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Tag: Greek Revival

#SouthOfUnionSquare, the Birthplace of American Modernism: Reginald Marsh

“South of Union Square, the Birthplace of American Modernism” is a series that explores how the area south of Union Square shaped some of the most influential American artists of the 20th century. In the 20th century, the area south of Union Square attracted painters, writers, publishers, and radical social organizations, many of whom were […]

Three Up, Three Down: Explore Our Greek Revival Heritage in Six Buildings

Two centuries ago, a war began in Europe that would shape boundaries and alliances on the continent for years to come. Greece, which for centuries had been under Ottoman rule, began a war for independence in 1821, and with help from the United Kingdom, France, and Russia, achieved victory and became its own nation by […]

Greek Revival Lesson Continued

As mentioned before on our blog (here and here), we have an incredible new resource of a Storymap showcasing stories and examples of Greek Revival architecture in our area (and a few beyond). Born out of our young country’s desire to find a style that represented our democratic ideals, the Greek Revival style flourished in […]

    Why Isn’t This Landmarked: 4 & 6 East 12th Street

    Part of our blog series Why Isn’t This Landmarked?, where we look at buildings in our area we’re fighting to protect that are worthy of landmark designation, but somehow aren’t landmarked. Nos. 4 and 6 East 12th Street are a pair of largely intact 4-story and basement ca. 1846 Greek Revival houses located just east […]

    A Truly Historic House Tour! Village Preservation’s 21st Spring House Tour in the Greenwich Village Historic District

    We recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Greenwich Village Historic District (GVHD50) with a bash in Washington Square Park. But thankfully, there’s even more GVHD fun right around the corner.  The actual anniversary is April 29th, when we will be rolling out some truly fantastic online tours of the district, and our 21st Annual […]

    When the Weathermen Blew Up 18 West 11th Street

    This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District.  Check out our year-long activities and celebrations at www.gvshp.org/GVHD50.  On March 6, 1970, the unexpected detonation of a bomb being assembled by members of the Weather Underground tore through Greenwich Village and the heart […]

    Research Resources for East Village Building Blocks

    GVSHP’s recently-released East Village Building Blocks online web tool provides invaluable information about over 2,200 properties in the East Village, including each building’s date of construction, original architect, original use, and more. This resource was over ten years in the making, and with so many of the structures having been built before New York City had […]

      Interior Artwork of Our Lady of Pompeii Church

      The Center For Migration Studies has provided GVSHP with historic images in the past, and recently sent us several images of the interior artwork of Our Lady of Pompeii church. The church has stood on the northwest corner of Carmine and Bleecker Streets since 1928, but the congregation dates back to 1892, when Father Pietro […]

        Ithiel Town: It’s All Greek (and Gothic) to Him

        Ithiel Town, born on October 3, 1784, transformed American architecture, as well as the landscape of our neighborhoods.  A significant figure in beginning the Greek and Gothic Revivals in this country, he was among the first professional architects here and started the first architectural firm, later joined by Alexander Jackson Davis, another seminal figure in […]

        Spring House Tour Benefit Surprises and Delights

          The 20th Annual Spring House Tour Benefit on May 6th, 2018 featured an array of homes unlike any others in the tour’s twenty year history.  Tour goers and volunteers alike were delighted by the variety and depth of interest in each and every dwelling.  Today we have a round up of those gorgeous homes.

        Be Aware! The Ides of March and the Village

        Beware the Ides of March! Though Caesar may have had cause to worry, thankfully the Village is a little more manageable than the Roman Republic.  However, that doesn’t mean this Ides we can’t be aware of it with our own twist.  Below are a few tidbits of Village history that hopefully help you notice the […]

        Happy Anniversary to the Sullivan-Thompson Historic District!

        On this date in 2016, the Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously voted to designate the final piece of GVSHP’s proposed South Village Historic District, an incredibly important part of our rich history. After a hard-fought, ten-year campaign led by GVSHP, three new historic districts were created including the Greenwich Village Historic District Extension II in 2010, the South Village Historic District in 2013, […]

        The High Line is Dismantled and the West Side is Transformed

        There’s no overstating it – we at Village Preservation love our members and friends sharing old mementos and images of our neighborhood. Personal or family pictures taken of one’s surroundings or familiar spots often now become, years later, important historical documents. Case in point:  we’ve just added to our ever-growing Historic Image Archive a mini-collection of […]

        The Art of the Artist’s Studio

        This piece was originally posted in 2014 These beautiful late summer days have got us thinking about sun and sky. Which has us thinking about that most iconic of Village architectural features, the artist’s studio.  So we thought we’d use the occasion of these warm August days to conduct a brief survey of some of […]

          Happy Birthday Greenwich Village Historic District!

          Note: This is an updated version of a post originally written by Drew Durniak Map of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click to enlarge. On April 29th, 1969, Mayor John Lindsay was still smarting from the botched cleanup of the February 1969 snowstorm, The 5th Dimension was at the top of the pop charts with […]

          Mourning the Loss of Superior Inks, and Taking Stock of Its Replacement

          For over 85 years, the 195 foot tall smokestacks of the Superior Inks building were a local landmark and beacon for the Far West Village. They were also a vital link to the Greenwich Village waterfront’s maritime/industrial heritage, as in the mid-2000’s they were part of the last operating factory on the Greenwich Village waterfront. Unfortunately, […]

            Merchant’s House Round-Up!

            This year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Merchant’s House Museum.  The museum is the only historic house museum in the Greenwich Village/Soho/NoHo neighborhoods, and is considered one of the finest surviving examples of domestic architecture from the period, the late-Federal and Greek Revival styles (the house dates to 1832).  On Wednesday, September 21st, […]

            Studio Windows: A Preservation Victory

            Last Tuesday the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) handed preservationists what may seem like a small victory, but was nevertheless an important one.  The LPC denied an application to remove a 1930 studio window from 246 West 11th Street, an 1842 Greek Revival row house in the Greenwich Village Historic District.  The applicant proposed to replace it with a […]

            What Style Is It? Greek Revival Edition

            Greenwich Village, the East Village and NoHo offer a vast array of architectural styles that span their long histories.  The Greek Revival style, which dominated these neighborhoods for much of the 1830s and 40s, and of which ample examples survive today, was in many ways inspired by an event which took place on March 25, […]

            43 MacDougal Street: A Happy Ending At Last?

            Five years ago we wrote about the terrible, deteriorating conditions at 43 MacDougal Street, a landmarked, 1846 Greek Revival townhouse at the corner of King Street in the King-Charlton-VanDam Historic District.  The building had been neglected to the point of near-abandonment for over a decade. With a rainy week ahead, we were worried the historic structure […]

            Happy 47th Birthday, St. Mark’s Historic District

            Forty-seven years ago, on January 14th 1969, the Landmarks Preservation Commission concluded that, “On the basis of a careful consideration of the history, the architecture and other features of this area, the Landmarks Preservation Commission finds that the St. Mark’s Historic District contains buildings and other improvements which have a special character and special historical […]

            Remembering When: Skidmore House Landmarked

            On August 18, 1970, the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated landmark status to the grand Greek Revival house at 37 East 4th Street. The house was built in 1844-45 by Samuel Tredwell Skidmore, a relative of Seabury Tredwell, who lived with his family a few doors away at 29 East 4th Street, known today as the […]

            Happy Birthday MacDougal-Sullivan Gardens Historic District

            If you have ever noticed the beautiful row houses along MacDougal Street and Sullivan Street between Houston Street and Bleecker Street, these are part of the MacDougal-Sullivan Gardens Historic District. There are 22 houses included in the district. The addresses are 74-96 MacDougal Street and 170-188 Sullivan Street. The houses were built in 1844 (MacDougal […]

            Tearooms of the Village

            Though a rare surviving architectural element today, the tearoom (also known as a back porch or tea porch) was an original feature of Greek Revival rowhouses throughout New York City in the 1840s and 1850s. Constructed of wood, tearooms were located at the rear of brick houses and faced the gardens. If you’re familiar with […]

            My Favorite Things: Washington Square North

            The iconic early 19th century rowhouses that flank the north side of Washington Square Park are in many a passersby’s mind synonymous with the early history of the neighborhood.  Originally, the whole block looked like this.  Developed in 1833 under the auspices of the Trustees of Sailors’ Snug Harbor, the row was built to house […]

            Standing the Test of Time: Father’s Heart Church

            One of the East Village’s few individually designated New York City landmarks is a distinctive Gothic Revival church at 545 East 11th Street. The building, today known as Father’s Heart Church, has been a distinctive presence in the East Village for more than 140 years. Its name and the nature of its congregants have changed […]

            The Anthemion

            Loyal supporters of GVSHP know our logo well, but few know the true origins of this ancient architectural motif, found in any neighborhood in New York City containing Greek Revival buildings. In that department, the Village definitely tops the list. Allow us to explain…

            Historic Landmark Only Partially Damaged After Minivan Attack

            Numerous media outlets have reported on the Westchester resident who intentionally drove his van into two narcotics officers standing on the sidewalk outside 73 Washington Place last Friday night. The crime was apparently payback for a past run-in between the targeted officer’s partner and the driver. Fortunately, both officers survived, though one was immediately hospitalized. […]

            149 Second Avenue

            What’s not to love about the charming Greek Revival house at 149 Second Avenue, a throwback to another era in the life of the East Village? The house is the oldest building on its blockfront, Second Avenue between East 9th & East 10th Street, and one of the only early houses on the avenue to  […]