Annual Conference's Opening Reception
Rochelle Spencer
Wine, cheese, and a projector screen glowing with images of the city helped New York preservationists and volunteers celebrate campaigns as diverse as the five boroughs themselves at tonight’s opening reception of the Historic Districts Council’s (HDC) annual conference.
The evening’s theme, “Preservation in New York: The Next Generation” resonated with preservationists who mentioned the need to be environmentally conscious in the new millennium.
Roberta Lane, senior program officer and regional attorney at National Trust for Historic Preservation, said a primary challenge for preservationists was to convince agencies and companies that they could rely on alternative energy sources without “creating conflicts with historic places and landmarks.”
Still, even as preservationists acknowledged this challenge, they also described the “green” opportunities that troubling times present.
Jamie Johnson, a volunteer with the West End Preservation Society, said “older buildings are greener buildings” and pointed out how the recession has slowed new development and allowed people to reconsider ways of using older buildings.
Likewise, Jennifer Scott, director of research for the Weeksville Heritage Center, said today’s public is hungry for green-centered programs. Scott said one of her organization’s most popular programs is “Green Week,” in which 7th graders plant vegetables while learning about the history of Weeksville–a “self-sufficient African-American community” formed eleven years after slavery in New York ended.
For other preservationists, the night’s “next generation” theme didn’t mean a focus on being greener; several spoke of a desire to connect with young people. From the Lilac Preservation Project’s program in which “youth groups work on the old ship” to Landmark West’s workshops and the Merchant House’s tours for students, several preservationists said their organizations have developed strategies to engage and educate young people.
Helen Chin, an under-30 preservationist and a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said the younger generation’s inclusion is vital to preservationists’ efforts. Chin explained that young people may “not realize that in many ways historic preservation is very sexy. When you can see the lions in front of New York Public Library, your endorphins just rush.”
In tonight’s opening reception, HDC Executive Director Simeon Bankoff congratulated New York preservationists and their organizations for their varied and ambitious projects.
Still, many attendees had nothing but praise for HDC itself. HDC Board Member Susan Hopper pointed out that although HDC works with “well over 500 organizations” it still effectively advocates and helps “people in strategic ways to preserve their neighborhoods. HDC provides good counsel and technical support.”
“What’s great about HDC is it’s grassroots,” added Joyce Mendelsohn, author of Lower East Side: Remembered and Revisited. “These are real people working.”