Jefferson Market Garden Party
GVSHP holds events with the Jefferson Market Library and the Jefferson Market Garden several times per year, most recently a members only tour, our program marking the 50th Anniversary of the Sip-In at Julius’ (See photos here and video here), and Contemporary Writers on a Lost Greenwich Village: A discussion with authors Vivian Gornick and Sarah Schulman (see photos here and video here)
Next up in partnership with the garden and library is a wine and cheese garden party this Wednesday featuring the music of the Bobby Lynn Trio and tours of the garden and library. Sponsored by local real estate brokers, over 100 professionals have already registered for this fun networking event.
The Jefferson Market Library and Garden are of course among our favorite topics to write about. We’ve discussed the link between Jefferson Market Library, GVSHP Board of Advisors members Carol Greitzer and Margot Gayle, and the early preservation movement of the 1960’s.
Before it’s more recent turn as the Jefferson Market Library, this Village landmark was the Jefferson Market Courthouse, with a short stint in between as a police academy. Designed by architects Frederick Clarke Withers and Calvert Vaux, the building was constructed between 1874 and 1877.
Several years ago we reported on the history of the garden, which was built on the plot of land adjacent to the library after the Women’s House of Detention was demolished in 1971-1974. Read more about the Garden’s early history here.
You may remember the extensive restoration process the library recently went through. From 2003 to 2011 the building was shrouded with scaffolding while the exterior was restored. But the long process was worth it- read about the restoration process here. Read about the efforts to restore the doors of the Jefferson Market Library here.
We reported on the Jefferson Market fountain last year- was it designed for horses, or humans? And of course the Jefferson Market Library received a mention in our recap of Village libraries.