LPC Expands East Village Study Area
In May, the Landmarks Preservation Commission released a draft map of the proposed East Village Historic District. This proposal includes two separate sections: one is along Second Avenue from East 2nd Street up to Saint Marks Place and the other is the entire blockfront on the north side of East 10th Street between Avenues A & B.
After reviewing the initial boundaries of the study area, HDC, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, the East Village Community Coalition and the Lower East Side Preservation Initiative proposed amendments to better protect several existing historic buildings and streetscapes. The groups worked with City Councilmember Rosie Mendez to arrange a meeting with the LPC to explain our proposal. After further investigation, the LPC amended their proposal to include several of the buildings and areas we suggested. Landmarks expects to calendar the two areas for historic district designation on June 28 and has informally agreed to look at other areas in the East Village at a later date.
GVSHP has done extensive research on every building in the East Village. Here are some details on the buildings now being included in the LPC’s proposal:
- 101 Avenue A, an 1876 tenement of striking architecture which has housed everything from a German Social hall in the 19th century to a drag performance art space in the 1980s, which GVSHP had sought for years to protect
- 59 East 2nd Street, the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection, a spectacular and historic religious edifice built in 1891 which local groups have also spent years advocating to protect
- 32 2nd Avenue, a 1918 former magistrates court building which now houses the Anthology Film Archives at (picture HERE)
- 65 East 2nd Street, a Greek Revival House built in the late 1830s (picture HERE)
- 74-80 East 2nd Street, two Federal-style rowhouses dating to the 1820s (picture HERE)
- Several other 19th century tenement buildings (see images HERE and HERE).