Historic Districts Council to Honor Landmark Lion

The Historic Districts Council, the citywide advocate for New York’s historic districts and for neighborhoods meriting preservation, will present its annual LANDMARKS LION AWARD on October 26 to renowned preservationist Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel. Participating in the award ceremony will be architect and 2010 Landmarks Lion Award recipient Robert A. M. Stern, former governor Mario M. Cuomo and architect Hugh Hardy. Since 1990 the Landmarks Lion Award has honored those who have shown unusual devotion and aggressiveness in protecting the historic buildings and neighborhoods of New York City.

Throughout her 40-year career Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel has been a leading voice on some of the defining urban issues of our time, including the preservation of the historic built environment of our country. She was the first Director of Cultural Affairs in New York City and was the longest-serving Commissioner on the Landmarks Preservation Commission, under four New York mayors. She currently serves as the Chair of the Historic Landmarks Preservation Center and the Vice Chair of the New York State Council on the Arts. She is a founding Director of the High Line, a repurposed, elevated train line turned into a successful park on Manhattan’s west side.

Says Simeon Bankoff, HDC’s executive director, “Barbaralee’s vision of a city is one where not only do the people make the buildings, the buildings help make the people. Thanks to Barbaralee, we learn to look at New York as a continuum- a place where ideals flow from the past, defining our present and shaping our future.”

In regards to her work outside of New York City, she was appointed to the United States Commission of Fine Arts by President Clinton, and was the first woman Vice Chair of the C.F.A. in its 100-year history. Most recently, President Obama named her a Commissioner of the American Battle Monuments Commission, which has responsibilities related to the design, construction, and maintenance of military memorials throughout the world. In 2010, Barbaralee was appointed a trustee of the Trust for the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

As part of her activism, Barbaralee has broadened public awareness of the arts and culture through many media. She has used her rich experience with civic involvement as an interviewer/producer for seven television series about the arts, architecture, design, and public policy for Arts & Entertainment Network, and many programs for other networks. Over a hundred of her interviews are now available online, digitized by the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Video Archive at Duke University.

The author of 20 books on art, architecture, design, and public policy, Barbaralee’s encyclopedic work, &#8220The Landmarks of New York, V” will be published in September 2011 and is being accompanied by an 11-city traveling museum tour throughout New York State.

The Landmarks Lion Award dinner and ceremony will take place on Wednesday, October 26, 2011, at 6:30pm, at the Four Seasons Restaurant at 99 East 52nd Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues, Manhattan.

The Landmarks Lion Award is HDC’s major fundraising event and provides critical support for the broad range of educational and outreach programs that are crucial to HDC’s constituency which includes more than 500 neighborhood organizations. The Council is dedicated to preserving the integrity of New York City’s Landmarks Law and to furthering the preservation ethic. 2011 marks HDC’s 40th year of preserving the City’s historic neighborhoods.

For more information on the event or to purchase tickets, contact HDC at 212-614-9107, [email protected], or visit our website at www.hdc.org.

Historic Districts Council Elects New President

The Historic Districts Council, the citywide advocate for New York’s historic neighborhoods, has elected architect Francoise Bollack as the organization’s eighth president. Ms. Bollack is the first woman to serve as HDC’s President.

Francoise Bollack, AIA, is a registered architect with over 30 years of experience in architectural design, preservation and adaptive reuse. Born in Paris, France, Bollack was educated at the Ecole Speciale d’Architecture in Paris and the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts. In 1982 she founded Francoise Bollack Architects in New York City to provide high quality architectural services to private and institutional clients with socially meaningful programs.

Francoise Bollack has served on the Board of the Historic Districts Council since 2007 and chairs the Designation Committee. She is on the Board of Landmark West! and has served as Director on the Board of the Architectural League of New York and the New York State American Institute of Architects. She is a co-founder of the Women in Architecture Committee of the AIA. She lives on Central Park West in a landmark apartment building.

Bollack’s goals as President of the Historic Districts Council are to &#8220strengthen connections with groups engaged in advocacy efforts in New York City, promote high quality design in historic districts, support good government measures and a fully funded LPC. We all love New York City,” Bollack says, “and we want to make sure that it functions and that the architectural and social value of its historic neighborhoods is celebrated.&#8221

HDC is currently celebrating its 40th Birthday this year, and a major part of its new programming is the “6 to Celebrate” program, created by Bollack. This is New York’s only citywide list of preservation priorities. Throughout 2011, HDC will work with these neighborhood partners to set and reach preservation goals through strategic planning, advocacy, outreach, programs and publicity.

Bollack has been an Adjunct Associate Professor of Historic Preservation at Columbia University since 1985, participating in the fall and spring studio and teaching “Design Principles for Preservation” then directing the expanded Fall Studio 1 “Understanding and Documenting Historic Architecture”. In 2009 she began teaching the seminar “Old Buildings – New Forms” based on her ongoing examination of cutting edge designs of additions to old buildings, world-wide: she is currently working on a book about this subject to be published by WW Norton in 2012.

Bollack’s recent design projects include significant interventions in major architecturally and culturally significant public buildings such as the New York State Capitol building in Albany, the Chesterwood Museum in Stockbridge Massachusetts, and the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center in New York City. These projects explore the relationship between historic architecture and new interventions with a rich repertoire of inventive solutions. Her firm’s projects have won awards from the Municipal Art Society, American Institute of Architects, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, New York Landmarks Preservation Commission, New York Landmarks Conservancy, and the Victorian Society in America.

Founded in 1971 as a coalition of community groups from New York City’s designated historic districts, the Historic Districts Council has grown to become one of the foremost citywide voices for historic preservation. Serving a network of over 500 neighborhood-based community groups in all five boroughs, HDC strives to protect, preserve and enhance New York City’s historic buildings and neighborhoods through ongoing programs of advocacy, community development and education.

Historic Districts Council Preservation Awards

The Historic Districts Council (HDC) presented its annual Grassroots Preservation Awards to seven organizations and individuals on May 12th in the garden of Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims in the Brooklyn Heights Historic District. This year, HDC is celebrating its 40th year of advocating for New York City’s historic neighborhoods.

“These advocates are the foundation of the preservation movement and their efforts benefit everyone who lives, works or visits New York City,” said Simeon Bankoff, executive director of HDC. “It’s an honor to be able to shine the spotlight on these neighborhood leaders.”

2011 Grassroots Awardees

Cedar Grove Beach Club

Established on the North Shore of Staten Island in 1911, Cedar Grove Beach Club is the last beach bungalow colony on the island. In 1962, the club land was taken by eminent domain but residents were allowed to remain and continued to restore the buildings and keep the beach clean and accessible. However in 2009, the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation declared that they were evicting the residents in order to demolish the majority of the bungalows. The Beach Club rallied to stop this action but was unsuccessful. Their campaign, however, raised awareness about this special piece of New York City’s cultural history.

Central Queens Historical Society

In 1988, Jeffrey Gottlieb established the Central Queens Historical Association to advocate for preservation of the borough’s significant areas, including Kew Gardens, Jamaica, and Richmond Hill. Through his ongoing advocacy campaign for downtown Jamaica, the LPC moved forward on the designation of several historic structures including the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce Building, Queens General Court House, two Jamaica Savings Bank buildings, and Jamaica High School.

Mary Kay Gallagher

Mary Kay Gallagher has been a leading figure in Brooklyn’s Victorian Flatbush area for more than four decades. She founded Mary Kay Gallagher Real Estate in 1970, in part to help find sympathetic buyers for the wealth of large, free-standing Victorian-era homes that dominate Brooklyn neighborhoods such as Prospect Park South, Ditmas Park, Fiske Terrace, Midwood Park, Beverly Square West and Caton Park.

Prospect Cemetery Association

Cate Ludlam has been the driving force behind Prospect Cemetery Association, a group dedicated to preserving and restoring Prospect Cemetery in Jamaica, Queens. The site is the oldest burial ground in Jamaica, with burials dating back to the mid-17th century. Ludlam has led the group through an intensive effort to reclaim the largely abandoned cemetery and recently completed a restoration of the adjacent Chapel of the Sisters.

Friend in High Places
State Senator Bill Perkins, 30th District, Manhattan

Senator Perkins currently serves as State Senator from Manhattan’s 30th District. Both in his role as New York State Senator for the past five years and previously during eight years as a city councilmember, he helped champion numerous preservation causes. Recently he has been a strong supporter for the designation of the West End Avenue Historic District and a Morningside Heights Historic District, and the successful designation of West-Park Presbyterian Church. Among the other preservation campaigns Senator Perkins has been involved with include holding public education programs on tax incentives for historic properties and leading the effort for more comprehensive legislation to improve oversight of the landmarks process.

Friend from the Media

The Architect’s Newspaper

Since its founding in 2003, The Architect’s Newspaper has featured broad coverage of preservation and development–related issues from across the city. Looking beyond concerns of architectural design, the paper has covered important neighborhood preservation issues such the proposed redevelopment of St. Vincent’s Hospital, the tower proposal at 980 Madison Avenue and the future of Coney Island in depth. Although it is targeted towards a self-identified audience of architects and design professionals, AN’s coverage is both balanced and accessible, with a deep understanding of the arcana of New York City’s development world.

Mickey Murphy Award for Lifetime Achievement
Bronson Binger and Ann Walker Gaffney

Bronson and Ann have been tireless preservation advocates for decades. Bronson served New York City as Assistant Commissioner of Capital Projects for both the Parks Department and the Department of General Services. As Vice President of the Municipal Art Society, he saw the need to form a committee to protect the city’s historic neighborhoods, which later became the Historic Districts Council. He was closely involved in several successful campaigns, including the creation of the Carnegie Hill, Upper East Side, and Sailors’ Snug Harbor Historic Districts. Trained as a Graphic Designer, Ann has contributed her art of logos, brochures and invitations for many not-for-profit organizations. She served on the Historic Districts Council’s board of directors for almost 20 years as well as serving on the Board of The Fine Arts Federation and as a governor of the Brooklyn Heights Association for many years.

Historic Districts Councils NYC Preservation Priorities

The Historic Districts Council, New York’s city-wide advocate for historic buildings and neighborhoods, has announced it’s first Six to Celebrate, a list of historic New York City neighborhoods that merit preservation attention. This is New York’s only citywide list of preservation priorities.

The Six were chosen from applications submitted by neighborhood groups around the city on the basis of the architectural and historic merit of the area- the level of threat to the neighborhood- strength and willingness of the local advocates, and where HDC’s citywide preservation perspective and assistance could be the most meaningful. Throughout 2011, HDC will work with these neighborhood partners to set and reach preservation goals through strategic planning, advocacy, outreach, programs and publicity.

“Neighborhoods throughout New York are fighting an unseen struggle to determine their own futures. By bringing these locally-driven neighborhood preservation efforts into the spotlight, HDC hopes to focus New Yorker’s attention on the very real threats that historic communities throughout the city are facing from indiscriminate and inappropriate development.” said Simeon Bankoff, HDC’s Executive Director. “As the first list of its kind in New York, the Six to Celebrate will help raise awareness of local efforts to save neighborhoods on a citywide level.”

Founded in 1971 as a coalition of community groups from New York City’s designated historic districts, the Historic Districts Council has grown to become one of the foremost citywide voices for historic preservation. Serving a network of over 500 neighborhood-based community groups in all five boroughs, HDC strives to protect, preserve and enhance New York City’s historic buildings and neighborhoods through ongoing programs of advocacy, community development and education.

The 2011 Six to Celebrate (in alphabetical order):

Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
The Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood contains an astonishing number of architecturally, historically and culturally significant structures, including rowhouses, mansions, religious buildings, and schools dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Although there are currently two designated historic districts in the area, the vast majority of Bedford Stuyvesant’s architectural splendor is unprotected. The recently-formed Bedford Stuyvesant Society for Historic Preservation, a coalition of concerned neighborhood block associations, and the landmarks committee of Brooklyn Community Board 3 are working to correct that.

The Bowery, Manhattan
One of Manhattan’s oldest thoroughfares, the Bowery, stretching from Cooper Square to Canal Street, has a fascinatingly rich history which has left an equally rich built environment. From a fashionable shopping and residential neighborhood at the end of the 18th century, to bustling center of drygoods, hardware and other specialty stores, to an entertainment mecca and later the notorious “skid row” in the 20th century, the Bowery was always a part of the city’s culture, for better or for worse. In recent years,, the mix of historic structures along the street has been extremely threatened by high-rise hotel development. The Bowery Alliance of Neighbors was formed to help save the remaining historic buildings on the Bowery and to celebrate the avenue’s interesting and important history.

Gowanus, Brooklyn
The Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus nominated the neighborhood surrounding the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. This unique area retains its largely industrial character, with some of the businesses dating back more than 75 years. In recent years, plans for the canal have conflicted with the existing character of the neighborhood and some significant industrial structures have been demolished for out-of-scale, speculative development. However, with the canal’s recent designation as a federal Superfund site, there is now an opportunity to successfully advocate for the preservation of the industrial character of the area and retention of significant structures associated with this history.

Inwood, Manhattan
Inwood, at the very northern tip of Manhattan, combines striking geography of hills and views with notable architecture that includes art-deco apartment building, Tudor Revival houses, and unique elements such as the 215th Street Steps, the Seaman-Drake Arch and the historic Isham Park. Despite this, very little of the neighborhood’s historic buildings are protected or even official acknowledged. The Volunteers for Isham Park is working to identify and protect the neighborhood’s landmarks.

Jackson Heights, Queens
Jackson Heights is New York City’s first planned neighborhood of “garden apartments” and “garden homes”. These airy, light-filled residences, combined with commercial, institutional and recreational buildings, provided an attractive environment for middle-class families to live when it was developed in the early 20th century, and it still does today. The Jackson Heights Beautification Group, established in 1988, is seeking to extend the boundaries of the existing Jackson Heights Historic District, landmarked in 1993, to better reflect and protect the actual historic neighborhood.

Mount Morris Park, Manhattan
The residential area adjacent surrounding Mount Morris Park in Harlem includes elegant rowhouses and larger apartment buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Romanesque Revival, neo-Grec and Queen Anne styles. The longtime civic group, the Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association, is seeking to expand the boundaries of the current city-landmarked Historic District, which does not adequately represent the elegant architect of this Harlem neighborhood.

Learning in New York:NYC’s Historic Schools and Libraries

Join the Historic Districts Council, the advocate for New York City’s historic neighborhoods, for ”Learning in New York” a series of programs exploring the City’s fascinating collection of 19th and 20th century educational buildings.

The entire series is available for $60/$40 for Friends, seniors & students. Advance reservations are required. Tickets can be ordered online, calling 212-614-9107 or e-mailing [email protected].

The Architecture of Knowledge: New York City’s Historic Schools and Libraries
Tuesday, October 19, 6:30pm, LGBT Community Center, 208 West 13th Street, Manhattan
Fee: $35/$25 for Friends, seniors & students.

This panel will examine the architecture of school and library buildings across New York City, highlighting their history as well as reuse and restoration. Bruce Nelligan of Nelligan White Architects will showcase his firm’s renovations to historic schools in The Bronx, Manhattan and Queens, ranging from 1893-1930, highlighting discoveries about evolving construction techniques and various approaches to rehabilitation. Throughout the five boroughs, there are 55 public libraries still existing of the original 67 built with industrialist Andrew Carnegie’s support. Rashmi Sen, principal of Sen Architects will discuss her firm’s work renovating several Carnegie Libraries in Brooklyn and The Bronx. Through her efforts, these libraries have been successfully updated and modernized, while retaining and restoring their distinctive historic features. Jean Arrington is a scholar of C. B. J. Snyder, New York City School Superintendent from 1891 to 1923, who designed and constructed more than 400 new buildings and additions. Ms. Arrington will discuss Snyder and how he changed school design both in New York and nationally. This program will be a good introduction for attendees of the related walking tour that is part of this series.

An Educational Walk Through Chinatown: C.B.J. Snyder’s Schools, Andrew Carnegie’s Libraries and Everything In Between
Saturday, October 23, 11:00am, exact location announced upon registration
$35/$25 Friends, students & seniors

The second program of the series will be a walking tour highlighting the rich architectural legacy of public educational buildings in New York City through an examination of those schools designed by Superintendent C. B. J. Snyder, several Carnegie Libraries and other institutions of learning throughout Chinatown. Snyder scholar Jean Arrington will co-lead this tour and discuss several extant Snyder school buildings in the neighborhood, some of which are now being adaptively reused. Tour co-leader and noted guide Justin Ferate will explain the interesting historic development of this diverse immigrant neighborhood, visiting other significant institutional buildings including two existing Carnegie Libraries at Chatham Square and Seward Park.

Learning On Screen: New York City Schools in Popular Film

Wednesday, November 3, 6:30pm, LGBT Community Center, 208 West 13th Street, Manhattan
Fee: $15/$10 for Friends, seniors & students

New York City schools have been the backdrops for some of film’s most celebrated moments, from “Blackboard Jungle” to “Fame”. This fun and informative program explores the portrayal of New York schools in popular film throughout the twentieth century. The program will be led by architectural historian and educator John Kriskiewicz.

HDC Inaugurates Six to Celebrate Program

The Historic Districts Council, the advocate for New York City’s historic neighborhoods, is inaugurating a new advocacy program called “Six to Celebrate.” Every year HDC will solicit submissions from neighborhood groups, large and small, that feel their areas’ architectural significance, special character and historic qualities are worthy of preservation. The purpose of this initiative is to provide strategic help to the chosen neighborhood groups at a critical moment so that they reach their preservation goals. The program will help local residents learn to use the tools at their disposal to put in place a preservation strategy — documentation, research, zoning, landmarking, public awareness campaigns, publications.

In recent years HDC’s concentrated advocacy has resulted in the designation of Sunnyside Gardens, Queens and Midwood Park/Fiske Terrace, Brooklyn, to name just a few. Six to Celebrate builds on this history, formalizing and publicizing this process. For the period of a year the chosen areas will receive HDC’s hands-on help making their case with public officials, strategizing and implementing all aspects of a process leading to statutory protection of their neighborhood. HDC will continue to assist neighborhoods that have not been selected this year (and they may apply next year).

From its long experience helping neighborhoods campaign for landmark status and zoning consistent with their special character, HDC will coach neighborhood leaders on:

* how to establish, for their district, boundaries that recognize its special character

* how to involve other community members

* how to formulate an argument for preservation and present their case convincingly

* how to create goals and make plans to meet them

* how to develop education programming and public outreach, and

* how to secure the support of elected officials and other key players in the equation

A copy of the application form can be found here. The neighborhoods submitted for consideration must be distinct areas &#8211 not individual parks or structures. They must be located in New York City, and be architecturally and/or socially and historically significant.

HDC Presents Annual Grassroots Preservation Awards

The Historic Districts Council (HDC) will present its Eleventh Annual Grassroots Preservation Awards to eight organizations and individuals tomorrow, Thursday, May 20th at 6p.m. at the garden and parish hall of St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery at East 10th Street and 2nd Avenue, in the St. Mark’s Historic District in Manhattan.

Every year, the Historic Districts Council honors and celebrates the activists and groups who work to preserve New York City’s valuable historic neighborhoods.“These advocates are the foundation of the preservation movement and their efforts benefit everyone who lives, works or visits New York City,” said Simeon Bankoff, executive director of HDC. “It’s an honor and pleasure to be able to shine the spotlight on these neighborhood leaders.”HDC is the citywide advocate for New York’s designated historic districts and for neighborhoods meriting preservation.

This year’s Grassroots awardees are:

Alice and Agate Courts Historic District

A quiet enclave of 36 intact Queen Anne style row houses on two cul-de-sac blocks — Alice and Agate Courts Historic District is honored for their effectiveness in fighting demolition threats and for their success in achieving landmark designation for their blocks in 2009.

John Antonides, Hubbard House

Proud owner of one the few remaining Dutch farmhouses in Brooklyn, John Antonides began campaigning for landmark designation for this 1830’s era Gravesend, Brooklyn house in 1990. Through his work gathering support from a diverse group of individuals and organizations including, citywide preservation groups, local elected officials, noted architectural historians, neighborhood residents, and Dutch-American historical groups, the house was designated by the LPC in 2009.

Coalition to Save West-Park Presbyterian Church

A group of dedicated individuals and organizations, including Landmark West!, Friends of West-Park, Manhattan Community Board 7’s Landmarks Committee, and Councilmember Gale Brewer, who have advocated for the preservation of West-Park Presbyterian Church, one of the most significant religious complexes on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts

In 2001, Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts began advocating for an extension of 74 buildings to complete and compliment the original Upper East Side Historic District. Their campaign included an interactive website documenting each property to be included in the proposed district, listing the extension on the National Register of Historic Places, and holding lectures, walking tours and community meetings to raise awareness. The district was designated in March 2010.

Two Bridges Neighborhood Council

Since the 1950’s, Two Bridges Neighborhood Council has served a distinct community in lower Manhattan between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. One of its recent major campaigns was the successful listing of the Chinatown and Little Italy Historic District on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, which provides a host of benefits including financial incentives for building restoration, boosting tourism of the area, and documenting the important history of these unique communities.

Friend in High Places &#8211 Council Member Rosie Mendez 2nd District, Manhattan

Council Member Rosie Mendez receives the Friends in High Places Award for her steadfast support of preservation efforts throughout her district and across the city. Mendez was elected to City Council in 2006 and represents the Lower East Side, East Village, Gramercy, Kips Bay and parts of Murray Hill.

Friend from the Media &#8211 Nicholas Hirshon, New York Daily News

Nicholas Hirshon is a reporter with the New York Daily News, covering community-based stories in Queens. Born and raised in Queens, he has made a priority of covering neighborhood preservation issues including a series entitled “History in Peril,” that highlighted significant neighborhoods and buildings threatened with demolition.

Mickey Murphy Award for Lifetime Achievement &#8211 Joyce Mendelsohn

An ardent and dedicated advocate for the preservation of many neighborhoods and buildings across New York City, Joyce Mendelsohn was an early and consistent promoter for the preservation of the historic Lower East Side. She is honored for her tireless work as a writer, lecturer and tour guide, working to preserve New York City’s historic neighborhoods.

The event is open to the public at a cost of $25, $15 for Friends of HDC. Community sponsorships for the event are also available. To purchase sponsorships or program book ads, please call (212) 614-9107 or e-mail [email protected]. Individual tickets will be sold at the door. Doors open at 6pm, and the award ceremony will begin at 6:30pm. For more information, go to www.hdc.org or call 212-614-9107.

The Historic Districts Council is New York’s only citywide grassroots advocate for historic buildings and neighborhoods. Since 1971 we have been committed to preserving New York’s rich architectural and historical heritage, working with communities to landmark and protect significant neighborhoods and buildings, as well as helping already-designated historic communities to understand and uphold the Landmarks Law.

New York City Landmarks Law Celebrates 45 Years

In celebration of the forty-fifth anniversary of the New York City Landmarks Law, the New York Preservation Archive Project is launching a new website, landmarks45.org, to encourage recognition of this event and chronicle the past five decades of preservation history. This project is being done in partnership with Historic Districts Council, the Neighborhood Preservation Center and the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.

Landmarks45.org features a group blog, a calendar of preservation-related events, a publicly editable preservation history wiki, and a dedicated space for preservationists to share their memories, photographs and documents. Users can edit the Preservation History Wiki – a growing chronology of NYC preservation history – or upload their own photographs and documents to the website via the blog comments.

Both individuals and organizations are encouraged to add their work to the record. Examples of material might include the story behind a particular landmarking campaign, notice of a group’s founding, or photographs of a forgotten protest. Contributions will both celebrate the many achievements of New York’s preservationists and help the Archive Project construct a detailed timeline of preservation history.

For further information, visit landmarks45.org or contact [email protected].

Addisleigh Park: Jazz Greats, Sports Stars & Politicians

On Tuesday, March 2, 2010 (from 6:30-8:30pm) the New York City Historic Districts Council will offer a cultural resource survey presentation on Addisleigh Park, a little-known but culturally significant neighborhood in Southeast Queens. The event will be held at the Neighborhood Preservation Center, 232 East 11th Street, Manhattan.

In 2007 HDC began an effort to document Addisleigh Park, home to numerous major African-Americans figures such as James Brown, Roy Campanella, W.E.B. DuBois, Count Basie, Lena Horne, Jackie Robinson and Ella Fitzgerald (to name just a few). Once completed, they submitted all the material to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, who recently calendared a historic district, partially in response to our work. This free program will allow participants a firsthand look at the research and learn more about this neighborhood and its storied past.

The event is free to the public. Reservations are required, as space is limited. For more information, please contact Kristen Morith at (212) 614-9107 or [email protected].

Conference: Preservation in New York – The Next Generation

The New York City Historic Districts Council has announced the Sixteenth Annual Preservation Conference, “Preservation in New York: The Next Generation” which will examine the future of preservation in New York City as a movement, both in terms of the types of buildings we should be preserving and the audiences we must engage in order to be successful. What will be the landmarks for the next generation and who will be fighting to preserve them?

The conference which runs March 5-7, 2010, will be preceded by an Opening Night Reception on Friday, March 5th. The Sunday following the Conference will feature a series of walking tours of historic areas throughout New York City. Participants can register online.

March 5: Opening Night Reception

This year the Opening Reception will be held in the LGBT Community Center, housed in an historic 19th-century school. As with last year’s event, in addition to refreshments and good preservation-minded conversation, this festive kick-off event will feature presentations on proposed historic districts and preservation campaigns across the city.

Friday, March 5, 6:00pm, at The LGBT Community Center, 208 West 13th Street between Seventh and Greenwich Avenues. Tickets for this event are $35/person, $30 for Friends of HDC, seniors and students. Reservations required. Please call (212) 614-9107 or visit our website.

March 6: “The Next Generation” Conference Panels

This year’s Conference Panels will bring together a distinguished group of preservationists, educators, community activists and non-profit leaders from New York City’s five boroughs to present their views in a series of panel discussions: “New Landmarks: Modern, Vernacular and Cultural Sites” and “New Audiences: Identifying and Partnering with Diverse Populations” and a keynote address delivered by Fran Leadon, architect, professor, and co-author of the forthcoming AIA Guide to New York City, Fifth Edition.

Saturday, March 6, 8:30am-4:30pm, at St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street between Court and Clinton Streets, Brooklyn. Full day admission is $45/person, $35/person for Friends of HDC and seniors. Fee also includes continental breakfast, box lunch, and afternoon snack. Entrance fee will be waved for students with valid university ID (meals are not included). For reservations, please call (212) 614-9107 or visit our website.

March 7: Walking Tours

The final day of HDC’s Preservation Conference features six walking tours of neighborhoods throughout New York City:

The Grand Concourse: Ain’t It Grand!

A Walk Through Norwegian Brooklyn: Lapskaus Boulevard

Chelsea and Lamartine Place: A Cultural History

Modern in Midtown: Landmarks of the Recent Past

Parkchester: A City Within a City

West End Avenue: Way Out West

Space is limited, so reserve early. Meeting times and locations will be provided upon registration.