E-BULLETIN OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS COUNCIL
April 2013, Volume 10, Number 1
PROTECT NEW YORK CITY’S LIBRARIES:
There will be a public hearing at the Landmarks Preservation Commission (1 Centre Street, 9th floor) tomorrow at 9:50am for the Seward Park Branch Library. Join HDC at the hearing and show your support for this beautiful Carnegie Library. Why is this library important and worthy of designation you ask, read HDC’s testimony below and I’m sure you’ll agree.
Statement of the Historic Districts Council
Designation Hearing
LP – 2531
BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN
NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY, SEWARD PARK BRANCH, 192 East Broadway
The Historic Districts Council is the advocate for New York City’s designated historic districts, landmarks and buildings meriting preservation.
The day after Andrew Carnegie sold his corporation in 1901 to J.P. Morgan for $500 million, Carnegie announced a $5.2 million donation to New York City for the construction of public library buildings. 67 branches were constructed in New York City between 1902 and 1929, 26 of them in Manhattan. Today 57 Carnegies remain in the five boroughs, 22 of those in Manhattan. The majority of these buildings are not landmarked, and we risk losing these neighborhood branches whose handsome architecture reflect the importance of the activities that have gone on inside for generations. HDC is very happy to see steps being taken to protect the Seward Park Branch and fully support its landmarking.
While HDC would like to one day see all of the Carnegies landmarked, the Seward Park Branch is of particular note. The handsome Renaissance Revival style stone building was designed by Babb, Cook & Welch and opened in 1909. The Seward Park Branch is unique amongst the Manhattan branches. Rather than standing in the middle of a block like a townhouse, the large, free-standing library prominently anchors the eastern end of Seward Park. The branch is also rare in that it retain its roof garden, although this space is no longer in use.
The Seward Park Branch has long been an architectural and cultural landmark on the Lower East Side, and HDC joins other supporters in the belief that it is now time to make the library an official landmark.
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NYPL’s Central Library Plan
The Historic Districts Council released a statement about the NYPL’s Central Library Plan last week; if you have not read it see below. You can also sign the The Citizens Defending Libraries petition by clicking here
HDC’s Statement on the NYPL’s Central Library Plan
The New York Public Library is an institution that embodies the altruistic principle that education is the great societal elevator. It was founded in the belief that everyone should have access to the resources necessary for self-improvement. Unfortunately, with the NYPL’s pursuit of the Central Library Plan, it appears that mission may have become a thing of the past.
The guiding principle of the Library was that access to education was necessary for America to progress and that no one should be barred from knowledge because of his or her economic status. To drive home this point, beautiful branch libraries were situated in neighborhoods throughout the city and a lavish architectural masterpiece was constructed in the heart of Manhattan, places where all New Yorkers would be welcome in a mansion of books grander than any of the private libraries of the wealthy or the cloistered libraries of private universities. As an institution, the New York Public Library nurtured countless generations of New Yorkers and enabled some of our brightest stars to flourish, regardless of their personal economic or social circumstances. It is both a symbol and a sustainer of New York’s century-long status as a major world city and it is truly a treasure. This is why the Central Library Plan is so deeply troubling…
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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:[email protected]