LPC Launches Interactive Audio Tour Exploring Brooklyn's Abolitionist History
(L-R) OG, Black Gotham Experience Voice Actor; Regina Myer, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership President; Cyrus Aaron, Poet; Dominique Jean-Louis, Chief Historian of the Center for Brooklyn History at the Brooklyn Public Library; Sarah Carroll, Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair; Kamau Ware, Black Gotham Experience Founder; Eric Landau, Brooklyn Bridge Park President; Sue Donoghue, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner; Antonio Reynoso, Brooklyn Borough President; Kate Lemos McHale, Director of Research for the Landmarks Preservation Commission
On June 6th, ahead of the Juneteenth holiday, LPC launched More Than a Brook: Brooklyn Abolitionist Heritage Walk, an interactive audio tour that explores Brooklyn's abolitionist heritage through stories of significant abolitionists and the historic sites associated with them, and builds on the Adams' administration's continued investment in racial equity and justice as we work to create a more just and fair city for all New Yorkers.
The interactive audio tour was commissioned by LPC and created by Kamau Studios and Black Gotham Experience. The three-part audio experience guides participants through Brooklyn's rich abolitionist history, incorporating 19 stops and highlighting the many landmark sites along a 4.5-mile walkable path, and can be accessed on a smartphone, tablet, or other device.
The project was supported by a grant from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation and financed in part with federal funds from the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
The building's strikingly ornate atrium rises nine stories to a large pyramidal skylight. It remained hidden for decades, sealed due to fire safety concerns. In recent years, it underwent a sensitive restoration as part of the conversion of the Temple Court Building into The Beekman Hotel. The restoration included an innovative new fire safety system that enabled the building to comply with modern codes while restoring and revealing the historic atrium, allowing it to be reopened and once again visible to the public.
The "Red Room" is currently undergoing a full restoration and will soon reopen to the public for the first time in years as the first New York City location of the French luxury retailer, Printemps.
Frederick Douglass Memorial Park in Oakwood Heights, Staten Island
On June 18th, the Commission voted to designate Frederick Douglass Memorial Park. Located in the Oakwood Heights neighborhood of Staten Island, the memorial park opened in 1935, offering a fitting and dignified place for New York City's Black community to bury their loved ones in a park-like landscaped setting during a period in which they were often excluded from other burial sites due to discrimination and segregation.
The site includes a memorial for renowned 19th century abolitionist, writer, orator, and activist Frederick Douglass, and has served as the burial site for thousands of Black New Yorkers from all walks of life, from regular citizens whose stories are part of the city's collective heritage to prominent figures like jazz and blues singer Mamie Smith, jazz trumpeter Tommy Ladnier, and professional baseball player and author Sol White.
Next up, the Brooklyn Edison Building, the second individual landmark designated on June 18th. Designed by McKenzie, Voorhees & Gmelin and constructed between 1922-1926, the building was designed for the Brooklyn Edison Company as its new, larger headquarters – a need driven by the increased demand for electricity capacity after a growth in the local population that followed the completion of the local subway lines in the 1920s, and a testament to the technological advancements that fueled Brooklyn's growth in the early 20th century.
The row houses were constructed during a period of intensive residential development that followed the extension of streetcar lines to the area and the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge, and the impressive rows of brownstones that line the new historic district are an architectural highlight within the broader neighborhood.
LPC is saying a fond farewell to two familiar faces this month:
Miguel Cazola, who is retiring after 37 years of public service with the City of New York – the last 35 as part of LPC's Administrative team overseeing payroll. Miguel has been an integral part of the LPC team, bringing his signature dedication and enthusiasm to every interaction, and has played a critical role in ensuring LPC's day-to-day operations run smoothly and seamlessly, working closely with seven LPC commissioners during his decades with the agency. Congratulations, Miguel – and best wishes for all the new adventures ahead!
Kate Lemos McHale, LPC's Director of Research, who is returning to her home state of Maine as Executive Director of Greater Portland Landmarks. During more than seven years leading LPC's research department, Kate has left an indelible impact on New York City, advancing many important designations across all five boroughs. She brought an incredible degree of rigor and thoughtfulness to the Research team's work, and helped shape the agency's approach to designation, ensuring that the historic sites advanced and prioritized for designation reflect the agency's commitment to diversity as part of our Equity Framework. We will miss her tremendously but look forward to all the great work ahead as she enters this new, exciting chapter in Portland.
LPC in the Community
Exploring Urban Archaeology
On June 6th, LPC's Archaeology staff joined other leaders in the field for a talk at the New Jersey History and Historic Preservation Conference in Jersey City. LPC's Director of Archaeology Amanda Sutphin and Urban Archaeologist Jessica Striebel MacLean led the session, "Uncovering Urban Archaeology," which provided an overview of the Archaeology Department's work and the role of the NYC Archaeological Repository: The Nan A. Rothschild Research Center, and drew upon some of the highlights from the team's award-winning book, Buried Beneath the City: An Archaeological History of New York.
Discussing State Housing Policy and New York's Historic Resources
Daniel Mackay, Deputy Commissioner for Historic Preservation at State of New York, Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation; Erica Avrami, James Marston Fitch Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation at Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation; Annemarie Gray, Executive Director of Open New York; Sara Bronin, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Chair; Lisa Kersavage, LPC Executive Director; Edith Hsu-Chen, Executive Director of NYC Department of City Planning (DCP); Elizabeth Goldstein, President of The Municipal Art Society of New York
On June 20th, LPC's Executive Director Lisa Kersavage joined the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) for the New York Housing and Historic Preservation Roundtable, and a fascinating conversation on housing policy and how New York's historic buildings can be part of the solution to address the state's housing needs. The panel was moderated by ACHP Chair Sara Bronin and also included Edith Hsu-Chen, Executive Director of NYC Department of City Planning (DCP); Daniel Mackay, Deputy Commissioner for Historic Preservation at State of New York, Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, Elizabeth Goldstein, President of The Municipal Art Society of New York, Annemarie Gray, Executive Director of Open New York; and Erica Avrami, James Marston Fitch Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation at Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. Our thanks to ACHP Chair Sara Bronin and New York University's Furman Center, the event's co-sponsor, for hosting this fantastic event.
Celebrating the Adaptive Reuse of the Bronx's Landmark Dollar Savings Bank Building
On June 23rd, LPC joined the Bronx's Fordham Heights community to celebrate the grand opening of a new Fine Fare supermarket in the landmark Dollar Savings Bank Building, which was built in 1932-1933 by Halsey, McCormack & Helmer. With a grant from the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), property developer and co-owner Madd Equities undertook a sensitive restoration of the iconic property – work approved and overseen by LPC. The result: an incredible shopping experience in a building that is once again poised to serve as a centerpiece for the local community, and a powerful example of how our city's historic buildings are helping to grow our economy and improving quality of life for New Yorkers.
Sharing Appreciation for Bronx's Old Croton Aqueduct Walk
On June 27, LPC Landmark Preservationist Sarah Eccles traveled up to the Keeper's House in Dobbs Ferry for a talk hosted by the Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct about New York City's newest scenic landmark, Old Croton Aqueduct Walk. The night featured thoughtful questions, interesting insights, and a shared appreciation for the incredible history of this engineering marvel that helped power our city's economic rise – and the idyllic public walkway that was built on top of the aqueduct's embankments that has since become part of NYC Parks and serves as a beloved greenspace for New Yorkers and visitors alike.
Looking Ahead
On June 18th, LPC voted to calendar the Jacob Day Residence at 50 West 13th Street in Manhattan for consideration as an individual landmark. Once a date has been set for the public hearing for the proposed landmark, that information will be posted on the hearings page of LPC's website.
Making our city more livable means ensuring every New Yorker has a place to live. On June 14th, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and theNew York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Adolfo Carrión announced the implementation of two critically-needed tools to address the city's housing crisis by incentivizing more affordable housing through new construction and office conversions, the latest step in the Adams administration's efforts to reach the "moonshot goal" of building 500,000 new homes by 2032.
