GANYC Members Testimony at Landmarks Preservation Commission Backlog Initiative Public Hearings
GANYC members heeded the call to testify in front of the Landmarks Preservation Council at its October and November public hearings on 95 calendared properties throughout the 5 boroughs.
We have included snippets of testimony of GANYC members below. Those who testified included:
- Matthew Baker, October 8, regarding several properties in Queens
- Ibrahima Diallo, October 8, on behalf of two buildings in Brooklyn; his testimony was called “One of the most interesting perspectives on landmarking” by the real estate blog: Brownstoner.
- Claude Toback, October 22, regarding Staten Island
- Judy Richheimer, November 5 & 12, Manhattan: IRT Power Station and Chester A. Arthur house
- Robin Garr, November 5 & 12, Manhattan: IRT Power Station and Chester A. Arthur house. Her testimony was cited by DNAinfo.com.
MANHATTAN
IRT POWERHOUSE, NOVEMBER 5
"Today I voice my support the landmarking of Tthe IRT Powerhouse, now ConEd Powerhouse, for its beautiful, 1904, McKim Mead and White, Beaux Arts, façade, but not just for its historical architectural presence as a contrast to the new shiny developments all around it. The building is a celebration of our mass transit system, at over 110 years old it is the original powerhouse for the then-new, electrified subway. An integral part of our city’s history is documenting transit patterns and systems. Preserved sights are so important for illustrating the stages and developments of this history: Grand Central Terminal, the Highline, our waterways, and some of our piers, roads, and bridges remain. However, many have been lost. This is one of only two of the original eight public utility structures built in the early 20th century, and the most monumental... It is likely the building one day will be decommissioned as a power station, so it is imperative to designate it for landmark status now to preserve the façade for adaptive reuse, rather than destructive development." -- Robin Garr
CHESTER A. ARTHUR HOUSE, 123 LEXINGTON AVENUE, NOVEMBER 12
"(It is a) modest brownstone, but one steeped in historical significance as a physical presence where one of two U.S. presidents were sworn into office in New York City. The home of a New Yorker with a significant story, who championed civil rights during reconstruction, and who lived before and after his presidency in the very house still standing. Its proximity to Calvary Episcopal Church on Park Avenue and Madison Square Park, with sculptures of President Arthur and Senator Conkling, provides opportunities for guides and educators to engage in a period of history that is mostly overlooked.
Yes the building has been altered from its original appearance in the time of President Arthur, but this adds all the more need for landmark designation: Kalustyan’s (originally an Indian grocer, now featuring an international inventory) in business since 1944, should be just the kind of historic New York landmark we need to address and consider as well. What could be the final iteration of the facade illustrates the growth and change of the city over 100+ years, but what shame if designation were denied and further changes were made. On site now is a bit of multicultural and uniquely New York picture of American immigrant success -- and it is in the former house of a U.S. President to boot.
The house already has National Historic Landmark status and the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s endorsement for New York City landmark designation by the LPC to preserve what remains." -- Robin Garr
BROOKLYN
183-195 BROADWAY - October 8
"It is refreshing when entering Brooklyn on a tour to say, 'Look, there's a cast iron building in Brooklyn," because it is something rare to find in a borough as diverse as Brooklyn. Furthermore, people expect signs of change, and there are enough of those at 183-195 Broadway, one of the 4 surviving cast-iron buildings in that section of Brooklyn . It is also worth noting that it was built while Brooklyn was an independent city and was part of what used to be the downtown district of Williamsburg." - Ibrahima Diallo
LADY DEBORAH MOODY - VAN SICKLEN HOUSE - October 8
"The Lady Deborah Moody - Van Sicklen House is the only known existent 18th-century farmhouse of stone construction in Brooklyn. And how large is Brooklyn! It is a significant house mainly because of its age, but also incorporating features of Lady Moody's 1640s-50s house. Most Dutch American farmhouses are of wood. This one isn't and was home to the son of the founder of Gravesend. So why not go ahead and preserve it." - Ibrahima Diallo
"I first got interested in history visiting the Lady Moody House and its adjacent cemetery with the now defunct, Gravesend Historical Society. I grew up nearby in Bensonhurst. Today I will still drive by the house and the neighborhood, with private clients on the way to Coney Island. To me, it's especially important if there are women or girls along, so they learn too. I will emphasize how incredibly important Lady Moody was and what she had done in American history." - Marc Landman
IMPORTANCE OF LANDMARKING
"As a tour guide, I can share with you that for most people, when they hear what we say, they forget; but when they see it, they remember it, they take photos of it, they talk about it, come back for it, tweet and hashtag it. I would love for all the visitors, locals and our younger generation to never forget the history and beauty of this borough and city." - Ibrahima Diallo, October 8
"I have decades of experience as a museum educator teaching from the object – engaging visitors with what is on view. As a New York City tour guide, the object -- my museum – is the City. My objects are the buildings, monuments, parks, the places and the people and what happened there. Pointing out a spot where a structure once was? There is far more impact when a visitor can see a building, even a remnant of it. Preserving tangible places where important historical events occurred provides instant interaction and creates reaction with our visitors. That human encounter is what keeps this city alive, thriving and one of the top destinations in the world." - Robin Garr, November 5 & 12