Profiles in Preservation: Hal Bromm
Hal Bromm has been a dedicated supporter of Preservation New Jersey for more then six years.
He resides in Key West, FL and Delaware, NJ, has offices in New York and has been involved in historic preservation on the local level for many years as a member of both the Environmental Commission and the Planning Board in
Knowlton Township, NJ. He is a former Trustee of The Ridge and Valley Conservancy, a New Jersey land trust based in Blairstown, New Jersey and was also instrumental in creating the Knowlton Township Historic Commission in 1997, which he continues to chair.
He is the owner of Hal Bromm Gallery/New York, which began in 1976 at 114 Franklin Street in Tribeca. The gallery shows contemporary American and European art, featuring work in various media by important sculptors, painters and photographers. The gallery frequently highlights upcoming new talent; Keith Haring’s first NYC one-person exhibition was presented by Bromm in 1981.
As an active committee member of PNJ’s Heritage Partnership Hal works tirelessly to promote the Partnership’s mission throughout the state while working at the local level to protect and restore cultural resources and landscapes on preserved land. Recently he helped to organize the Belles Barn Workshop in Knowlton Township, NJ. (An article on the Belles Barn Workshop can be found in the Fall 2005 issue of Preservation Perspective.) His leadership and fundraising skills have assisted in the preservation efforts at the historic Ramsaysburg Homestead in Knowlton.
Hal’s generosity extends not only to his time given to the Heritage Partnership but also in donating, and helping to procure donations from artists and other gallery owners, elegant art and antiques for the annual PNJ Preservation Gala silent and live auctions.
Hal’s work in historic preservation spans several states and represents a significant contribution to the national preservation community. He is the principal of Hal Bromm Art and Design, an architectural, interior design and consulting business started in 1973. The design practice specializes in unusual and adaptive-reuse projects with a focus on historic renovation and restoration, both in the US and abroad. The firm is currently engaged in projects in Vieques, Puerto Rico, Florida and New York City, as well as the historic Hotel Fauchere in Milford, PA.
In 1984, Hal formed the committee for the Washington Market Historic District to push for Historic District Designation of the lower Manhattan market neighborhood now known as Tribeca. He organized the publication of the award-winning book The Texture of Tribeca to use a lobbying tool in the historic district designation effort. The publication was funded by proceeds of an arts auction conducted by Bromm. He has been responsible for several adaptive re-use projects in New York City’s Tribeca district, converting non-residential buildings to living lofts.
Bromm has served as President of New York’s Historic Districts Council, a city-wide advocacy organization that is the voice of New York’s 83 historic districts and neighborhoods meriting preservation. He is presently, serving as a board member. He is a former board member of The NYC Fine Arts Federation, directing that organization’s Centennial Celebration at City Hall attended by former mayors and dignitaries honoring NY preservationist and president emeritus of the Historic Districts Council, Anthony C Wood.