Village Federals Landmarked, MTA proposal still open for comment, CB 2 endorses South Village proposal
From the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, www.gvshp.org
Two More Federal-Era Houses GVSHP Fought to Protect Are Landmarked: Today the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) voted unanimously to landmark two more surviving federal-era houses (1790-1835) of the thirteen that the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) and the NY Landmarks Conservancy (NYLC) proposed for landmark designation (see www.gvshp.org/federalrowhouses.htm#1820 and www.gvshp.org/13federals.pdf ). The two houses, at 486 and 488 Greenwich Street (near Spring Street), were built in 1820 and are among the oldest surviving structures in the rapidly transforming Hudson Square neighborhood (see www.gvshp.org/486-488GreenwichStFederals.pdf ). For the past four years, GVSHP has been waging a letter writing campaign to protect these thirteen houses, and has garnered substantial support for effort from the public, as well as from elected officials (see www.gvshp.org/fed13letter.htm).
GVSHP and NYLC first proposed the landmark designation of thirteen surviving federal-era houses in Lower Manhattan in 2003 (see http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9505EED71731F932A15750C0A9629C8B63 ). In addition to the two houses designated today, five others have already been designated — 127, 129, and 131 MacDougal Street (www.gvshp.org/macdougalPR.htm ) near Washington Square Park and 4 St. Mark’s Place (www.gvshp.org/67greenwich.htm ) in 2004, and 67 Greenwich Street near Wall Street in 2005 (www.gvshp.org/federalrowhouses67greenwich.htm ). The six remaining federals are 94, 94 1/2, and 96 Greenwich Street , located south of Ground Zero, which were heard by the LPC in January (www.gvshp.org/federalrowhouseslowermanhattan.htm ), 7 Leroy Street (www.gvshp.org/7leroy.htm ) and 57 Sullivan Street (www.gvshp.org/57sullivan.htm ) in the South Village, and 2 Oliver Street in Chinatown.
GVSHP has been working since the 1990’s to document and protect the more than 300 surviving “federal’ rowhouses in Lower Manhattan (www.gvshp.org/fedrowh.htm ), so named because they were designed in the first American architectural style developed after the Revolutionary War and the adoption of the United States Constitution.
HOW TO HELP:
PLEASE WRITE TO THE LPC thanking them for voting to landmark these two federal houses and urging them to KEEP GOING and designate the remaining six. Go to www.gvshp.org/federalrowhousesletter.htm for a sample letter you can use.
Deadline for Comments on MTA ‘Emergency Ventilation Plant’ Proposal for Greenwich and 7th Avenues July 26: There are two more days until the comment period for the MTA’s plan for constructing an “Emergency Ventilation Plant” near the intersection of Greenwich and 7th Avenues closes. The plant could be as much as six stories tall, and GVSHP is very concerned about the current plans’ impact upon fragile neighboring historic structures, traffic, and other nearby projects (see www.gvshp.org/ventilationplant.htm ). Comments can be mailed or e-mailed, but must be received or postmarked by July 26th.
HOW TO HELP:
PLEASE WRITE TO THE MTA raising concerns about the impact of their emergency ventilation plant planned for this location, and urge them to consider alternatives. Go to www.gvshp.org/MTAMulrySqLet7-07.htm for a sample letter you can use.
Community Board #2, Municipal Art Society Endorse South Village Historic District Proposal: After two public hearings attended by nearly 300 people, three committee meetings, and two full board meetings, last week Community Board #2 finally voted unanimously to strongly endorse the proposed South Village Historic District (see resolution at www.gvshp.org/documents/CB2Reso7-07.pdf ). Thank you to all who attended and spoke in support, and to all of the Community Board members who worked so hard to secure this outcome. The Municipal Art Society, one of the city’s oldest and most respected civic organizations, has also joined in giving its strong endorsement to the proposal (see www.gvshp.org/documents/SVdistrictsupportltrs.pdf ) — both add considerable weight and momentum to the already nearly unanimous show of support this proposal has encountered.
However, several historic buildings within the district are immediately endangered, and more become so every day. We need the City to act upon this proposal as soon as possible.
HOW TO HELP:
PLEASE WRITE TO THE LPC urging them to move ahead with consideration of the proposed South Village Historic District as soon as possible. Go to www.gvshp.org/southvillagesupportlet.htm for a sample letter you can use.
For more information on the effort to preserve the South Village, go to www.gvshp.org/southvillage.htm .