Save Harlem’s Churches!

That was the cry voiced outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral a few weeks ago in a rally led by historian Michael Henry Adams and Council member Bill Perkins to protest the impending demolition of St. Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church by the Archdiocese. The church was closed a year ago when the Archdiocese announced its plans to replace the building with 57 units of housing for the elderly.

St. Thomas was designed in 1907 by Thomas Poole. Its façade has been described as “reminiscent of the filigrees of Milan’s Cathedral or of many Flemish or Venetian fantasies” in the 4th edition (2000) of the AIA Guide to New York City. In addition to its architectural excellence, the church is also known for its important role in the history of Harlem, for which it has served as the cultural base for local luminaries such as Hulan Jack, the first African-American Borough President. Mr. Jack’s daughter Julienne is active in the preservation battle. Despite community and congregational opposition, the plan - which calls for the use of $7 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – has been moving forward and the financing is scheduled to be finalized on September 15. In fact, parts of the interior including pieces of the alter have already been removed from the church in preparation for deconsecration; and in mid-August, exterior elements of the façade were beginning to be removed before work was temporarily stopped because of improper permits. Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of advocates including Mssrs. Adams, Jack, Eric Tait Jr. and others, the New York State Historic Preservation Office has determined that the church is eligible for the State and National Registers of Historic Places. This determination triggered review of the HUD financing under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires determination of the impact of federal actions on recognized historic properties and encourages mitigation of adverse impacts. HUD has determined that destroying this irreplaceable building would indeed be damaging to the recognized historic resource, in this case the building. Now the agency must contemplate mitigation, which can encompass anything from documenting St. Thomas before demolishing it to preserving the church and encouraging development of housing on a different portion of the church complex (which HDC recommends). The ideal solution would be for the Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate St. Thomas as an individual landmark, which would protect it against future threats of demolition.

St. Thomas the Apostle isn’t the only historic church at risk – throughout the city, the Catholic Church is closing historic churches because of shrinking congregations and financial difficulties. Two other Harlem churches, Church of All Saints and St. Aloysius are also due to be closed. Thankfully, both were heard as potential landmarks in the 1960’s, and the LPC has scheduled a hearing for mid-September to consider them for designation. Elsewhere in Manhattan, St. Brigid’s and St. Ann’s in the East Village have been closed and are under threat as well. HDC understands that the needs of owners change, and that no single use for a building is necessarily forever. This is particularly true of religious buildings, which in New York City have a long and interesting history of adaptive re-use, either by different institutions or for residential or commercial use. However, the continued physical existence of these buildings is vitally important to their neighborhoods because they often serve as anchors and focal points to their communities, including non-church-goers. To deal with this crisis, HDC is working with our colleagues, the New York Landmarks Conservancy and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, to develop tools to help save these precious buildings. If you know a religious property that is under threat, or that is unrecognized, please let us know. HDC is also collecting names in support of saving St. Thomas – please send a message with your name and address to hdc@hdc.org, subject line “St. Thomas.”

Demolition-by-Neglect Bill to be Heard by City Council Landmarks Subcommittee on September 7

Legislation pending in City Council will allow the Landmarks Preservation Commission to impose severe civil penalties on owners who fail to perform the basic maintenance required to prevent a designated structure from losing significant features or, ultimately, collapsing or being condemned and torn down. Council Member Tony Avella has introduced a “Demolition-by-Neglect” bill that will make owners think twice before they neglect their buildings with an eye toward demolishing them. The bill will force owners to pay to replace features or entire structures that are lost because of their willful negligence.

In February, we witnessed the sad loss of the 1871 New Brighton Village Hall in Staten Island. Though LPC tried to sue the owner, the building was condemned and torn down before any action could be taken. Many losses like this can be prevented. The Demolition-by-Neglect bill will allow LPC to take immediate action when intransigent owners try to let nature do their dirty work by allowing the elements to destroy buildings and architectural features that that they cannot legally demolish or remove. The bill will amend the existing LPC fines legislation to allow for the collection of penalties that can total twice the cost of replacing lost elements or reconstructing the building. Click here to read the text of the bill.

The City Council Landmarks Subcommittee will hear testimony on the Demolition-by-Neglect bill on Tuesday,September 7 at 11:00 a.m. HDC joins over 30 local preservation groups in support of the bill. Please join us at City Hall on the 7th to testify on this important bill that will improve the city’s ability to preserve our historic heritage. If you would prefer to submit written testimony before the hearing date, please direct it to:

Mr. Chris Collins
Deputy Director of Land Use, New York City Council
fax: (212) 788-7337
e-mail: lndcolli@council.nyc.ny.us

HDC Receives Generous Funding from City Council

HDC is very pleased to announce that we have received funding from the New York City Council totaling $25,000 for the 2005 fiscal year. We were allocated funds from the full Manhattan Delegation in addition to individual support from three Council Members – Speaker Gifford Miller, CM Vincent Gentile, and CM Christine Quinn. The Council’s support means a great deal to us. We are grateful not only for its financial assistance, but also for the Council Members’ recognition of the effectiveness of our citywide advocacy work and the services we provide to their constituents.

If you happen to be meeting with or writing to any of Manhattan’s Council Members or to CM Gentile in Brooklyn, please thank them for their assistance this year and let them know why you feel that the work of HDC deserves continued funding in the years to come.

If you are in contact with Council Members who were not able to assist HDC this year, please remind them of the work we do in their district and throughout the city, and ask for their funding assistance in the next fiscal year.

Help Fight Inappropriate Construction in DUMBO

HDC has joined several community groups in Brooklyn to fight the construction of an apartment tower immediately north of the Brooklyn Bridge overpass in DUMBO. Two Trees Management, which has successfully converted several of the neighborhood’s industrial buildings to residential use in recent years, is proposing to build a new 17-story building at 38-62 Water Street. The project will require a zoning-map change to allow a residential structure of this size to be built on the lot – the proposal is currently moving through the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). If built, this project will obstruct views from the Brooklyn Bridge walkway and dramatically alter the character and appearance of the historic streets of DUMBO and the Fulton Ferry Landing Historic District. In addition, a 19th century foundry building at 56-62 Water Street that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places will be demolished to make way for the new tower.

HDC believes that the proposed building is completely inappropriate to DUMBO, a neighborhood for which residents are actively pursuing LPC-designated historic district status with our assistance. We also believe that the proposed rezoning is wrong for DUMBO and would set a dangerous precedent that could lead to the demolition of other historic structures to allow for high-rise construction. We join a coalition of groups including the DUMBO Neighborhood Association, the Fulton Ferry Landing Association, and the Brooklyn Heights Association, in opposing the rezoning and the apartment tower.

Unfortunately, at the end of August, the City Planning Commission voted to approve the zoning change and the new building. However, THE FIGHT IS NOT OVER!! Two Trees wants us to believe that a 17-story building fits right in to the DUMBO streetscape. We KNOW that the true height of the great majority of the neighborhood’s buildings is six stories or lower. Help us fight the misinformation! Help us lobby for sensible development that will enhance and protect the character of this important historic neighborhood. The next step of the ULURP process requires that a majority of the City Council vote to ratify the Planning Commission’s decision.

Join us on Tuesday, September 21 at City Hall to testify against this project in front of the City Council Zoning and Franchises Committee. The full Council should be voting on the bill on Thursday, September 23, but there will probably be no opportunity for public testimony.

Please contact your Council Member to voice your opposition to this project and ask that he or she vote against the rezoning.

Call Jay Platt at the HDC office for information about the time of the hearings or if you have any questions.

Far Rockaway’s Mott House in Jeopardy

Richard Mott Sr. was a prominent resident of Far Rockaway who built an impressive Greek Revival-style house around 1855 in the area that was soon to become as popular as the present-day Hamptons. The Richard Mott Sr. House is located at 1213 Bay Street in Far Rockaway. The building was recently sold after being owned by the same family since the 1920’s. A pre-demolition permit has been filed with the Buildings Department, indicating the current owner’s plans for the site. No plans have been filed as of yet and a subdivision has to be approved by the Department of City Planning for any development to occur. Now is the time to urge the Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate this building as an individual landmark to prevent its demolition. Write LPC Commissioner Robert Tierney to urge him to protect this important remnant of Far Rockaway history.

Watch Your Mailboxes: Fall 2004 District Lines to Arrive

The Fall 2004 edition of "District Lines: News and Views of the Historic Districts Council" is currently at the printers and will be arriving in mailboxes shortly after Labor Day. This edition features articles on new construction in historic districts, preservation façade easements, and Landmarks Lion honorees Beyer Blinder Belle. Click here to read the Winter 2004 and Spring 2004 editions of District Lines.

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The Advocate for New York City’s Historic Neighborhoods
232 East 11th Street New York NY 10003
tel: 212-614-9107 fax: 212-614-9127 email: hdc@hdc.org