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Tag: St. Mark’s

Eras of American Literature: Allen Ginsberg & Robert Lowell

At the core of the Beat Generation was beloved East Villager Allen Ginsberg. He challenged the barriers that restricted what writers could print and created a handful of pieces that revolutionized American literature as we know it today. Recently, we discovered an old photograph via the Allen Ginsberg Project that inspired us to take a […]

    Charlie Brown Makes His Stage Debut at Theatre 80, March 7, 1967

    On March 7th, 1967, the delightful musical comedy, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, made its debut at Theatre 80 at 80 St. Mark’s Place in the East Village. With music written by Clark Gesner (and the book written by, “’John Gordon’…a collective pseudonym that covers Gesner, the cast members, and the production staff, all […]

      The St. Mark’s Historic District: Tiny, But Packed With History

      One of New York City’s most charming and distinctive corners, the St. Mark’s Historic District was landmarked by the City of New York on January 14, 1969. Containing fewer than 40 buildings on parts of just three blocks, this extraordinary East Village enclave contains several notable superlatives, including Manhattan’s oldest house still in use as a residence, […]

      Historic Photo Mystery Solved!

      As we add images to our Historic Image Archive, we try to provide as much identifying information as possible on each one.  Sometimes the images come to us with the exact location of the image, date, etc.  Sometimes they come with no information whatsoever, and we have to comb our files, mental and otherwise, to try to […]

      “Shampoo” and Other Inspirations Found on St. Mark’s Place

      Shampoo, the iconic movie satire, was released on February 11, 1975, but is set on Election Day 1968, the day Richard Nixon was first elected President of the United States.  Released in 1975 soon after the Watergate scandal had reached its conclusion, the political atmosphere provides of the time provides a source of dramatic irony […]

      When New York really became New York

      On this day in 1664, then-Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant surrendered what was known as New Amsterdam, the capital of New Netherland, to English naval Colonel Richard Nicolls. The European settlement on Lenape indigenous lands extended as far as Wall Street at the time and was the cause of a protracted war, despite the lore of […]

      The Origins of St. Mark’s-in-the-Bowery Church

      One of my favorite places in New York has always been St. Marks Church-in-the-Bowery on 2nd Avenue and 10th Street. Long before I actually stepped inside it’s peaceful courtyard or impressive interior, I was so charmed by the way it sits diagonally on its lot – an obvious vestige of a bygone, pre-grid era in New […]

      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 […]

      East Village Oral History: Lorcan Otway

      Village Preservation is excited to share our oral history collection with the public, and hope they will shed more light on what makes Greenwich Village and the East Village such unique and vibrant areas.  Each of these histories highlights the experiences and insights of long-time residents, usually active in the arts, culture, preservation, business, or civic […]

      Landmarks50: 4 St. Mark’s Place

      4 St. Mark’s Place, also known as the Hamilton-Holly House and current home of Trash and Vaudeville, was recently in the news as it came on the market for $11.9 million. This building was built in 1831 and designated a NYC landmark in 2004. As part of Landmarks50, the celebration of this year’s 50th Anniversary of […]

      On this day in history…

      GVSHP is marking March, Women’s History Month, with some great public programs. But today I am going to focus on two men who helped to shape the history, geography, and culture of Greenwich Village and the East Village. On March 12, 1922, in Lowell, Massachusetts, Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac, known to us as Jack Kerouac, […]

      Things We’re Grateful For: Federal Houses

      At this time of year, we’re thinking about the many things we’re grateful for, as well as the founding of our country. Both those bring us to the many Federal-era (1790-1835) houses in the Village, NoHo, and East Village, especially those we have been able to ensure will survive well into the future due to […]