The New York City Landmarks Law was signed into law on April 19, 1965 by Mayor Robert Wagner. Since then, about 38,000 NYC properties have been protected under the law. Many of the landmarks designated in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo were highlighted as part of our celebration of Landmarks50, the 50th anniversary […]
By the time the demolition of McKim, Mead & White’s monumental Penn Station commenced on October 28th, 1963, advocates had been fighting to save the Beaux Arts building for several years. This has often been referenced as the “beginning of the historic preservation movement” in New York City, and while it certainly was a catalyst […]
Ada Louise Huxtable (March 14, 1921 – January 7, 2013) was arguably the most formidable critical voice regarding architecture of the second half of the 20th century. Huxtable, who became the New York Times’ first full-time architecture critic in 1963, had the uncanny ability and excellent foresight to analyze architecture in a manner that highlighted the […]
Please join Village Preservation, the Historic Districts Council, and Save Chelsea this Thursday at 1 pm for a rally and press conference at 14th Street and Ninth Avenue to protest the city-approved near-complete demolition of nine landmarked 1840s houses at 44-54 Ninth Avenue/351 West 14th Street in the Gansevoort Market Historic District, and to demand […]
Village Preservation shares our oral history collection with the public, highlighting some of the people and stories that make Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo such unique and vibrant neighborhoods. Each includes the experiences and insights of leaders or long-time participants in the arts, culture, preservation, business, or civic life. Born May 14, 1908, […]
The summer of 1978 in New York City has been well documented. The city was a place of joy, grit, and transition, looking for the next big idea — or building — to move it forward. That summer was also when the Supreme Court handed down its first-ever decision about our landmarks law. The Penn […]
This is a re-posting of a piece originally written in 2011. Architect Phillip Johnson and others protesting the demolition of Pennsylvania Station We speak often of historic districts, individual landmarks and national and state register sites but, what do those terms really mean? This post will review how the designation of landmarks came to be, […]
On May 11, 1936, the old Tredwell house on 4th Street opened as the Merchant’s House Museum.
Designated on November 14, 2007, 159 Charles Street is significant as a relatively rare surviving residential building of the early period of development of the Far West Village. This individual landmark was constructed around 1838 as a Greek Revival style rowhouse with a three-story height, flat roofline, machine pressed red brickwork laid in stretcher bond, […]
Today we take a look at one of the many wonderful individual landmarks in our neighborhood, the Germania Fire Insurance Company Bowery Building at 357 Bowery. Designed by prominent German-American architect Carl Pfeiffer and built in 1870, the Germania Fire Insurance Company Bowery Building recalls the time when the Bowery was a major thoroughfare of […]
If you’ve been involved in a movement for going on 40 years, you probably have a few things to say about it. And if you’re as observant and educated about the movement as Anthony C. Wood is about preservation in New York City, those things are probably worth considering. Make that definitely, in Wood’s case. […]
Reprinted from Gotham Gazette, May 1, 2015. Think of the classic pieces of advice you’ve heard from parents, teachers or mentors along the way in life: Look before you leap. Think before you speak. Consider the source. Sometimes we forget the obvious. This has been the case over the past two years, as an organization […]
For weeks now we’ve all been celebrating the 50th anniversary of the signing of New York City’s landmarks law, which actually took place on April 19, 1965. As we approach this momentous occasion, we thought we’d take a look at some items on our current preservation agenda, and the many challenges we face today.
A lot can happen in 50 years, and many of us are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the New York City Landmarks Law. It was signed into law on April 19, 1965, by Mayor Robert Wagner after much work by early preservationists, motivated in part by the demolition of the original Penn Station. Since then, […]
The New York City Landmarks Law turns 50 years old this month! In the spirit of this important anniversary, we have decided to revisit our 1996 Oral History Interview with NYC Landmarks Law activist and historic preservationist Margot Gayle. Born in 1908, Gayle became involved in preservation efforts by her mid-forties while working at the New York City […]
Having recently completed my undergraduate degree in architectural and urban history, I have been exploring options for further education in the discipline. During my research in the academic backgrounds of notable persons in the profession, I was particularly struck by Jane Jacobs’s lack of qualified training in city planning. This revelation sparked a curiosity in […]
On April 19, 1965 that the New York City Landmarks Law went into effect. GVSHP and many other organizations are celebrating this 50th anniversary all year long. Visit the website of NYC Landmarks 50 to see more. We have written in the past here on Off the Grid about the demolition of the original Penn […]
Welcome to the inaugural post in our Throwback Thursday series where we will share some of our favorite old photos of everyday life in the Village, East Village, and Noho. Do you have a great old photo of you, a friend, or a relative in one of our wonderful neighborhoods? Please share them with us […]
For most, lower Fifth Avenue conjures up images of grand early to mid-20th century apartment houses that guide the eye towards Washington Square Arch, the gateway to one of the city’s most fabled parks. But before these buildings were constructed, the base of Fifth Avenue actually resembled the small-scale row house streetscapes of much of […]
We speak often of historic districts, individual landmarks and national and state register sites but, what do those terms really mean? This post will review how the designation of landmarks came to be, what a landmark is and the differences between state and local landmarks.
