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The New-York Historical Society was founded in 1804. Originally based in Lower Manhattan, this renowned museum moved to its current location on Central Park West in 1908, where it occupies a granite Classical Revival style structure designed by York & Sawyer. The central pavilion, which features an Ionic colonnade across the upper floors, was later expanded by Walker & Gillette with complementary wings to fill the entire block front in 1937-38. Galleries display a wide range of art and artifacts, including major paintings by members of the Hudson River School, rare preparatory watercolors by John James Audubon, and numerous examples of representational sculpture. The superb research library, which contains more than three million items, is of national importance. Designated a landmark in 1966, the Historical Society is the oldest museum in New York City. For more information, visit: http://www.nyhistory.org/.

Lost Jazz Shrines of Brooklyn: the Weeksville Collection

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary New York City Landmarks Law passage, Weeksville Heritage Center presents the Lost Jazz Shrines of Brooklyn: the Weeksville Collection, an exhibit that celebrates the spirited, liberating force of jazz that took root in Central Brooklyn between the 1930s and 1960s. Up and down Fulton Street, at corner bars and clubs, in cafes and lounges, on the stages of ballrooms, theaters and armories, new forms of jazz and urban Black culture flourished in the vibrant atmosphere of largely Black-owned venues. As Manhattan’s jazz greats sought out the less-scrutinized stages of Bedford Stuyvesant’s nightlife, moving between venues to jam and improvise, they mentored a new crop of Brooklyn’s presciently gifted youth, young people who played clubs while still in high school, reached international stages while still in their twenties, and in many instances, sustained friendships throughout their lives.

This exhibit pays homage to the collective spirit and ongoing legacy of the borough’s lost jazz venues, many of which are now shuttered or re-purposed. We invite our visitors to inhabit the gallery (both physical and digital) and explore the history and geography of Brooklyn jazz Tuesday thru Friday 10am -5pm through November 18th. Free Admission.

(Note: WHC is closed for Veteran's Day on November 11, 2015).

Visit www.weeksvillesociety.org for more information.

Weeksville Heritage Center

The Weeksville Heritage Center consists of four New York City Landmarks. Constructed in the mid-19th century, following the end of slavery in New York State in 1827, these modest frame structures form a unique and historically important enclave in what is now called Bedford Stuyvesant. Settled by free blacks, Weeksville would become a safe haven for African Americans fleeing the Manhattan draft riots of 1863. This area would attract many noted black intellectuals, such Susan McKinney Steward, the first African-American female physician in the New York State, as well as residents of European descent. Nearly erased from maps until their rediscovery in 1968, the four houses are located near the middle of the block, close to Bergen Street, facing onto what was once known as Hunterfly Road, a former Native American trail that pre-dated the borough’s gridded street plan.

Visit! In commemoration of the 50th anniversary New York City Landmarks Law, Weeksville Heritage Center presents the Lost Jazz Shrines of Brooklyn: the Weeksville Collection, an exhibition that celebrates the spirited, liberating force of jazz that took root in central Brooklyn between the 1930s and 1960s. Up and down Fulton Street, at corner bars and clubs, in cafes and lounges, on the stages of ballrooms, theaters and armories, new forms of jazz and urban black culture flourished in the vibrant atmosphere of largely black-owned venues. As Manhattan’s jazz greats sought out the less-scrutinized stages of Bedford Stuyvesant’s nightlife, moving between venues to jam and improvise, they mentored a new crop of Brooklyn’s presciently-gifted youth, young people who played clubs while still in high school, reached international stages while still in their twenties, and in many instances, sustained friendships throughout their lives.

(Note: WHC is closed for Veteran's Day on November 11, 2015).

Visit www.weeksvillesociety.org for more information.

Morris-Jumel Mansion

Built in 1765 as a summer villa by the British military officer Roger Morris and his American-born wife, Mary Philipse Morris, the Morris-Jumel Mansion is an impressive example of a Palladian-style villa. This Washington Heights house contains many fine Georgian interiors (themselves designated a landmark in 1975) and what is generally believed to be the earliest octagonal room in the nation. Historically, it is famous for having served as General George Washington’s headquarters during the battle of Harlem Heights in 1776. Later owned by the French wine merchant Stephen Jumel, it was purchased by the City of New York and converted into a museum in 1903.

Visit! On October 31st, Halloween day, the Morris-Jumel Mansion will host the fourth-annual Culture and Arts Festival. One of New York City’s most beloved community events, the Festival (called CAFé for short) gathers uptown Manhattan’s finest artists, musicians, artisans and restaurateurs for an afternoon of performance, craft and tastings. This year, Morris-Jumel has the pleasure of welcoming Leslie Odom Jr., the singer and thespian who plays Aaron Burr in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s blockbuster musical Hamilton, as the guest of honor, and he’ll open the festival with remarks and later perform from noon to 12:30.

For more information call 212-923-8008 or email [email protected].

Culture and Arts Festival at the Morris-Jumel Mansion

On October 31st, Halloween day, Morris-Jumel Mansion will host the fourth-annual Culture and Arts Festival. One of New York City’s most beloved community events, the Festival (called CAFé for short) gathers uptown Manhattan’s finest artists, musicians, artisans and restaurateurs for an afternoon of performance, craft and tastings. This year, Morris-Jumel has the pleasure of welcoming Leslie Odom Jr., the singer and thespian who plays Aaron Burr in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s blockbuster musical Hamilton, as the guest of honor, and he’ll open the festival with remarks and later perform from noon to 12:30.

For more information call 212-923-8008 or email [email protected].

South Street Seaport Museum

An exemplary physical representation of the extraordinary development of early 19th century commerce and trade, the South Street Seaport Historic District contains the largest concentration of commercial buildings of that era in New York City. Among the very early buildings are those that make up Schermerhorn Row on Fulton Street. These brick Federal-style structures were erected by merchant Peter Schermerhorn in1811-12, and were among the first commercial rows in New York City, originally operated as warehouses. The South Street Seaport Museum at 12 Fulton Street, on Schermerhorn row, was part of the area’s commercial rehabilitation in the 1970s. The Museum highlights New York’s ascension as an economic and financial capital, particularly its role as a port city and a driver of development.

Hidden History of the Seaport’s Fourth Ward: A Walking Tour with the South Street Seaport Museum

Go back in time to the wickedest ward in the 19th Century. The Port of New York was teaming with transient sailors looking for a good time in the district of vice and crime. New York’s newspapers focused attention on the depravity on Water Street. Places like Kit Burns’ “Sportsmen Hall” and John Allen’s place were sailor’s favorite. There was the Meyer’s Hotel on South Street where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid hid out. The buildings are still there with deep interesting histories. Walk with us as we reveal the unspoken history of these buildings of the fifth ward and you can let your imagination run wild.

The tour will also be offered on the 29th of October. For tickets and more information, visit their website.

$10 Adults, $8 Museum Members, $5 Children

History in the Making: The New York City Landmarks Law at 50

LPC and the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, in partnership with The American Institute of Architects and the Landmarks Preservation Foundation, are pleased to announce "History in the Making: The New York City Landmarks Law at 50", a full-day conference to be hosted on October 26, 2015 at the New York City Bar Association. Co-chaired by Meenakshi Srinivasan, Chair of the LPC, and Jerold S. Kayden, Frank Backus Williams Professor of Urban Planning and Design at Harvard GSD, the day-long event will feature presentations and discussions with dynamic experts from the fields of law, architecture, preservation, real estate, planning, politics, and civic engagement to explore the past, present, and future of the City’s landmarks law.

For more information and to register, see: http://on.nyc.gov/1RFL7fM.

Brooklyn Botanical Garden

Established in 1909, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is located on a 52-acre site that was intended to be part of Prospect Park. The neo-Italian Renaissance Laboratory Administration Building, located beside Washington Avenue, is an individual landmark designed by William M. Kendall of McKim, Mead & White architects. Completed in 1917, this handsome structure originally housed laboratories and research facilities. It is now used as a botanical and horticultural library, administrative offices, as well as a visitors center and auditorium. The stucco exterior is inscribed with the names of 68 distinguished botanists and scientists, including Darwin and Linnaeus.

Visit! Join a trained Garden Guide on a 45-minute family-friendly tour of some of BBG’s most exquisite seasonal vistas and unusual plants. Each tour includes an introduction to the exhibition of Isamu Noguchi sculptures. The tour meets at the steps of the landmarked McKim, Mead & White Administration Building at Magnolia Plaza. Free with Garden admission; no registration necessary.

Tuesday–Sunday at 1 p.m. Meet at Magnolia Plaza by the Administration Building steps.

Fall Seasonal Highlights Tour at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Join a trained Garden Guide on a 45-minute family-friendly tour of some of BBG’s most exquisite seasonal vistas and unusual plants. Each tour includes an introduction to the exhibition of Isamu Noguchi sculptures. The tour meets at the steps of the landmarked McKim, Mead & White Administration Building at Magnolia Plaza. Free with Garden admission; no registration necessary.

Tuesday–Sunday at 1 p.m. Meet at Magnolia Plaza by the Administration Building steps.

Queens Historical Society at Kingsland Homestead

Located in Flushing’s historic Weeping Beech Park, the Kingsland Homestead was completed shortly after the American Revolution, in 1785. Blending Dutch and English architectural features, it was the first New York City Landmark in Queens, designated in 1965. Moved to its current site on 37th Avenue three years later, in 1968, the building was restored by the Department of Parks in 1996. Now the headquarters of the Queens Historical Society, the interiors display permanent and rotating exhibitions devoted to the history of the house and Queens, as well as Victorian furnishings.

Visit! Join the LPC and the Queens Historical Society in commemorating our historic house being designated the first landmark in Queens with guest speaker and LPC Commissioner Diana Chapin! The event will be Sunday, October 18th from 2:30-4:30 PM. RSVP is required, space is limited. For more information, call 718-939-0647 or email [email protected].

Happy Landmark Birthday Kingsland!

Join the LPC and the Queens Historical Society in commemorating our historic house being designated the first landmark in Queens with guest speaker and LPC Commissioner Diana Chapin! The event will be Sunday, October 18th from 2:30--4:30 PM. RSVP is required, space is limited. For more information, call 718-939-0647 or email [email protected].

Today, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously to approve the designation of the 276-building Mount Morris Park Historic District Extension in Manhattan. To learn more about our newest extension visit: http://on.nyc.gov/1NKvO4Z (PDF).

Dyckman Farmhouse

The only remaining Dutch Colonial style farmhouse in Manhattan, this structure was built by William Dyckman in 1785 as part of a 250-acre estate. Constructed with wood and fieldstone, it features a gambrel roof, spring eaves, and porch. Two Dyckman sisters, Mary Alice and Fannie Fredericka, purchased the house in 1915. In collaboration with their husbands, curator Bashford Dean and architect Alexander Welch, they restored the house to its early 19th century appearance and donated it to the city. Designated a Landmark in 1967, this charming farmhouse recalls the era when Inwood and Manhattan’s northern tip was still rural.

Visit! Join the Dyckman Farmhouse for Behind the Velvet Rope: a Tour and conversation celebrating the 50th anniversary of the NYC Landmarks Law with Martin Collins, Inwood Community Advocate. The event takes place Wednesday, September 23, at 1 pm. To RSVP, email [email protected].

Old Merchant's House

Built on speculation by Joseph Brewster in 1831-32, this late Federal-style residence was acquired by hardware merchant Seabury Tredwell and his wife Eliza in 1836. Gertrude, the Tredwell's eighth child, who was born in the second-floor bedroom, lived in the 3 1/2-story brick structure until her death in 1933. At this time, a distant cousin, George Chapman, converted the house into a public museum, preserving the structure and nearly 2500 objects, including more than 100 pieces of 19th-century furniture that had been owned by the family. The Merchants House was one of Manhattan's first landmarks. It was designated in October 1965, followed by the interiors in 1975.

A building that has seen many uses, the Arsenal at East 64th Street on Central Park now serves as the Administration Building for the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Built “to house and protect the arms of the state,” the Arsenal was designed as a mock-medieval castle, complete with octagonal towers. After only a few years of use as an arsenal, the structure was converted into a police station. It later served as the first home of the American Museum of Natural History. In 1934 the building became the headquarters of New York City’s Parks Department. Photos courtesy of Friends of the Upper East Side. To learn more about this designated landmark, visit http://on.nyc.gov/1iqcoqY.

#lpc #nyc #preservation #landmark #historic new york #castle #nyclpc #historic landmark #historic preservation

Erasmus Hall High School is an impressive example of the Collegiate Gothic style often employed by its architect C.B.J. Snyder, who served as superintendent of school buildings and, over a long career, produced more than 170 structures for the Board of Education, the governing body for the New York City Department of Education. Founded the Erasmus Hall Academy by Dutch settlers in Flatbush in 1786, the structure continued to grow with Brooklyn’s population until 1940, when two new wings were added. Among the thousands of students to graduate from Erasmus, the best known include Barbara Streisand, Beverly Sills, Bernard Malamud, and Samuel Lefrak. To learn more about this designated landmark, visit http://on.nyc.gov/1KIq63f.

#lpc #nyc #preservation #education #landmark #historic new york #castle #nyclpc #historic landmark #historic preservation

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