E-BULLETIN OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS COUNCIL

October 2005, Volume 2 Number 10

2005 Landmarks Lion Barry Lewis Takes On Modernism

Each year, HDC awards the Landmarks Lion to out-spoken and active preservationists, but rarely do guests at the award ceremony get to experience the ROARRRR first-hand! Please join us for this year’s Landmarks Lion Award Ceremony on Wednesday, October 26th, when public television’s Barry Lewis will give a one time only lecture entitled, “Minimalism is not equal to Modernism”. Here’s a description in his own words.

“Today, we have returned to a Minimalist age in architecture, with the Minimalists claiming preservationists are "obstructionists" against a truly modern architecture reflective of our age. But in the first half of the 20th century, there were many diverse "Modernisms" that believed links with history, ornament and texture could be incorporated into modern design. In this talk we will look at both individual buildings and complete neighborhoods built in Europe from the 1900s to 1930s that show us that modernism did not always mean a minimalist glass and steel aesthetic.”

Tickets for the lecture, reception and award reception are $75. Dinner tickets begin at $250. Please contact Frampton Tolbert to purchase tickets, join the benefit committee or place a congratulatory ad in the program at ftolbert@hdc.org or 212-614-9107 x 13. Space is limited.

Austin, Nichols Warehouse Designated by the LPC

On September 20th the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the ANCW as a New York City Landmark. Chair Robert Tierney stated, “This influential and innovative commercial building undoubtedly merits recognition as a New York City landmark. I am thrilled to add it to our roster.” Click here to read the full press release. We would like to thank the commission for their swift action on this matter. Does this mean the building is in the clear? No! The owner of the building has a vigorous ongoing campaign to repeal the building’s designation and Councilmember David Yassky remains opposed to the designation despite the outpouring of positive support from community members. We need your help! Please email your councilmember to urge them to support the designation of this building when it comes before the council in the coming months or contact arich@hdc.org for volunteer opportunities in this effort.

Unprotected Building of the Month:

Following on the heels of our highly popular “Dead in New York” lecture series, which explored New York’s historic cemeteries, October’s “Unprotected Building of the Month” is the Old Calvary Cemetery Gatehouse in Blissville, Queens. Cemetery architecture is too often an overlooked and under appreciated historic resource in need of protection. Characterized by the AIA Guide to New York as “a romantic, vernacular, spectacular Queen Anne gem,” this unique structure was built in 1892 as the gatehouse to historic Calvary Cemetery, which boasts highest number of permanent residents of all cemeteries in the United States, the first of which was buried in 1848. The cemetery is the resting place of many notable New Yorkers, including Governor Alfred E. Smith and Mayor Robert Wagner, Jr. The Landmarks Preservation Commission held a hearing on the gatehouse in 1973, but over thirty years have passed and the building remains bereft of protection. In 1966, the Commission designated the Green-Wood Cemetery Gate in Brooklyn. Why not add this equally significant gatehouse to the list of New York’s protected treasures? Please contact the Landmarks Preservation Commission at comments@lpc.nyc.gov and ask them to designate the Old Calvary Cemetery Gatehouse in Queens as an individual New York City landmark.

19th Century Admirals’ Row Houses To Be Demolished For Supermarket!

The Officer’s Quarters along Flushing Avenue in the Brooklyn Navy Yard have long been unprotected landmarks in need. Originally built around the time of the Civil War for officers and their families, this row of French Empire style masonry and wood buildings (also called Admiral’s Row) have been vacant since the 1970’s. They are part of a six-acre site that is the process of being given over to the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation for new industrial development. The houses themselves have long been neglected, and two of them have sustained recent fire damage (there are six in total). The BNYDC has proposed to demolish the buildings and develop a supermarket on the site, citing job development concerns and the creation of a community amenity. While the development corporation has been, for the most part, a responsible steward for the numerous historic properties under their stewardship, HDC – joined by a coalition of community groups that neighbor the Navy Yard – strenuously objects to the demolition of the historic buildings and is disappointed in the development corporation’s lack of vision.

Our colleagues at the New York Landmarks Conservancy arranged for noted engineer Robert Silman Associates to assess the buildings’ viability and, based on their review, RSA felt “confident that the buildings can be satisfactorily repaired and restored.” The report noted that these buildings could be temporarily stabilized for over five years, which would be more than long enough for the Navy Yard to issue a Request for Proposal for development that would retain or incorporate the buildings, which is what the Coalition for the Preservation of Admiral’s Row is advocating. We believe that the buildings at Admiral’s Row are historic treasures that serve as important reminders of the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s role as one of the largest naval stations in the country. These buildings are a community amenity, and to demolish them for a big-box supermarket, which is planned, flies in the face of forty years of preservation planning. The last step of the public process for the development corporation to gain control of the property will be a hearing at City Council sometime in October.

Please contact CM Miguel Martinez; martinez@council.nyc.ny.us, Chair of the Subcommittee on Planning & Depositions and let him know that the Council must insist that the Brooklyn Navy Development Corporation agrees to issue an open call for proposals that incorporate the preservation of Admiral’s Row before they can gain control of the site.

Upcoming Panel In Jackson Heights, Queens

Across New York City neighborhoods are facing unprecedented development pressures. HDC seeks to address this growing issue in its upcoming program, Preserving Your Community: Downzoning, Designation and Development. The panel will focus on development and preservation issues throughout the borough of Queens. Attendees will hear directly from the City agencies responsible for preserving neighborhood character on how the historic district designation and the preservation process works. Attendees will also learn from neighborhood activists from across Queens about different ways of preserving community character and historic resources, from landmark designation to rezoning initiatives to public awareness campaigns.

This program will take place Tuesday, November 15 from 7:30-9pm at the Community United Methodist Church, 81-10 35th Avenue, Jackson Heights. The event is free to the public. For more information call HDC at 212-614-9107 or e-mail ftolbert@hdc.org.

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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