FRIENDS of the UPPER EAST SIDE HISTORIC DISTRICTS

WINTER 2008/2009 KEAN HOUSE DEMOLISHED

wrecking ball. As shocking as this Preservation Commission (samples loss is to the neighborhood, there are can be found on our website): still 196 additional buildings proposed Landmarks Preservation Commission for inclusion in the expansion. Please Robert Tierney, Chair urge the Landmarks Preservation Municipal Building Commission to act quickly and protect One Centre Street, 9th Floor our architectural heritage by writing New York, NY 10007 a letter to the New York City Landmarks [email protected]

Mrs. John Kean residence at 863 Lexington Ave., New York City (1944 May 8. Gottscho-Schleisner Fall Benefit Honoring Liz Smith Collection, Library of Congress) On September 22, 2008, over 120 As our readers know, FRIENDS has “friends” from across the city gathered been tirelessly working to save the Kean for our Fifth Annual Ambassador to the Upper House from demolition by urging the East Side award dinner honoring Liz Landmarks Preservation Commission Smith. Liz Smith calls herself “The (LPC) to designate an expansion of the 2000-year-old gossip columnist.” Upper East Side Historic District. Arriving in Manhattan from the Sadly, despite our best efforts, the LPC University of Texas journalism school has not yet acted, leaving priceless and in 1949, she has worked in cherished architecture vulnerable to the celebrity/show biz for 57 years. Her philanthropy is legendary – she has raised millions for AIDS, Literacy Partners, N.Y. Restoration Project, P.A.L., the Mayors Fund to Advance New York, the Landmarks Conservancy and now Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts. Elaine Stritch and Liz Smith We were very fortunate that Marie introduction to Liz Smith. With such Brenner, author and writer at large for outstanding company, it was an evening Vanity Fair , co-hosted this special evening to remember! Kean House, Fall 2008 and gave a warm and entertaining Continued on page 2 Europeans all settled on the Upper East Fall Benefit continued Side in the late 19th and early 20th Young Friends centuries. Though it has lost many of Special thanks to the Benefit Com- From Ellis Island its historic buildings, Yorkville still mittee and all those who helped to make retains some very interesting sites the event so successful. With the money to the Upper East Side that we will explore with our 1st raised, FRIENDS can continue to be On a recent visit to Ellis Island, I sat through 5th graders. Our students the vigilant curator of the Upper East on the benches in the Great Hall learn that East 86th Street between Side’s architectural heritage. where immigrants waited in line to First and Third Avenues was con- be inspected and questioned. These sidered “German Broadway”, East 79th benches witnessed over twelve million Street was “Hungarian Boulevard”, and people make their way through Ellis that East 72nd street was known as Island from 1892-1954. Objects such as “Bohemian Boulevard”. We examine these provide a direct and power- churches, stores, restaurants, and ful tie to history. Buildings can also tenement buildings and try to imagine provide this link to our past, and thanks what life would have been like as a young to historic districts, many of these immigrant in the late 19th and early pockets of history are protected for 20th centuries. Through a classroom Peter Pennoyer (Friends’ 2007 Ambassador to the Upper future generations. visit, a walking tour, and an art activity, East Side), Lauren Collins of The New Yorker, In order to share these connec- we can bring the past to life for our Honoree Liz Smith, FRIENDS’ President Anne Millard tions with our youngest friends, students. In addition to our new we are introducing a new offering to program, we are continuing to offer our children’s education program: our traditional architectural education Yorkville Immigration . Luckily, evidence of program, Building Fun . We have visited 20 immigrant history is not limited to Ellis classrooms this Fall and are still Island — it is displayed throughout scheduling visits for the Spring. the built environment in many parts If you would like to learn more of New York City, including the about our youth education programs, neighborhood of Yorkville. please contact Sarah O’Keefe at Education Director Sarah O’Keefe with husband Germans, Hungarians, Czechs, [email protected] David Greig, Executive Director Seri Worden with Slovaks, Poles, Irish and Jewish or 212-535-2526. husband Nico Entel LETTER from the PRESIDENT

New York City is abuzz of late with the election, the economy, the 3 year mayoral term hearings, our Lexington Avenue expansion and sadly, the Save destruction of the Kean Mansion at 65th Street and Lexington Avenue. These issues have all kept us wide awake and very aware of our changing city. the As your voice, FRIENDS will continue to be vigilant about preservation issues affecting the Upper East Side. During these rocky economic times, we will Dat e! depend on our loyal and dedicated members so that we may continue our important and much needed work preserving the historic architecture of the Upper East Side. FRIENDS is continuing to work with the Landmark Preservation Join FRIENDS for our Twenty-Sixth Commission in the hope that they will act favorably and quickly on the Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony Lexington Avenue extension. on Monday March 16, 2009 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at The New York In other news, we are very proud of our Education Program run by Sarah School of Interior Design, 170 East O’Keefe. She has done a wonderful job. You can read more about our 70th Street. The public is welcome to programs in her article From Ellis Island to the Upper East Side (above). attend but reservations are required. We thank you for your support and please keep us posted on your concerns. Please call (212) 535-2526 or email [email protected]. FIRST AVENUE Update on 133-137 East 73rd Street

ESTATES — This Fall, we reported on an application that went before the Landmarks Landmark Status Preservation Commission (LPC) to Upheld construct a large and highly visible rooftop addition and alter the New York City has won a legal storefronts of 133-135 and 137 East victory that will uphold the landmark 73rd Street. These two handsome status of City and Suburban Homes buildings fall just within the border of Company First Avenue Estates, located the Upper East Side Historic District on First Avenue between East 64th and and are well known for their residential 65th Streets. In 2006, the Landmarks and commercial appeal. 133-137 East 73rd Street at Lexington Avenue Preservation Commission (LPC) The original proposal presented in designated 429 East 64th and 430 East August included the removal of the The Commission ultimately approved 65th Street, restoring the original elaborate cartouche on the 73rd Street a one-story addition, set further boundaries of this full block individual façade as well as other architectural back from the building’s edge, and landmark constructed between 1898 flourishes that have been added to the constructed of darker materials to and 1915 to address the housing needs storefronts over the years. FRIENDS further reduce any visibility of roof- of the city’s working poor. spoke out strongly against the removal top construction. The LPC is also Despite the dedicated work of of these artifacts that add interest requiring the cartouche and other Councilmember Jessica Lappin and an and character to the pedestrian architectural features of the storefronts outcry from the community, the owners experience of Lexington Avenue. We to remain. began defacing the buildings just before also adamantly disapproved of the scale, For all of our friends and neighbors the 2006 LPC hearing. Architectural visibility and materials of the proposed who saw the towering orange netting details were demolished and the three-story rooftop addition. showing the proposed outsized rooftop building’s buff brick was covered over The LPC commissioners undoubt- addition, we can all rest assured that the in garish red stucco in an effort to avoid edly heeded our comments at the significance and beauty of this lovely landmark’s protection. Happily, the August hearing and rejected the large Lexington Avenue building will be LPC did the right thing and moved out of scale addition, asking for preserved. Let us hope that the forward with the buildings’ designation. revisions that would reduce its visibility LPC will act on the expansion of the The owners are continuing to fight and scale. We are pleased to report that Upper East Side Historic District to the rightful designation of these the architecture team returned in preserve other equally beautiful but important social and cultural buildings. October with vastly improved revisions. unprotected buildings. In 2007, they sued the city to revoke the tenement’s hard fought landmark status. FRIENDS is pleased to now report that such an underhanded decision emphasizes the LPC’s denied and we will be sure to keep our strategy has not prevailed. In October authority to designate landmarks that readers up to date. of 2008, the court denied the owner’s not only have architectural significance, petition to nullify the designation. This but also have cultural and historical importance. The buildings may not look as attractive as they once did, but these structures are survivors and will continue to stand as monuments of an effort to address housing problems in New York City nearly a century ago. But it’s not over yet. On October 27th, 2008, the owners filed an appeal of the court’s decision. FRIENDS is confident that the appeal will also be First Avenue Estate, pre-alterations First Avenue Estate, post-alterations, 2007 Community Board 8 In memoriam gift since she knew she couldn’t fight all says YES to Lexington the battles worthy of waging. Instead, Dorothy Miner she sought to inspire and instill within On Wednesday September 17th, Com- This Fall, the preservation community us her incomparable experience and munity Board 8 voted in overwhelming lost a champion of preservation— vast knowledge before we were sent out support of a proposal to expand the Dorothy Marie Miner. Dorothy into the world. She treated each of Upper East Side Historic District to developed legal protection for historic her students with great respect and include buildings along Lexington landmarks nationwide in her longtime reverence, and took the time to get to Avenue and the neighboring sidestreets role as counsel to the New York City know each of them personally. She held between East 61st and 75th Streets. Landmarks Preservation Commission us all to a very high standard, but would Wearing bright orange “Save Lexington and was a beloved Professor of Historic also do anything to help us achieve. Avenue” stickers, our supporters packed Preservation at Columbia University. One of the best privileges in the into the auditorium and spoke artfully Below, one of Dorothy’s many students “Dorothy Club” was personal use of her and passionately about the urgency to remembers her ongoing influence beloved silver station wagon for site save the architecture and livability of this and kindness. visits and survey work. Even years after threatened neighborhood. Thank you to In Memory of graduation, Dorothy would remember all of our attendees for an outstanding Professor Dorothy Miner your thesis topic, the steps on your display of support. It is because of you career path and would always demand to that the community board heard loud Being one of Dorothy Miner’s students know if your career was still dedicated to and clear what the neighborhood wants was like being admitted to a private preservation. She will be deeply missed and needs. club—and its membership provided by her former students and will What’s next? With widespread sup- privileges long after you left the undoubtedly be remembered by many port from our elected officials, city and classroom. Her teaching was marked by as their most influential teacher. state preservation organizations and the the same dedication and acuity that was the trademark of her legal career. She Mary Kay Judy, Architectural Conservator, impressive outpouring of enthusiasm Columbia HP Class of 1998 from residents, business owners and once explained that teaching was a great preservationists across the city, the Landmarks Preservation Commission In Gratitude must now act quickly and designate this FRIEN DS much needed expansion. If the LPC and Friends of the Upper East Side Historic the Mayor have not heard from you, be of the UPPER EAST SIDE Districts wishes to acknowledge the sure to write a letter, sign our petition HISTORIC DISTRICTS generous support of: The J. M. Kaplan and spread the word! For more Fund, The Samuel H. Kress Foun- dation, The Gilbert & Ildiko Butler information on the expansion, visit our FRIENDS of the Upper East Side website at http://www.friends-ues.org. Historic Districts , founded in 1982, is Conservation Fund, The New an independent, not-for-profit mem- York City Department of Cultural 2008 Board of Directors bership organization dedicated to Affairs, State Senator Liz Krueger, First President (1982-1991), preserving the architectural legacy, Councilmember Daniel Garodnick Halina Rosenthal livability, and sense of place of the Upper and Councilmember Jessica Lappin Anne L. Millard, President East Side. We safeguard the future of through the Department of Youth Tony Rosenthal, Honorary Chairman the Upper East Side’s six historic districts Rita C. Chu, David I. Karabell, Annie and Community Development. MacRae, Gretchen Siebel, Vice Presidents and 126 individual landmarks and act O. Kelley Anderson, Treasurer as an advocate for sound preservation Franny Eberhart, Secretary policies for the city. FRIENDS has also Informing our Friends Kent L. Barwick, David W. Beer, FAIA, been a leader in successful efforts to FRIENDS continues to be a good Christina R. Davis, Andrew S. Dolkart, improve dramatically the zoning laws Lionel Goldfrank III, Erin Gray, governing the area’s avenues and neighbor. Via an e-mail list, we inform Huyler C. Held, Adam Holender, the community about items under Thomas Jayne, E. William Judson, residential side streets. Rev. John A. Kamas, Henry Lambert, review at the LPC and we have recently David L. Levinson, Mimi Levitt, For more information please call implemented an email alert list Hermes Mallea, Norman Marcus*, 212-535-2526 or visit our website at of important preservation issues on Joyce Matz, Alice McGown, www.friends-ues.org. Frederic S. Papert, Judith Price, the Upper East Side. Members can Robert C. Quinlan, Genie Rice, Friends of the Upper East Side Alexandra Schlesinger, Annie Schulhof, subscribe by visiting our website at Patricia B. Selch, Andrew P. Steffan, Historic Districts www.friends-ues.org. Patricia F. Sullivan, Roger W. Tuckerman, 20 East 69th Street, #4B Margot Wellington, Julia Widdowson, New York, NY 10021 And don’t forget, you can also check Caroline Zaleski p. 212-535-2526 our website for a list of all LPC Upper Seri Worden, Executive Director f. 212-535-2155 * deceased East Side items and the LPC’s decision.