E-BULLETIN OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS COUNCIL
May 2012, Volume 9, Number 2
~Six to Celebrate Tour Series~
Come tour our 2012 Six to Celebrate neighborhoods. Learn about their diverse cultural and architectural histories. Starting in May and running throughout the summer HDC, with the help of noted tour guides and local community groups, will be touring each neighborhood.
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Visit Bay Ridge, a quintessentially New York neighborhood filled with a variety of historic housing, well-maintained parks, vibrant commercial streets and impressive institutional buildings. As we ride along Shore Road and the bicycle path, the tour will focus on some of the open spaces and significant sites along the area closest to the waterfront including Bliss Park, the Barkaloo Cemetery, the Narrows Botanic Garden, the Arts & Crafts style Gingerbread House, the former site of the New York Crescent Club & Polo Grounds, the cul-de-sac block Colonial Gardens and the Greek Revival-style Bennett-Farrell House. The day will end with a tour of the military site, Fort Hamilton, an active base with numerous historic structures, founded in 1825. Bikes will not be provided. Tickets can be purchased here.
Morningside Heights, Manhattan
WALKING TOUR led by Andrew Scott Dolkart, architectural historian and author of “Morningside Heights: A History of Its Architecture & Development”
Far Rockaway Beachside Bungalows, Queens
WALKING TOUR led by Nancy Solomon, folklorist and executive director of Long Island Traditions
BICYCLE TOUR led by Nicole Francis, Beverly Square East Neighborhood Association
BICYCLE TOUR led by Harry J. Bubbins, director of Friends of Brook Park
Six to Celebrate is generously supported by The New York Community Trust.
Additional support for the Six to Celebrate Tours is provided by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and from New York City Councilmembers Inez Dickens, Daniel Garodnick, Vincent Gentile, Stephen Levin and Rosie Mendez.
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Monday, June 11, 6:30pm
Film Screening and Discussion: The Bungalows of Rockaway
Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue at East 2nd Street, Manhattan
After a sold-out screening of the film’s excerpts in 2008, HDC brings back the popular 2010 documentary film, “The Bungalows of Rockaway,” produced by Jennifer Callahan and Elizabeth Logan Harris. The film highlights the rich history of the Rockaway bungalows, lasting more than 100 years. Although by 1933 there were more than 7,000 bungalows dotting the peninsula, fewer than 500 remain today. The documentary, narrated by Oscar-winner Estelle Parsons, features rare archival footage, maps, and interviews with historians, prominent New Yorkers, and several of the longtime residents and vacationers. Chosen as a Critic’s Pick by Time Out New York.
In 2012, HDC named the Far Rockaway Beach Bungalows to its Six to Celebrate list, six historic New York City neighborhoods that merit preservation as priorities for HDC’s advocacy and consultation over a yearlong period. HDC is working with the Beachside Bungalow Preservation Association to get the remaining bungalows of Beach 24th, 25th and 26th Streets on the State and National Registers of Historic Places and to raise awareness about this irreplaceable part of New York City’s history.
The screening will be followed by a “Q & A” session and discussion with Richard George, executive director of the Beachside Bungalow Preservation Association; Nancy Solomon, director of Long Island Traditions and author of the upcoming National Register nomination; David Selig, owner of Rockaway Taco;Jeanne DuPont of Rockaway Waterfront Alliance, and the filmmakers. The program will be moderated by journalist Eve M. Kahn.
Admission is $10 for the general public, $5 for Friends of HDC, seniors and students. A limited number of complimentary tickets will be available to Far Rockaway residents. Email [email protected] for more information.
To purchase tickets or for more information, visit our website or call 212-614-9107.
——————————————————————————————————- Landmarking in the 21st Century: Designation After Douglaston
The 1997 Designation of the Douglaston Historic District was a watershed moment for the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The first historic district in Queens filled with detached suburban houses; Douglaston marked a turning point for the LPC which has continued for the last 15 years. Appointed in 2003, Mayor Bloomberg’s Chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, Robert Tierney is the longest-serving chair in the commission’s history and under his guidance the LPC has designated more historic districts outside Manhattan than any previous commission; adding a total of 28 new districts and 6 district expansions – many of which would have never been considered under previous Chairs. At the same time, the agency has also seen immense controversy from landmarks rejected by City Council to legal action being brought against them by civic groups. Simeon Bankoff, executive director of the Historic Districts Council, will discuss what the state of landmarks preservation since the beginning of the Bloomberg Administration with an eye towards what might lie ahead under a new Mayor.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012, 6:00pm
Douglaston Club, 600 West Drive, Douglaston Queens
For information on tickets, click here. Advance reservations are required.
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Historic Preservation Saved New York!
On Sunday, April 22, 2012, the New York Daily news published an opinion piece by Edward Glaeser, a professor of Economics at Harvard, arguing that historic districts are damaging to the economic, social, and environmental health of the city because they limit new construction. HDC board member, Dr. Jeffrey A. Kroessler, offers this reply.
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Free Lecture!
St. John’s Church and New Construction in Historic Districts Today
St. John’s Getty Square was originally a 1751 Georgian manorial church in downtown Yonkers. In 1871, it became one of the first examples of historic preservation in America, with a magnificent enlargement by William Appleton Potter. It is also one of the first instances of the Colonial Revival in the nation. Byrns will draw upon his experience as an LPC Commissioner by discussing various recent examples of projects approved or disapproved by the LPC, and compare them to the changes at St. John’s over a period of 120 years.
Stephen F. Byrns is a partner at BKSK Architects and was a Landmarks Preservation Commissioner from 2004-10. He majored in History at Princeton University, where he wrote his thesis on William Butterfield.
May 30, 2012 6-8pm
Neighborhood Preservation Center
232 East 11th Street, Manhattan
Admission is FREE. RSVP to [email protected] or 212-614-9107.
Advance reservations are required and space is limited.
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Partners in Preservation is a community-based program which provides preservation grants for local historic places. American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have joined together and are giving away three million dollars to worthy New York City organizations. You can vote once a day everyday through May 21. This weekend all 40 sites will be participating in an Open House weekend–free and discounted events (like a behind the scenes tour of Ellis Island, free concerts, architectural tours and much more).
Learn more at http://partnersinpreservation.com/
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Become a Friend of HDC today and receive special discounts on our exciting and informational events. By donating you are aiding in the fight to preserve New York history. HDC is the only organization that works with communities in all five boroughs. That’s a lot of buildings! http://hdc.org/donate.
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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]