http://www.nylandmarks.org Copyright 2010 2010-08-31T16:28:01-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/changes_on_34th_street/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/changes_on_34th_street/ The Conservancy entered into the City-wide discussion about the future of New York’s skyline when we testified before City Council’s Zoning and Franchises Subcommittee regarding a proposal for a skyscraper two blocks from The Empire State Building. Vornado Realty Trust’s development, known as 15 Penn Plaza, and located on the site of the historic Hotel Pennsylvania on Seventh Avenue, would be nearly as tall as the iconic landmark and dramatically reshape Manhattan’s skyline. The Conservancy testified that it is not opposed to a new building at the site, but that a development of such scale and close proximity to the City’s tallest building requires a thorough discussion. The argument was underscored by a City Planning Commission decision earlier this year, which lowered another skyscraper proposal on 53rd Street, 20 blocks away, questioning “whether it merits being in a zone of the Empire State Building’s iconic spire. The Conservancy asked the City Council to take a careful look at the discretionary waivers for height and setback, and the bonuses requested by the developers, and consider whether they would be appropriate at this location. The Conservancy believes they are not because of the adverse impact they would have on the Empire State Building, and suggested that a building which adhered to as-of-right zoning would be a far better neighbor. The Subcommittee and the full City Council voted to approve the developer’s request and allow for the proposed building. A construction date, however, is not set, as there is no tenant in place for the new building. The public response to this issue has been tremendous. For the first time in many years, New Yorkers are engaged in a debate about the impact of development in the City—its positive and negative effects. A variety of (not always scientific) public polls issued by the Municipal Art Society, Crain’s, and Malkin Holdings have indicated that vast numbers are concerned about the skyline, as others applaud the promised economic benefits of the new skyscrapers. While 15 Penn Plaza might not be built for many years, new, taller buildings are planned for Ground Zero and the Hudson Yards. Clearly, the debate over the New York of the future will continue. 2010-08-31T16:28:01-05:00 2010-08-31T16:28:01-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/a_roller_coaster_of_a_summer_at_coney_island/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/a_roller_coaster_of_a_summer_at_coney_island/ As summer ends, fans of Coney Island can look back on a season of thrills, but the future of some of Coney’s most historic buildings is in doubt. The Conservancy, along with a coalition of preservation and advocacy groups scored a victory when the New York State Historic Preservation Office determined that an historic district was merited on Coney Island. The historic buildings lining Surf Avenue are at the heart of the District, which goes down to the Boardwalk and includes landmark amusements, such as the Cyclone and the Parachute Jump. Even with this recognition, several of the historic buildings are threatened with demolition as soon as September. Demolition permits have been issued for the 1903 Shore Hotel and the 1920s Bank of Coney Island, which is among the most handsome buildings there. Long-time tenants are leaving and preliminary demolition work has begun at Henderson’s Music Hall, without a permit. The status of the Shore Theater and the (former) Childs Restaurant building, which now houses the non-profit community group Coney Island USA remains unchanged: they are still being considered for designation as individual landmarks by the Landmarks Preservation Commission (click here to read the Conservancy’s statement of support.) The Conservancy believes that saving the buildings on Surf Avenue goes hand-in-hand with the revitalization of the amusement business. Protection of these buildings will maintain the historic character that only adds to the joy of visiting Coney Island. 2010-08-31T14:32:43-05:00 2010-08-31T14:32:43-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancys_grants_manager_speaks_at_upstate_roundtables_hosted_by_u.s._se/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancys_grants_manager_speaks_at_upstate_roundtables_hosted_by_u.s._se/ The Conservancy’s Sacred Sites Program was featured in August roundtable discussions on funding opportunities for faith-based and community organizations, hosted by the Office of U.S. Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand. Dozens of concerned members from religious organizations throughout upstate New York gathered to learn about funding programs from various federal and state agencies, as well as from the non-profit Conservancy’s grants. Collectively the meetings, held at the reformed Church of Middleburgh and the Second Baptist Church in Catskill, attracted roughly 80 people from six counties. The Senator’s director of faith-based outreach, Camille Joseph spoke to many of the organizations still struggling for funding in the wake of the recession. Many attendees said during the current economic downturn, funding resources have become very limited and small religious institutions were struggling to survive. Colleen Heemeyer, Manager of Grants and Technical Services at the Conservancy, spoke about the Sacred Sites Program, which is one of the few in the country dedicated to the preservation of historic religious properties. Some of the attendees volunteered that they received Sacred Sites grants in the past and found them helpful. Since its inception in 1986, the program has awarded over 1100 grants, totaling more than $6.4 million, to nearly 700 religious institutions throughout New York State. In addition to grants, the program assists dozens of landmark-quality religious institutions each year with hands-on technical assistance, referrals, workshops on the maintenance and repair of religious properties and associated financial issues. Their enthusiasm sparked interest from others in the audience eager to learn about Sacred Sites help. Following a recently established presidential advisory council designed to connect faith-based resources in government, the Senator is initiating a series of meetings around the state to make people aware of what programs are available and how to apply for them. 2010-08-31T14:27:28-05:00 2010-08-31T14:27:28-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/conservancy_helps_celebrate_restoration_of_1840_mill_at_the_new_york_botani/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/conservancy_helps_celebrate_restoration_of_1840_mill_at_the_new_york_botani/ The New York Landmarks Conservancy is co-sponsoring two weekend open houses in September at a newly restored 1840 stone mill at The New York Botanical Garden. The mill is one of the City’s most picturesque pre-Civil War industrial buildings and a New York City and a National Historic Landmark. Conservancy staff will join Garden experts on September 11 and 12, and 18 and 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to offer tours of The Lillian and Amy Goldman Stone Mill, adjacent millrace and Bronx River and surrounding landmarks, gardens and collections. Built by Peter and George Lorillard, the mill anchors a 100-acre historic Stone Mill precinct at the Garden. The restoration maintains the Mill’s mid-19th century industrial character on the exterior while equipping the three-story interior with modern building systems to create a LEED-certified structure that meets the Silver standard. New landscaping utilizes native species in extensive plantings and involves treating stormwater runoff into the Bronx River. The Mill will be available for community meetings, conferences and social gatherings, as well as providing office space for the Garden Horticulture curatorial staff. The 100-acre historic Stone Mill precinct comprises one of the largest, most varied historic landscapes in New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley. The area contains three mid-19th century buildings; the Bronx River and camel-back bridge; the largest remnant of old-growth forest in the City, eight gardens and collections; undulating terrain and dramatic rock outcrops. The 250-acre Botanical Garden, a National Historic Landmark, is one of the City’s cultural and educational jewels. It is also an excellent steward of its landmark properties. The New York Landmarks Conservancy has awarded the Garden two coveted Lucy G. Moses Awards: one for the restoration of its 1902 Victorian style glass Conservatory and a second for general stewardship following the restoration of its landmark, 1901 Library Building. The Mill’s restoration received leadership funding from The Lillian Goldman Charitable Trust and the Amy P. Goldman Foundation and support from The City of New York. 2010-08-31T14:15:32-05:00 2010-08-31T14:15:32-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/regarding_15_penn_plaza/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/regarding_15_penn_plaza/ Testimony of August 23, 2010 2010-08-24T15:50:20-05:00 2010-08-24T15:50:20-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/2010_chairmans_award_honoring_robert_e._selsam_of_boston_properties/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/2010_chairmans_award_honoring_robert_e._selsam_of_boston_properties/ Robert E. Selsam, Senior Vice President of Boston Properties and Regional Manager of its New York Office, will receive The New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Chairman’s Award September 23 at a luncheon at The Harvard Club. The Chairman’s Award honors prominent business leaders and companies who demonstrate their dedication to preservation. Mr. Selsam is the immediate past Chairman of the Salvadori Center, a non-profit which helps students and teachers use architecture to understand math and science. The Center is active in a dozen New York City public schools, the New York City Housing Authority After School centers and trains 400 teachers a year in its techniques. Before joining Boston Properties in 1984, Mr. Selsam was the Director of Planning for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He is a Governor of the Real Estate Board of New York and Executive Vice President of the Associated Builders and Owners of Greater New York. He serves on the Board of the New York Building Congress and is a Trustee of Phipps Houses. The Chairmans Award was created in 1978 to spotlight outstanding efforts to restore prestigious landmarks. New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts, the Woolworth Building, The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory at The New York Botanical Garden, and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel were among the winners. The award was rededicated in 1992 to focus on business leaders. Richard D. Parsons, then Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Dime Savings Bank of New York received the award that year. Other prominent recipients include Cartier, Inc., the Hearst Corporation, Arthur L. Carter, Aby Rosen, Robert Levine, Donald Oresman, Frank J. Sciame, Jr. and Tony Goldman. 2010 Chairman’s Award honoring Robert E. Selsam of Boston Properties Thursday, September 23 The Harvard Club of New York City 35 West 44th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues) 12 pm reception 12:30 – 2 luncheon Business Attire For more information please contact Meral Agish at 212.995.5260 or MeralAgish@NYLandmarks.org Click here to view Google map 2010-08-17T18:16:35-05:00 2010-08-17T18:16:35-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/u_.s._senate_adjourns_without_vote_on_historic_preservation_fund/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/u_.s._senate_adjourns_without_vote_on_historic_preservation_fund/ Thank you for contacting Senators Schumer and Gillibrand recently to ask them to support full funding for the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) . Unfortunately, last night, the U.S. Senate adjourned for its summer recess without voting on the measure. However, your calls and e-mails—added to those found around the country—have put the HPF on their radar screens. The national coalition we are working with on HPF hopes to convince the Senate leadership to add the HPF to Senate Bill S. 2663 when the bill comes up in the fall. NYS Senate Completes Budget That Defers Preservation Tax Credits In Albany, the State Senate finally completed action on the state budget last night. But this includes deferring any state preservation tax credits earned through the end of 2012 until sometime between 2013 through 2016. While preservationists almost succeeded in allowing these credits to go forward without any postponement, last minute horse trading on the budget included preservation tax credits in a list of some 30 state tax credits which will now be deferred. The result will likely hamper larger restoration projects and dampen hopes that the credits would spur economic development activity throughout the State. Preservation lobbying in Washington and Albany will resume in the fall in hopes that full funding for HPF and a resumption of full state tax credits can proceed. We hope you will continue to work with us then on both goals. 2010-08-04T15:21:20-05:00 2010-08-04T15:21:20-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/study_underway_to_preserve_1787_landmarkerasmus_academy_building/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/study_underway_to_preserve_1787_landmarkerasmus_academy_building/ Thanks to a $10,000 grant this week from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s new Elizabeth and Richard Jeffe Preservation Fund for New York City, the Landmarks Conservancy has completed funding for a conditions survey of Brooklyn’s Erasmus Academy building, an 18th century landmark. The firm of Cutsogeorge Tooman & Allen Architects is currently conducting the survey and should be finished by September. The Rockefeller Foundation and the 42nd Street Fund of the 42nd Street Development Corporation have also provided support for this project. The Rockefeller Foundation recently gave the Conservancy a $50,000 grant to allow us to hire outside consulting experts. The Erasmus study is the first use of this grant. The Academy is a wood-frame, clapboard Georgian-Federal style building located in the middle of the Erasmus Hall High School campus in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. Its history starts in Colonial New York when, in 1786, the Reverend John H. Livingston and Senator John Vanderbilt founded a private school on land donated by the nearby Flatbush Dutch Reformed Church. Leading citizens of that time, among them Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Peter Lefferts, and Robert Livingston, contributed funds for the construction of the Academy, which opened in 1787. The Academy became the first secondary school in the State to be chartered by the Board of Regents, and it is one of the oldest in the country. The Erasmus Academy building was one of the first properties designated as a city landmark by the newly formed Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1966 and then listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. By the end of the 19th century, changes in demographics resulted in an enrollment decline at the private Academy and a new demand for a large public school to accommodate the growing immigrant population. In 1896, the Board of Trustees donated the Academy building and its surrounding land to the Board of Education of the City of Brooklyn, with the proviso that the Board would “erect and maintain upon said lands a High School of the same character and grade as other High School buildings in the City of Brooklyn…” In 1898, the consolidation of New York City brought the various school systems in the boroughs under one city-wide agency. The buildings that were constructed around the Academy and that now comprise Erasmus Hall High School were completed in four campaigns between 1904 and 1940. The renowned school architect Charles B. J. Snyder was the Superintendent of Buildings for the Board of Education at the start. He designed a true campus for EHHS, with Collegiate Gothic style structures surrounding an open quadrangular green space. Erasmus was designated as a City landmark in 2003. Erasmus boasts numerous illustrious alumni including Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Lainie Kazan, Betty Comden, Beverly Sills, Barbara Stanwyck, Eli Wallach, Susan Hayward; writers Bernard Malamud and Mickey Spillane; builder Sam LeFrak, and many more, including long-time Conservancy staffer Karen Ansis. The Academy served as classroom space until the middle of the 20th century, when it was turned into administrative offices, a library, and a museum. It has been largely vacant for the past decade and has suffered from water penetration. The Erasmus Hall High School Alumni Association sought the Conservancy’s help for the Academy last year. Subsequently, at the Conservancy’s invitation, the City Department of Education (DOE) agreed to a partnership to explore the preservation and reuse of the Academy building. Earlier this month, DOE submitted an application, prepared by the Conservancy, to the New York State Environmental Protection Fund for a grant of $400,000 toward the $1.8 million estimated cost of restoring the exterior of the Academy. Awardees of this highly competitive capital funding program will not be known for several months. The conditions survey and the restoration of the exterior of the Academy are the first steps in this preservation initiative. The next challenge involves the identification of a user—a private educational program or some other nonprofit organization—for a building that is located within the Erasmus Hall High School complex. 2010-07-30T17:52:42-05:00 2010-07-30T17:52:42-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancy_helps_roosevelt_island_landmarks_get_needed_repairs/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancy_helps_roosevelt_island_landmarks_get_needed_repairs/ The Conservancy’s technical advice has helped gain Landmarks Commission approval for needed repairs and improvements to two important Roosevelt Island landmarks—a late 18th century farmhouse and a Victorian Gothic church. Technical Director Alex Herrera, in cooperation with the Roosevelt Island Historical Society, has been working with the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) for the past six months on designs for an entrance ramp for Blackwell House, a circa 1796 farmhouse built by the family who owned the Island prior to the City’s purchase in 1828. He also helped plan the eventual relocation of leaky central air conditioning equipment at The Chapel of the Good Shepherd. The exterior of the New England style Blackwell House was restored recently with plans to open the venerable farmhouse as a community center, gallery and meeting space. Hence the need for an access ramp. The ample wooden porch has been rebuilt, the windows repaired and clapboard siding replaced. Herrera worked with RIOC design professionals as to placement and details of the proposed ramp and helped prepare the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) presentation. The new ramp will be fabricated of wood with railings that match and porth. It will be located on the eastern façade and painted the same cream/white color as the porch. A new landscape design incorporating pedestrian paths leading to the ramp will also be built. A “kitchen garden,” reminiscent of the historic garden design will be planted adjacent to the ramp. The Chapel of the Good Shepherd, designed by Frederick Clark Withers, dates to the 1880’s. It originally served the almshouse and other charitable institutions on the island. After years of abandonment, it was restored in the 1970/s at which time central air conditioning was installed. Unfortunately, the compressors were located within the bell tower, which has proven to be a big mistake. The equipment leaks, sometimes heavily. Its vibrations shake the tower. And, it is in suh a tight space that servicing the units is difficult to impossible. When RIOC decided to update the system and move the compressors to the exterior, Herrera worked with consulting mechanical engineers and RIOC engineers to locate the equipment in the least conspicuous location and to connect it to the building in a way that caused no damage to the landmark. Herrera helped design an unobtrusive wooden enclosure reminiscent of the Victorian-style fences seen surrounding the church in early photos. The Conservancy’s Sacred Sites program helped restore the Chapel’s bell tower and rose window in 2003. The Conservancy has promoted the preservation of the island’s several landmarks for many years, especially last year’s stabilization of the former smallpox hospital designed by James Renwick. The hospital remains are visible from the FDR Drive near the Island’s southern tip. 2010-07-30T17:40:15-05:00 2010-07-30T17:40:15-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/from_mad_men_to_preservation/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/from_mad_men_to_preservation/ Conservancy Board Member Fred Papert denies he’s the model for Don Draper on Mad Men, but there’s no doubt his experience as a leading advertising executive has helped him become one of the City’s top preservation strategists. “Mad Men has nothing to do with ads I must say,” Papert says. “I gather it is probably a great soap opera.” The popularity of Mad Men has once again put the spotlight on Papert’s accomplishments. Before he began rescuing the west end of Manhattan’s 42nd Street from 50 years of neglect or creating a powerful campaign to see Moynihan’s station come to fruition; the native New Yorker was among a select group of creative minds who pushed advertising into its golden age. Papert depicts that time very differently from AMC’s award winning series. “We stood up to our clients when we had to. We did what we had to do. How unlike what you see on Mad Men,” Papert says. “I saw it once and I do know Mad Men is not the golden age of advertising.” Preservation like politics is local. A struggle to preserve Papert’s neighborhood sparked the famed ad man’s shift from introducing giants like Xerox to the U.S. to launching massive campaigns to preserve the City’s architectural history. “I lived on a block that was the victim of a preservation battle,” he says. “I really changed my major.” In 1976 the retired senior partner in the firm Papert, Koenig and Lois left advertising to create the 42nd Street Corporation, which is a non-profit dedicated to preserving one of Manhattan’s most renowned streets. The Corporation built Theater Row, a complex of off and off-off Broadway theaters and restaurants between 9th and 10th Avenues; planned the reclamation of the historic 7th and 8th Avenue blocks; worked with the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the successful renovation of Grand Central Station; built new headquarters and stables for the Mounted Unit of the New York Police Department between 11th and 12th Avenues; and partnered the development of a market-rate apartment building between 10th and 11th Avenues. The Corporation also created the 42nd Street Fund. The Fund provides grants and soft loans to not-for-profit organizations wishing to get into the real estate business. It has provided support for the preservation of Brooklyn’s Erasmus Academy Building (see related story). The success of Theatre Row has strengthened the 42nd Street Fund and allows for the continued support of important projects to improve New York City. Integrity is a common thread Papert sees between the advertising industry in the late ‘60s and ‘70s and architecture. At 84 years old Papert does not shy away from doing what he feels is right. “The minute you begin to compromise your work I think you’ve sort of had it. I think that applies generally. It matters gigantically in architecture.” 2010-07-30T15:52:02-05:00 2010-07-30T15:52:02-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancy_staff_examines_18th_century_ship_at_ground_zero/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancy_staff_examines_18th_century_ship_at_ground_zero/ Conservancy staffers got a first-hand look at an extraordinary discovery at the Ground Zero construction site—the hull of what is presumed to be an 18th century ship uncovered there this month. This find reveals new information in the stories of New York’s nautical history and the physical development of lower Manhattan. The ship is believed to have been a private, ocean-going vessel used for landfill when the Manhattan shoreline was extended in the late 1700s. Surrounded by the buzz of new building at the former World Trade Center site, archaeologist Michael Pappalardo from consulting firm AKRF, Inc. led staff down 30-foot ladders to the muddy construction site near 140 Liberty Street. Since the July 13 discovery AKRF has been working with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to protect the hull from deterioration brought on by exposure to the elements; bring in experts on archaeology and ship conservation; devise a short-term emergency mitigation plan; and consider the long-range plans for the artifact. “This project has been quite literally the most exciting and challenging research effort of my professional career,” Pappalardo said. “This find was totally unexpected and we’ve had to rush to deal effectively with the many logistical and physical issues that have come up.” The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation invited the Conservancy’s visit and comments because the Conservancy is an official consulting party to work at the World Trade Center under Section 106 of the Federal National Historic Preservation Act. Ground Zero was determined to be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places due to the extraordinary nature of the 9/11 events. As a consulting party the Conservancy advocated to save the Survivors Staircase, the last remaining above-ground element of the World Trade Center and later advised on what other items from the Trade Center should be documented or saved. Steps and treads of the Staircase will be prominently displayed at the Memorial Museum. Conservancy intern Karen Mathiasen was first down the rather daunting ladder. Karen studied the importance of shipwrecks as a cultural resource and the history of lower Manhattan’s expanding shoreline while obtaining her Master’s degree in historic preservation at Pratt. “It’s rare enough to see an archaeological site in Manhattan,” she said. “I never thought I’d get to see cribworks in the same mud they’ve been in for more than 200 years.” Experts believe the ship remnant may provide valuable information about 18th century shipbuilding and about the physical and economic development of Manhattan. An AKRF report notes that there is little information about early, non-military ships but that these ships were critical as New York evolved into America’s preeminent trading center. The report also notes that historic maps indicate that the original shoreline in this area was located several blocks in-land from today’s shoreline, near modern Greenwich Street. Evidence of landfilling west of Washington Street was first seen on maps dating to the late 1790s while the entire site was filled in by the 1830s. Based on this evidence, experts believe the newly-discovered remnant dates to the late 18th or early 19th century. Exposure to hot summer weather and sunlight quickly triggered deterioration of the artifact, so AKRF placed the remains under geotech fabric within 24 hours of the discovery. This week, experts began mapping, photographing, labeling and dismantling the remnant. The pieces will be moisture-wrapped and eventually transported to a special conservation laboratory in Maryland. The Port Authority and LMDC are also looking for a long-term location for the reassembled hull. They anticipate that other portions of the ship may be discovered when a temporary wall at the site is taken down. Construction of that wall inadvertently cut the ship. Since the ship’s unexpected discovery, the Port and LMDC have recognized its importance and moved quickly to develop a plan to ensure the stability of this remarkable find. The LMDC is providing progress of the emergency mitigation on its website: http://www.renewnyc.com. Click here to read the New York Times story and view a spherical panorama of the World Trade Center Ship Excavation by Drew Fulton. 2010-07-30T15:09:45-05:00 2010-07-30T15:09:45-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancy_efforts_help_transform_block_highlighted_in_times/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancy_efforts_help_transform_block_highlighted_in_times/ No longer a troubled block of endangered brownstones, South Elliot Place in the Fort Greene Historic District, Brooklyn has been the subject of Conservancy efforts for decades. The improved block was recently featured in The New York Times. Two Conservancy Historic Properties Fund loans restored the clapboard façade and windows as well as fabricated and installed the porch at 41 South Elliot Place in the early ‘90s. The 1855 building retains its Greek Revival style dentilled cornice and wide Italianate double doors. A $60,000 Fund loan restored the brownstone façade at 63 South Elliot Place in 1995. The building is a transitional Italianate / neo-Grec house designed in 1875 by Edward van Voorhis. 37 South Elliot Place joined 41 and 63 as reborn buildings in 1998 when multiple layers of synthetic brick and asphalt shingling were stripped away from the three-and-a-half story, single family home to restore the building’s original 1873 façade. The house is only 12.5 feet wide. New York Times Streetscapes Columnist, Christopher Gray’s coverage more than a decade ago of the Conservancy’s role ago in preserving the endangered façade of 59 South Elliot Place eventually aided in the building’s restoration. Click here to read the full story. The New York City Historic Properties Fund is the Conservancy’s main financing vehicle for restoration work throughout New York City. With more than $8 million in assets, it is one of the largest dedicated revolving loan funds for historic preservation in the nation. Since its inception in 1982, the Fund has financed restoration work on more than 200 buildings in New York City’s five boroughs—showing that the Conservancy is making a difference building-by-building, block-by-block. 2010-07-30T12:27:21-05:00 2010-07-30T12:27:21-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/blazes_strike_3_historic_churches/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/blazes_strike_3_historic_churches/ Conservancy staff inspected two historic churches damaged in early July fires to witness the early stages of the clean-up and to assess the damage. Both the 1884 Metropolitan Baptist Church in Harlem and the 1885 New Baptist Temple in Brooklyn’s Boerun Hill are past recipients of Conservancy Sacred Sites grants. A third fire this week damaged Love Gospel Assembly on the Grand Concourse, a 1921 former synagogue highlighted in our recent Bronx synagogue survey (click here to read story). The Conservancy has reached out to the church with technical assistance. These tragic incidents highlight the importance of fire alarm and suppression systems in these irreplaceable buildings. The Conservancy ‘s handbook “Fire Prevention for Religious Properties,” is available here. An issue of Common Bond devoted to fire recovery has been sent to the three institutions and can be found here. The first fire occurred in the rector’s office of the Metropolitan Baptist Church on the corner of W.128th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard. The second, just one day later, consumed the organ loft of the New Baptist Temple. At Metropolitan Baptist, the fire destroyed the rector’s office and damaged a beautiful semi-circular bay window facing 128th Street. There was extensive water and smoke damage to administrative offices above and below the room where the fire started, as well as to the main stair and entry corridor. Fortunately, the lofty sanctuary was spared. Conservancy staff met at the scene with preservation consultant Mary Kay Judy and discussed the extent of the damage as well as the condition of the church’s roof and gutters, which were in bad repair prior to the fire, and are working closely with Mary Kay and the church to finalize a grant proposal to address roof drainage issues as well as fire recovery. The blaze at the Baptist Temple started in one of the two organ lofts within the principal sanctuary. Fire consumed everything within the organ loft and thick, black smoke poured into the sanctuary soiling the vaulted ceiling and other surfaces. Firemen had to break several historic stained glass windows in order to vent the smoke. Here too there was smoke and water damage to spaces above and below the source of the fire. The organ, which was a valuable and rare instrument, was a total loss. Long-time Baptist Temple organist, congregant, and preservation advocate Keith Bigger contacted the Conservancy the day of the fire, and staff have continued to provide technical assistance, helping to vet contractor pricing for repairs. Fortunately, in all three cases, no one was seriously injured. Also fortunate was the fact that professional environmental clean-up companies arrived quickly to dehumidify, and mitigate damage to the affected portions of the buildings. Quick action by a licensed clean-up company is crucial in order to save plaster, wood, furniture and prevent the growth of mold and mildew. Built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with old wiring and mechanical systems, and competing deferred maintenance needs, historic religious properties can be particularly vulnerable. The fires occurred during a record-setting heat-wave that affected the entire Metro area. Temperatures in the upper nineties can overload vintage electrical systems due to air conditioning loads. The fires are a reminder of this vulnerability. The Conservancy is currently providing grant and loan funding for the installation of a fire alarm and sprinkler system at the 1697 Flushing Meeting House in Queens, a welcome focus on fire prevention—and the conservation of the Meeting’s new cedar shingle roof—rather than disaster recovery. 2010-07-30T12:03:47-05:00 2010-07-30T12:03:47-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/tour_of_shrine_of_st._elizabeth_ann_seton/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/tour_of_shrine_of_st._elizabeth_ann_seton/ James Watson House and Seton Shrine Conservancy members enjoyed a rare behind-the-scenes tour of the restoration of one of the few remaining Federal Townhouses in New York City, the James Watson House. Serving as the Rectory for the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary and St. Elizabeth Seton Shrine, America’s first native-born saint, the James Watson House has had continuous people living it since it was built in 1792 and offers a unique look at early New York. It is the last of a row of mansions that once lined the water’s edge on the tip of Manhattan. Led by Rev. Peter K. Meehan, Lisa Easton AIA of Easton Architects and Andrew Bardolf of DNA Contracting and Waterproofing, the early-August tour highlighted the ongoing restoration effort of the Rectory as well as the rich history of this rare federal survivor. Rev. Meehan offered one intriguing anecdote after the next, bringing to life the mission’s rich history as a place for the care and relief of Irish immigrant girls, which was also a shelter for steerage passengers after the sinking of the Titanic. In 1883 Watson’s former residence, at 7 State Street, became the home of the Mission of Our Lady of the Rosary. The second owner of the house was a ship owner who reportedly remodeled the building by recycling wood from one of his ships to create the columns still standing today. Leading the roughly 25 tour goers throughout the building’s many corridors, Easton and Bardolf brought expert technical insight on the restoration effort, often using archive photos to help illustrate changes over the years. “Since the 1800s there have been a series of changes over time but the exterior pretty much remains true to its original collection,” said Easton. The Conservancy has been involved with the James Watson House since 2001 when the Sacred Sites Program conducted a conditions survey of the building. A few years later the Conservancy helped the congregation alert City and State officials to help fix damage caused by vibrations from nearby subway station construction. In 2006 the Church received a Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation 2006 EPF grant of $350,000 for roof replacement, and facade restoration including repair of the portico, masonry and 56 windows. Click here to see Google map 2010-07-07T20:17:22-05:00 2010-07-07T20:17:22-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancy_attends_big_cities_preservation_groups_gathering/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancy_attends_big_cities_preservation_groups_gathering/ The heads of major “Big Cities” preservation groups met in Los Angeles in early June to see preservation projects of the Los Angeles Conservancy and to discuss common issues. The group toured the recently restored Ennis House by Frank Lloyd Wright; met with Los Angeles preservation officials in charge of a citywide historic resources survey; discussed efforts to save the city’s historic bridges with local community groups; and toured cultural resources including Little Tokyo and the national birthplace of the Chicano Art movement. Members of the “Big Cities” group take turns hosting the meetings, which have been held in Boston, Seattle, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver and New York. The group, under the auspices of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, offers participants an in-depth opportunity to see major preservation projects; learn of preservation initiatives and discuss how members are handling common issues such as the closing of religious buildings. The Landmarks Conservancy was a founding member. The 1924 Ennis House, a Wright masterpiece featuring textile block construction and a design evoking a Mayan temple had suffered from deferred maintenance, an earthquake and a season of torrential rains. The Los Angeles Conservancy worked with the National Trust and the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy to complete a multi-million dollar rehabilitation and stabilization project. Meeting in the lavishly decorated City Hall, the group heard from with officials of the Office of Historic Resources who are two years into planning for SurveyLA, an extensive look at the city’s historic buildings. The Getty Foundation is funding the project, which has sent volunteers into target areas to explain the project and which has developed special computer software to aid on site data collection. Los Angeles covers 466 square miles and 880,000 legal parcels. So this survey, which will be used for planning and landmark designations, will be one of the largest of its kind. Los Angeles has 25 historic district overlay areas, the equivalent of New York’s historic districts, and each has its own regulatory body. A citywide Cultural Heritage Review Board designates and regulates individual landmarks, of which there are approximately 1000. The 32 year old Los Angeles Conservancy has more than 6000 members and hundreds of volunteers making it the largest local pres group in country. The group is known for masterful advocacy campaigns. They have championed the historic former movie theaters in downtown with an annual “Last Remaining Seats” film series which sells out each year and attracts thousands of people. The group successfully sued the Catholic Archdiocese to prevent the destruction of the historic St. Vibiana Cathedral, which is now an event space. And the group is currently promoting modern landmark designations with a “The Sixties Turn Fifty” campaign. 2010-06-30T15:57:42-05:00 2010-06-30T15:57:42-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/regarding_grand_concourse/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/our_public_testimony/regarding_grand_concourse/ Testimony of June 22, 2010 2010-06-30T14:56:22-05:00 2010-06-30T14:56:22-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/lpc_designates_another_federal_from_conservancy_list/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/lpc_designates_another_federal_from_conservancy_list/ The NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission has voted to designate an extension of the Greenwich Village Historic District. This extension, which adds 235 buildings to the protected Historic District (click here to view map) includes 7 Leroy Street, one of the 13 Federal-style houses that the Conservancy began advocating for seven years ago. With our partner, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, the Conservancy began a campaign to protect those 13 houses by releasing the report “Federal Era Row House of Lower Manhattan.” Now, nine of the 13 Federals have been designated. In 1964 Ada Louise Huxtable made a plea for the preservation of Lower Manhattan’s most venerable and vulnerable buildings. “Few New Yorkers realize,” she wrote in Classic New York, that the comfortable, charming, and historically important small house c. 1800-30 still exists. It is too well hidden, too efficiently defaced, and—above all—too fast disappearing.” In a response to the loss of these buildings, to alteration, demolition, and disuse, the Conservancy issued the report which highlights 13 Federals, all below 23rd Street, and featuring the typical elements that distinguish the style: Flemish bond façade, windows with simple paneled lintels, doorways with simple brownstone arches around the fanlight, pitched roofs, and dormers. Since 2003, the Landmarks Commission has taken action on 12 of the 13 buildings. Eight have been designated as individual landmarks. The Commission held a hearing on 57 Sullivan Street in June 2009, but has not taken a vote on designation. Three are unprotected: no action has been taken on 2 Oliver Street, and 94 ½ and 96 Greenwich Street were taken off the Commission’s designation calendar in 2009 because they were found to be too compromised (despite the fact that many of the alterations were made since the Conservancy first started its advocacy for the buildings in 2003.) Click here to view the landmark status of each building. Read more about 7 Leroy Street and the other 12 Federals in this report: “Federal Row Houses of Lower Manhattan” In other actions the Conservancy also testified on the Grand Concourse. 2010-06-30T14:29:07-05:00 2010-06-30T14:29:07-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/preservation_alert_proposal_threatens_nys_rehabilitation_tax_credit_program/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/preservation_alert_proposal_threatens_nys_rehabilitation_tax_credit_program/ Opposition has been mounting to a proposed tax law amendment which would temporarily defer New York State’s historic preservation tax credits. The governor and legislature have been barraged by phone calls and emails and the finance staff of the Assembly and Senate are beginning to discuss the impact of the proposal. Preservation tax credits were hailed as an economic development tool by officials across the state and there has been widespread dismay among upstate civic leaders, developers and preservationists at what would be a crippling blow to restoration projects across the state. The most recent proposal from the NYS Assembly and Senate (“Part Y”) is to implement a deferral of a taxpayer’s credits above $2 million dollars in value. That would mean no single taxpayer using the rehabilitation tax credit program, or any other NYS tax credits—alone, across multiple projects, or in combination with any of the other state tax credits subject to the deferral program—will be credited with more than $2 million dollars in years 2010, 2011, and/or 2012. This would severely hamper developers contemplating one or more larger scale rehabilitation projects in a single year. More than 16,000 New York City buildings would be eligible for the tax credits along with much of upstate New York. A vote could come anytime after midnight tonight, but you can still call NYS Assembly and Assembly leadership, and the Governor in the next few hours at the numbers below to state the importance of leaving the Rehabilitation Tax Credit program intact and free from any deferral agreement. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver: 518-455-3791 Senator John Sampson: 518-455-2788 Governor David Paterson: 518-474-8390 For NYS Senate contact information, click here For NYS Assembly contact information, click here It is very important that the Legislature receive a high volume of calls over the next 24 – 48 hours. 2010-06-23T16:18:31-05:00 2010-06-23T16:18:31-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/conservancy_holds_lecture_gothic_in_gotham_featuring_noted_architectural_hi/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/conservancy_holds_lecture_gothic_in_gotham_featuring_noted_architectural_hi/ One of the most important architectural historians in the country, Dr. Richard Guy Wilson, demonstrated in a beautifully illustrated talk June 17 at The Century Association that ecclesiastical architecture is an integral part of the City’s history and should be saved. More than 50 people came to hear the presentation titled “Gothic in Gotham: The Preservation Challenges Facing New York’s Ecclesiastical Architecture,” which was thanks to Conservancy Board Chairman Stuart N. Siegel. Siegel was one of Wilson’s “star” research assistants at The University of Virginia Graduate School of Architectural History and Historic Preservation. “Religious buildings are really some of the major landmarks of our cities and towns,” Wilson said. “A good deal of the history of Western architecture is really religious architecture.” Interweaving four central themes: history, educational value, community and art, Wilson argued the City’s most significant religious buildings are not only major architectural landmarks, they are the history of the City. “You can’t really tell the history of a place without some sort of knowledge of the religion that was involved and these buildings, including some of the earliest surviving, such as St. Paul’s or Central Synagogue,” Wilson said. “But they are more than landmarks, they are the history of Manhattan, they are the history of New York.” Wilson is the Commonwealth Professor of Architectural History at the University of Virginia. The professor’s research and writing has focused on American architecture from the 18th to the 20th centuries. He has authored, co-authored or edited more than a dozen books and has served as an advisor and commentator for a number of television programs on PBS, C-Span, History Channel and A&E. Wilson also frequently appeared on the program America’s Castles. 2010-06-22T17:03:54-05:00 2010-06-22T17:03:54-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/young_landmarks_enjoy_exclusive_tour_of_brooklyn_heights/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/young_landmarks_enjoy_exclusive_tour_of_brooklyn_heights/ Young Landmarks joined Technical Services Director Alex Herrera on an exclusive tour of Brooklyn’s first and still premier residential neighborhood, Brooklyn Heights. Beginning with Borough Hall Park on a picture-perfect summer evening, Herrera guided the more than a dozen Young Landmarks along the beautifully preserved and restored streets that make the Heights one of the City’s most desirable neighborhoods. Designated in 1965, Brooklyn Heights was the Borough’s first Historic District. It is a special neighborhood where one can trace practically the entire history of urban residential design in New York City beginning in the 1820s. Following the establishment of the steam-powered Fulton Ferry in 1814, the Heights became the first part of Brooklyn to be urbanized. Herrera pointed out many of the houses and churches that line the streets date to the half-century after the ferry started regular service. In the 1820s and 1830s elegant wood and later brick houses were built in the Federal Style. Later came the more substantial Greek Revivals followed by the Italianate brownstone-fronted houses, the neo-Gothic style, the Queen Anne style, Richardsonian romanesque, and finally colonial revival. One Young Landmark was interested in learning about the historic courthouse her grandfather once sat as judge. Others wanted to know what families built some of the historic houses along Peirrepont Street. Herrera pointed out the Alexander M. White and Abiel Abbot Low Houses on Montague Terrace: White was a noted philanthropist and Abiel Low’s son, Seth Low, was mayor of Brooklyn at the time the Brooklyn Bridge opened, then president of Columbia University before becoming mayor of the consolidated New York City. Young Landmarks also viewed some of the neighborhood’s extraordinary collection of churches, most of which were built in the 1840s and 1850s and were designed by the most prominent architects of their day including Minard Lafever, Richard Upjohn, and James Renwick. After touring some of the historic streets, tour-goers visited the world-famous Brooklyn Heights Esplanade, also known as the Promenade, to take in the views of the bay, the Manhattan skyline, and the brand-new “Brooklyn Bridge Park.” Some asked about the history of the area and if planned improvements to the expressway could threaten some of the historic homes along the promenade. Herrera said that in 1942 the plan was to run the expressway through the heart of Brooklyn Heights thereby destroying the neighborhood. But thanks to political pressure from residents and the Brooklyn Heights Association, the highway was detoured around the neighborhood and a landscaped promenade was built above the traffic. Below the esplanade, where the new Brooklyn Bridge Park is being built, pre-civil war warehouses once stood. Herrera also said it is unlikely any improvements to the expressway would be a threat to the area’s historic houses. The tour ended at sunset with cocktails at a neighborhood tavern on Hicks Street. Tour route: View Brooklyn Heights Tour in a larger map 2010-06-18T19:21:00-05:00 2010-06-18T19:21:00-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/share_your_views_of_lindsay_era_preservation_issues/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/share_your_views_of_lindsay_era_preservation_issues/ There is a major retrospective now underway on the Mayoralty of John Lindsay (1966-73), including an exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York, a television documentary produced by Thirteen/WNET, a book of essays edited by Sam Roberts, and a series of Symposia. To broaden the public dialogue, there are two websites where individuals can write reminiscences and register comments about those times. Many Conservancy Board and Members well remember that remarkable and controversial era and the conflicting forces that impacted our City. Please bring the Lindsay retrospective to the attention of your community and that individual comments on any subject about those years is welcome. The Museum’s website has broad, rich content on the Lindsay era. Submissions are made in the “Recollection” section. Click here to view the documentary. Individuals can submit the same recollection to both websites, and multiple submissions by an individual are welcome. Of course, many of the most heated issues of those years remain relevant today and are still of concern to the Conservancy. Comments with that kind of historic perspective would also be informative. 2010-06-17T19:34:11-05:00 2010-06-17T19:34:11-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/council_member_gale_brewer_announces_fundraiser_for_renovation_of_west-park/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/council_member_gale_brewer_announces_fundraiser_for_renovation_of_west-park/ Conservancy Helps Restoration Fund For West-Park Presbyterian Church When: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 from 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Desserts provided Location: The Community Room of the Belnord, enter at 225 West 86 Street, Manhattan, and you will be directed across the courtyard past the fountain to the entrance on Hall 5 where the Community Room is located on the ground floor on the west corridor. No steps; all accessible. Much thanks to Tom Vitullo-Martin. Checks: Make checks out to the New York Landmarks Conservancy att: WPPC (West Park Presbyterian Church). If you cannot attend the fundraiser and want to donate, send a check to the New York Landmarks Conservancy, One Whitehall Street, New York, NY 10004 att: WPPC. All donations are tax deductible, and the Conservancy has created an account just for the WPPC. All monies raised go directly to the repair of the church; they are for external work only. Conservancy Sacred Sites Program staff will manage the repairs. Update: The West Park Presbyterian Church will remain as a church. The congregation may decide to find a non-profit partner to work with inside the building but we in the community are working to fund the repairs to this now-landmarked building. Rev. Robert Brashear will be attending the event and sharing his willingness to work with the community. Landmarks West!, Friends of West Park and other groups are also participating in this event. NOTE: The Conservancy is only accepting checks for ease in identifying donations specifically for West Park Presbyterian Church and donors will receive a letter noting the donation’s tax deductibility. 2010-06-17T19:09:51-05:00 2010-06-17T19:09:51-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/public_advocate/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/public_advocate/ New York City Public Advocate, Bill de Blasio, met with the Conservancy’s Public Policy Committee on June 2 at the Conservancy Office, where he discussed his support for preservation and why it should be an essential part of the City’s overall agenda. He stressed how the Public Advocate’s office was an important platform for addressing issues and how multiple voices are key to the City’s future. De Blasio said the Public Advocate has the ability to influence change because it is a City-wide position with a bully pulpit and has a seat on the City Planning Commission. Known as a dedicated advocate for affordable housing, de Blasio sees preservation and affordable housing fitting naturally together in future City planning initiatives. The Public Advocate traced his passion for preservation to his ancestral homeland in Italy and current residence in historic Park Slope. “On preservation, I came to this honestly through personal experience starting at the age of 14 seeing the house that my grandfather was born in southern Italy, which had been in our family for hundreds of years. I think that gave me very personal sense of the power of keeping things that matter and say something about our culture and history,” de Blasio said. “Being a preservationist is very natural.” 2010-06-04T19:59:40-05:00 2010-06-04T19:59:40-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/stephen_lash_receives_special_lucy_g._moses_award/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/details/stephen_lash_receives_special_lucy_g._moses_award/ Stephen Lash, a longtime Conservancy Board member and former Chair, received a special Lucy G. Moses Award at the Conservancy’s May 20 Board Meeting. Mr. Lash was a great friend of the late Mrs. Moses and encouraged her to endow the annual awards, which honor excellence in preservation projects, individual preservation leaders, and non-profit organizations. The 20th presentation of the coveted awards was held in April at the Museum of Natural History with more than 400 persons in attendance. Joseph Fishman, of the Henry and Lucy Moses Fund, was also at the Board Meeting to help Conservancy Chair Stuart Siegel present the award. Mr. Lash recalled how important Lucy Moses, an acclaimed philanthropist, was in his life. He recalled that Mrs. Moses was very close to his wife’s family and he had to pass muster with Mrs. Moses before he could get married. Through the years, Moses Awards have gone to projects such as the restoration of Radio City Music Hall, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Empire State Building as well as to private residences and buildings housing religious and non-profit institutions. They have honored outstanding interior and exterior restoration work, adaptive reuse, and new construction within historic districts. Individual awardees have included Joan K. Davidson, Vincent Scully, Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, Kent Barwick and, most recently, noted engineer Robert Silman. Learn more about the Moses Awards here. 2010-05-27T18:49:02-05:00 2010-05-27T18:49:02-05:00 http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancy_board_member_works_to_stop_church_demolition/ http://www.nylandmarks.org/advocacy/preservation_issues/conservancy_board_member_works_to_stop_church_demolition/ Longtime Conservancy Board Member and former Chair Frank Sciame is in discussions with the Brooklyn Diocese, seeking a compromise to save the 1908 Our Lady of Loreto, a former National Italian Catholic Church. The ornate Renaissance-Revival structure was once the heart of a thriving Italian community in Ocean Hill-Brownsville Brooklyn. It was closed by the Diocese two years ago and the Diocese announced plans last year to demolish the church and build low-income housing on the site. Former parishioners and others rallied to save the church, seeking an alternative development plan that would spare the early cast stone building and asking the Conservancy’s counsel. Mr. Sciame’s involvement, as a respected developer and construction manager, brought negotiations with the Diocese to a new level. The Diocese is now willing to consider saving the building for an appropriate community use, while still creating some units of affordable housing. The church’s ornate interior features an arcade running along the nave, a coffered ceiling and decoratively painted surfaces while its exterior was inspired by the Renaissance era Basilica of Loreto, in the Marches region of Italy. The stained glass windows have been removed. The building is eligible for listing on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. 2010-05-27T18:13:34-05:00 2010-05-27T18:13:34-05:00