History, Natural History & the Arts
When wet snow falls windows along the front facade of the 136-year-old West Park Presbyterian Church stand open to the elements.
Pigeon droppings coat the front steps and portions of the public sidewalk in front of the Romanesque Revival Presbyterian church on the corner of Amsterdam Avenue at 86th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. [Read more…] about Another Landmark Left Exposed: West Park Presbyterian Church
At the end of 2025, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation released an updated version of its first-of-its-kind report, Analyzing New York City Landmark Designations, A Review of Mayoral Influence and Policies: 1965-2025, covering nine Mayoral administrations.
For the first time ever, the report catalogued every landmark designation in New York City since the law took effect in 1965, and analyzed how each Mayor performed with regards to historic preservation. The results were stark. [Read more…] about Eric Adams ‘Worst Mayor in History’ for Historic Preservation
The New York City Landmarks Law was signed into law on April 19, 1965, by Mayor Robert Wagner. Since then, about 38,000 properties in all five boroughs have been protected under the law.
Many of these buildings and sites are contained within the city’s 157 historic districts and historic district extensions, 16 of which are located in the neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. [Read more…] about Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo: Historic Districts History
Historic Districts continue to be “punching bags,” blamed for New York City’s lack of affordable housing and denounced as “elite.” Unfortunately, a New York Times piece repeated the same old, outdated arguments.
The Times published a “Critic’s Notebook” in Monday’s print edition that raised interesting questions about how to preserve things like “a beloved bodega, or corner bookstore…” noting that official New York City landmark designation preserves the exterior of a building, but not the use within. The piece explored “intangible heritage.”
However, the piece also took unfortunate swipes at historic preservation. [Read more…] about In Affordable Housing Crises, Historic Districts Aren’t the Problem
In early December, the Historic District Council of New York City and the Victorian Society New York presented a Policy Report to the City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission outlining what they see as shortcomings and gaps in the agency’s current Scenic Landmark Review process, and offering a host of policy proposals they believe would improve the process. [Read more…] about New York City’s Scenic Landmarks Review Process
The Historic Districts Council of New York City’s Executive Director Frampton Tolbert penned a rebuttal letter in response to Ginia Bellafante’s New York Times article, “Why Has This 258-Year-Old Mansion Been Left to Fall Apart?” concerning decay at the Morris-Jumel mansion in Upper Manhattan. [Read more…] about The Decaying Morris-Jumel Mansion, Landmarking & Affordable Housing
An 1829 farmhouse at 1213 Clove Road, Sunnyside, one of the few surviving structures on Staten Island associated with early Vanderbilt family history, could be surrounded by a new housing development.
Constructed at a time when Staten Island was rapidly evolving from an isolated rural area to a community populated by new development the John King Vanderbilt House is a survivor of this transitional period. [Read more…] about 1829 Vanderbilt House on Staten Island Faces Development Pressure
In August, the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) demolished two city-owned, landmarked, Fort Totten 1892 barrack buildings (323 Story Avenue and 322 Murray Street), as well as earlier frame structure (317 Murray Street) from 1883, without involving the local community board or local residents.
The DOB claimed that the buildings posed an immediate safety concern, but the Department had issued the “emergency” demolition order in 2021, yet did not act on it until 2023. [Read more…] about New York City Quietly Demolishes Historic Fort Totten Buildings
The Historic Districts Council of New York City is a consulting party to the Section 106 Historic Review Process for proposed Link5G Towers.
This summer, CityBridge, the private contractor installing 32-foot tall 5G towers, sought to begin the review process. [Read more…] about Preservationists Reviewing Siting for Thousands of 5G Towers
On Thursday, December 15th, the New York City Historic Districts Council (HDC) and their community partners were joined by elected officials and concerned members of the public for a press conference at City Hall, condemning City agencies for approving a raft of demolitions of landmarked buildings across New York City. [Read more…] about NYC Preservationists, Officials Protest Demolition of Historic Landmarks
The proposed South of Union Square Historic District in Manhattan contains a remarkable concentration of sites connected to key civil rights and social justice movements, as well as influential literary, artistic, and music movements.
It offers a unique window into New York City‘s development in the late-19th and early-20th century, with an eclectic array of buildings, many designed by world-class American architects.
Despite its historic importance, this neighborhood is severely lacking in landmark and zoning protections. [Read more…] about Under Threat: South of Union Square Historic District, Manhattan
Jimmy McManus was interested in promoting the political history of Hell’s Kitchen and Tammany Hall. He occasionally would co-lead walking tours about the political history of Hell’s Kitchen for the 92nd Street Y or Culture Now.
One of McManus’s earlier activities in this regard was as a member and later President of the National Democratic Club of New York, which dated from 1834 and was credited with swinging the 1844 Presidential election to Democratic candidate James K. Polk, when as the Empire Club it helped carry New York State to James K. Polk over his opponent Henry Clay. [Read more…] about NYC Politico Jimmy McManus and Tammany History (Series Conclusion)
On January 5th, 2021, the City of New York’s Landmarks Preservation Commission held a virtual public hearing at which more than a hundred people testified about Howard Hughes Corporation’s proposal to build a 47-story residential building at 250 Water Street in Lower Manhattan, at the heart of the South Street Seaport Historic District.
Fights over the appropriateness of tall buildings in Historic Districts are not unusual in the City of New York, but this one is uniquely centered on the purposes of historic preservation and the role cultural institutions play in helping to build and sustain communities, and themselves. [Read more…] about Controversy Over Development At New York’s Seaport Historic District
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has recently designated the Central Harlem – West 130-132nd Streets a Historic District. This mid-block historic district represents Central Harlem’s residential architecture, and the social, cultural, and political life of its African American population in the 20th century.
To illustrate the significance of this diverse historic district, LPC launched an interactive story map called Explore the Central Harlem – West 130th-132nd Streets Historic District. [Read more…] about Historic District Designated in Central Harlem
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has recently designated two historic buildings in Far Rockaway, Queens as individual landmarks: the Firehouse, Engine Companies 264 & 328/Hook and Ladder 134 at 16-15 Central Avenue, and the 53rd (now 101st) Precinct Police Station at 16-12 Mott Avenue.
These buildings are outstanding examples of early-20th century civic buildings and represent a period of significant growth in Far Rockaway. [Read more…] about Historic Buildings: Far Rockaway Fire House, Police Station
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has announced the launch of the new Permit Application Finder, an interactive web map that will allow the public to see geographically where LPC permits have been filed and issued and what that work entails.
The Commission has also enhanced its online Permit Application Search, which now gives the public the ability to search by community district and work type. [Read more…] about NYC Landmarks Commission Offers Permit Web Map
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has designated the Coney Island (Riegelmann) Boardwalk in Brooklyn a Scenic Landmark in recognition of its cultural and historical significance.
Since opening on May 15, 1923, the Coney Island Boardwalk has been one of the best-known waterfront promenades in the world, providing access to the beach, amusements, and ocean views. Scenic landmark designation is expected to protect the boardwalk’s presence along the beachfront and preserve this iconic site for future generations. [Read more…] about Coney Island Boardwalk Designated Landmark
The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has proposed to overhaul its rules under the guise of “increasing transparency.”
Dissenting organizations argue that the proposed changes will actually eliminate transparency, take away public oversight, and give more decision-making to Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan who, acting at the direction of the Bill de Blasio administration, has proven hostile towards historic neighborhoods and the Landmarks Law.
A hearing on the proposed changes will be on March 27, 2018 at 9:30 at 1 Centre Street. [Read more…] about Advocates Call For New Chair Of NYC Landmarks Commission
New York City’s Historic Districts Council Public Review Committee is a group that reviews Certificate of Appropriateness applications submitted to New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC).
The volunteer committee and professional staff examine each proposal and create testimony that is read to the Commission at public hearings. The following properties were some of the biggest projects that were reviewed this past year. [Read more…] about NYC Historic Districts Council 2017 Highlights
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has launched a new, enhanced version of its interactive map Discover NYC Landmarks that for the first time includes easily accessible and detailed information on each of the nearly 34,000 historic buildings within the City’s 141 historic districts.
This release complements the map’s existing information on the more than 1,400 individual landmarks, and provides an unparalleled resource for understanding and exploring the city’s built heritage. The LPC’s web map is based on the largest and most comprehensive historic building data collection created by any municipal preservation agency in the United States. [Read more…] about Data on NYC Historic Buildings Put Online
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