Cities are most interesting when they combine the new with the old, and
the traditional with the avant-garde. New York juxtaposes high rises with
church spires, crammed spaces with green vistas, streets of shops with streets of
houses, glass-and-steel towers with cast-iron buildings, or houses of brick and
timber. The older buildings of our cities give us the possibility of visualizing
the past, for they are, in a true sense, time capsules.
The capitol building of Virginia, in Richmond, brings Robert E. Lee to
life, Louis XIV is best understood amid the carefully calculated grandeur of
Versailles, and the remnants of the Parthenon give voice to Demosthenes. So,
too, in New York City, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building
signify aspects of the vibrant history of our great metropolis. In the buildings,
parks, and historic areas that survive in New York City and are recorded in this
book, we see many facets of the city’s architecture, its history, and its culture.
The original Pennsylvania Station may be gone, as are the Bartholdi Hotel,
the Athenaeum Club building, and the old Metropolitan Opera House; but the
structures and sites that remain, and are protected as landmarks, are testament
to New York’s rich heritage. Daily living was as varied in the past three centuries
as it is for us in the initial years of the twenty-first century. And our schools,
churches, and commercial structures testify today to this diversity, reminding
us where we have been, and how far we have come, in a few hundred years.
We see the untouchable past along with the un-built beginning, and new spires
rising alongside the old.
Historic preservation is more than the desire for permanence expressed through
architecture; it is an embodiment of the relationship between urbanism and
populace. One of the motivations for writing this book was to further enhance
the level of awareness of the places we inhabit, and to encourage even more
citizens to become involved in helping to revitalize their communities—and not simply for aesthetic reasons. Landmarks preservation, I believe, improves the wellbeing
of our citizens, not just by means of the “result”—the restored and rescued
buildings and sites—but also through the process of involving large numbers
of people and nurturing a growing constituency for civic concern and pride.
It has not been, and will not be, the New York City Landmarks Preservation
Commission alone, but the individuals and grassroots organizations that give
voice and vitality to the movement that has transformed our city—aesthetically,
culturally, and economically.
Another reason for writing this book is to attempt to correct some
misconceptions regarding landmark preservation, in particular the notion that
a building is “frozen” once it receives landmark status. Hardly! In fact, as we
accumulated data, our greatest problem was keeping track of all the changes
that had taken place in a landmark since designation and determining the use
of the landmark. Effecting changes in landmark structures is not only wholly
possible, but has been constant and widespread. Because of repairs, renovations,
and adaptation to landmarks, even their appearances can change, which proves
that a landmark is not static and museum-like, but, as is true of almost any
building in active use, constantly evolving. Far from seeking simply to preserve
a bygone world, the members of the New York City Landmarks Preservation
Commission accept the circumstances of a changing world and attempt to
preserve the past without jeopardizing the future. No generation has the right
to make the city a monotonous monument to a single moment. But while
giving progress and change their due, we must not permit the best of our past
to be buried or otherwise lost.
This book attempts to provide a brief indication of the history and
significance of each of the designated properties in New York City, through
June 2011. The text has been based in part on the designation reports of the
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Initially, my assistants and
I systematically gathered and catalogued each report. Next we communicated,
orally or in writing, with owners, city officials, historical societies, architects,
preservationists, and citizens, requesting historical and anecdotal material.
Then began the elaborate process of documenting the designated landmarks:
cross-checking and authenticating the historical information, architectural
descriptions, photographs, and fresh anecdotal material that we had gathered
about each of them The exhaustive research involved interviews, conversations, and digging in
archives so that each building or site would be presented with its own story,
its own intricate history. Exhaustive and repeated efforts to verify the accuracy
of the material were made. This was not possible in every instance because of
the inability to locate verifiable sources. Therefore, it is our hope that if you
have, or are aware of, verifiable data or emendations that relate to any of these
landmarks, you will share them with us. We hope to continue our researches
and incorporate appropriate changes in future digital editions of this book. In
an attempt to document New York’s architectural history, the landmarks in this
book have been organized chronologically by date of construction. In several
instances, to accommodate all of the materials, this order is not strictly followed.
This book reveals how the hopeful vision of a few has become a strong
instrument for the protection of our architectural future, in recognition of
our rich past. It represents our achievements in the structures that have been
created and endured, and which continue to shape our City. Preservationists
have long understood the benefits of protecting the past from destruction.
The architecture of New York City should be saved so that future generations
can envision the past and experience the magic of stepping back in time.
Preservation of our landmarks provides a sense of continuity between past and
present, and an appreciation of the accomplishments that outlast the individual
life. Every civilization is formed not merely by its own achievements, but by
what it has inherited from the past. We are reminded that the values and
aspirations these landmarks embody possess continuing relevance today, and
make us aware of the past’s importance to the future.
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