History of the Historic Districts Council Program

The Historic Districts Council of the City of New York was formed in 1970 by the Municipal Art Society as a committee of volunteers from the city’s nascent and potential historic districts. Since then, the HDC has carved out a niche and fulfilled a much-needed citywide advocacy role.

The Historic Districts Council is set to continue their 50th Anniversary Lecture Series with “Genesis: How HDC came to be and why we needed to exist,” set for Thursday, February 20th, from 6 to 8 pm.

This panel discussion and reception with longtime preservation professionals will feature talks about the early days of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, when historic district designation was still new and unformed and the preservation community was still coalescing.

Scheduled speakers include:

Laurie Beckelman began her career at the Municipal Art Society (MAS) in the early 1970’s and then served as President of the New York City Landmarks Conservancy in the 1980’s before being appointed as chair of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) in 1990 under Mayor Dinkins. She is currently the Associate Director of the Shed, the premier artspace at Hudson Yards.

Frank Emile Sanchis III was an early staff member at the LPC, serving from 1969–1971, before going into private architectural practice. He returned to LPC in 1978, eventually serving as Executive Director until 1986. He subsequently worked at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and MAS before becoming the head of the Americas program for the World Monuments Fund in 2010.

Anthony M. Tung served as a Commissioner on the LPC from 1978 – 1988 under Mayor Edward Koch. He has taught architectural history and international urban preservation at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Metropolitan Museum of Art, MIT and the New School. He has lectured in Amsterdam, Athens, Edinburgh, Havana, Istanbul, Kyoto, Madrid, Mexico City, San Juan, Singapore, Vienna, and across North America — consulting on heritage conservation policy with officials in Toronto, Halifax, New York, New Orleans, and Cuba.

Admission is $20, $15 for seniors and Friends of HDC.

This event will be held at General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen, located at 20 W 44th St, New York. For more information or to register, click here.