumed by fire some years ago causing a collapse of a section of the roof. Department of Buildings (“DOB”) inspectors deemed the house hazardous and ordered an immediate demolition even though the front façade was not affected by the collapse and is salvageable. The Conservancy joined forces with the Landmarks Preservation Commission and a group of concerned neighbors in the hope of saving at least the front portion of the building. At an April 13 meeting hosted by City Councilman Robert Jackson the DOB and LPC heard from the neighborhood and the Conservancy. We asked for time to see what could be done to save the house. Miraculously, a neighbor who had just finished restoring another house on the same block, stepped up and offered to buy the house and provide the DOB with the stabilization and engineering report it requires. A law firm currently is working to transfer title from a defunct non-profit organization that owns the house and abandoned it twenty years ago. The transfer is complicated by liens as well as by State rules governing the dissolution of non-profits. The DOB has promised to stay the demolition order for the time being—hopefully until the property transfer is negotiated. The Conservancy is keeping close tabs on the transfer and future stabilization of the house. 2012-05-01T21:10:18-05:00 2012-05-01T21:10:18-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/conservancy_awards_23_sacred_sites_grants/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/conservancy_awards_23_sacred_sites_grants/ April 30, 2012 The Sacred Sites Committee recently met and pledged 23 grants totaling $292,000 to religious properties throughout New York State. These grants include three Jewish Heritage Fund grants totaling $95,000, four Robert W. Wilson Sacred Sites Challenge Grants totaling $150,000, and 16 Sacred Sites grants, totaling $47,000. This the first time since the Jewish Heritage Fund grants were inaugurated in 2010 that more than one grant has been awarded in a single grant round. The three grantees are the 1847 Community Synagogue in the East Village, originally a German Lutheran Church, whose congregation suffered the devastating 1904 General Slocum disaster, and which was eventually reborn in 1940 as the Community Synagogue. Community Synagogue was pledged a Jewish Heritage Fund grant of $25,000 towards $350,000 of planned façade restoration and roof replacement. Stanton Street Synagogue, constructed in 1913 by combining two earlier tenements, was awarded a $30,000 grant towards $186,000 of exterior envelope restoration to address structural cracks and moisture migrating through brick walls. Temple Beth Emeth v’Ohr Progressive Shaari Zedek in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park South Historic District will receive a $40,000 grant towards a $333,000 roof replacement and parapet restoration. The four Robert W. Wilson-Sacred Sites Challenge Grants include a $70,000 challenge grant for the Church of St. Jean Baptiste on the Upper East Side, to help fund the estimated $1.3 million replacement of 24 limestone columns at bell tower cupolas. The sixteen Sacred Sites grants, awarded to religious institutions around the state, from Brooklyn to Buffalo, include a $6,500 grant to Bridge Street African Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal Church, founded in downtown Brooklyn in 1818, and located in Bedford Stuyvesant since 1938, in a church constructed in 1890 and enlarged in 1907, towards $60,000 phase I roof repair. Plymouth Congregational Church in Syracuse was awarded a $6,500 grant towards $100,000 restoration of opalescent stained glass windows. 2012-05-01T20:53:18-05:00 2012-05-01T20:53:18-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/ss_open_house/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/ss_open_house/ The Landmarks Conservancy is pleased to host its Second Annual Sacred Sites Open House the weekend of May 19th – 20th. To learn more about the participants click here. We inaugurated this initiative last year as the keystone of our Sacred Sites 25th anniversary celebration. The Open House was a great success, with more than 140 congregations throughout New York State participating. The weekend has two objectives: • Encourage Sacred Sites grantees and/or Lucy G. Moses Award recipients to open their doors to the general public so they can learn about the cultural significance of your historic building. • Provide an opportunity for community residents to learn about the many programs and services local congregations offer to the social fabric of their neighborhoods. Sacred Sites is the country’s oldest and largest statewide program providing financial and technical assistance to help historic religious properties. Sacred Sites grants also generate economic stimulus, creating local jobs. Since 1986, Sacred Sites grants totaling $7.3 million have mobilized more than $530 million in restoration and repair projects statewide. If your congregation is interested in participating in the Open House, please contact Ann Friedman, Director of Sacred Sites at 212-995-5260 or annfriedman@nylandmarks.org. The Conservancy has also created a Tool Kit with suggestions for showcasing your building, ideas for public outreach and sample press releases for local media. See the .pdf documents listed on the right. Check out our Facebook page for photos from last year’s participants. 2012-04-05T16:42:15-05:00 2012-04-05T16:42:15-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/professioinal_circle_tour_-_central_park_police_precinct/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/professioinal_circle_tour_-_central_park_police_precinct/ April 4, 2012 Professional Circle members received an exclusive tour of the recently renovated Central Park Police Precinct led by Fred Basch, Fred Basch Architect PLCC and Ray Pepi, Building Conservation Associates and a welcome by Police Captain Jessica E. Corey. The Central Park Police Precinct, a national and New York City landmark located on the site of the original Central Park stable complex, has been home to the NYPD since 1936. Designed by Jacob Wrey Mould, it was built between 1869 and 1871. This High Victorian Gothic stable complex features polychrome masonry and Gothic “cottage” features such as gabled dormers, slate roofing and multi-light glazing, which contribute to its picturesque appearance. By 2001, the complex showed signs of extensive deterioration, and remedial action was taken to prevent further damage. A year later, the project team of Karlsberger Architecture, Building Conservation Associates and Robert Silman Associates initiated a process to return the complex to its 1935 historic period of significance. The restoration had to protect historic fabric, accommodate the programmatic needs of the police department and modernize the facility. Preservation began with cleaning and repointing the masonry, and installation of new stone. Next was restoration of the original slate and copper roof, and conservation of the historic barn-loft doors, hayloft hooks, and decorative tile. Cast iron columns, once hidden in the masonry, were revealed and the replica windows and doors now have finishes matching earlier decorative schemes. The addition of a glass-and-copper canopy over a portion of the open courtyard created new interior space, while maintaining the open-air feeling of the original courtyard. Click here for more photos Circle tours go behind-the-scenes of some of New York’s most interesting historic properties. Some tours require hard hats to visit projects during restoration, while others showcase completed restorations of commercial buildings, residences, museums, churches, and synagogues. On occasion, conservators, engineers, and craftspeople open their studios to our Circle members. For more information, contact Jenna Smith at 212.995.5260 or jennasmith@nylandmarks.org 2012-04-04T21:04:15-05:00 2012-04-04T21:04:15-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/prospect_cemetery_revitalization_initiative/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/prospect_cemetery_revitalization_initiative/ Prospect Cemetery in Jamaica, Queens, with its vacant Chapel of the Sisters, had been in need of attention for many decades, when three nonprofit organizations came together in 1999 to form the Prospect Cemetery Revitalization Initiative. The goals of the Revitalization Initiative included physically securing the site, restoring its Chapel, removing the overgrown vegetation, conserving the markers, re-landscaping the grounds, and instituting interpretive history and educational programs based upon the newly reclaimed Prospect Cemetery site. The three organizations each brought their own assets to the endeavor: Greater Jamaica Development Corporation (GJDC), a prominent community-based economic development group in Jamaica www.gjdc.org; Prospect Cemetery Association of Jamaica Village (PCA), an entity whose membership is composed of descendants of people buried in Prospect Cemetery www.prospectcemeteryassociation.org; and The New York Landmarks Conservancy. The public partner for the Revitalization Initiative is the City of New York’s Department of Parks and Recreation, which owns Prospect Cemetery. Prospect Cemetery is the oldest family burial ground in Queens and one of the oldest in the five boroughs. Founded in 1668, its markers date from 1728 and comprise a collection of eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth century markers and monuments. Prospect Cemetery is the burial site for many Revolutionary War soldiers, as well as some of Queens’ most prominent families with names like Van Wyck, Sutphin and Brinkerhoff. The Cemetery, along with its beautiful chapel, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a designated New York City landmark. PCA’s website cited above contains a good deal of genealogical and other historic information about the Cemetery. By the turn of the 21st century, most of the four-acre cemetery’s descendants lived in other places, and the grounds had become wildly overgrown with many varieties of vines, invasive trees, and other vegetation; many of its over 3,000 markers had been damaged as a result of age and/or vandalism. Since 1999, the sponsors have accomplished a great deal in various phases of the Revitalization Initiative: Phase I: Security and Streetscape Improvements. Completed in 2006, this phase involved securing the entire site with new fencing and street improvements (lighting and new sidewalks) to 159th Street, which runs along the front edge of the Cemetery. Other work prior to 2006 included a demonstration landscape project and the start of documentation for the over 3000 markers in the Cemetery. Phase I funding totaled almost $400,000 in private and public sector grants. Phase II: Restoration of the Chapel of the Sisters In 1857, Nicholas Ludlum commissioned the building of the Chapel of the Sisters, a memorial to his three deceased daughters, at the eastern end of the graveyard. The Chapel is a symmetrical, one-story Romanesque Revival building, approximately 40 by 40 feet, and 25 feet high. At each of the northern and southern facades there was a large stained-glass rose window (only glass fragments remained in 1999; they were removed and stored then). In its square proportions and somber materials, the Chapel created an eloquent memorial to its namesakes and served as the main entrance and the focal point of Prospect Cemetery. Completed in the summer of 2008 at a total cost of $790,000, the restoration of the Chapel of the Sisters included new heating, plumbing, and electrical systems, new wood windows and entry doors, new floors, and other work to enable the Chapel to be used for small concerts and meetings. The most spellbinding feature was the re-installation of the two rose windows – an assemblage of saved shards from the original windows and new matching glass. The firm of Cutsogeorge Tooman & Allen was the project architect, and Fame Construction was the general contractor, with The Gil Studio performing the stained-glass window work. The York College Jazz Program regularly uses the Chapel for performances, and other groups hold activities there as well. Phase III: Vegetation Removal + New Landscaping + Marker Conservation Demonstration Project This phase is currently underway with grants of $500,000 from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund and $500,000 from the New York City Capital Budget via the office of Queens Borough President Helen Marshall. There are two consultants overseeing the work for Phase III: dlandstudio, a landscape design firm, and Cutsogeorge Tooman and Allen, the preservation architects who completed the Chapel restoration. At this writing, bramble, vines, and other growth that have flourished for many years have been cut back and removed to reveal the grounds of Prospect Cemetery for the first time in decades. Hundreds of markers are toppled and broken, while others stand upright in excellent condition. The next steps involve: • The removal of over 150 dead trees; • The completion of a simplified cultural landscape report (CLR) by the firm of Jablonski Building Conservation; • The creation of a restoration plan for the Cemetery incorporating interpretations and recommendations from the CLR; • The bidding and selection of a contractor to perform the restoration work; • The documentation and mapping by a global information system of all of the markers; and • The selection of a few dozen markers for conservation to understand better the costs of this work for all of the markers that may need conservation. 2012-03-28T16:45:39-05:00 2012-03-28T16:45:39-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/bedford_west_historic_district_brooklyn/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/bedford_west_historic_district_brooklyn/ March 2012 Conservancy staff participated in a forum regarding the proposed Bedford West Historic District in Brooklyn. The panel was organized by the Landmarks Committee of Community Board #3 and featured representatives of the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Historic Districts Council.  In recent years, there has been strong interest from residents of Bedford Stuyvesant for new historic district designation to protect the remarkable buildings in their neighborhoods. Bedford West contains some of the finest and best-preserved blocks of rowhouses in the City, in typical late 19th century styles, such as Queen Anne, Romanesque Revival and Renaissance Revival, largely designed by Brooklyn architects.    At the meeting, the LPC presented its draft study area map of Bedford West, a preliminary look at what the district might be: LPC map Public Policy Director Andrea Goldwyn spoke to the audience of over 100 people about the financial, technical and advocacy assistance that the Conservancy can provide. Audience members were receptive to the presentation, asking questions about easements, façade alterations, rear yard additions, and the timing of the designation. The next step for this district will be for the Commission to vote on whether to hold a public hearing.  A date for that vote has not been set.    A public hearing on the nearby Stuyvesant Heights Expansion Historic District was held last summer, with nearly universal public support. Conservancy staff testified in support of that designation, and have spoken to the Community Board several times, including this January 2012 meeting. 2012-03-28T15:35:47-05:00 2012-03-28T15:35:47-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/weeksville_heritage_center_1698-1704_bergen_street_brooklyn/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/weeksville_heritage_center_1698-1704_bergen_street_brooklyn/ Four frame houses built between 1840 and 1883 are the only survivors of the 19th century community of free black people in the Weeksville section of Brooklyn. Weeksville Heritage Center (“WHC”) now operates the site as a museum and educational center. Previously, the Conservancy had underwritten the costs of a conditions assessment and construction documents for priority preservation work by the firm of Easton Architects. Easton identified the restoration of the deteriorated clapboards and skylight of 1698 Bergen Street as the most immediately needed work. With an emergency grant of $20,000 as part of a budget of $46,245, Burda Construction is performing the work with an anticipated completion date of June 2012. Tourist In Your Own Town # 7 – Weeksville Heritage Center from New York Landmarks Conservancy on Vimeo. More ways to watch: Our videos are now on Vimeo, in addition to YouTube and Facebook. 2012-03-28T14:55:57-05:00 2012-03-28T14:55:57-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/bartow-pell_mansion_museum_pelham_bay_park_bronx/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/bartow-pell_mansion_museum_pelham_bay_park_bronx/ Operated by the Historic House Trust of New York City, the Bartow-Pell Mansion (1836 – 42) is among the earliest properties designated as a landmark (exterior) by the City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1966; in 1975, the Commission also designated the interior. The City has owned the property since 1888. Last year, the floor in the “Powder Room” on the south side of the building was noticeably sagging. Upon closer inspection it was found that a leaking steam pipe had damaged some joists and a portion of the foundation below the floor, as well as the flooring itself. A $15,000 Emergency Preservation Grant is being used to replace deteriorated floor joists and the flooring in the Powder Room, as well as to repair areas of the foundation nearby. 2012-03-28T14:46:19-05:00 2012-03-28T14:46:19-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/andrew_freedman_home_1125_grand_concourse_bronx/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/andrew_freedman_home_1125_grand_concourse_bronx/ March 2012 The Andrew Freedman House looks like it belongs in the hills outside Florence. Instead it was built on the Grand Concourse in the 1920’s to house the formerly rich. Today it houses a Headstart program, senior programs, and serves as a gallery for local artists. The villa was built by financier Andrew Freedman. He left part of his fortune to create a home for elderly people who had once been well-to-do so that they could retire in the proper style. The Renaissance building served this purpose until the 1960s. In the early 1980s, the Mid-Bronx Senior Citizens Council acquired the property. In addition to the various community programs, a portion of the southern wing has been converted to a bed and breakfast set to open next month. Most of the upper floors are vacant. The Senior Citizen Council has long-range plans for redeveloping the rest of the facility for housing. On a walk through of the building, Conservancy staff noticed severe water damage beneath a large skylight in the southern portion of the building, the portion where the new bed and breakfast was being readied. A walk to the roof showed a broken skylight with plywood sheets resting over it. The Council knew that the roof and all its skylights needed repairs and in fact had sought proposals for the work but they needed funding. The Conservancy offered an $11,000 emergency grant to replace the one skylight in the worst condition. The work was completed in early March. Additional work is going to be needed and we hope to continue to assist. The emergency grant program directs its resources towards immediately needed work on historic properties owned by non-profit organizations. Since 1999 the fund has underwritten over $400,000 in grants averaging between $10,000 and $15,000. 2012-03-28T14:35:46-05:00 2012-03-28T14:35:46-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/ywca_of_brooklyn_30_third_avenue/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/ywca_of_brooklyn_30_third_avenue/ In September, 2011, Hurricane Irene wreaked so much water damage to several floors of this massive (180,000sf) structure, that the organization submitted a preliminary application to FEMA for several million dollars for repairs. To complete its application, the YWCA needed an assessment by a licensed architect or engineer with cost estimates, and asked the Conservancy for help in funding this work. An emergency preservation grant of up to $6,500 was quickly authorized to hire the firm of Cutsogeorge Tooman & Allen Architects (CTA), the firm which had previously prepared a conditions report on the parapet for the YWCA, funded with a City Ventures Fund grant. CTA completed its report within a few weeks, and the YWCA forwarded it to FEMA. At this writing, FEMA is still considering the YWCA’s request. The Brooklyn YWCA was designed by Frederick Lee Ackerman and Alexander B. Trowbridge; it opened its doors in 1928. The building has always served as a multi-use facility, including 214 units of supportive, low-income housing for women, a theater, a pool, health and community services, etc. This was the first YWCA to integrate its residences and programs racially. 2012-03-28T14:32:07-05:00 2012-03-28T14:32:07-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/historic_richmond_town_staten_island/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/historic_richmond_town_staten_island/ Historic Richmond Town (HRT) covers over 100 acres of land in Staten Island and includes over 30 historic buildings from the late 17th to early 20th century. In the summer of 2011, an emergency preservation grant of $2,500 was approved to fund the services of Easton Architects for prioritizing necessary restoration work on several properties at HRT, ranging from a leaking roof to termite-eaten beams. Her report set forth both work that HRT’s facilities’ staff could undertake and other work which would require a paid, skilled carpenter. A second emergency grant of $15,000 was used to pay Island Housewrights Corporation, a restoration carpentry firm, to replace the cedar shake roof of the Guyon Store & Tavern and to carry out brick and roof repairs on the Third County Courthouse building. This work was completed at the end of 2011. 2012-03-28T14:21:42-05:00 2012-03-28T14:21:42-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/clarke_house_286_convent_avenue_manhattan/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/project/clarke_house_286_convent_avenue_manhattan/ The Board for the Education of People of African Ancestry (“BEPAA”) acquired 286 Convent Avenue almost 20 years ago. Named “Clarke House” in honor of Dr. John Henrik Clarke, a history scholar and leader in the advancement of African culture in this country, BEPAA conducts research, seminars, and workshops and carries out various educational programs within this facility in Harlem. With a grant from the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation, BEPAA engaged architect Kaitsen Woo to prepare plans and specifications for a critically needed roof replacement. This work also involved removing tar from masonry parapet walls and chimney rebuilding. Once the selected contractor, New Life Masonry and Waterproofing, removed the old roof and tar, several adverse unforeseen conditions became apparent: cornice tie-back destabilization, brick delamination, and roof substructure deterioration. A $16,000 emergency grant covered these items. The project was substantially completed in 2011. 2012-03-28T14:15:50-05:00 2012-03-28T14:15:50-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/could_new_energy_codes_harm_historic_buildings/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/could_new_energy_codes_harm_historic_buildings/ March 20, 2012 Energy Code Workshop Report Older buildings are inherently energy efficient yet new energy codes and proposed amendments to the City’s Zoning resolution contain provisions that could be damaging to historic buildings. These rules could discourage appropriate restoration and in some cases could result in harm to historic buildings. For instance, requirements to super-insulate the underside of roofs could lead to increase snow loading in large roofs such as those on church buildings. This could result in a collapse unless the roof structure is re-engineered and rebuilt. Another example is the limitation of window size per building façade that would preclude the restoration of historic storefronts with their typically large expanses of show windows. The New York Landmarks Conservancy and the Preservation League of NYS have hosted a series of workshops meant to discuss the effects and unintended consequences of these regulations and to bring public officials and practitioners together, face to face, to discuss how best to meet energy efficiency standards while also meeting the goals of historic preservation. The energy efficiency of older buildings can be improved in often simple ways and everyone believes that good environmental goals go hand in hand with historic preservation. It is the purpose of the workshops to discuss and improve upon these shared goals. The latest day-long workshop was held on March 20, 2012, titled: “Energy Conservation in Historic Buildings.” We had a distinguished roster of speakers including: Marilyn Kaplan, NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), explained and analyzed the provisions of the revised State Energy Code, which she helped write. John Lee, NYC Department of Buildings (DOB), explained how the city interprets the energy codes and what DOB examiners look to see in plans for new projects. He also explained the process of obtaining exemptions and exceptions based on National Register listing. Richard Leigh, Urban Green Council, spoke about the science behind energy conservation and spoke about controversial amendments to the NYC Zoning Resolution, currently pending adoption by the City. Most preservationists oppose some of the provisions of the proposed amendments as they appear to encourage the defacement of older buildings. Cory Herrala, from the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, spoke about the Commission’s policies regarding such things as energy efficient windows, solar panels, and the “super insulation’ of brownstones. He explained what type of project could be approved at the staff level and those that require a public hearing. One of the focuses of the meeting was how restoration and renovation projects can conform to the new efficiency standards while still meeting historic preservation goals. As always, the question and answer period was very spirited and informative with professionals in the audience discussing their real life projects with the experts. The session was held at the historic General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen on West 44th Street. 2012-03-27T19:46:15-05:00 2012-03-27T19:46:15-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancy_participates_in_d.c._preservation_advocacy_day/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancy_participates_in_d.c._preservation_advocacy_day/ March 8, 2012 The Landmarks Conservancy promoted federal funding for preservation and emphasized the jobs, community revitalization, sustainability, and tourism that preservation promotes in March 8 visits to the New York Congressional delegation on national Preservation Advocacy Day. It has been a tough time for preservation in Washington. The President’s budget eliminated two popular grant programs: Save America’s Treasures and Preserve America, and both the new House and Senate transportation bills being debated threaten historic preservation protections, funding and programs that are contained in the current transportation bill. The preservation agenda called for: — maintaining the President’s budget request for $46.9 million to support State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices; — a $10 million competitive grant program for bricks and mortar projects; — maintaining historic preservation provisions in the transportation bill; —improving federal historic preservation tax incentives for commercial rehabilitation projects by making them easier for smaller projects to use and adding a homeowners tax credit. Federal tax credits have helped restore Macy’s, the Empire State Building and the Apollo Theater. New York State developers have used them extensively and several projects have paired the federal credits with relatively new state preservation rehab credits. The $46.9 million in the President’s budget is distributed across the country, to 59 State and 131 Tribal Historic Preservation Offices. These offices administer the federal tax credits and survey and evaluate historic sites. In New York, the State Historic Preservation Office also runs the new state tax credits, which are now available to homeowners undertaking restoration projects. Save America’s Treasures grants have helped the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, Ellis Island and the Jay Heritage Center in Rye, among many New York projects. Several New York State communities received grants and became “Preserve America Communities” by promoting heritage tourism. The proposed $10 million grant initiative would serve as a partial substitute for these lost programs. Transportation “enhancements,” which dedicate a portion of federal transportation funding for related preservation projects such as restoration of historic bridges and train stations has provided the largest single source of federal funding for historic preservation—assisting 24,000 projects nationwide. Preservation programs continue to receive good bi-partisan support within the New York Congressional Delegation. Several of our Representatives also belong to the bi-partisan House Historic Preservation Caucus. Conservancy Public Policy Director Andrea Goldwyn and President Peg Breen joined representatives of the Preservation League of New York State and State Historic Preservation Office in visits to 21 delegation offices. The Conservancy is a longstanding member of Preservation Action, a national group that has sponsored or co-sponsored National Preservation Advocacy day for decades. This year’s effort drew more than 200 preservationists from around the country. 2012-03-27T19:36:20-05:00 2012-03-27T19:36:20-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/save_the_date_-_lucy_g._moses_preservation_awards/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/save_the_date_-_lucy_g._moses_preservation_awards/ Wednesday, April 25, 2012 The New-York Historical Society Some 450 people packed The New-York Historical Society on April 25 to applaud an impressive list of Moses winners from across the City. They ranged from a Brooklyn church that painstakingly refinished its Renaissance Revival sanctuary, to Edgar Allen Poe’s Cottage in the Bronx, to the Central Park Police Precinct, where the facades of a historic stable complex have been cleaned and restored and a new canopy roof has added additional space for precinct functions. Acclaimed preservation architect John Belle received the Preservation Leadership Award while Councilmembers Brad Lander and Steve Levin received the Public Leadership Award. The coveted awards, nicknamed the “Preservation Oscars,” laud outstanding preservation work. They are named for Lucy Goldschmidt Moses, a dedicated New Yorker whose generosity benefited the City for more than 50 years. The Awards have recognized over 200 individuals, organizations and building owners for their extraordinary contributions to the City. “This is one of the most joyous occasions for us at the Conservancy because we get to celebrate the people and projects that maintain the City’s extraordinary architectural heritage,” said Peg Breen, president of the Conservancy. “The time and care that went into completing these projects demonstrate New Yorkers’ commitment to preserving the entire range of the City’s historic architecture.” John Belle, FAIA, a founding partner of Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners, LLP, received the Preservation Leadership Award for his work in helping New Yorkers see the great urban spaces all around them, waiting to be discovered, restored, and reused, including the South Street Seaport, Grand Central Terminal, Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. In a career that has spanned over 40 years, he has received three Presidential Design Awards, the nation’s highest design award for public architecture. He joined the Conservancy Board in 1985, served two years as President of the Board, and is now a member of the Conservancy’s Advisory Council. Council Members Lander and Levin received a shared Public Leadership Award for the courage they showed in upholding the City’s Landmarks law and facing down harsh opposition to the Borough Hall Skyscraper Historic District, Brooklyn. Click here to see photos from the event and to learn more about each winner. Individual Winners Preservation Leadership: John Belle Founding Partner, Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP Public Leadership: The Honorable Brad Lander, New York City Council Member The Honorable Steve Levin, New York City Council Member Project Winners 58 Hicks Street Brooklyn, New York Banner Building 648 Broadway, New York Brown Memorial Baptist Church 484 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn Central Park Police Precinct 86th Street Transverse Road, Central Park, New York New York City Center 130 West 56th Street, New York Hamilton Grange National Memorial 414 West 141st Street, New York The New-York Historical Society 170 Central Park West, New York Newtown High School 48-01 90th Street, Flushing, Queens Edgar Allan Poe Cottage East Kingsbridge Road & The Grand Concourse, Poe Park, Bronx Rod Rodgers & Duo Multicultural Arts Center 62 East 4th Street, New York St. Patrick’s Cathedral Rectory 14 East 51st Street, New York TWA Terminal JFK International Airport, Queens Conservancy President, Peg Breen talks about the awards About the Awards The Moses Awards are the Conservancy’s highest honors for outstanding preservation efforts. Named in honor of dedicated New Yorker and noted philanthropist Lucy G. Moses, the Awards recognize the property owners, builders, architects, artisans, and designers who renew the beauty and utility of New York City’s distinctive architecture. The annual Moses Awards celebrate the success of historic preservation and its role in the economic, social, and cultural vitality of the City. Preservation Awards are given to projects that demonstrate excellence in the restoration, preservation, or adaptive use of historic buildings, streetscapes, and landscapes that preserve commercial, residential, institutional, religious, and public buildings. Other possible categories include community groups or organizations that foster neighborhood revitalization. The Preservation Leadership Award is bestowed upon an outstanding individual in the field of historic preservation. Past honorees include Ruth Abram, Wint Aldrich, Tony Avella, Kent Barwick, Simon Breines, Giorgio Cavaglieri, Kenneth Cobb, Stanley Cogan, Joan K. Davidson, Kenneth K. Fisher, James Marston Fitch, Margot Gayle, Anne Van Ingen, Judith Kaye, Sarah Bradford Landau, Joan Maynard, Evelyn and Everett Ortner, Nancy and Otis Pratt Pearsall, Adolf K. Placzek, Jan Hird Pokorny, Henry Hope Reed, Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, Vincent Scully and Robert Silman. Only projects that are substantially completed during 2011 and located within the five boroughs of New York City will be considered. Books, other publications, and films are not eligible. 2012-03-27T19:17:27-05:00 2012-03-27T19:17:27-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/lecture_art_deco_new_york_by_david_garrard_lowe/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/lecture_art_deco_new_york_by_david_garrard_lowe/ Thursday, April 12, 2012 A very special thank you to David Garrard Lowe for a great lecture. An illustrated talk, Art Deco New York: Birth of a Modern Metropolis. Thank you also to our colleagues at the magnificent Church of the Heavenly Rest for hosting us. click here to see photos from the event David Garrard Lowe is a well-known lecturer, cultural historian and author. His articles have appeared in, among other publications, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, American Heritage, House & Garden, and City Journal. His books include Stanford White’s New York; Beaux Arts New York; Chicago Interiors; Lost Chicago; and Art Deco New York. Mr. Lowe has lectured widely throughout the United States and Europe, at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, the Smithsonian in Washington, the Art Institute of Chicago, the San Diego Museum of Art, the Newport Preservation Society, the American Academy in Rome, on cruises in the Mediterranean and crossing the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2. Currently Mr. Lowe serves as President of The Beaux Arts Alliance, a not-for-profit organization founded to celebrate the many cultural links between the United States and France. He is also Chairman of Cultural Programs for the New York chapter of the French Heritage Society. The Church of the Heavenly Rest and its adjoining Parish House are in a Gothic Revival style melding into Art Deco. The Indiana limestone clad buildings were constructed in 1927-29 by Mayers, Murray & Phillip, the successor firm to Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue. The Church is an important contributing component of the Carnegie Hill Expanded Historic District. The Fifth Avenue façade features sculpture by the renowned artist Lee Lawrie. The interior vaulting is of Guastavino tile. The church was built on land purchased by Andrew Carnegie in 1917 to prevent the construction of a tall building on the site which would have cast a shadow on the adjacent Carnegie mansion and garden. 2012-03-27T19:15:29-05:00 2012-03-27T19:15:29-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/2012_chairmans_awards/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/2012_chairmans_awards/ This year the Conservancy honored STV and Tishman Construction with its Chairman’s Award. The Chairman’s Award recognizes exceptional business leaders and companies that have demonstrated their dedication to protecting New York’s rich architectural heritage – the iconic buildings and diverse neighborhoods – that define this vibrant and extraordinary City. STV and Tishman Construction have been selected to provide construction management services and rail expertise for phase one of the Moynihan Station project, the new rail facility to be constructed within the landmark Farley Post Office building. When completed, Moynihan Station will be a preservation success story combining a 21st century train station and a magnificent historic edifice, providing a new and grand entrance to New York. The Conservancy has been at the forefront of the campaign for Moynihan Station since the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan first proposed the project in 1993. It helped secure $83.3 million in federal funding for phase one of the project, which includes vital underground work that will expand the connection from Penn Station. STV, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, has won three Lucy G. Moses Awards – the Conservancy’s highest honor for outstanding preservation efforts – for restoring the Roosevelt House at Hunter College, the Coney Island Parachute Jump Tower and Curtis High School on Staten Island. Dr. Milo Riverso, President and CEO, accepted on behalf of STV. Tishman Construction is one of the nation’s leading construction management firms. They won a Moses Award for the renovation of the landmark Verizon Building at 140 West Street, damaged on 9/11. They also restored the Carnegie Concert Hall, to name just two of the many preservation projects in which they have been involved. Jay Badame, President and COO, accepted for Tishman Construction. Previous Chairman’s Award recipients include: Christopher Ward (Port Authority), Cartier, Inc., the Hearst Corporation, Arthur L. Carter, Aby Rosen, Robert Levine, Donald Oresman, Frank J. Sciame, Jr., Tony Goldman and Robert Selsam of Boston Properties. 2012-03-27T18:44:19-05:00 2012-03-27T18:44:19-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/tourist_in_your_own_town_8_-_the_manhattan_bridge/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/tourist_in_your_own_town_8_-_the_manhattan_bridge/ Tourist In Your Own Town # 8 – The Manhattan Bridge from New York Landmarks Conservancy on Vimeo. We are very pleased to present the eighth installment of our video series encouraging New Yorkers and visitors alike to discover the rich abundance of remarkable New York City landmarks that surround us each and every day. This month we celebrate New York City Bridges by visiting the landmark Manhattan Bridge Arch and Colonnade on Canal Street. But why stop there? You can walk or bike across the Manhattan Bridge using one of its two pathways. It offers amazing views of Lower Manhattan and the East River. You can enter off Canal Street in Chinatown or in DUMBO on the Brooklyn side. More ways to watch: Our videos are now on Vimeo, in addition to YouTube and Facebook. Stay tuned for our next Tourist In Your Own Town video coming in April! Through our financial and technical programs and our advocacy, the Conservancy works to preserve New York’s exceptional architectural legacy – the iconic buildings and historic neighborhoods – that define this vibrant and extraordinary City. 2012-03-22T20:38:30-05:00 2012-03-22T20:38:30-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/professional_circle_tour_-_metropolitan_museum_the_american_wing/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/professional_circle_tour_-_metropolitan_museum_the_american_wing/ March 13, 2012 Conservancy Professional Circle Members got a fascinating tour of the newly renovated American Wing at The Metropolitan Museum on March 13. Morrison Heckscher, the Lawrence A. Fleischman Chair of the American Wing, blended architecture, art and exhibition design for a rare view of how the 26 galleries were envisioned and installed. Working with long time Met architect Kevin Roche, Mr. Heckscher explained how large spaces ideal for modern art became coved-ceiling, color coordinated galleries where the museum’s extensive collection of American paintings, furniture, decorative arts and period rooms can be fully appreciated. Mock ups of the galleries helped direct the architects and curators to diminish air conditioning vents, provide hanging slits for paintings and labels and determine the number and location of the paintings. The uniform color, which Mr. Hecksher called a “no color” was arrived at after extensive discussions and experimentation with different pigments. The renovation also “reclaimed” additional space by eliminating a balcony and raising the floor in one area and opening an exit alcove which now provides a view of the park. The design is a contemporary interpretation of 19th century Beaux Arts galleries. The skylight covered courtyard leading to the exhibition rooms was also re-thought and renovated. An added north balcony provided the perfect place for a recently received pottery collection. And while much of the floor was leveled, providing easier movement, the planners honored the early 19th century bank facade on the east end by maintaining a lower level and the entrance steps. The New American Wing, which was opened in January, completes a multi-part renovation project that now features nearly all of the American Wing’s seventeen thousand works. Mr. Heckscher credited Mr. Roche with calmly providing answers as problems arose and being willing to rethink and redo spaces Mr. Roche originally designed. Mr. Heckscher’s extensive knowledge and ready wit were also on full display. Click here for more photos Circle tours go behind-the-scenes of some of New York’s most interesting historic properties. Some tours require hard hats to visit projects during restoration, while others showcase completed restorations of commercial buildings, residences, museums, churches, and synagogues. On occasion, conservators, engineers, and craftspeople open their studios to our Circle members. For more information, contact Jenna Smith at 212.995.5260 or jennasmith@nylandmarks.org 2012-03-22T20:23:20-05:00 2012-03-22T20:23:20-05:00