New Historic Images Show Remarkable Preservation Progress and Loss in Our Neighborhoods Over the Last 25 Years

We’re extremely proud to share two new collections added to our historic image archive, taken between 1994 and 2001 as part of an effort by Village Preservation and historian and preservationist Susan De Vries to document vulnerable historic sites in Lower Manhattan with the hopes of securing their preservation. Susan, who’s gone on to play an enormously important role in local and national preservation efforts, was a young intern and research associate at Village Preservation when she embarked on this project, which she continued on her own for years after leaving VP. The goal was to record unprotected Federal-era (ca. 1790–1835) rowhouses in Lower Manhattan, as well as other prominent but vulnerable historic architecture below 14th Street, as part of an effort to convince the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission that these sites were worthy of landmark designation and preservation.

While some of these incredible pieces of history have since been lost, Village Preservation has in fact been able to secure landmark designation in the intervening years for a remarkable number of these sites, which can be found in Greenwich Village, the East Village, NoHo, the Lower East Side, Hudson Square, and the Financial District. Images in the collection include information about their landmark status and fate since the images were taken. 

Interested in sharing or donating your own historic images? Click here.

April 19, 2023